NFL Power Rankings, Week 7: Lions dominate Cowboys, Commanders fall to Ravens

Week 7 of the NFL season is in the books. There were no undefeated teams in action, as the Kansas City Chiefs and Minnesota Vikings were on a bye week. But this gave teams a chance to make a statement that they should be considered favorites to make it to Super Bowl 59 at the end of the season.

NFL fans saw the Detroit Lions blow out the Dallas Cowboys, the Baltimore Ravens defeat the upstart Washington Commanders, the Chicago Bears embarrass the Jacksonville Jaguars in London, and the Buffalo Bills escape Monday Night Football with a win over the New York Jets.

With Week 7 done, we compiled the power rankings in the NFL, from No. 32 to No. 1 thanks to some help from the FanSided NFL Network.

Tier 5: It's time to start mock drafting

32. New England Patriots (32)

The New England Patriots gave Drake Maye the start in Week 6, and he was thrown to the wolves in the form of the Houston Texans. Maye performed well, throwing for 243 yards and three touchdowns. However, the Patriots lost 41-21, as the defense had no answers for C.J. Stroud and Joe Mixon.

The Patriots weren't expected to contend this year, so losing to contending teams shouldn't come as a shock. But if there is anything to take away from this week, it's that Maye looks like the real deal. d

31. Cleveland Browns (30)

The Cleveland Browns aren't going to win many games with Deshaun Watson continuing to start at quarterback. This past Sunday was a winnable game for the Browns, as they took on a Philadelphia Eagles team that is massively underperforming this year. Cleveland went 3-for-12 on third down plays, which is unacceptable at this rate. Watson didn't throw an interception, but also didn't throw a touchdown in the 20-16 loss.

Head coach Kevin Stefanski continues to stick by Watson, saying that he gives the team the best chance to win. If this continues to be the case, Cleveland won't be winning many games, especially after trading top wide receiver Amari Cooper to the Buffalo Bills on Tuesday.

30. Carolina Panthers (31)

The Carolina Panthers are a bad football team. Their defense is under-strength and incapable of generating pressure. Their offense is unbalanced and head coach Dave Canales’ inexperience is holding them back on occasion. They were somewhat competitive versus the Atlanta Falcons, but sloppy mistakes and poor situational football were the team’s undoing. 

Things will get worse before they get better in Carolina. Canales should get time to turn this around as part of their long-term plans despite owner David Tepper's notorious impulsiveness. If the losing continues, it won’t be much longer before Bryce Young is back under center as the Panthers navigate what appears to be another dismal campaign. — Dean Jones, Panthers Expert, Site Expert at Cat Crave

29. Jacksonville Jaguars (29)

The Jaguars are in the midst of a downward spiral. They undid the progress they made by getting pummeled 35-16 in London. Had they won, Doug Pederson’s seat would have cooled down considerably but his postgame comments make it clear that even he thinks Jacksonville must start over. 

In case you miss his remarks, Doug P says the Jags need a culture change, which is an odd thing to say coming from the coach. Like wait a minute, aren’t you in charge? Can’t you do something about it? At this point, it’s hard to see the team not getting a new head coach and rebuilding in 2025. — Carlos Sanchez, Jaguars Expert, Site Expert at Black and Teal

28. Las Vegas Raiders (28)

The Raiders may have had the chance to be a good team this season but they simply don’t have enough depth to overcome a litany of key injuries. It doesn’t help that players who were supposed to make an impact like Jack Jones are more concerned about getting in Twitter fights with fans than catching interceptions. 

The wheels are falling off and the Raiders have an argument that they’re the worst team in the NFL. The rest of this season is about setting up the franchise to land a quarterback in the 2025 NFL Draft because they aren’t doing anything with Gardner Minshew or Aidan O’Connell starting games. — Austin Boyd, Raiders Expert, Site Expert at Just Blog Baby

27. Tennessee Titans (26)

The Tennessee Titans continue to waste stout defensive performances. Struggling starting quarterback Will Levis couldn't take advantage of a horrid Indianapolis Colts defense. Levis throw for under 100 yards and also committed his league-leading 10th turnover.

The Titans are a hapless 1-4 and they are winless at home (0-3). It increasingly feels like they'll be moving on from Levis in the offseason. — Justin Melo, Titans Expert, Site Expert at Titan Sized

Tier 4: Things are bad, but there's a sliver of hope

26. Miami Dolphins (27)

The MIami Dolphins are coming off their bye week but will that make a difference in how they will perform against the Colts? That is the big question. Miami is a team that is not in good shape with injuries and Tua Tagovailoa is still not due back for at least another week. In their last game, they narrowly beat the Patriots. — Brian Miller, Dolphins Expert, Senior Contributor at Phin Phanatic

25. Los Angeles Rams (25)

The Los Angeles Rams didn't play this week, but they could get star wide receiver Cooper Kupp back in Week 7 against a Las Vegas Raiders team who just traded away Davante Adams to the New York Jets. The Rams might be 1-4, but they are just two games behind the San Francisco 49ers and Seattle Seahawks for first place in the NFC West.

24. New York Giants (23)

Another blown opportunity for Brian Daboll and the Giants. The defense played strong, limiting Joe Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase all night. However, the offense was poor, with fans once again calling for Daniel Jones to hit the bench. A lot changed for Big Blue following the upset win in Seattle. Jones dropped the ball in primetime, which has been consistent for him throughout his six-year career. — Braulio Perez, Giants Expert, Site Editor at GMEN HQ

23. Arizona Cardinals (19)

It was a rough game for the Arizona Cardinals, who were on the road against the Green Bay Packers, and got stomped. The Cardinals defense struggled, surrendering 437 yards on 70 total plays in the 34-13 loss. The Packers completely dominated the time of possession battle, holding onto the football for more than 36 minutes.

The Cardinals are still within striking distance of first place in the NFC West. They will have to win in Week 7 against the Los Angeles Chargers to keep up the pace.

Tier 3: Things need to turn around sooner rather than later

22. New York Jets (22)

The New York Jets had a completely winnable game against the Buffalo Bills, who were handing them a victory on a silver platter. But there were so many mistakes, such as a Tyron Smith holding penalty negating a touchdown, Greg Zuerlein missed two field goals, and Mike Williams ran the wrong route at the end of the game to lead to a Bills interception. With that, the Jets lost 23-20, and are now 2-4 on the year.

The Jets acquired Davante Adams from the Las Vegas Raiders in hopes of bringing life to the offense. We'll see next week when they play the Pittsburgh Steelers.

21. Denver Broncos (20)

The Denver Broncos are back in the loss column after falling to the Los Angeles Chargers 23-16. The team trailed 20-0 at halftime, but did attempt a comeback, but it was too late. Quarterback Bo Nix did recover from a brutal first half performance by the offense, throwing for two touchdowns in the second half.

There are going to be growing pains with Nix under center. But in the second year of Sean Payton, there needs to be some form of improvement from last year. Next up on the schedule are the New Orleans Saints.

20. Indianapolis Colts (24)

The Indianapolis Colts overcame a brutal loss in Jacksonville in Week 5, thankfully by playing the woeful Tennessee Titans. Joe Flacco got the start again, where the veteran threw for 189 yards and two touchdowns. It certainly helped that Will Levis could only throw for 95 yards in total.

Next up will be the Miami Dolphins, who are trying to stay afloat with Tua Tagovailoa still sidelined. In fact, there's a decent chance that the Colts could start Anthony Richardson again after healing from an oblique injury.

19. Cincinnati Bengals (21)

The Cincinnati Bengals really tried their best to hand the New York Giants a win. Luckily for the Bengals, quarterback Daniel Jones couldn't get anything done on offense. But overall, the Bengals offense struggled against the Giants' stout defense.

Cincinnati got the luck of the draw playing the Giants in Week 6. Next week, they play the lowly Cleveland Browns, giving them a chance to climb back up to .500.

18. New Orleans Saints (17)

What a tale of two halves for the New Orleans Saints. The Saints scored 27 points in the second quarter against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. But then, in the second half it was all Tampa Bay, as they scored 28 unanswered points, led by two passing touchdowns by Baker Mayfield.

Rookie Spencer Rattler, who will be starting at quarterback with Derek Carr injured, had a typical outing for a first-year signal caller. Rattler threw for 243 yards, one touchdown, and two interceptions while completing 22-of-40 pass attempts.

The Saints will be on a short week, as they face former head coach Sean Payton and the Denver Broncos on Thursday night.

17. Seattle Seahawks (15)

The Seattle Seahawks could be in real trouble. After a promising 3-0 start, the defense has been atrocious in the last three games. Seattle lost to the San Francisco 49ers 36-24 in Week 6, and even though Seattle cut the score to 23-17 in the second half, there was little hope that Seattle’s defense could stop the 49ers from scoring again. The team is no better than they were under Pete Carroll at this point.

Plus, there appears to be a trend for players to start giving up during the game once the team falls behind. Veteran defensive lineman Leonard Williams is just one of the players to call out their teammates for this. This is not something that happened under Carroll. Whether first-year head coach Mike Macdonald can reverse the trend is a complete unknown. — Lee Vowell, Site Expert at 12th Man Rising

16. Dallas Cowboys (11)

What a disaster this season has been. Jerry Jones' decision to do essentially nothing this offseason backfired, and with injuries piling up, wins are becoming much harder to come by. They faced off against a Super Bowl favorite in the Detroit Lions, and they got smoked by the score of 47-9. Things got so out of hand, that the Lions were trying to pull off trick plays with their offensive linemen.

The Cowboys' lack of running game, a quality WR2 to pair with CeeDee Lamb, and a defense that has trouble stopping anything, especially without Micah Parsons and DeMarcus Lawrence, is hurting them badly. In fact, it's hard to see them snap out of this slump, especially when they face the San Francisco 49ers in Week 8 after returning from their bye.

15. Philadelphia Eagles (16)

Remember when this team was supposed to coast all the way to the Super Bowl this year? Well, the Eagles struggled against the one-win Cleveland Browns and their ineffective offense. Eagles fans booed their team as they narrowly escaped with a 20-16 win. To make matters worse, head coach Nick Sirianni decided to trash talk the Eagles fans in the crowd after narrowly beating one of the worst teams in the NFL. Cool?

Luckily for the Eagles, they get to play the Giants next week. This should be an easy win, and a possible huge revenge game by Saquon Barkley.

Tier 2: Strong playoff chances, but not contenders yet

14. Los Angeles Chargers (18)

The Los Angeles Chargers are over .500 after their win over the rival Denver Broncos. They got off to an early 20-0 start behind two field goals by Cameron Dicker, a touchdown pass by Justin Herbert, and a touchdown run by J.K. Dobbins. Luckily, those points were enough, given that the Broncos came back in the second half.

Next up are the Arizona Cardinals, who have shown they are more than capable of pulling off upset wins.

13. Washington Commanders (9)

The Washington Commanders came back down to earth with defeat at the Baltimore Ravens. They were competitive throughout the contest without ever threatening to secure success. That’s one big positive to take, but the secondary is a major issue that could be their undoing as the campaign progresses. 

Jayden Daniels couldn’t have done much more during his first showdown against two-time NFL MVP Lamar Jackson. The Commanders are in good hands with the No. 2 pick, but he cannot do it alone. Dan Quinn’s men have some winnable games upcoming over the next month, so there’s a chance to build some positive momentum heading into the midway point. — Dean Jones, Commanders Expert, Site Expert at Riggo's Rag

12. Chicago Bears (14)

For those who panicked about Caleb Williams, you are probably eating your words currently. The Bears went to London and destroyed the Jacksonville Jaguars 35-16. Williams threw for 226 yards and four touchdowns while completing 23-of-29 pass attempts, while also rushing for 56 yards on four carries.

Despite a slow start to the season, the Bears are now 4-2 and in prime playoff contention. They have a bye this upcoming weekend, and will then return in Week 8 to take on the Washington Commanders and rookie standout Jayden Daniels.

11. Pittsburgh Steelers (12)

It’s going to take some time for the Steelers to rebuild their trust with those who believed they were competitors. After losing two straight games, a convincing bounce-back victory against the Raiders was a step in the right direction.

There’s still work to be done. Quarterback Justin Fields completed just 14 of 24 passes for 145 yards while the offense struggled to get much going until the second half. Pittsburgh can thank T.J. Watt for jarring the ball loose twice and Najee Harris for a career performance against the Raiders.

The Week 6 win was a step in the right direction for the Steelers to repair their reputation, and they are teetering as a top-10 team in the NFL. — Tommy Jaggi, Steelers Expert, Site Editor at Still Curtain

10. San Francisco 49ers (13)

It wasn’t a must-win game, but it sure felt like it. And the Niners responded by beating a division rival and subsequently taking hold of the NFC West lead as a result.

Aside from frustrating the Seahawks’ D.K Metcalf again, San Francisco’s expected core of stars did what many expected them to do all season, and it was fun to watch the red-zone woes dissipate as Brock Purdy regularly found George Kittle, while Nick Bosa wreaked havoc on the pocket.

However, the 49ers’ rookies were the story, namely defensive backs Renardo Green and Malik Mustapha, who each recorded interceptions. And running back Isaac Guerendo notched a game-sealing run, opened up by rookie right guard Dominick Puni.

The youngsters balled out when the Niners absolutely needed them to. — Peter Panacy, 49ers Expert, Site Editor at Niner Noise

9. Green Bay Packers (10)

It's the performance Packers fans have patiently waited for. Jordan Love looked fully healthy, throwing four touchdowns (and an interception caused by his receiver falling over) in a flawless display.

Jeff Hafley's defense forced three more turnovers, limited Kyler Murray to 14 rushing yards, and restricted the Cardinals to just 13 points. Performances like this prove why the Packers have to be taken seriously in the NFC.

Getting out of the toughest division in football presents its own set of challenges, but Matt LaFleur's team has shown the ability to overcome adversity and win games in different ways.

Tougher tests await this team, with matchups against the Houston Texans, Detroit Lions, and Chicago Bears on deck, but the Packers have proven they can go head-to-head with anybody. — Freddie Boston, Packers Expert, Site Editor at Lombardi Ave

8. Buffalo Bills (7)

The Bills are back in the win column after a close 23-20 divisional win over the Jets. Josh Allen looked like an MVP candidate once again, but the big story was the emergence of rookie running back Ray Davis. With James Cook being ruled out, Davis stepped up big time with over 100+ scrimmage yards and being a key factor in this win. 

Buffalo’s defense also rattled Aaron Rodgers, sacking him three times and Taron Johnson sealed the game-winning interception off of him. It was a hard win, but all that matters is getting the dub. 

Buffalo is finally heading back to Orchard Park next Sunday for a 1 p.m. ET battle against the Tennessee Titans. — Brandon Ray, Bills Expert, Site Expert at BuffaLowDown

7. Atlanta Falcons (8)

The Atlanta Falcons did what they had to do in Week 6, and that was beat the Carolina Panthers. Sure, it was a little too close for comfort in the first half, but the Falcons foudn a way to get the job done and use their talent to run away with the game.

Atlanta's running back corps did the bulk of the work, as Tyler Allgeier ran for 105 yards and a touchdown on 18 carries, while Bijan Robinson rushed for 95 yards and two touchdowns on 15 carries.

The Falcons will now take on a Seattle Seahawks team currently on a three-game losing streak.

Tier 1: Legitimate contenders

6. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6)

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers avoided complete disaster against the rival New Orleans Saints. Allowing 27 points alone in the second quarter had Buccaneers fans panicking. Luckily for them, the Buccaneers settled things down and scored 28 unanswered points in the second half.

Quarterback Baker Mayfield threw three interceptions, but recorded 325 passing yards and four passing touchdowns. Second-year running back Sean Tucker thrived with Rachaad White inactive, rushing for 136 yards and a touchdown on 14 carries, while catching three passes for 56 yards and a touchdown.

The Buccaneers next play the Baltimore Ravens on Monday Night Football.

5. Houston Texans (5)

After a win over a top AFC contender in Week 5, the Houston Texans headed to New England to take on the Patriots. It was apparent from the opening kickoff that there would be no trap game as they were firing on all cylinders — even without Nico Collins.

Tank Dell rose to the challenge when asked to take on more and Joe Mixon topped 100 yards in his return. As impressive as the offense was, the Texans’ defense had just as much to get excited about. Will Anderson, Jr. had three sacks and caused an interception and Danielle Hunter forced a turnover as well when he sacked Drake Maye.

Houston is a well-rounded team without a true weakness. They might not be the favorites in the AFC but they’ll be a tough opponent for anyone. — Randy Gurzi, Site Expert, Toro Times

4. Baltimore Ravens (4)

The Ravens just keep on rolling, taking down the Commanders 30-23 in a game that showcased everything fans love about this squad. Lamar Jackson carved up the Washington secondary for 323 yards, Derrick Henry hammered out two touchdowns, and Zay Flowers put defenders on skates with a career-high 132 yards. With the win, Baltimore extends their streak to four straight victories and stays locked in at the top of the AFC North. The Commanders and rookie sensation Jayden Daniels gave it their best, but in the end, the Ravens had all the treats (and none of the tricks) on Sunday. — Matt Sidney, Ravens Expert, Site Expert at Ebony Bird

3. Minnesota Viking (3)

The Minnesota Vikings may have had the bye week, but it can be considered a bad one. The Green Bay Packers, Detroit Lions, and Chicago Bears all won, putting them all within a game and a half of the Vikings for first place in the NFC North. Not ideal, but the Vikings look to be in good shape this season.

They return to take on the Lions in a huge matchup.

2. Kansas City Chiefs (1)

Not sure how a team coming off of its best performance of the season can fall while resting and recuperating while boasting a perfect record but here we are. The Chiefs and 49ers will make for must-watch television in Week 7 and perhaps that will be enough to wake everyone back up to the reality that the Chiefs are 5-0 with consecutive Super Bowl rings on their fingers. — Matt Conner, Chiefs Expert, Site Editor at Arrowhead Addict

1. Detroit Lions (2)

The Lions went into Dallas and made a big statement in Week 6, dominating the Cowboys 47-9. It can be debated how good this Cowboys team is, but the Lions undoubtedly asserted themselves as one of the best teams in the NFL (or the best if you ask Tom Brady, who called the game for FOX).

Star defensive end Aidan Hutchinson’s gruesome leg injury lingers as a dark cloud over an otherwise banner day for Dan Campbell’s crew, but the Lions earned the No. 1 spot here. — Brad Berreman, Lions Expert, Site Expert at SideLion Report