NFL Divisional Power Rankings, Week 7: It was an ugly Sunday for the NFC East

Time out for trivia. What did the Chicago Bears, Philadelphia Eagles, Green Bay Packers, and Baltimore Ravens all have in common in Week 6 of this season? Don’t think too hard. They were the only four clubs to win at home this week. In the case of the Bears, they were the designated home team in London when they mauled the Bears.

Yes, the road teams had a field day in Week 6 via a 10-4 showing. That dropped the home teams' record this season to 45-47 overall. Talk about unpredictability? Yes, that’s today’s National Football League.

As for the newest edition of these divisional power rankings, the more things change, the more things stay the same. The top spot has been owned by the same quartet since the start of the season. However, two divisions moved backward this week from last week’s list.

The latest NFL Divisional Power Rankings

8. AFC South

Last week: 7th

The reigning champion Texans finally flexed their muscles in winning at Foxborough for the first time in eight tries, including a pair of playoff defeats. Their first four wins came by a total of 15 points, and they pummeled the Pats on Sunday, 41-21. This is a much different football with a healthy Joe Mixon. Houston is off to its best start since 2012, when they opened 11-1 and finished 12-4. The club’s five victories equal the combined total of the Colts, Titans, and Jaguars, which doesn’t help AFC South’s cause in the rankings.

Death, taxes, and yet another Will Levis’ turnover. The Titans returned from their off-week and hosted the defensively-challenged Colts. Brian Callahan’s quarterback served up his seventh pick of 2024 late in the fourth quarter. Tennessee was limited to 241 total yards and scored 17 points or less for the fourth time in five games. Meanwhile, Colts’ quarterback Joe Flacco threw two more TD passes in the 20-17 comeback win. Doug Pederson’s team couldn’t build on last week’s victory and were routed by the Bears in London.

7. AFC North

Last week: 8th

Entering Week 6, the NFC owned a 16-10 lead over the AFC in interconference play. On Sunday, there were three match-ups involving AFC North and NFC East clubs. The Eagles hosted the Browns, the Commanders traveled to Baltimore, and the Giants and Bengals met on Sunday night at East Rutherford. The AFC North won two of the three interconference meetings. With the Steelers’ defense showing up at Las Vegas, it marked the first time this season that three AFC North teams prevailed in the same week.

The lone exception was the Browns, who are arguably the conference’s biggest disappointment. A club that finished 11-6 a season ago and was playoff-bound dropped to 1-5. Quarterback Deshaun Watson looks lost, and the offense has generated seven touchdowns in six games. Meanwhile, Mike Tomlin’s defensive unit looked like its early-season edition. The Steelers are 4-0 when allowing less than 300 total yards. The Ravens were tested by Washington but rolled up 484 total yards in their fourth straight win.

6. NFC South

Last week: 6th

The four teams in the division were head-to-head this week as the Saints hosted the Buccaneers and the Falcons traveled to Charlotte. There were plenty of points in both contests. In what was indicative in the league during most of Week 6, both road teams came out on top in these divisional showdowns. Perhaps the biggest questions regarding this group may be what on Earth has happened to Dennis Allen’s club? New Orleans has dropped four in a row after a 2-0 start and outscored a combined 118-76 in the losses.

The Falcons managed to do something they failed to do a year ago. Raheem Morris’s team pulled away for a 38-20 win at Carolina, where they were one of the Panthers’ two victims in 2023. Atlanta owns a 3-0 divisional record. The real slugfest took place in the Big Easy. The Saints fell behind 17-0 to the visiting Bucs, took a 27-24 halftime lead, and were outscored 27-0 after intermission. Resilient Baker Mayfield threw for 325 yards and four scores but was also picked off three times. The Bucs rushed for 277 yards.

5. AFC East

Last week: 5th

The Dolphins were off this past week, while the other three teams in the division were all looking to end skids of sorts. The Patriots surprised the Bengals at Cincinnati on the opening Sunday and hadn’t won since. They clashed with the visiting Texans, who were 0-7 lifetime at Foxborough (including playoffs). The Bills and Jets met on Monday night at MetLife Stadium, and each club had dropped two straight games. In the case of the Jets, the franchise also dropped its head coach as Robert Saleh was given the pink slip.

Jerod Mayo’s club was pushed around by the visiting Texans. It was the first home loss for the Pats in this series in eight games (including playoffs). Rookie Drake Maye made his starting debut, throwing for 243 yards and three scores. The Pats scored a season-high 21 points. However, the third overall pick in April’s draft also had three turnovers. The Jets and Bills brought two-game losing streaks into Monday night, and Buffalo survived a penalty-filled tilt, 23-20. Sean McDermott’s club is the division’s lone team above .500.

4. NFC West

Last week: 4th

An NFC West battle kicked off Week 6 as the reeling 49ers were in the Pacific Northwest for a Thursday night clash. The Cardinals were also on the road at Lambeau Field, while the battered Rams had the week off following a disappointing 1-4 start. When it was all said and done after this week’s action, no team in this division owns a winning record. The Rams (27.8), Cardinals (27.2), and Seahawks (25.0) have all allowed at least 25 points per game this season. The four clubs are a combined 4-13 vs. NFC opponents.

Start with Mike Macdonald’s club, which got off to a surprising 3-0 start in his first season as an NFL head coach. Those wins were all vs. interconference opponents (Broncos, Patriots, and Dolphins). Things have been a little tougher the last three weeks against the NFC’s Lions, Giants, and 49ers. That’s resulted in three straight losses by a combined score of 107-73, the latest at home to the Niners, 36-24. Finally, the Cardinals couldn’t build off last Sunday’s upset win at San Francisco and were routed at Lambeau Field.

3. NFC East

Last week: 2nd

After moving up in the rankings a week ago, the NFC East took a step backward. Three of the four teams lost on Sunday, and you could make a case that the Commanders outperformed the Eagles, who defeated the Browns for the only victory by a team in this division. Apparently, the Cowboys’ off-week began this past Sunday, because Mike McCarthy’s club was a complete no-show against the visiting Lions.

It’s almost inexplicable that the defending NFC East champions have not only dropped four straight home games (including the playoff loss to the Packers), they’ve allowed 167 points in those setbacks. This team had won its previous 16 games at AT&T Stadium. The Giants’ offense was non-existent vs. the shaky Bengals’ defense on Sunday night in a 17-7 loss. Finally, Washington couldn’t keep pace with the red-hot Ravens and will be without standout defensive tackle Jonathan Allen for the remainder of the season.

2. AFC West

Last week: 3rd

The Chiefs had the week and are preparing for their Super Bowl LVIII rematch with the 49ers at San Francisco this Sunday. Jim Harbaugh’s Chargers returned to action and faced their third divisional clash in five games when they traveled to Denver. Antonio Pierce gave Aidan O’Connell the nod in place of Gardner Minshew as the Raiders hosted the Steelers. Pittsburgh’s ground game, defense and special teams were all too much for the Silver and Black. Las Vegas is the lone team in the division below .500.

The Bolts pushed around Sean Payton’s improving team for three-plus quarters. Harbaugh’s club owned a 23-0 lead after 45 minutes of play and had outgained the Broncos in total yards, 321-88. However, Bo Nix and company came roaring back with the final 16 points of the game, outgaining the Chargers in the final quarter by 199 yards (228-29). However, it was too little, too late as Denver saw its three-game winning streak come to an end. By the way, Payton returns to New Orleans on Thursday night with his current club.

1. NFC North

Last week: 1st

It was another strong showing for a division that for the second straight week saw one of its teams on its bye. No matter. For the second consecutive week, the other three teams that were all in action all came out on top. In each instance, the clubs came up with resounding victories. The Chicago Bears (35-16), Green Bay Packers (34-13) and Detroit Lions (47-9) beat the Jaguars, Cardinals, and Cowboys, respectively, by a combined 116-38 score. All four teams in this division are at least two games above the .500 mark.

During Chicago’s current three-game winning streak, rookie quarterback Caleb Williams has thrown seven touchdown passes and only one interception. Those are the same numbers for Detroit’s Jared Goff as Dan Campbell’s team has also won three in a row. In his last three games, Green Bay’s Jordan Love has 10 TD passes but has also been picked off five times. The Vikings host the Lions on Sunday, but Detroit will be without talented defensive end Aidan Hutchinson for the foreseeable future after suffering a broken leg.