NFL Power Rankings Week 7: A New Number One Amid A Week Of Upsets

We are now one-third through the NFL season, and week six was maybe the most interesting week so far. With the top two teams in last week’s power rankings suffering bad losses this week, big changes are in store.

We are now one-third through the NFL season, and week six was maybe the most interesting week so far. With the top two teams in last week’s power rankings suffering bad losses this week, big changes are in store.

28. Denver Broncos (1-5)

Last Week: 19-8 (L) @ Chiefs
This Week: @ Packers

The Denver Broncos actually move up a spot this week, despite the loss. That’s no comfort to Broncos fans, who have yet another lost season in a year that started with high expectations for a franchise that has not made the playoffs in close to a decade now.

The offense was putrid on Thursday, as they were held to under 200 yards. But, for the first time in a long time, a defense that had been embarrassed by multiple teams early in the season played a good football game against Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs and competed hard. That’s something they certainly did not do when they gave up 70 points to the Miami Dolphins in week 3.

29. Chicago Bears (1-5)

Last Week: 19-13 (L) VS. Vikings
This Week: @ Raiders

A win against the 1-4 Vikings would have had the Chicago Bears outside the bottom five for the first time this year. Instead, the Bears regressed to the depressing, apathetic, team we saw the first three games of the season.

On the back of two good weeks, quarterback Justin Fields left the game early with an injury to his right hand. But, he was not good otherwise, and the team looked just as good with Tyson Bagent under center. That’s not to say they looked good with either, though. Help is coming, Bears fans.

30. New York Giants (1-5)

Last week: 14-9 (L) @ Bills
This week: vs. Commanders

Sunday night’s loss to the Buffalo Bills was the best game the New York Giants have played all year, and it wasn’t particularly close. Of course, that’s a low bar to clear when the team had won just one half of their first ten played this season.

With Daniel Jones out due to injury, Tyrod Taylor filled in admirably in front of the worst offensive line in football. Most importantly, he got the ball out and was only sacked three times against a Bills defense that had the most sacks in the leagues. Saquon Barkley looked great in his return, and the defense competed for 60 minutes against an explosive Bills offense.

Ultimately, the Giants lost this game due to big mistakes at the wrong times. That’s what bad football teams do.

31. New England Patriots (1-5)

Last Week: 21-17 (L) @ Raiders
This Week: vs. Bills

When New England went down 10-0 early in the second quarter, nightmares of a third straight blowout loss were starting to look like reality. The Patriots avoided the blowout, but it was yet another loss for a season that is already more about what will happen in the offseason to Bill Belichick than it is about the on-field results.

New England had chances to tie this game late. Trailing 19-17 in the final minutes, struggling quarterback Mac Jones made one of the best throws on a deep ball you will see all year to DeVante Parker, only for Parker to drop the ball. That would’ve put them on the fringe of field goal range, with a better chance to lose the game than win. Before the two blowouts, they had played the Dolphins and Eagles close, only to have opportunities to win those games slip through their fingers. That’s what bad football teams do.

32. Carolina Panthers (0-6)

Last Week: 42-21 (L) @ Dolphins
This Week: Bye

The Carolina Panthers remain winless following their loss to the Dolphins. But, even though this team is ranked dead-last, it’s a far more encouraging unit than it was just a few weeks ago.

That starts and ends with Bryce Young. The team has a tremendous amount invested in April’s top overall pick, and he’s the reason why they won’t have a pick in the upcoming draft. He’s shown a lot of improvement since he missed their game in week 3 with an injury, and even had the Panthers leading 14-0 on Sunday. The Dolphins woke up, but he’s looking a lot more comfortable.

At the end of the day, that’s what this season is about in Carolina. They’re not going to win many, if any, football games.

5. Philadelphia Eagles

Last Week: 20-14 (L) @ Jets
This Week vs. Dolphins

There’s no other way to put it: the Eagles loss to the Jets was completely puzzling. Arguably the best team in football went to New York, who is starting Zach Wilson at quarterback and were missing their top two cover guys. It should’ve been a routine win, but three Jalen Hurts interceptions, including one that cost the team the game with under two minutes remaining and the team leading, gives them their first loss of the year.

Yes, some guys were out for the Eagles, with superstar rookie defensive tackle Jalen Carter being one of them. And, All-Pro right tackle Lane Johnson left with injury, though it doesn’t appear to be serious. And, secondary injuries are piling up. But, this team should have had the horses to win the game, regardless.

This is still a bona fide Super Bowl contender, but Jalen Hurts has to stop turning the ball over. He has eight on the season, already more than he had in 2022.

4. San Francisco 49ers (5-1)

Last Week: 19-17 (L) @ Browns
This Week: @ Vikings

Somehow more puzzling than the Eagles loss was the San Francisco 49ers loss to the Browns, who had to start PJ Walker at quarterback with Deshaun Watson out.

Like the Eagles, key injuries to Christian McCaffrey, Deebo Samuel, and Trent Williams, the first two having to leave the game, hurt them on Sunday. But, the biggest issue was that Cinderella story Brock Purdy’s clock struck midnight, at least for a week.

Purdy was atrocious on Sunday, going 12/27 for just 125 yards, with one touchdown and an interception. As bad as those numbers were, he was worse than that, as he had numerous throws that should have been intercepted but were not.

Long-term, this team is going to be just fine. But, we did see that Purdy maybe isn’t the league’s best quarterback when he doesn’t have every advantage at his disposal.

3. Miami Dolphins (5-1)

Last Week: 42-21 (W) vs. Panthers
This Week: @ Eagles

We didn’t find out too much about the Dolphins in their blowout win against the overmatched Carolina Panthers on Sunday. But, they did show some resilience, overcoming a 14-0 deficit with ease.

We will find out a lot about this team on Sunday Night Football against the Eagles. The Dolphins did not look good in their first big test of the season against the Bills, and need a good performance. A win in Philadelphia could catapult this team to the top of the power rankings.

2. Detroit Lions (5-1)

Last Week 20-6 (W) @ Buccaneers
This Week: @ Ravens

The Detroit Lions? Ranked Second? The only time the Lions have been second in anything in a generation would be mock drafts. But, these Detroit Lions are for real, and have a great argument to be ranked at the top spot.

20-6 doesn’t seem that dominant, but it was a complete display of dominance. Total yards were 380 to 251, and the Lions defense had the Buccaneers in a blender all day. Quarterback Jared Goff is slowly joining the MVP conversation, too.

This is not a feel-good story of a team playing above their means. This team is a legitimate top five team in the league. And, with a win over the Ravens this week, could see themselves at number one.

1. Kansas City Chiefs (5-1)

Last Week: 19-8 (W)
This Week: vs. Chargers

You may be wondering how the Chiefs, who lost to the Detroit Lions in week one, could be ranked ahead of them on this list.

But, since the return of superstars TE Travis Kelce and DT Chris Jones, the Chiefs are undefeated and have showed they can win games in a myriad of ways.

Patrick Mahomes and the offense are always going to get the headlines. But, I cannot say enough about this defense. The Broncos offense is not the reason that they’re 1-5, and they absolutely dominated them. Denver had less than 200 yards of total offense. The Chiefs offense will get back to being arguably the league’s best, and this team are the Super Bowl favorites once again.