NFL Power Rankings Week 7

Houston Texans v Kansas City Chiefs
Houston Texans v Kansas City Chiefs / Peter Aiken/Getty Images
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Your weekly power rankings for Week 7 of the NFL season.

32. Miami Dolphins (0-5)

Washington Redskins v Miami Dolphins
Washington Redskins v Miami Dolphins / Michael Reaves/Getty Images

The Dolphins suck and have no plan. A failed two-point conversation for the L as a result of a drop on a running back screen seems appropriate.

31. Washington Redskins (1-5)

Washington Redskins v Miami Dolphins
Washington Redskins v Miami Dolphins / Eric Espada/Getty Images

If Case Keenum has time to find Terry McLaurin, this offense is actually okay. On the other hand, they nearly let the Fitzmagic happen, which is never a good sign.

30. Cincinnati Bengals (0-6)

Cincinnati Bengals v Baltimore Ravens
Cincinnati Bengals v Baltimore Ravens / Scott Taetsch/Getty Images

The final score was close, but the game was not. Lamar Jackson gashed them on the ground, and if you’re gonna prepare your defense for anything, wouldn’t it be just that?

29. New York Giants (2-4)

New York Giants v New England Patriots
New York Giants v New England Patriots / Billie Weiss/Getty Images

Daniel Jones looked as expected against Bill Belichick in Foxboro. There’s a lot of optimism, but in regards to this year, wins will be hard to come by.

28. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2-4)

Carolina Panthers v Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Carolina Panthers v Tampa Bay Buccaneers / Naomi Baker/Getty Images

Jameis Winston. That’s it. That’s the tweet. They may have only lost by 11 on the scoreboard, but it was much worse than that. Bruce Arians has to be wondering why he left the beach for this.

27. Tennessee Titans (2-4)

Tennessee Titans v Denver Broncos
Tennessee Titans v Denver Broncos / Dustin Bradford/Getty Images

Marcus Mariota has never looked worse, and it may spell the end of this version of the Titans. Mike Vrabel’s offense is putrid and doesn’t look to get much better.

26. Denver Broncos (2-4)

Tennessee Titans v Denver Broncos
Tennessee Titans v Denver Broncos / Justin Edmonds/Getty Images

The defense had another good day, but against the Titans, success comes with an asterisk. Joe Flacco isn’t going to lead them to the promised land this year.

25. Arizona Cardinals (2-3-1)

Atlanta Falcons v Arizona Cardinals
Atlanta Falcons v Arizona Cardinals / Norm Hall/Getty Images

Another W for Kliff and Kyler! The offense is finally finding the endzone, and shaping into a good unit as a result. The defense remains a disaster, though.

24. Atlanta Falcons (1-5)

Atlanta Falcons v Houston Texans
Atlanta Falcons v Houston Texans / Tim Warner/Getty Images

I’d be more than a bit surprised if Dan Quinn was still gainfully employed by the end of the week. This team is underachieving more than any in recent memory, and someone will take the fall soon.

23. Jacksonville Jaguars (2-4)

New Orleans Saints v Jacksonville Jaguars
New Orleans Saints v Jacksonville Jaguars / Don Juan Moore/Getty Images

Gardner Minshew can only summon so much magic, I guess. Some puzzling play-caling on Doug Marrone's part didn't help matters.

22. Cleveland Browns (2-4)

Seattle Seahawks v Cleveland Browns
Seattle Seahawks v Cleveland Browns / Jason Miller/Getty Images

Blowing a two-touchdown lead, at home, is, well, not good. Freddie Kitchens might be getting axed, and it may be for the best. This team just doesn’t have it together, and it’s a disappointment.

21. Los Angeles Chargers (2-4)

Pittsburgh Steelers v Los Angeles Chargers
Pittsburgh Steelers v Los Angeles Chargers / Denis Poroy/Getty Images

Man. The Chargers just look bad. Their own stadium crew played a Steelers fight song and they dropped a home game to some guy named Devlin Hodges. Hard to imagine things being worse at this point.

20. Pittsburgh Steelers (2-4)

Pittsburgh Steelers v Los Angeles Chargers
Pittsburgh Steelers v Los Angeles Chargers / Katharine Lotze/Getty Images

This defense has really come together in the wake of Ben Roethlisberger’s injury, and has transformed into a turnover-hungry unit who can carry a third-string signal caller to victory. The overall ceiling remains low, but there’s far more hope than there should be for what Pittsburgh has gone through.

19. Oakland Raiders (3-2)

Chicago Bears v Oakland Raiders
Chicago Bears v Oakland Raiders / Jack Thomas/Getty Images

A bye week for Oakland means they don’t move much. How they fare against their toughest competition yet in Green Bay will show if their improvement this year is legit.

18. New York Jets (1-4)

Dallas Cowboys v New York Jets
Dallas Cowboys v New York Jets / Steven Ryan/Getty Images

Breaking: The Jets are better with Sam Darnold. His stats were inflated by the Robbie Anderson bomb and they still nearly blew the lead, but this is a vast improvement from whatever Adam Gase trotted out over the last few games.

17. Dallas Cowboys (3-3)

Dallas Cowboys v New York Jets
Dallas Cowboys v New York Jets / Steven Ryan/Getty Images

This is the third week in a row the offense line has been manhandled, and Dak Prescott hasn’t stepped up the way he needs to. Hard to feel good about this team against top-tier competition.

16. Indianapolis Colts (3-2)

Indianapolis Colts vs Kansas City Chiefs
Indianapolis Colts vs Kansas City Chiefs / David Eulitt/Getty Images

A bye week will do wonders for T.Y. Hilton’s quad, and he’s crucial to this offense. A visit from the red-hot Texans will be a defining game this year.

15. Carolina Panthers (4-2)

Carolina Panthers v Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Carolina Panthers v Tampa Bay Buccaneers / Alex Burstow/Getty Images

Kyle Allen and Christian McCaffrey keep rolling. The defense has stepped up when it had to. The bye week may bring some decisions, depending on Cam Newton's health.

14. Detroit Lions (2-2-1)

Detroit Lions v Green Bay Packers
Detroit Lions v Green Bay Packers / Dylan Buell/Getty Images

Detroit got completely screwed. They had a few other chances to win the game, though, and close isn't close enough in an NFC North where every game will matter.

13. Los Angeles Rams (3-3)

San Francisco 49ers v Los Angeles Rams
San Francisco 49ers v Los Angeles Rams / John McCoy/Getty Images

It sure seems like everyone is copying the Super Bowl blueprint, and the Sean McVay-Jared Goff combo has no way to counter. The offensive line has dropped off a cliff, the root of their issues right now.

12. Baltimore Ravens (4-2)

Cincinnati Bengals v Baltimore Ravens
Cincinnati Bengals v Baltimore Ravens / Dan Kubus/Getty Images

Lamar Jackson had a great game, but it feels like the Ravens should be too good to only beat the Bengals by six and let them hang in the game until the fourth quarter.

11. Philadelphia Eagles (3-3)

Philadelphia Eagles v Minnesota Vikings
Philadelphia Eagles v Minnesota Vikings / Stephen Maturen/Getty Images

Hoo boy, is that secondary atrocious. Carson Wentz’ presence means this team is fine, but this should be a wake-up call about the state of the defense.

10. Minnesota Vikings (4-2)

Philadelphia Eagles v Minnesota Vikings
Philadelphia Eagles v Minnesota Vikings / Adam Bettcher/Getty Images

Kirk Cousins! A monstrous day for the former Sparty QB put some of the big doubts to rest and propelled the Vikes to an easy win. Of course, Philly’s defense isn’t top of the line, There's still something to prove.

9. New Orleans Saints (5-1)

New Orleans Saints v Jacksonville Jaguars
New Orleans Saints v Jacksonville Jaguars / Harry Aaron/Getty Images

This defense is a frightening unit. Teddy Bridgewater has done just enough to keep the team above water, so things are swell in the Big Easy (with an assist from the pope, of course).

8. Buffalo Bills (4-1)

Buffalo Bills v Tennessee Titans
Buffalo Bills v Tennessee Titans / Silas Walker/Getty Images

Josh Allen needs to show more if the Bills want to hang with the best of the best, and picking on the beleaguered Dolphins coming off a bye could be a great confidence-booster.

7. Chicago Bears (3-2)

Chicago Bears v Oakland Raiders
Chicago Bears v Oakland Raiders / Naomi Baker/Getty Images

The elite defense should keep them in the top ten this year, but they also don’t face a real challenge post-bye until the Eagles in early November.

6. San Francisco 49ers (5-0)

San Francisco 49ers v Los Angeles Rams
San Francisco 49ers v Los Angeles Rams / John McCoy/Getty Images

In their first game against above-average competition this year, the Niners cruised. The run defense is worrisome, but this team has the pieces to stay competitive in most matchups.

5. Green Bay Packers (5-1)

Detroit Lions v Green Bay Packers
Detroit Lions v Green Bay Packers / Stacy Revere/Getty Images

The Packers were real lucky to win this game. The most important thing going forward is getting healthy, because this offense couldn't get a lot going as a whole on the night.

4. Kansas City Chiefs (4-2)

Houston Texans v Kansas City Chiefs
Houston Texans v Kansas City Chiefs / Jamie Squire/Getty Images

Oh, boy. Patrick Mahomes is hurt, the less-than-threatening run game is throwing a wrench into Andy Reid’s scheme, and the defense somehow hasn’t improved from last year’s dismal showing. There’s more reason for concern here than there has been since Alex Smith was starting.

3. Houston Texans (4-2)

Houston Texans v Kansas City Chiefs
Houston Texans v Kansas City Chiefs / Peter Aiken/Getty Images

What a win for Deshaun Watson and Houston. Marching into Arrowhead and taking down the Chiefs legitimized this squad as a contender. There are still some holes, and Will Fuller is doing his best impression of Clifford Franklin from The Replacements, but with Watson, they can beat anyone.

2. Seattle Seahawks (5-1)

Seattle Seahawks v Cleveland Browns
Seattle Seahawks v Cleveland Browns / Gregory Shamus/Getty Images

The defense needs work. Yet Russell Wilson is good enough to keep his team in any game, and as long as he continues to play that way, the Seahawks will hang with anyone.

1. New England Patriots (6-0)

New York Giants v New England Patriots
New York Giants v New England Patriots / Maddie Meyer/Getty Images

They haven’t played an elite offense yet, but this defense is bordering on the outrageous with how often they can get their hands on the ball. Their offense has flaws, but New England, as always, remains the team to beat.