Sports

49ers, Brock Purdy keep the top spot

October 10, 2023

Those two Super Bowls pitting the Giants against the Patriots might as well have been played in the 1800s.

It feels like ages ago — not the 2007 and 2011 seasons — that those two franchises were competing for championships.

Now, the Giants and Patriots are two of seven teams with one win or fewer in a bottom-heavy NFL.

But is either of those teams the worst of the pack?

The hard early-season truth is that the field of realistic contenders for the No. 1 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft probably is deeper than the field of realistic Super Bowl contenders.

Here are The Post’s NFL power rankings for Week 6, in which everything beyond the top-five is debatable:

1. 49ers 5-0 (1)

Just when it looked like running back Christian McCaffrey (he of the 14 consecutive-game touchdown streak) might have a chance to end the streak of 10 straight quarterbacks to win NFL MVP, his own teammate emerged as a top contender. Brock Purdy threw four touchdown passes, including three to George Kittle, in a 42-10 beatdown of the Cowboys.

2. Eagles 5-0 (2)

Jalen Hurts threw for 303 yards and a touchdown and ran for 72 yards and another score via — yes, you guessed it — the “tush push” at the 1-yard line in a 23-14 win against the Rams. The Eagles have won 22 of their last 23 regular-season games. Jalen Carter and Haason Reddick had two sacks apiece for an underappreciated defense.

3. Dolphins 4-1 (5)

The Dolphins had touchdown drives of 94, 89, 75 and 75 yards, though two of those lasted less than a minute because of the big-play speed of Tyreek Hill and De’Von Achane that overwhelmed the Giants in a 31-16 win. The Dolphins added 524 yards to what is now the most yardage ever by an NFL team through five games.

4. Chiefs 4-1 (4)

Taylor Swift was not in attendance to see her rumored love interest Travis Kelce catch a touchdown pass after returning from a brief scare that included getting X-rays on his ankle during a 27-20 victory against the Vikings. Patrick Mahomes converted a third-and-18 with a 33-yard completion on the tiebreaking 75-yard touchdown drive in the third quarter.

5. Lions 4-1 (6)

Even without playmakers Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jahmyr Gibbs, the Lions scored six touchdowns in a 42-20 rout of the Panthers. Jared Goff threw for three scores, including two to surging rookie tight end Sam LaPorta, without an interception, and three different rushers scored. The Lions hold sole possession of first place in October or later for the first time since 2016.

6. Jaguars 3-2 (11)

Clinging to a four-point lead for most of the game, the Jaguars traded late punches with the Bills and emerged with a 25-20 victory. The Jaguars spent the week in England to play consecutive games, which might be an advantage. Having Travis Etienne (136 rushing yards and two touchdowns) to overcome Trevor Lawrence’s two lost fumbles definitely is an advantage.

7. Bills 3-2 (3)

Stefon Diggs caught eight passes for 121 yards but smashed a tablet on the sideline when the Bills were seemingly stuck down, 11-7, to the Jaguars. It was technically a home game for the Bills, whose fans were noisy even though there wasn’t much to cheer for until Josh Allen (359 passing yards) got going in the fourth quarter.

8. Cowboys 3-2 (7)

Another big game, another letdown by the Cowboys against the 49ers. Are they Jekyll and Hyde? Or are they just extremely predictable — prey on the inferior and get knocked around by the superior? Dak Prescott, who was sacked three times and threw three interceptions, “didn’t see it coming,” but the rest of the NFL should have.

9. Seahawks 3-1 (9)

Geno Smith looks to be on the way to justifying the three-year, $75 million contract he signed in the offseason, with five touchdowns and one interception through four games. The Seahawks return from their Week 5 bye to face the Bengals, beginning a stretch of three games in four weeks against the AFC North.

10. Buccaneers 3-1 (10)

Todd Bowles — who underachieved last season with Tom Brady — is an early contender for NFL Coach of the Year with the Buccaneers atop the NFC South after a bye. The offensive line has allowed the NFL’s fewest sacks (four) as Baker Mayfield resurrects his career but is clearing the way for the fewest rushing yards per carry (3.4).

11. Falcons 3-2 (16)

12. Steelers 3-2 (18)

13. Colts 3-2 (13)

14. Ravens 3-2 (8)

15. Chargers 2-2 (15)

16. Rams 2-3 (12)

17. Titans 2-3 (14)

18. Saints 3-2 (22)

19. Browns 2-2 (13)

20. Bengals 2-3 (23)

21. Texans 2-3 (17)

22. Raiders 2-3 (29)

23. Packers 2-3 (21)

24. Jets 2-3 (26)

Hall & Hall made sure the Jets got revenge for offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett against the Broncos. Breece Hall rushed for 177 yards, including a 72-yard touchdown, and Bryce Hall sealed a 31-21 victory by returning a fumble for a touchdown in the final minute. Hackett was fired as head coach of the Broncos in 2022 and ripped by successor Sean Payton.

25. Commanders 2-3 (20)

26. Vikings 1-4 (28)

27. Bears 1-4 (32)

28. Cardinals 1-4 (27)

29. Broncos 1-4 (30)

30. Giants 1-4 (25)

It’s not just that the Giants are off to a 1-4 start. It’s that leaks are springing up everywhere — offense, defense, special teams — and there seems to be no plumbing solutions from the coaching staff or front office. After a not-as-close-as-the-score-indicates 15-point loss to the Dolphins, their -91 point differential is the worst in the league.