NFL Power Rankings Week 7: Dolphins jump ahead of the 49ers, Browns, and Jets on the move
NFL Power Rankings Week 7: Dolphins jump ahead of the 49ers, Browns, and Jets on the move
There is a five-way tie for best record, but who remains supreme?
One-third of the NFL season is concluded, and it has been a humdinger. Big upsets, dominant wins, embarrassing losses, and defenses have come to rule (well, for the most part). We're still trying to wrap our heads around who in the league are pretenders, mids, and contenders. To help in that strategy, this week's Top 15 Power Rankings are breaking down who every team has beaten, which will allow us to shed some light on the NFL and separate the pretenders from the contenders.
Yes, the 49ers, Dolphins, Lions, Eagles, and Chiefs are good, but how many of their wins are truly special to the average NFL fan? And who in the "mids" have shown they might have a little something by beating a solid team or two? I have one question: how did the Cardinals beat the Cowboys again?
The biggest jumper in this week's Power Rankings is a specific New York team that I, in particular, gave up on after Week 1. Now, without further ado, let's get right to the Week 7 Power Rankings.
1. Miami Dolphins (5-1)
Sunday: Beat Carolina Panthers 42-21
Who'd you defeat?: Chargers, Patriots, Broncos, Giants, Panthers
The Dolphins are averaging 37.17 points per game, which is on rate to be the most of any team since the Denver Broncos in 2013 and the second most since at least 2000, according to TruMedia. Their 498.7 yards per game leads the second-place Eagles by 103.7 yards per game.
Up next: at Philadelphia Eagles, Sunday, 8:20 p.m. ET
2. San Francisco 49ers (5-1)
Sunday: Lost to Cleveland Browns 19-17
Who'd you defeat?: Steelers, Rams, Giants, Cardinals, Cowboys
On Sunday, the 49ers scored 16 points lower than their average coming into the game. Of course, Deebo Samuel and Christian McCaffrey missed significant time in this game because of an injury.
Up next: at Minnesota Vikings, Monday, 8:15 p.m. ET
3. Detroit Lions (5-1)
Sunday: Beat Tampa Bay Buccaneers 20-6
Who'd you defeat?: Chiefs, Falcons, Packers, Panthers, Buccaneers
The Lions, who are 13-3 in their past 16 games, have won four straight games by 14 or more points, their longest streak since 1969. The offense is guiding the way, but the run defense is sneaky good (second in the NFL, allowing just 3.3 yards per carry).
Detroit jumped Philadelphia this week because its win against the Chiefs is more unusual than anything the Eagles have done this year.
Up next: at Baltimore Ravens, Sunday, 1 p.m. ET
4. Philadelphia Eagles (5-1)
Sunday: Lost to New York Jets 20-14
Who'd you defeat?: Patriots, Vikings, Buccaneers, Commanders, Rams
It's fair to point out that they didn't have a special win after the Eagles' first-season loss. Most of their wins have been sloppy, where they just did more than the other team, nothing imposing. Of course, they always have the "tush push" if they need a touchdown from the one-yard line.
Up next: vs. Miami Dolphins, Sunday, 8:20 p.m. ET
5. Kansas City Chiefs (5-1)
Thursday: Beat Denver Broncos 19-8
Who'd you defeat?: Jaguars, Bears, Jets, Vikings, Broncos
Thanks to losses by the Eagles and 49ers, the Chiefs have the longest active winning streak in the league. Still, the Chiefs have been nothing short of a struggle. Their offense is still a work in progress, with the wide receivers Rashee Rice, Skyy Moore, and Justin Watson. There are no deep threats anymore; Mahomes' bread and butter was taking deep shots down the field, and currently, he doesn't have that.
Up next: vs. Los Angeles Chargers, Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET
6. Buffalo Bills (4-2)
Sunday: Beat New York Giants 14-9
Who'd you defeat?: Raiders, Commanders, Dolphins, Giants
I would be suspicious about the Bills if not for that win versus the Dolphins because none of these other wins have come against anything you could consider good teams. Josh Allen has been nothing but sensational. Since Week 2, he is second in the league in passer rating (112.9), has 12 touchdowns versus three interceptions, and has completed 72 percent of his passes.
Up next: at New England Patriots, Sunday, 1 p.m. ET
7. Cleveland Browns (3-2)
Sunday: Beat San Francisco 49ers 19-17
Who'd you defeat?: Bengals, Titans, 49ers
Sunday's win, which came on a 41-yard missed field goal by Jake Moody with nine seconds left, was Cleveland's first against a team that was 5-0 or better since 1969, according to Stathead. It also backed up the Browns' pregame shoving match with the Niners and the coming out with the boombox, which is what the Niners do coming out of the tunnel.
Up next: at Indianapolis Colts, Sunday, 1 p.m. ET
8. Jacksonville Jaguars (4-2)
Sunday: Beat Indianapolis Colts 37-20
Who'd you defeat?: Colts, Falcons, Bills, Colts
Yes, that's not a typo. The Jaguars have beaten the Colts two times through six games. Though they had issues early in the season, they are winners of three in a row and took possession of the AFC South on Sunday with their second win against the second-place Colts. Trevor Lawrence has 982 passing yards and five touchdowns versus two interceptions since Week 3.
Up next: at New Orleans Saints, Thursday, 8:15 p.m. ET
9. Dallas Cowboys (4-2)
Monday: Beat Los Angeles Chargers 20-17
Who'd you defeat?: Giants, Jets, Patriots, Chargers
We need an answer to the question: are the Cowboys real or not? With the wins against this quartet, it could be more desirable. They got utterly decimated in the one game that would have given us a solid answer. On the bright side, Mike McCarthy can spend his bye week thinking about how smart he was to send Kellen Moore out of town. Holding the Chargers to 53 rushing yards.
Up next: Bye
10. Cincinnati Bengals (3-3)
Sunday: Beat Seattle Seahawks 17-13
Who'd you defeat?: Rams, Cardinals, Seahawks
Shame on everyone in the league for letting the Bengals tread water while Joe Burrow nursed his calf injury. Fantasy owners were his primary concern. The Bengals quarterback is looking healthier by the week, and Cincinnati is now at .500 while heading into a bye; that could help the team out even more to get Burrow back to 100 percent and the passing game right on track.
Up next: Bye
11. Seattle Seahawks (3-2)
Sunday: Lost to Cincinnati Bengals 17-13
Who'd you defeat?: Lions, Panthers, Giants
That lone impressive win the Seahawks have had throughout the season so far is Detroit in Week 2. The wins since then could be more impressive. Running back Kenneth Walker, one of the bright spots, is 15th in the league with 345 rushing yards and is having an excellent season, but Geno Smith is 32nd in the NFL in passer rating (81.5) in the last month and is having a rough outing as of now.
Up next: vs. Arizona Cardinals, Sunday, 4:05 p.m. ET
12. Baltimore Ravens (4-2)
Sunday: Beat Tennessee Titans 24-16
Who'd you defeat?: Texans, Bengals, Browns, Titans
The Raven lead the AFC North but have yet to be efficient by any means, having the third most lost fumbles and the wide receiver corps continue to have issues with dropped passes. Lamar Jackson is at his peak this season, as his completion percentage for the season is 69.9 percent, which ranks fourth in the league, and he is on pace for the best of his career.
Up next: vs. Detroit Lions, Sunday, 1 p.m. ET
13. Pittsburgh Steelers (3-2)
Sunday: Bye
Who'd you defeat?: Browns, Raiders, Ravens
Two of the three wins for the Steelers are against division rivals, which keeps them in their division. Defensively, it's been business as usual for the Steelers. T.J. Watt is on pace for 27 sacks, which is absurd! That would break the league's single-season record he shares with Michael Strahan at 22.5 sacks.
Up next: at Los Angeles Rams, Sunday, 4:05 p.m. ET
14. New York Jets (3-3)
Sunday: Beat Philadelphia Eagles 20-14
Who'd you defeat?: Bills, Broncos, Eagles
This is a defensive-driven team, but Zach Wilson, who was 19-for-33 for 186 yards Sunday, deserves some apologies. He hasn't been great, but the Jets don't need him to be; they need him to be serviceable. Nobody expected the Jets to compete, yet they defeated the Eagles, heading into the bye week at the perfect time.
Up next: Bye
15. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3-2)
Sunday: Lost to Detroit Lions 20-6
Who'd you beat?: Vikings, Bears, Saints
No team on the Bucs list has a winning record; the combined record for the teams they have wins against is 6-12.
Bad news: Baker Mayfield may be turning back into the Baker Mayfield that we all knew, an average quarterback. Mayfield failed to lead his team to a single touchdown drive and barely completed more than 50 percent of his passes against the Lions. How he responds to this downturn will dictate whether Tampa is a playoff team or a team that continues to be an average team that ends up drafting a quarterback in the 2024 NFL Draft.
Up next: vs. Atlanta Falcons, Sunday, 1 p.m. ET
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