NFL Power Rankings Week 7
By Liam McKeone
Your weekly power rankings for Week 7 of the NFL season.
32. Miami Dolphins (0-5)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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 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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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.