NFL Week 7 Power Rankings

Mediocrity is the word in the NFL this season, with only 10 teams boasting a winning record through 6 weeks.  After the 9th spot on the rankings, it's pretty much a bunch of mediocre teams fighting to be the best of the rest.  Where does your team fit into this mess?

32. Jacksonville Jaguars (1-5, Previously #31) - They lost by double digits at home to Houston, that should tell you all you need to know about this team... at least Julius Thomas is back and looked good?

31. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2-3, Previously #28) - Dropped a couple on their bye week, due to the teams behind them picking up W's.

30. Houston Texans (2-4, Previously #32) - So far this season, the Texans have shown that they are better than the Jaguars and the Buccaneers... unfortunately, they haven't done anything else.

29. Tennessee Titans (1-4, Previously #27) - A 28 point home loss to the Miami Dolphins pretty much cements this team's fate as a bottom tier NFL team.  Was Miami really pumped, fired up by the head coaching change, and fresh off their bye? Maybe, but that doesn't excuse the poor play from the Titans.

28. Kansas City Chiefs (1-5, Previously #25) - Ladies and gentlemen, this is the Chiefs without Jamaal Charles.  Once held back by their limited offense, the Chiefs will now sink thanks to their non-existent offense.

27. Detroit Lions (1-5, Previously #29) - They may have been lucky to get this W, but they were unlucky to get the L, last week... it's almost uncanny how game-costing officiating snafus seem to "balance" out.  The brightest spot of the day for the Lions, Matt Stafford finally put together a really strong performance this season.

26. Chicago Bears (2-4, Previously #24) - That was a tough loss just when the Bears were getting on a little streak.  Some calls didn't go their way, but hey, that's the game.  A team that has Alshon Jeffery, Matt Forte, and Martellus Bennett on offense, shouldn't be limited to 1 receiving TD against the Lions.

25. San Francisco 49ers (2-4, Previously #26) - They kept their season alive by picking up win #2 against the Baltimore Ravens.  The 49ers are now 2-1 at home, and play host to the divisional rival Seahawks in week 7, a game which both teams "need" to win.

24. Baltimore Ravens (1-5, Previously #19) - I originally thought them to be nothing more than the victims of a tough early schedule... then they lost a home game to Cleveland and on the road against the 49ers.  Maybe this team just isn't that good.

23. Washington Potatoes (2-4, Previously #20) - They got beat by a better team in the New York Jets, it's as simple as that.  This is a pretty bad football team, and the sad thing is, they've actually been better than I expected.  Still, they are in the NFC East, AKA The New NFC South, so anything's possible.

22. New Orleans Saints (2-4, Previously #30) - The team that a lot of us were expecting to see before the season, finally showed up on Thursday.  A 10 point win over the previously unbeaten Falcons, should've been a little bigger if it weren't for two missed field goals.  On paper, the Saints have a pretty soft schedule the rest of the way... while they dug themselves a nice hole, the season isn't over just yet.

21. Miami Dolphins (2-3, Previously #22) - They actually looked pretty good in their first game under Dan Campbell... but they had a couple of things going for them: A) They were fresh off their bye.  B) Their opponent was the Tennessee Titans.  The underachieving team still has talent, but it's hard to say they proved anything with this past win.  They have a chance to get on a little roll and build up confidence, when they face the lowly Texans in week 7.

20. Cleveland Browns (2-4, Previously #18) The Browns have played surprisingly decent this year.  3 of their 4 losses were by 7 points or less, and when you factor in the level of opponent, it's really not that bad.  They are still a very limited team, however, and won't be going anywhere meaningful.

19. Indianapolis Colts (3-3, Previously #23) - The Colts earned more good will in the close loss to the Patriots, than in their previous three wins.  After feasting on bottom teams to get above .500, the Colts played the Patriots close down to the wire.  The division they play in almost assures that this team will make the playoffs.

18. Seattle Seahawks (2-4, Previously #14) -  The Seahawks were up 20-7 with less than 5 minutes left in the 3rd quarter... and still found a way to lose.  This says two things: A) The Seahawks struggles are real.  B) The Panthers may actually be a little more than just the beneficiaries of a soft opening schedule.

17. Dallas Cowboys (2-3, Previously #17) - The Boys get jumped by the Eagles, but pass the Seahawks during their week off... this is a hard team to rank.  As they are, they don't deserve to be ranked this highly, but they are going to get back Romo and Bryant, at some point... that counts for something.

16. Philadelphia Eagles (3-3, Previously # 21) - It was an ugly game by both teams, but the Eagles were just a little prettier.  They picked up a nice win over a divisional foe in the Giants, to take control of 1st in the NFC East.  The Sam Bradford experiment is going sour and he could be a big thing holding this team back, as he's thrown 2 or more picks in 4 of the 6 games he's played this season.

15. Oakland Raiders (2-3, Previously #16) - Oakland moves up one spot during their bye, thanks to Seattle dropping.

14. St. Louis Rams (2-3, Previously #15) - St. Louis moves up one spot during their bye, thanks to Seattle dropping.

13. Buffalo Bills (3-3, Previously #13) - They were the latest victims of the streaking Bengals.  They kept it close until halftime, but couldn't get it done in the 2nd half.  This looks to be a very talented up and down team, who are just a piece or two away from being up there with the big boys.

12. New York Giants (3-3, Previously #8) - The Giants were handed their first "real" loss of the season, in an ugly game against the Eagles.  It was an ugly game from the get go, with three early turnovers for the Giants, including a pick six.  Keep in mind that they are still playing without Victor Cruz, and that Odell Beckham Jr. did not practice once this week, after injuring his hamstring in week 5.

11. San Diego Chargers (2-4, Previously #12) - Phillip Rivers puts up 500+ passing yards, and the Chargers still managed to lose.  They played the Packers close, but couldn't finish things out.  Phillip Rivers is a great QB, surrounded by a limited team.  3 of their 4 losses have come by 7 points or less, and two of them to undefeated teams.  This team, while limited, is still a little better than their record suggests.

10. Minnesota Vikings (3-2, Previously #11) - They beat Kansas City in a low scoring game... It's hard to put much stock into this win, as the Chiefs haven't really shown they are capable of much of anything without Jamaal Charles.  Still, the Vikings got the win coming off of a loss and bye week, that's what you hope for in the NFL.

9. Arizona Cardinals (4-2, Previously #6) - They just lost to the Roethlisberger-less Steelers... whom are a lot a better than I would've expected.  The Cardinals have now lost 2 of their last 3, but don't go writing this team off as a bright flame burning out quickly, they'll still be near the top of the NFL at the end of the season.

8. Carolina Panthers (6-0, Previously #10) - They went into Seattle and came home with their biggest win of the year, in a simply amazing comeback effort by Cam Newton.  I still have questions on just how good the Panthers are, but results are results.  They are now in the driver's seat of the NFC South.

7. Pittsburgh Steelers (4-2, Previously #9) - They are now 2-1 without Ben Roethlisberger and have to be feeling really good picking up a W against the talented Arizona Cardinals.  If they can beat top level teams without Big Ben, I really wouldn't want to face them in the playoffs with their star signal caller back under center.  For what it's worth, Landry Jones looked pretty darn good when he took over for Vick.

6. New York Jets (4-1, Previously #7) - Their only loss came in a close road game where they were playing without their starting RB, and in which Brandon Marshall handed the ball to their opponents (which lead to a score).  Overall, this team is playing well under new coach Bowles.  They have a very solid defensive group, and Brandon Marshall gives this team the receiving threat that they've needed in recent years.

5. Atlanta Falcons (5-1, Previously #5) If you want to save 15% or more on car insurance, you switch to Geico... It's what you do.  If you're Atlanta Falcons QB Matt Ryan, you lose to the New Orleans Saints... It's what you do.

4. Denver Broncos (6-0, Previously #4) - They are undefeated, as well, but there is a clear drop off from the top three teams.  Denver needed OT to put away an average opponent, in yet another close game.  The defense is absolutely nasty, but Manning and the offense have been a major liability.

3. Cincinnati Bengals (6-0, Previously #3) - They've looked just as good as any of the other teams and picked up another solid win in Buffalo.  Anything can happen in the NFL from here on out, but a Cincy vs NE showdown in the AFC Championship game looks to be about as safe a bet as you could make, at this point.

2. New England Patriots (5-0, Previously #2) - Well, that win wasn't pretty, but not all of them will be.  While it was a closer game than the Patriots had hoped, they still came away with a nice road win.

1. Green Bay Packers (6-0, Previously #1) - Yet another win for the Packers, this one in a close game over the (better than their record indicates) San Diego Chargers.  The defense gave up 500+ yards through the air, but came up with the stop when they needed it.