Week 7 NFL Power Rankings (2020)
Does anyone want to win the NFC East? The Cowboys lost on Monday night and dropped to 2-4, yet they still remain in first place in the worst division in football (history?). Meanwhile, the worst record in the NFC West is 3-3, which is the same record the Miami Dolphins have through six weeks. The NFL has been crazy this year with a lot of unpredictability. Except for the Jets. They’ve yet to cover a spread, let alone win a game.
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32) New York Jets (Prev: 32)
As I was saying, nothing to see here. The Jets are still the worst team in football, and it is a miracle that Adam Gase still has a job. On Sunday, New York had their worst performance of the season, which is saying a lot. They fell to the Dolphins 24-0 in a game that was supposed to be one of the easiest of their divisional schedule. The defense did turn Ryan Fitzpatrick over twice, but when it results in zero points, it really doesn’t matter.
31) Jacksonville Jaguars (Prev: 29)
Jacksonville fell behind early and never showed signs of life as they dropped a home game 34-16 to the Lions. Since Week 1, the Jaguars haven’t won a single game and have really only looked competitive once. They were outgained 403-275, with a majority of their yards coming in the fourth quarter when the Lions had let up. Keelan Cole had six catches for 143 yards in the loss.
30) Washington Football Team (Prev: 27)
The Football Team is another unit that hasn’t won since Week 1, and like the Jaguars, they look absolutely lost out there. Their most recent defeat came at the hands of the 1-5 New York Giants, who only managed 240 yards in the game despite winning. Ron Rivera’s decision to go for two at the end of the game rather than the game-tying extra point to send it to overtime will be questioned all week long. If it has a greater impact as the sloppy NFC East unravels, it may come up more often than he wants.
29) New York Giants (Prev: 31)
The Giants performed badly on offense, but the defense made big plays to wrap up the victory and put them firmly in the hunt for the NFC East. Tae Crowder scored on a 43-yard fumble return for a touchdown, and the defense was able to stop Washington from completing a two-point conversion that would have secured victory. The Giants are only 1-5, but in the NFC East, that means there is hope.
28) Minnesota Vikings (Prev: 19)
Remember when this team was favored to win the NFC North? Now, their chances of winning the division are slim to none, while their chances of even making the playoffs aren’t much better. Dalvin Cook was out this week, but that doesn’t excuse the absolutely horrific play of the offense. Kirk Cousins’ days are numbered after throwing three more interceptions, bringing his season total to 10. In one bright spot, rookie Justin Jefferson continues to thrive, hauling in nine catches for 166 yards and two touchdowns.
27) Atlanta Falcons (Prev: 30)
In their first game without Dan Quinn, the Falcons finally picked up their first win of the season. There was no fourth-quarter implosion or questionable playcalling, just domination from start to finish in a 40-23 blowout. Matt Ryan threw for 371 yards and four touchdowns, and the defense turned Kirk Cousins over three times in the victory.
26) Cincinnati Bengals (Prev: 26)
The Bengals jumped out to a surprising 21-0 lead over the Colts, but it was all downhill from there. While the defeat is surely a tough one to swallow, it does point to good things for Cincinnati in the future, as they continue to be one of the best teams against the spread this season. While they are just 1-4-1 on the season, they are 4-2 ATS, which means that they are playing teams closer than many expect them to. Joe Burrow has not thrown a touchdown in two weeks, though he did add one on the ground against Indianapolis.
25) Houston Texans (Prev: 24)
The Texans fell behind by two touchdowns early and trailed by 11 going into the half. However, in the second half, Deshaun Watson and the offense came out firing and outscored the Titans 26-8 as they built a 36-29 lead with under two minutes left. Romeo Crennel decided to go for two to try to put the game out of reach, and the defense couldn’t hold the Titans off. Ultimately, they lost in overtime, but the Texans have played much harder over the last two weeks than the previous four.
24) Los Angeles Chargers (Prev: 23)
The Chargers were off this week, but drop one spot thanks to wins by the Broncos and the Lions. They will look to move to 2-4 next week when they take on the struggling Jacksonville Jaguars.
23) Philadelphia Eagles (Prev: 20)
The Eagles very nearly pulled off a comeback against the Ravens but were unable to capitalize on a horrible two-point conversion attempt. The Eagles are now 1-4-1 but still find themselves in second place in the NFC East. In the loss, Carson Wentz threw for 213 yards and two touchdowns but got off to a very slow start that the Eagles never recovered from.
22) Dallas Cowboys (Prev: 21)
The Cowboys actually went off as favorites on Monday night. The team with one of the worst defenses of all time and starting a backup quarterback was favored over a 3-2 team with an explosive offense. Needless to say, the Cowboys got smoked. They fell 38-10, but they still remain in first place in the NFC East because they are the only team in the division with more than one win.
21) Denver Broncos (Prev: 28)
The Broncos never found the endzone on Sunday, but they rode Brandon McManus’ leg to an upset victory over the Patriots. The defense forced three turnovers of New England and allowed just 288 yards. In his return, Drew Lock was just 10-24 for 189 yards and two interceptions.
20) Detroit Lions (Prev: 25)
D’Andre Swift finally made an impact on the game, rushing for 116 yards and scoring twice as the Lions won a yawner over the Jaguars. The defense gave up just 275 yards and will look to continue that type of performance next week in Atlanta. Three of Detroit’s next four games are against teams that are currently 1-5.
19) San Francisco 49ers (Prev: 22)
The 49ers bounced back from a horrible loss to the Dolphins by dominating the Rams 24-16 on Sunday Night Football. While the final score indicates a close game, nothing could be further from the truth. San Francisco handled the Rams easily and moved back to .500. After a terrible Week 5, Jimmy Garoppolo threw for 268 yards and three touchdowns in the win.
18) Carolina Panthers (Prev: 16)
The Panthers finally had their three-game winning streak come to an end against the Bears. Turnovers made all the difference, as Teddy Bridgewater threw two interceptions and the Panthers lost the turnover battle 3-1. Next week, Carolina will take on the Saints in a game that will surely affect the standings for weeks to come.
17) New England Patriots (Prev: 9)
The Patriots lost 18-12 on Sunday, in a game where the Broncos didn’t score a touchdown. Returning from COVID-19, Cam Newton struggled, throwing for just 157 yards and two interceptions. He did add 76 yards rushing and one touchdown. The Patriots are now below .500 and looking up at the Bills and the Dolphins in the division.
16) Miami Dolphins (Prev: 18)
The Miami Dolphins are .500 and just covered as 9.5-point favorites over the New York Jets. Even more exciting, Tua Tagovailoa made his professional debut late in the fourth quarter. He went 2-2 for nine yards, which makes him the all-time leader in completion percentage for the Miami Dolphins. But in all seriousness, the future looks bright for the Miami Dolphins who will head into their bye week very much in the hunt for a playoff spot and just a game back in the AFC East.
15) Cleveland Browns (Prev: 12)
Just when you think they might be for real, the Browns come out and lay an egg against one of the best teams in the AFC North. Against the Ravens and Steelers this season, the Browns have been outscored 76-13. They may be 4-2, but until they start to show up against the best of the best, they’re going to struggle to make any real noise in the AFC.
14) Arizona Cardinals (Prev: 17)
The Cardinals had no problem dispatching of the Cowboys running away with a 38-10 victory. They move to 4-2 on the season and are now tied with the Rams for second place in the crowded NFC West. Kyler Murray threw just nine completions in the entire game but accounted for three touchdowns as the Cardinals had no problem exploiting the terrible Cowboys’ defense.
13) Buffalo Bills (Prev: 3)
The Bills have played two games since the last power rankings, and the results have not been good. Taking on the toughest stretch of their schedule thus far, they got demolished by the Tennessee Titans, then followed it up with a horrible offensive performance against the Chiefs. In the loss to Kansas City, Buffalo recorded just 206 yards, while giving up 466. After a hot start, Buffalo proved in the last two weeks that they are not yet ready to compete with the best in the AFC.
12) Indianapolis Colts (Prev: 15)
Things looked really, really bad for the Colts, but they battled back from down 21-0 to escape with a 31-27 victory over the Bengals. The Colts are 4-2, but they have struggled mightily in games where they are favored to win easily. Philip Rivers threw for 371 yards, three touchdowns, and one interception in the win.
11) New Orleans Saints (Prev: 11)
The Saints were off this week and will take on the Panthers in a very important NFC South matchup in Week 7. New Orleans will get Michael Thomas back this week, which could be just what they need to continue to challenge the Bucs in the division.
10) Las Vegas Raiders (Prev: 10)
The Raiders were idle this week and will play host to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday Night Football in Week 7. Las Vegas got no help during their bye week, with every team in the AFC West winning in Week 6.
9) Los Angeles Rams (Prev: 8)
The Rams couldn’t get anything going offensively against the 49ers and after falling behind 14-0 were never able to make it a game. Darrell Henderson rushed for 88 yards in the loss, but most of it came because Jared Goff was totally ineffective early against the 49ers’ defense. Goff finished with 198 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception. The loss made the NFC West much more crowded, with the Rams in second-place and up just one game on the 49ers and tied with the Cardinals.
8) Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Prev: 14)
The Buccaneers took it to the Packers on Sunday, rattling off 38 unanswered points to win running away. The defense gave up just 201 yards of offense to Aaron Rodgers and company, holding them to just 10 points all game long. Ronald Jones II rushed for 113 yards and two touchdowns in the victory.
7) Chicago Bears (Prev: 13)
The Bears continued their hot start, knocking off the Panthers 23-16 and moved to 5-1 on the season. With the Packers loss, the Bears are now in first place in the NFC North with a huge game against the Rams on the horizon. Maybe it’s time to start actually taking this team seriously, especially since they beat the Bucs who just took it to the Packers. The defense turned over the Panthers three times in the victory.
6) Green Bay Packers (Prev: 4)
In the first quarter, the Packers looked destined to run away with an easy victory, but after jumping out to a 10-0 lead, they completely fell apart and did nothing on either side of the ball the rest of the game. The offense, which had been so explosive prior to the bye week, mustered just 201 yards of total offense. Aaron Rodgers finished the day 16-35 for 160 yards and two interceptions.
5) Baltimore Ravens (Prev: 5)
The Ravens very nearly blew an 18-point lead but held on to defeat the Eagles 30-28. Last season, if the Ravens jumped out to a huge lead, they put their foot down and ended things, but this season the storyline hasn’t been the same. This doesn’t look like the same team that earned the one-seed in the AFC in 2019. Getting wins is always what’s most important, but the lackadaisical approach must stop as they get into the meat of their schedule.
4) Pittsburgh Steelers (Prev: 6)
With just 277 yards of total offense, the Steelers were able to defeat the Browns 38-7 to move to 5-0 and announce themselves as the true competition to dethrone the Ravens in the AFC North. The defense allowed just 220 yards and 12 first downs while turning Cleveland over twice on Sunday. James Conner rushed for 101 yards and one touchdown in the win.
3) Tennessee Titans (Prev: 7)
The Titans have played two games since this last ranking, and after winning both, it’s only fair to move them up. First, they absolutely demolished the Buffalo Bills on Tuesday night, then they followed it up with a gutsy win over the Texans in a game they very nearly gave away. Against Houston, they gained 601 yards of total offense, 212 of which came from Derrick Henry on the ground. Between Henry’s stiff-arm in Week 5 and his 94-yard touchdown run in Week 6, it’s safe to say that he’s feeling like the best running back in football right now.
2) Kansas City Chiefs (Prev: 2)
Though the final score against Buffalo showed just a single-digit victory, the Chiefs dominated the Bills on both sides of the ball on their way to a 5-1 record. Kansas City outgained Buffalo 466-206. They dominated the time of possession by holding the ball for 37:45 and rushing for 245 yards. Next week, Le’Veon Bell joins the team giving the Chiefs another potentially huge weapon.
1) Seattle Seahawks (Prev: 1)
The Seahawks remain at number one coming off their bye and are now just one of three undefeated teams left in the NFL. Four of their next five contests will be against divisional opponents. The other game will be against the Buffalo Bills. Seattle will be tested, and if they’re still at number one in five weeks, it will be because they earned it.
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