The San Francisco 49ers lead the NFL in third-down conversion rate after five weeks, moving the chains on 27 of 52 attempts for 51.9%. The 5-0 49ers are the only team above 50%, just ahead of Buffalo and Cincinnati at exactly 50%.
San Francisco has paired that with the league’s best red-zone touchdown rate at 87.5%, so drives that stay alive on third down are ending in touchdowns rather than field goals. Kyle Shanahan’s offense plays Washington on Monday night in Week 6.
Best third-down offenses after Week 5
| Rank | Team | Record | Conv/Att | Pct |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Francisco 49ers | 5-0 | 27/52 | 51.9% |
| T2 | Buffalo Bills | 4-1 | 26/52 | 50.0% |
| T2 | Cincinnati Bengals | 3-2 | 33/66 | 50.0% |
| 4 | Dallas Cowboys | 2-3 | 29/59 | 49.2% |
| 5 | Jacksonville Jaguars | 4-1 | 28/61 | 45.9% |
| 6 | New Orleans Saints | 1-4 | 33/72 | 45.8% |
| 7 | Los Angeles Rams | 2-3 | 29/65 | 44.6% |
| 8 | New York Giants | 3-1-1 | 31/70 | 44.3% |
| 9 | Kansas City Chiefs | 4-0 | 22/50 | 44.0% |
| 10 | Chicago Bears | 3-2 | 31/71 | 43.7% |
Kansas City has converted 22 of 50 (44.0%) while playing one fewer game than most of the league. Dallas sits fourth at 49.2% despite a 2-3 record, and New Orleans has the most conversions of anyone with 33, tied with Cincinnati, on a league-high 72 attempts.
Worst third-down offenses after Week 5
| Rank | Team | Record | Conv/Att | Pct |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 28 | Pittsburgh Steelers | 3-2 | 20/61 | 32.8% |
| 29 | Washington Commanders | 1-3-1 | 22/69 | 31.9% |
| 30 | Cleveland Browns | 3-2 | 19/62 | 30.6% |
| 31 | Seattle Seahawks | 3-2 | 17/57 | 29.8% |
| 32 | Green Bay Packers | 3-2 | 16/58 | 27.6% |
Green Bay is last at 27.6% (16 of 58) even with a 3-2 record. Seattle is 31st at 29.8% (17 of 57) heading into Thursday night’s game at Denver, a number that stands out for a team with the league’s fifth-best point differential at plus-29.
Figures cover the regular season through Week 5 and do not include Thursday night’s Seahawks-Broncos game.
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