NFL Power Rankings: League Outlook Heading into Week 7

The 2013 NFL season is one-third of the way over, meaning the trade deadline and the midway point are just over the horizon. 

With only six weeks having gone by, it's not quite time to bury the league's struggling teams, but it is the time of year when postseason contenders typically begin to separate themselves from the pack.

Below, I'll rank all 32 NFL teams heading into Week 7.

*Division leaders that made the biggest statements are italicized.

1. Denver Broncos (6-0)

Even when the Denver Broncos struggle, they win by 16 points. Sure, there are plenty of yards and points to be had on the Broncos' defense, but Peyton Manning and the offense continue to light it up, ranking tops in the league in yards and points per game this season.

2. Kansas City Chiefs (6-0)

No team in the league is allowing fewer points per game than the Chiefs in 2013, and only four teams are allowing fewer total yards per game. In Week 6, the Chiefs allowed just seven points to the Raiders and sacked Terrelle Pryor a ridiculous 10 times.

If Kansas City's defense can keep it up, the Chiefs have a real shot to dethrone the Broncos in the AFC West. Both teams are tied for the division lead heading into Week 7 but will play each other in Weeks 11 and 13. 

Mark your calendars. 

3. Seattle Seahawks (5-1)

Seattle has won 11 straight home games and is now tied with New Orleans for the best record in the NFC. The Seahawks will need to keep winning in order to ensure the road to Super Bowl XLVIII goes through the Emerald City.

4. New England Patriots (5-1)

Call it a Saints meltdown if you like, but the Patriots' stout defense kept them in position to pull out a monumental win at home in Week 6 to keep pace with Denver and Kansas City in the AFC playoff race.

New England's D is allowing just 16 points per game in 2013, which ranks them fourth in the league in scoring defense this fall. The Pats have also forced a dozen turnovers through six games and are one of the most opportunistic defensive units in the conference, just behind Kansas City and Tennessee.

With consecutive division showdowns against the Jets and Dolphins coming up in Weeks 7 and 8, the Patriots have an excellent opportunity to put a stranglehold on the AFC East. 

5. New Orleans Saints (5-1)

New Orleans was a few seconds away from entering the bye week at 6-0. Unfortunately, the Saints will have two weeks to think about what could have been before returning to action against Buffalo in Week 8.

Despite their disappointment and shaky late-game play, there's no reason for the Saints to panic.

6. Indianapolis Colts (4-2)

There's no shame in losing to the San Diego Chargers out West. The Bolts are a dangerous team when they want to be and don't turn the ball over.

The Colts must make some offensive adjustments before this weekend's clash with Denver, but they can be encouraged by the fact that their defense is still playing extremely well, allowing just more than 16 points per game.

7. San Francisco 49ers (4-2)

It wasn't always pretty Sunday against Arizona, but the Niners have now won three in a row and are right back in the conversation atop the NFC. This clearly isn't the same team that won the NFC a year ago, but there's plenty of time for San Francisco to reach its peak.

8. Green Bay Packers (3-2)

Green Bay saw a pair of key players go down to injury in Week 6, but the Packers defense rose to the occasion in Baltimore, earning their first road win of 2013.

With Cleveland and Minnesota up next, this is a Packers team that's sure to generate some momentum in the coming weeks.

9. Detroit Lions (4-2)

Winning in Cleveland is no easy task these days. Just ask the Cincinnati Bengals. Therefore, the Detroit Lions deserve some credit for going on the road and picking up a win over the re-energized Browns in Week 6.

The question becomes, how will Detroit respond in back-to-back home games against Cincinnati and Dallas? Each team leads their respective division and shares the same postseason aspirations as the Lions.

Remember, Detroit was 4-4 a year ago before collapsing down the stretch, losing eight straight to end the year.  

10. Chicago Bears (4-2)

Chicago is back on track in the standings after its home win over the New York Giants—the winless Giants. The Bears will have to prove they can beat the league's upper echelon teams before they rise any higher in these power rankings. 

11. Cincinnati Bengals (4-2) 

The Bengals have put together a two-game winning streak for the second time this season. And with very winnable games against the Lions, Jets and Dolphins upcoming, it's certainly fair to say that the AFC North is Cincinnati's to lose. 

12. Dallas Cowboys (3-3)

Dallas is 2-0 in the division after beating Washington in Week 6, but that's not saying a whole lot given the current state of the NFC East.

But with another division win over the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 7, the Cowboys will have to be considered the hands-down favorite to win the lackluster division in 2013.

13. Baltimore Ravens (3-3)

The Ravens will have to get more out of their offense, particularly the running game, moving forward if they hope to return to the Super Bowl. However the defense has been stout since the opening-night debacle in Denver.  

14. Tennessee Titans (3-3)

Tennessee is now 0-2 without Jake Locker. But the two defeats come against teams that are a combined 11-1 through six weeks.

Unfortunately for the Titans, the schedule doesn't let up. They'll host the surging San Francisco 49ers this coming weekend before resting up on a Week 8 bye.

15. San Diego Chargers (3-3)

No surprise here. The Chargers are still the most inconsistent team in football. They've alternated wins and losses since Week 1 and until they achieve sustained success, they won't be cracking the top 10. 

16. Miami Dolphins (3-2)

The Dolphins can pick up their first win in nearly a month in Week 7 against the Buffalo Bills. Keep in mind that Miami is only one loss back of New England in the AFC East standings despite having dropped two in a row prior to its Week 6 bye.

17. Philadelphia Eagles (3-3)

While the Philadelphia Eagles have won two straight games, the victories could not have come against a more hapless tandem. The Giants and Bucs have combined to win zero games this season, which means the Eagles will have to prove they are for real by beating the Dallas Cowboys at home in Week 7.

18. St. Louis Rams (3-3)

Recent victories over the Jaguars and Texans don't carry a ton of weight for St. Louis. Jacksonville hasn't won a game this year and the Texans haven't won since Week 2.

Sunday's matchup at Carolina will offer a much better test for the Rams.

19. Arizona Cardinals (3-3)

Arizona will host Seattle and Atlanta over the next two Sundays, which means we'll know whether the Cardinals are a realistic threat in the NFC after Week 8. At the moment, it's difficult to see the Cards, who have been outscored by 16 points this season, as anything other than pretenders.

20. New York Jets (3-3)

Turnovers have plagued the New York Jets all season long, and with three straight matchups against winning teams on the horizon (Patriots, Bengals and Saints), New York is projected to be 3-6 heading into its Week 10 bye.

21. Cleveland Browns (3-3)

Although Cleveland is .500 through six weeks, Brandon Weeden is a significant downgrade from Brian Hoyer, and Week 6's home loss to the Detroit Lions proved it.

The Browns will be in Green Bay and Kansas City over the next two weeks which means they're sure to come back down to earth. 

22. Carolina Panthers (2-3)

It'll be very interesting to see how Carolina fares against St. Louis this weekend. With both Atlanta and Tampa Bay floundering in the NFC South, there's still hope for a NFC Wild Card bid for the Panthers this fall.

23. Oakland Raiders (2-4)

The Raiders will have a bye in Week 7 to figure out what they're doing wrong on the road this season. Oakland is 0-3 outside of O.co Coliseum this fall, which simply won't get it done in the loaded AFC West.  

24. Buffalo Bills (2-4)

If Buffalo can't earn its first road win of the year in Miami this weekend, the Bills will be 2-5 overall and 0-3 in the division. It's definitely safe to call this matchup a must-win for Doug Marrone's team. 

25. Houston Texans (2-4)

Week 6's embarrassing home loss to the St. Louis Rams proved that Houston's problems extend beyond quarterback Matt Schaub. Losers of four straight, the Texans are in serious trouble heading to unbeaten Kansas City in Week 7.

26. Atlanta Falcons (1-4)

Atlanta should right the ship this weekend after returning from a bye to host the winless Tampa Bay Buccaneers. A loss this weekend, and it'll officially be time to bury the Falcons for good.

27. Minnesota Vikings (1-4)

Minnesota has squandered two phenomenal opportunities to win at home this season against Cleveland and Carolina. Fortunately, the Vikings will be up against the 0-6 New York Giants on Monday Night Football next week.

A win over New York would be huge considering the Vikings still have four division games left to play.

28. Pittsburgh Steelers (1-4)

The Steelers are finally in the win column after beating up on the New York Jets in Week 6. Surprisingly, Pittsburgh will have a shot to get right back in the AFC North race with a win over the rival Ravens at home in Week 7.

29. Washington Redskins (1-4)

Washington's defense has been horrible to start the year, and the Redskins' inability to protect RG3 in Week 6 points to bigger problems down the road. With the Bears and Broncos up next, Washington is quickly running out of time to develop a winning formula.

30. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (0-5)

Thanks to a stout defensive unit, the Buccaneers are now the best of the worst in the NFL. While the Giants and Jaguars have been outscored by more than 100 points this season, the Bucs have been in nearly every game, allowing just 20 points per game and losing by just a touchdown on average. 

31. New York Giants (0-6) 

The Giants have given the ball away 23 times through six games in 2013 after turning it over just 21 times through 16 games last season. Unless New York can start taking care of the ball, it doesn't matter how much talent it has. 

32. Jacksonville Jaguars (0-6)

Jacksonville showed tremendous fight in Week 6 at Denver, but that doesn't change the fact that the Jaguars are still winless and easily the worst team in football.

The Jags have been outscored by 128 points this season and are averaging just 11.7 points per week on offense. 

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