NFL Power Rankings: Week 7
With Tom Brady returning to Foxborough for his first home game and Dak Prescott leading the Cowboys in to Lambeau Field and picking up a win, Who takes the throne as the number one team headed in to week seven? We find out, in this week's NFL Power Rankings.
1.) Minnesota Vikings: (5-0)
(Bye Week)
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- I won’t dock the Minnesota Vikings for not playing this week. Sam Bradford will return versus Philadelphia in a must watch game this weekend. With New England, Seattle, and Dallas right on their tail, The Vikings must win to maintain their number one spot in my power rankings.
2.) New England Patriots: (5-1)
(Win 35-17 Vs. CIN)
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- New England is back to being the AFC power house that everyone thought they would be when Tom Brady returned. Rob Gronkowski caught his first touchdown of the season while racking up 162 yards on 7 catches. Tom Brady said that his team “is in a decent place” which is a scary thought, considering they are dismantling opponents with a 5-1 record. Watch out NFL, “TB12” is on a mission.
3.) Seattle Seahawks: (4-1)
(Win 26-24 Vs. ATL)
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- Ladies and gentleman, I present to you the game of the week. After Seattle soared out to a 17-3 lead, Matt Ryan threw three third quarter touchdowns to put his team up 24-17. Seattle responded with nine unanswered points of their own. A very controversial no call that looked to be a blatant defensive pass interference on Seattle’s Richard Sherman left Dan Quinn ripping the referees while Seattle stole a win over Atlanta, 26-24. It’s interesting to see what the NFL will say about the questionable pass interference, but at the end of the day, Seattle found a way to win.
4.) Dallas Cowboys: 5-1)
(Win 30-16 Vs. GB)
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- If you weren’t with the “Dak Attack” already, it is now finally to hop on- that is if the bandwagon isn’t already full. Rookies Dak Prescott and Ezekiel Elliot did something that Tony Romo and Demarco Murray couldn’t do in 2014: win at the historic Lambeau Field. I’m not sure what’s more impressive; Dak Prescott surpassing Tom Brady’s record for attempts to start a season without throwing an interception, or Ezekiel Elliot running for 157 yards against the number one rush defense in the NFL. Maybe it is winning five straight games without star wide out Dez Bryant? We may not know which one is more impressive, but we now know Dallas is now the favorite to win the NFC East.
5.) Atlanta Falcons: (4-2)
(Loss 24-26 Vs. SEA)
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- Yikes, that one stings Atlanta fans. What is more painful? Coming back from a 17-3 deficit in Seattle only to lose, or the blatant pass interference call that was missed on a crucial fourth and ten? Fear not, after beating Denver last week and almost stealing a win in Seattle this week, The Falcons have proven that this team is no fluke; like the 5-0 team last year who fell off a cliff in route to an 8-8 record. Rebound against San Diego this week and get right back on track to winning the NFC South.
6.) Buffalo Bills: (4-2)
(Win 45-16 Vs. SF)
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- Is this who the Buffalo Bills truly are? That remains to be seen. But as of now, The Bills are on absolute fire. Lesean McCoy ran for 140 yards on only 19 carries (against former coach & now public enemy number 1 Chip Kelly) while scoring three touchdowns as well, leading his team in to AFC playoff contention. Buffalo, who have now won four straight for the first time since 2008, is playing well on both sides of the ball. The defense is giving up just over 13 PPG while the offense is averaging 31 PPG during their four game win streak. We will find out quickly if Rex Ryan’s unit really is the real deal, playing New England and Seattle in two of their next three games.
7.) Denver Broncos: (4-2)
(Loss 13-21 Vs. SD)
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- Do not hit the panic button yet Denver fans. You still have one of the most feared defenses in the NFL, the only question is; who is the real Trevor Siemian? You can’t really blame the kid considering every time Siemian or CJ Anderson made a play, it was negated by an offensive line penalty. If Denver wants to snap their short losing skid, the offensive line must come together and put up a performance better than last Thursday’s debacle (103 penalty yards).
8.) Washington Redskins: (4-2)
(Win 27-20 Vs. PHI)
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- With talks of The Cowboy’s rookies, Carson Wentz being compared to hall of famers, and Odell Beckham’s love/hate relationship with the kicking net, The Redskins have now quietly won four straight games to pull within a game of first place. Washington had a stellar defensive performance, giving up only six points against Philly’s offense (The other 14 points were due to a Kirk Cousin pick 6 and a 86 yard kickoff return). The Redskins also got help from Matt Jones (135 yards on 16 carries), Robert Kelley (59 yards on 5 carries), and Chris Thompson (37 yards on 9 carries) adding to their total of 493 yards on the day.
9.) Green Bay Packers: (3-2)
(Loss 16-30 Vs. DAL)
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- What in the world is wrong with Aaron Rodgers? Since the beginning of the season, minus a half against Detroit, the former MVP has not looked even remotely close to his old self. Rodgers has turned the ball over in critical situations and is missing throws that he was making two years ago. His completion percentage is bottom six at 60.2% and is also one of the few quarterbacks in the league that hasn’t thrown for over 300 yards in a game. We don’t know if we will ever see the 2014 Aaron Rodgers again this season, but with Eddie Lacy banged up, the Lambeau quarterback needs to step up if his team wants to stay in contention for the NFC North.
10.) Pittsburgh Steelers: (4-2)
(Loss 15-30 Vs. MIA)
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- That was ugly Pittsburgh. In what many considered to be a trap game, The Steelers were beaten down (literally). Ben Roethlisberger was left limping during and after the game with an apparent knee injury due to consistent pressure all game from Miami’s defensive line. Although Pittsburgh remains in first place with a 4-2 record, the team will need to now win games without their starting quraterback. Roethlisberger had meniscus surgery which has ruled him out of the game next week against a red hot New England team.
11.) Arizona Cardinals: (3-3)
(Win 28-3 Vs. NYJ)
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- Are the Arizona Cardinals officially back? Or did they just take advantage of the Jets horrendous quarterback situation? You can only play who is in front of you, which is exactly what Arizona did. The Cardinals intercepted passes from both Ryan Fitzpatrick and Geno Smith in route to a Monday night blowout in Glendale. Carson Palmer had a solid performance throwing for 213 yards and a touchdown while the running game took care of business, racking up 171 yards. It remains to be seen if Arizona is close to being back to its 2015 self, but with David Johnson putting up another monster season, it wouldn’t shock me if they were.
12.) Kansas City Chiefs: (3-2)
(Win 26-10 Vs. OAK)
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- Another game, another week of not knowing who the true Kansas City Chiefs are. Some weeks they force eight turnovers, other weeks include getting completely manhandled. This week consisted of an overall impressive win in Oakland against a good Raiders team. Spencer Ware ran for a career high 131 yards while Jamaal Charles scored his first touchdown since 2015. The defense had solid performance, highlighted by another interception by Marcus Peters (Who leads the league with 5). It remains to be seen if Kansas City can now get on a consistent role, but are to many, a dark horse contender for the AFC West vision.
13.) Oakland Raiders: (4-2)
(Loss 10-26 Vs. KC)
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- That was ugly Oakland fans. With Latavius Murray out again, the Raiders called on their rookie tandem of DeAndre Washington and Jalen Richards, hoping to get a spark on the ground game. The Silver and Black only mustered 65 yards of rushing offense while David Carr was kept in check for most of the game. Oakland has four wins now on the season, good enough for a share of first place with the Denver Broncos in the AFC West. If the Raiders want to maintain their success in this division, they must take advantage of their next two games (@JAX & @ TB) before their date with the reigning division champ Denver Broncos.
14.) Philadelphia Eagles: (3-2)
(Loss 20-27 Vs. WAS)
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- What a difference a couple of weeks make. Coming off of a 34-3 waxing of the Pittsburgh Steelers, Philadelphia fans were flying high to their 3-0 record and comparisons of Carson Wentz to hall of famers. Since their bye week, the team has fell to 0-2 and have looked rather disappointing. Carson Wentz and company only managed to put up six points on offense last Sunday. The offensive line is an absolute mess with Lane Johnson out and the defense was a no show. If Philly wants to stop the bleeding and get back in NFC East contention, they must win this week. But it won’t come easy playing the only undefeated team in the NFL who are coming off a bye: The Minnesota Vikings.
15.) New York Giants: (3-3)
(Win 27-23 Vs. BAL)
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- Have yourself a day, Odell Beckham Jr! And…… the kicking net as well. Beckham’s career day (222 yards on 8 catches for 2 TD’s) helped propel a much needed New York Giants win to stay in contention in the NFC East. New York overcame a lackluster performance form their running game (17 carries for 38 yards) and two Eli Manning interceptions to steal one late against Baltimore. Eli Manning stated after the game that, “You can get real sick Beckham’s actions if he isn’t putting up the numbers, but you let the coach handle it.” Will Beckham stop his immature actions? Who knows. But if he is putting up these numbers every game, I’m sure the team won’t mind scheduling the wedding for OBJ and the kicking net.
16.) Houston Texans: (4-2)
(Win 26-23 {OT} Vs. IND)
- Brock Osweiler and Lamar Miller both helped the Texans steal one from Indianapolis in overtime on Sunday Night Football. That being said, it was another inconsistent performance from Osweiler, overshadowing a phenomenal day from Miller (178 totals yards & 2 TD’s). Houston now owns a 4-2 record, which is good for first place in the AFC South. If the team can reach eight or nine wins, it should be good enough to win the division.
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17.) Detroit Lions: (3-3)
(Win 31-28 Vs. L.A)
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- Impressive performance Detroit, very impressive. The Lions secured a 31-28 win against Los Angeles thanks to a 34-yard field goal by Matt Prater with 1:29 left and a game sealing interception from Rafael Bush. Detroit is now 3-3 and have won three out of its last four games. The Lions are now making things interesting in the NFC North. As many thought this division would be a two-way race between Green Bay and Minnesota. If Stafford can keep putting up numbers like last Sunday (270 yards & 4 TD’s) and the defensive backs keep making clutch plays, The Lions will shock a lot of people throughout the season.
18.) Los Angeles Rams: (3-3)
(Loss 28-31 Vs. DET)
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- That one is going to sting for a bit, Ram’s fans. Especially given the fact with a win, the team would only be a half game back of first place through six games. Todd Gurley had another disappointing performance, only racking up 58 yards on 14 carries. Case Keenum threw an interception, trying to force the ball over the middle of the field with a minute left in hopes of getting into field goal range. But let’s not let that overshadow his good performance (321 yards & 4 Total TD’s), while at one point completing 20 (!!) passes in a row. Los Angeles can win these types of game if Keenum can put up similar numbers like this, but until then will continue to fall in these rankings.
19.) Baltimore Ravens: (3-2)
(Loss 23-27 Vs. NYG)
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- For the second straight week, Baltimore has been in position to win the football game, and for the second straight week, they have fallen just short. The Giants were given a fourth and one against Baltimore’s defense, who for the most part, played solid the whole day. A few seconds later, The Ravens watched as Odell Beckham Jr. pranced to the end zone for a 66-yard touchdown giving the Giants a 27-23 lead. Good teams can and will close out games. As for Baltimore, they need to take that next step and until that, they will continue to lose these crucial, heartbreaking games.
20.) Tennessee Titans: (3-3)
(Win 28-26 Vs. CLE)
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- Yes, The Titans only beat the Cleveland Browns by two points, no, I will not dock them for doing so. A win is a win in The National Football League, even if it is against a team whose best quarterback is their wide receiver. Marcus Mariota overcame a rare mediocre performance from DeMarco Murray (65 yards on 21 carries) while throwing for 284 yards and three touchdowns. The Titans next two games are both divisional opponents, if they can take advantage and win those, they have a legitimate shot to win the AFC South.
21.) Cincinnati Bengals: (2-4)
(Loss 17-35 Vs. NE)
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- Is this how it ends Cincinnati fans? Is this the end of a long journey between Marvin Lewis and Who Dey Nation? Maybe not yet, but the Bengals must produce if they want to get even remotely close to being back in playoff contention. Cincinnati must find ways to win, they were simply out played and out smarted by New England last Sunday. The running game hasn’t been producing like it has shown in the past, and Andy Dalton hasn’t showed that he can take over a game. It is officially panic time in Cincinnati, and every game now is a complete must win.
22.) New Orleans Saints: (2-3)
(Win 41-38 Vs. CAR)
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- 465 yards, four touchdowns, and a quarterback rating of 118.2. Not too shabby for the 37-year-old future hall of famer. The bad thing is, even with Brees’ ridiculous game, The Saints still managed to only hold on by three. The defense is going to need to step up throughout the season and start making plays so that the team won’t have to rely on Brees having career games every Sunday. If the defense can somehow come together as one and even make the slightest improvement, the Saints and their high powered offense can get back on track and make a run for the NFC South.
23.) Tampa Bay Buccaneers: (2-3)
(Bye Week)
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- Tampa Bay had a bye week last Sunday and will play San Francisco next week.
24.) Jacksonville Jaguars: (2-3)
(Win 17-16 Vs. CHI)
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- Gus Bradley can exhale a sigh of relief, as his team rallied for an impressive come from behind win against the Chicago Bears. Jacksonville found themselves down in a 13-0 hole, before newly acquired Chris Ivory pounded in a one-yard touchdown. Jacksonville then cut the lead to 16-10 before Bortles hit wide out Arrelious Benn for the go ahead 51-yard touchdown, his first since 2011. The Jags have a crucial home game next week they must win versus a very talented young Oakland team in Jack Del Rio’s homecoming to Jacksonville.
25.) San Diego Chargers: (2-4)
(Win 21-13 Vs. DEN)
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- Sorry Chargers fans, not even a win against Denver will move you too far up in my rankings. It’s almost as if it’s just too little too late. San Diego (2-4), is coming off their most impressive performance to date. Melvin Gordon had a solid day (94 yards on 27 carries) against a stellar Broncos defense while Rivers threw for 178 yards and one touchdown. The unsung hero of this game was San Diego’s defense, forcing two turnovers and a safety as well. At least San Diego is playing with heart, as it looks like their season isn’t headed anywhere special.
26.) Miami Dolphins: (2-4)
(Win 30-15 Vs. PIT)
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- Who needs Arian Foster? Jay Ayjai ran for 204 yards on 24 carries (!) while also putting up two touchdowns as the Dolphins upset the Steelers, 30-15 in Miami. Ryan Tannehill had himself a decent game throwing for 252 yards on 24 completions without an interception. It’s nice to see Miami finally producing some of the offensive power they are capable of. If the team wants to make any sort of run, they will need this firepower for the rest of the season.
27.) Indianapolis Colts: (2-4)
(Loss 23-26 Vs. HOU)
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- Just when you thought it couldn’t get any worse Colts fans, it does. The Colts blew a late 14 point fourth quarter lead to Houston and have now fallen to the cellar of the AFC South. Indianapolis continues to play poor defensively and quarterback Andrew Luck is still receiving no protection in the pocket. There are good things that come from this though. The Colts could win their division and still possibly get a top 15 draft pick. But as the losses pile up for Chuck Pagano and company, it looks more and more faint that the Colts will return to the playoffs this year, even in the AFC South.
28.) Carolina Panthers: (1-5)
(Loss 38-41 Vs. NO)
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- That just might be the nail in the coffin, and I think Cam Newton knows it as well. The quarterback left his post-game press conference not even two minutes after it started, refusing to answer questions on the team’s fourth straight loss. The pass defense is an absolute disaster. It seems more and more every week the decision to let Josh Norman go will continue to haunt Carolina. Unless Carolina finds a way to win out (which still may not win them the division), their hopes of returning to the playoffs may be all but dead.
29.) New York Jets: (1-5)
(Loss 3-28 Vs. ARI)
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- Hey! At least Ryan Fitzpatrick wasn’t the only quarterback who threw an interception for the Jets during last night’s game. That’s right, my man Geno Smith got his share as well, thanks to Tyrann Mathieu. With both quarterbacks performing poorly and Eric Decker out for the year, it seems the Jets playoff hopes have disappeared. The look should be for the 2017 season and finding a permanent solution to their quarterback circus. Don’t be surprised if you see more than two quarterbacks play for the Jets this year not named Ryan Fitzpatrick.
30.) San Francisco: (1-5)
(Loss 16-45 Vs. BUF)
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- Chip Kelly’s plan was to bring in Colin Kaepernick as the starter this week and hopefully see some progression and improvement from quraterback Blaine Gabbert, it didn’t go so well. Not only were Buffalo fans screaming “USA!” the whole entire game directed at Colin Kaepernick, The Niners got completely dismantled on both sides of the ball. The defense gave up over 490 yards to Buffalo’s offense. It doesn’t seem like San Francisco will be relevant anytime soon, especially with this quarterback situation.
31.) Chicago Bears: (1-5)
(Loss 16-17 Vs. JAX)
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- Does it even matter anymore who the Bears start at quarterback? Chicago lost a heartbreaker versus The Jaguars last Sunday, 17-16. Like many teams above them in the lower tier of the rankings, the Chicago Bears have a quarterback problem. This also happens to be the most important position of the game. It also probably doesn’t help that their number one draft pick from last year’s draft can’t stay healthy while the defense remains suspect. Stick to flying the W for now Chicago fans.
32.) Cleveland Browns: (0-6)
(Loss 26-28 Vs. TEN)
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- I feel genuinely bad for Terrelle Pryor. The wide out (or quarterback or safety, whatever you want to call him), caught two more touchdowns adding to his impressive 2016 campaign. The Browns are inching closer every week to a victory (minus the beat down by New England), and need to take advantage next week against a shaken up Cincinnati team. The Browns have young play makers on the rosters, and its time to see what they can be fully capable of and pull out a win.
Written By: Thad Brown
Edited By: Matthew Solof
