Teams That Will Make Big Power Ranking Jumps After Week 7 Upsets

NFL 2012: The Year of the Underdog.

As gambling sharps have dually noted, broached and salivated over, teams getting points have been anomalously profitable this season, posting a 57-32-2 mark against the spread. And while that doesn't necessarily mean they've been winning at a remarkably high clip, it does indicate something very important about this season: the games are much closer than we thought they'd be.

How much of that has to do with parity and how much has to do with scab referees remains to be seen, but numbers are numbers. And the numbers say there's never been a better season if you want to look smart by picking underdogs. The closer the game, the better the chance of an upset, right?

So without further adieu, here are three underdogs who will vault up the power rankings after Week 7 upsets.

Washington Redskins

Opponent: @ New York Giants

Yeah, yeah, yeah... I get it. The Giants went into Candlestick Park last week and ate the Niners' lunch. I was watching, and I was just as thoroughly impressed as you were.

Know what else I was watching? This:

RGIII fever is alive, well and ready to take New York––where the Giants have curiously struggled over the years––by storm. Griffin's contain-breaking abilities are especially effective against strong defensive lines (like the Vikings, whom he shredded for 138 rushing yards), which should help the Skins neutralize the Giants' dominant pass rush.

Oh, and here's a third thing I was watching: The 2011 NFL season, where, despite winning the Super Bowl, the Giants went 0-2 against Rex Grossman and the Redskins. In what was thought to be a must-win Week 15 game for the G-men, Washington stormed the Meadowlands and crushed them 23-10. Again: That was with Rex Grossman. Rex. Grossman.

History repeats itself and the Giants, coming off a euphoric high, could very well be in for a letdown this week.

St. Louis Rams

Opponent: vs. Green Bay Packers

It's easy to gloss over the Rams' 3-0 home record this season by dismissing the road capabilities of their opponents. Upon closer review, however, home wins over Washington, Arizona and Seattle don't look too shabby. The Redskins are 2-1 away from FedEx Field, including a dome win against New Orleans and a close victory over underrated Tampa Bay. The Cardinals went into New England and stole a game in Week 2. And the Seahawks, while a paltry 1-3 on the road, took a lead into halftime at San Francisco last night.

The truth is St. Louis is a legitimately scary home team and a vastly underrated team in general. Remember, they could easily be 4-2 had the replacement refs not jobbed them out of a Week 1 victory in Detroit. And while it's easy to say Green Bay "turned a corner" with their demolition of the Texans last week, the problems that got them to 2-3 are still very real. Plus, the Packers are coming off a Sunday Night game, which means less rest than normal, while the Rams are coming off a Thursday Night game, which means more rest than normal. Do the math.

With the Rams' relentless defensive line rushing against the Packers' Swiss cheese protection unit, this could be a (Chris) long afternoon for Aaron Rodgers and company.

Cincinnati Bengals

Opponent: vs. Pittsburgh Steelers

The Bengals shocked everybody (except for Vegas, where the line was PK, that is) by losing to Cleveland last weekend, wasting a golden opportunity to stay close behind the suddenly depleted Ravens. Now, as curious home underdogs against a 2-3 opponent, they run the risk of dropping to third in the AFC North. I don't think they're gonna take this game lightly.

Pittsburgh usually gets public money because, well... they're The Steelers. But in actuality, this year Tomlin's boys have been just as bad as their record indicates––maybe worse. Their backfield is depleted, the offensive line is a (predictable) mess, and the defense has looked very un-Steelerlike. 

This is a game Cincy could, should and probably will win. And while it won't actually be all that impressive, the Bengals will take a giant leap in next week's rankings because, well.. they just beat The Steelers.