What a weird, wacky and wild week of football! The last two undefeated teams entering Week 6 are no longer undefeated, and several previously-disappointing clubs are finally rounding into their grade-A forms.
Two weeks left before the Oct. 31 trade deadline. Buckle up. The chaos is about to escalate. So without further ado, let’s dive into our Week 7 power rankings.
32. Carolina Panthers (32)
Bryce Young showed more improvement in South Beach, but the Panthers’ defense was overwhelmed by the Miami Dolphins’ prolific offensive attack.
Carolina jumped out to a 14-0 first quarter lead then got outscored 42-7 the rest of the way. It’s simply time for GM Scott Fitterer to call opposing teams and let ‘em know he’s open for business.
31. New England Patriots (31)
Well, they didn’t lose by 30-something points this time around.
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Not that it’s worth celebrating or anything. Bill Belichick’s Patriots showed a little more fight in Vegas, but it was old pals Josh McDaniels and Brian Hoyer who led the Raiders to a tight 21-17 win over New England on Sunday.
Like the Panthers, the Pats may as well get a head start on their looming garage sale. It’s time to punt on this season.
30. Arizona Cardinals (29)
The Caleb Williams watch is on in Arizona.
2023 was always going to be a year of growing pains anyway. We love the work by first-year head coach Jonathan Gannon. He’s getting more out of a talent-less roster than any of us could have expected.
29. New York Giants (30)
We almost never bump a team up following a loss, but the Giants are a special exception.
They were this-close to shocking the Buffalo Bill on the road with backup quarterback Tyrod Taylor!
If only they didn’t cost themselves with horrendous clock management at the end of the first half….and if only they just fed Saquon Barkley on the game’s final play.
On another note, Taylor’s performance has us convinced that maybe Daniel Jones should be shown the bench.
28. Denver Broncos (28)
We kid you not: It’s time for the Broncos to plan for life without Russell Wilson. Just cut him this offseason and accept whatever dead cap hits you have to stomach. The owners can afford it.
Wilson and the offense wasted a phenomenal outing by the defense that held Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs to 19 points. At 1-5, the Broncos are at least in a good spot to land one of the top QB prospects next April.
27. Chicago Bears (27)
If Justin Fields didn’t leave in the third quarter with a right thumb injury, we’re sure the Bears would have defeated the Minnesota Vikings. Instead, the Fields-less Bears dropped a low-scoring affair 19-13.
On brighter notes, the Bears have shown some improvement on both sides of the ball these last three weeks, and they have a fairly manageable schedule over these next four weeks.
26. Tennessee Titans (23)
Ryan Tannehill and Malik Willis combined for 12 completions, 104 passing yards, zero touchdowns and six sacks taken against Baltimore. Meanwhile, Will Levis is just sitting there like…
Following Sunday’s stinker of a loss to Baltimore in London, the Titans are now 2-4. They’ve shown zero signs of being a true playoff contender.
We advise them to trade Derrick Henry and to give Levis the keys at some point. Really, what do the Titans have to lose at this point?
25. Minnesota Vikings (26)
The Vikings’ offense struggled without Justin Jefferson, but the defense came to the rescue with a sloppy 19-13 victory in the Windy City.
Curiously, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports that Cousins isn’t expected to get traded this season. That tells us that the Vikings are still hoping to make a run at the postseason, which we actually kinda understand.
I mean, LOOK at their schedule from Weeks 8 to 14 following next week’s showdown with San Francisco. They could totally be back above .500 in a month’s time!
24. Green Bay Packers (22)
With the Broncos, Vikings, Rams and the Jekyll-and-Hyde Steelers making up the Packers’ next four games, though, dare we say that there’s a window of opportunity for Jordan Love and Packers — who were on a bye in Week 6 — to sneak back into the playoff race?
Don’t put it past them.
23. Atlanta Falcons (17)
The good news: Even after Sunday’s frustrating home loss to Washington, the Falcons are just half a game out of first in the atrocious NFC South.
The bad news: Arthur Smith is still committed to Desmond Ridder while Taylor Heinicke continues to watch from the bench. When is the change at QB coming?
22. Washington Commanders (25)
Following a three-game losing skid, the Commanders gutted out a team victory in Atlanta to get back to .500. The defense had its best performance with three sacks and a trio of interceptions off of Desmond Ridder en route to a 24-16 victory.
At 3-3, Washington is in the mushy middle and in the thick race for the three NFC wild card spots.
21. Indianapolis Colts (13)
Rather than claim sole possession of first in the AFC South, Gardner Minshew and his Colts were humiliated by the Jaguars in Duval County. Should have known…since Indy hasn’t won in Jacksonville since 2014.
The Colts offense is clearly limited without Anthony Richardson, who’s likely done for the year now with a shoulder injury. It’s all up to Minshew-Mania to keep the team’s already-slim playoff hopes alive.
20. New Orleans Saints (16)
The Saints are underachieving big time. They’re allowing just 16 points per game and have faced just one team with a winning record thus far.
And yet, that’s only netted three wins with as many losses. Derek Carr is battling consistency issues, the o-line is in shambles and the execution in the red zone has been nothing short of horrific.
But like we said with the Falcons: These Saints are only half a game out of first in the NFC South.
19. Los Angeles Chargers (12)
What a disappointing performance coming off their bye week. The Chargers did the good-ol “Chargers gonna Charger” by screwing up another close game — this time a 20-17 defeat against Dallas.
Brandon Staley’s inept game management came back to bite him. Again. At 2-3, these Bolts aren’t out for the count…but could a coaching change be in order if they lose to the Chiefs this Sunday? Hmm….
18. Las Vegas Raiders (24)
Don’t look now, but the Raiders are 3-3 and very much alive in the playoff race — thanks mostly to Jakobi Meyers and vast improvement from the Maxx Crosby-led defense.
Josh McDaniels is now 3-0 against his former Jedi master, Bill Belichick. Impressive that the Raiders gutted out the win with Brian Hoyer needing to finish the game for an injured Jimmy Garoppolo, too!
The Bears, Jets and Giants make up three of Vegas’ next four games — so there’s a clear path here to piling up W’s and sneaking into a wildcard spot.
17. Los Angeles Rams (21)
Kyren Williams and Cooper Kupp all put up over 100 yards of offense in the Rams’ 26-9 route of the lowly Cardinals. And with that, the hot-and-cold Rams are back to .500 with the also hot-and-cold Steelers coming to town this Sunday.
16. Houston Texans (19)
CJ Stroud’s impressive not-throwing-an-INT streak ended on Sunday, but it didn’t matter. His Texans squeaked out a close 20-13 win over New Orleans.
Houston has already matched last year’s win total, and they’re just one W away from matching their 2020 and 2021 win totals, too. Time to put some respect on these guys — they look every bit like a playoff contender in a crowded AFC.
15. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (10)
Are the now-3-and-2 Bucs actually surprise contenders or just the best of a weak bunch in the NFC South? Sunday’s 20-6 home loss to the Detroit Lions suggests the latter.
Tampa was exposed on both sides of the ball by Philly in Week 3 and by Detroit in Week 6. You can call them the team to beat in the NFC South, but this club feels no better than the Tom Brady-led 2022 group that finished 8-and-9.
The Bucs might host a playoff game, but they don’t look like a legitimate contender compared to other NFC heavyweights. Just sayin’.
14. Pittsburgh Steelers (15)
The Steelers were on bye and watched all three of their AFC North division rivals emerge victorious on Sunday. Giddy up, a wild four-way horse race for division supremacy is coming.
With the Rams and Jaguars next on the schedule, the Steelers need to find their A-game on offense. Should be manageable with star wideout Diontae Johnson coming off the injured reserve.
13. New York Jets (20)
The Jets pulled off the upset of the season on Sunday by stunning the previously undefeated Eagles at MetLife Stadium. Just a remarkable effort by Robert Saleh’s defense, who stole the game with three INTs off Jalen Hurts.
Zach Wilson is still limiting what this offense can do, but the Jets are finding ways to win the old-fashioned way with a hard-hitting D and a prolific rushing game. At 3-and-3, they are very much alive in the AFC wild card race, thank you very much!
12. Cincinnati Bengals (18)
What did we say after the Bengals’ 0-and-2 start? NO PANIC. And we were correct now weren’t we?
Just like that, Joe Burrow and company are back to .500 following a tight 17-13 win over Seattle. Make no mistake, that game was won by a defense that made two crucial red zone stops on Geno Smith and company. No time to celebrate, though. After their Week
11. Seattle Seahawks (6)
“Coulda-shoulda-woulda” is the best way to sum up the Seahawks’ frustrating loss to the Bengals in Week 6. But this was always gonna be a tough game for Seattle, but they can take solace in the defense’s impressive effort against one of football’s top offenses.
Seattle gets three of its next four games at home — so they have a path here to further distance themselves from other playoff hopefuls in the NFC.
10. Cleveland Browns (14)
Doesn’t matter if it’s Deshaun Watson or PJ Walker. The Browns can win with anybody at quarterback, as evidenced on Sunday.
Cleveland handed Brock Purdy and the 49ers their first regular season loss in 51 weeks on the basis of a near-flawless performance by the defense. The Browns slugged out a tight 19-17 at home to climb back above .500.
Jim Schwartz is unquestionably the assistant coach of the year right now. His defense has this team in the running for the AFC North crown, which is incredible considering that the offense is averaging just 19 points per game!
9. Dallas Cowboys (9)
It wasn’t pretty, but the Cowboys bounced back from a blowout in San Fran by squeaking out a three-point victory over a quality Chargers’ team.
Brandin Cooks finally got going on offense. Dak Prescott shrugged off five sacks and pieced together one of his best performances in an up-and-down season. Dallas is 4-and-2 and now just a game out of first in the NFC.
8. Baltimore Ravens (11)
Lamar Jackson and the offense wasted plenty of opportunities in the red zone, but two things happened in London that made this a moot point: 1) the Ravens defense was incredible and 2) the Titans’ offense stunk it up big time.
Final result? A 24-16 Baltimore win that moved them to 4-and-2 — and to sole possession of first in the AFC. Make no mistake, the defense has been the driving force behind Baltimore’s early success. It’s time for Jackson and the offense to start doing their part.
7. Buffalo Bills (7)
No move this week for the Bills, who barely got past a one-win Giants’ team at home with its backup QB in place.
But hey, good teams always find ways to win games they deserve to lose. The Bills are 4-2 despite not playing their best football yet. If their a-Game is on the horizon, they’ll be as dangerous as any other club.
6. Jacksonville Jaguars (8)
Don’t look now, but the Jags are on a three-game winning streak– racking up 85 points during that span. Christian Kirk, Calvin Ridley and Travis Etienne Jr. are all on pace to put up over 1,000 yards of offense, with tight end Evan Engram not far behind.
Trevor Lawrence is in his rhythm, and the defense is getting better each week. In a world where everyone is focused on the Chiefs, Dolphins, Bills and Ravens in the AFC, we caution you to not look past Doug Pederson’s squad.
5. Detroit Lions (5)
The Lions are doing what a championship-caliber team should be doing: Taking advantage of a soft schedule, and then some.
Detroit made easy work of Baker Mayfield’s Bucs to improve to 5-1 on the year. We don’t think it’s too early to pop the champagne on a LIKELY NFC North division crown, but these Lions are playing like a team that should be in the mix for the Super Bowl. Dan Campbell’s group is clicking everywhere.
4. Miami Dolphins (4)
Miami overcame an ugly start to crush football’s last winless team in the Panthers. And yes, they’re still on pace to set the single-season record for points scored.
Miami is sitting pretty at 5-and-1, but the D remains a concern. They’re allowing 26 points per game, and it makes you wonder if GM Chris Grier will be aggressive at the trade deadline for defensive help. Jalen Ramsey’s a while away from returning, after all.
3. Philadelphia Eagles (2)
Just an all-around ugly and disappointing loss in New York for the Eagles. But it’s time to turn the page and move forward.
Most elite teams put up that one stinker. Don’t forget that just last year, the then-undefeated Eagles lost at home to the Commanders. Jalen Hurts got the one bad game out of his system against the Jets, now it’s time to prepare for Sunday’s can’t-miss clash with Miami.
2. San Francisco 49ers (1)
What we said about the Eagles applies to the 49ers here. Brock Purdy was due for a bad game, and the 49ers learned a tough lesson in that you can’t underestimate any opponent.
Anywho, the schedule gets a lot tougher after next week’s road game in Minny. LIke Philly, San Fran just has to turn the page and get back to their championship-level football program.
1. Kansas City Chiefs (3)
The champs are back in the No. 1 spot! It just took a five-game winning streak and losses from the 49ers and Eagles to get back here! Not so hard, now was it?
Patrick Mahomes and the offense hasn’t hit its full ceiling yet, but that’s no issue. Not when the D is allowing just 14.7 points per game. It’s now on to what should be a fireworks-filled Week 7 home game against the Bolts! Buckle up!
Who do you think should be No. 1 in our Week 7 power rankings?
