NFL Power Rankings Week 7: Assessing Each Team's Stock

Wow, there sure are a ton of 3-3 teams. The NFL season is in full swing, but there are still a few squads that most fans aren't too sure about yet.

What we do know is this: There are two unbeatens, three winless teams and a whole slew of teams still looking to establish an identity. Week 7 of the season should help to establish some of those identities.

Here's how the league is looking heading into an exciting slate of Week 7 games.

1. Denver Broncos (6-0)

The Denver Broncos played in a tightly contested game against the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 6—tightly contested until about midway through the fourth quarter, that is.

Nobody is stopping Denver anytime soon, though the Broncos face a difficult opponent this week in the Indianapolis Colts. Just because Peyton Manning has two interceptions doesn't mean it's time for warning signs to go off.

2. Kansas City Chiefs (6-0)

With 31 sacks, the Kansas City Chiefs are nine ahead of the Baltimore Ravens for the NFL lead. Justin Houston, Tamba Hali and Dontari Poe are leading the charge on what appears to be the NFL's most disruptive defense. Next up for them is the Houston Texans, a team that they should have absolutely no problems handling.

3. Seattle Seahawks (5-1)

The Seattle Seahawks have a very realistic shot at being 10-1 after Week 11. Their next five opponents have just eight combined wins. If you take away that tough loss suffered at the hands of the Colts, Seattle would be right up there with the Broncos as the NFL's best. Regardless, it's still impossible to beat the Seahawks in Seattle, and the defense is one of the best in football. It's no easy task to defeat Pete Carroll's team.

4. New Orleans Saints (5-1)

Yes, the New Orleans Saints lost their undefeated record last week thanks to a touchdown pass by Tom Brady with five seconds left in regulation. All things considered, though, the Saints are a much better team than the Patriots.

New Orleans has consistent weapons in the passing game, a bevy of solid running backs and a defense that ranks 11th in the NFL. The Saints are one of the NFL's most complete teams, and they have a legitimate shot at representing the NFC in the Super Bowl.

5. New England Patriots (5-1)

There's that Brady guy again. Had it not been for a great throw (and catch by Kenbrell Thompkins) in the waning seconds of Sunday's game against New Orleans, the Patriots would have been 4-2 with losses to the Saints and Cincinnati Bengals.

The Patriots lack healthy receiving options, and the defense hasn't been as consistent as expected. Brady has had no time to establish chemistry with Danny Amendola, as his status has been uncertain for several of the past few weeks.

6. Indianapolis Colts (4-2)

The Colts have now lost to the San Diego Chargers and Miami Dolphins, two teams far less talented than themselves. While that would usually be enough to knock them down more than a few spots, it's hard not to like Andrew Luck and his talented receiving corps.

As soon as they stop throwing the ball anywhere near Darrius Heyward-Bey, the Colts offense will be more dynamic. He drops too many open passes and doesn't get the same targets as T.Y. Hilton, the guy who plays behind him, anyway.

Getting Hilton more involved can take this offense to an entirely different level. He has big-play potential and needs even more targets down the field to reach his true potential. He has much better hands than Heyward-Bey and already seems to have a better rapport with Luck.

Getting Coby Fleener a little more involved in the offense wouldn't hurt either, but focusing on Trent Richardson's involvement on offense is key. He doesn't look like himself right now.

7. San Francisco 49ers (4-2)

The San Francisco 49ers have scored at least 32 points in three straight weeks and have finally hit their stride after a tough start to the season.

Frank Gore and Kendall Hunter each have three rushing touchdowns, and Colin Kaepernick appears to be turning the corner on his slow start. We all knew it was a matter of time before something clicked in San Fran. Well, it's happening before our eyes.

8. Cincinnati Bengals (4-2)

One of the NFL's quietest teams, the Cincinnati Bengals have been very good this year. They were the team that ruined New England's undefeated record a few weeks back, and they are also the team that took down the once-healthy Green Bay Packers.

I'd like to see more consistency from the tandem of BenJarvus Green-Ellis and Giovani Bernard before I up the praise even more, but it's hard not to like what's being built in Cincinnati. This may not be their year, but another season of development and a strong signing or two could pay huge dividends next season.

9. Detroit Lions (4-2)

Don't look now—the Detroit Lions have a running game. Reggie Bush and Joique Bell are a huge reason why this team is 4-2.

The human fine machine, Ndamukong Suh, is still hitting everyone and everything on the field, and that type of reckless play on defense could potentially be the team's downfall. They need to rein him in—immediately.

10. Green Bay Packers (3-2)

The Packers will likely be starting Jarrett Boykin at wide receiver this week against the Cleveland Browns—that's how their past few weeks have been going. Both Randall Cobb and James Jones won't be playing in Week 7, leaving Jordy Nelson and Boykin as the team's only receivers with legitimate experience this year. They'll be adding someone (or multiple someones) this week, but their level of impact is to be determined.

11. Chicago Bears (4-2)

If the Chicago Bears defense didn't force as many takeaways as they do, then their defense would be horrible. They allow 373 yards per game, and there will come a point when even their 17 takeaways won't be enough to sweep that under the rug.

At least Jay Cutler, Brandon Marshall and Alshon Jeffery are on the same page. They've all had very good seasons up to this point.

12. Baltimore Ravens (3-3)

No Ray Lewis. No Ed Reed. No problem?

Well, not exactly.

The defending Super Bowl champs are just .500 following Week 6. Joe Flacco has eight interceptions to go with seven touchdowns, though he has passed for an impressive 1,702 yards. Losing Anquan Boldin has definitely hurt this offense, but the inconsistencies in the backfield have had the biggest impact.

Ray Rice and Bernard Pierce need to get back to last season's form to continue moving the chains for this offense. Flacco is a good quarterback, but even he needs his running game to help him out. Without a running game, it's difficult to set up the deep ball that he's so good at throwing.

13. Dallas Cowboys (3-3)

Tony Romo is in the midst of a career season, but a costly interception in the fourth quarter against the Broncos is prompting everyone to write off the Dallas Cowboys. They're tied for first in the worst division in football and will likely be in first after playing the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 7.

A lot of people love to hate the Cowboys. Despite a pedestrian record, they really aren't a bad football team.

14. Miami Dolphins (3-2)

The Miami Dolphins can prove something in Week 7. If they beat the Buffalo Bills—a team tied for first in the NFL with 10 interceptions—they'll move to 4-2 and break themselves away from the pack of .500 teams sitting in the middle tier of the NFL.

Ryan Tannehill has progressed nicely from his rookie season, Mike Wallace finally has a role in the offense, and Brian Hartline has actually showed signs of living up to his big contract. Charles Clay has been a pleasant surprise at tight end as well.

I'm most worried about their running game, however. Lamar Miller has just 211 yards and two touchdowns on the ground in five games, and his 4.2 yards-per-carry average is bordering on being unacceptable for running backs.

The Dolphins need to beat up on the Bills and the New York Jets the rest of this season in the AFC East. It'll be interesting to see how their games against New England play out, but this team could easily go 10-6 and make the playoffs as a wild card.

15. San Diego Chargers (3-3)

Keenan Allen has stepped up in a huge way after being buried on the depth chart through the season's first two weeks. He's now Philip Rivers' favorite target and continues to receive targets even when being double-teamed.

Danny Woodhead and Ryan Mathews have been solid in the backfield. Woodhead has played mostly as a poor man's Darren Sproles, while Mathews has started to come into his own in recent weeks. This team is actually better than its .500 record suggests.

16. Tennessee Titans (3-3)

If Jake Locker were still under center, then the Tennessee Titans would probably have one more victory and rank a few spots higher in the power rankings.

Tennessee cannot wait until its young signal-caller returns from injury. Ryan Fitzpatrick isn't horrible, but Locker had just started to come into his own before getting hurt. This team meets the Niners in Week 7 right when San Francisco is catching its stride—that's bad news for Titans fans.

17. Philadelphia Eagles (3-3)

Nick Foles or Michael Vick?

This question needs to be answered by head coach Chip Kelly sooner rather than later. Foles started last week and played very well, and he has six touchdowns and no interceptions in limited action this season.

Vick may be the better quarterback for Kelly's system, but the head coach will need to assess if he's the best fit for this team. Foles seems to have a strong rapport with Desean Jackson and Riley Cooper, and he even gets Brent Celek involved in the offense when he's open.

This team can be dangerous with the right quarterback in place. LeSean McCoy is arguably one of the top running backs in the NFL, and a sturdy quarterback would help to ease any uncertainty in the locker room.

So what if the defense allows the second-most passing yards in the league? Denver allows the most, and we all know how good they are.

18. St. Louis Rams (3-3)

The St. Louis Rams are an interesting 3-3 team. They really don't have a great offense at all, and their defense is hardly better. Sam Bradford is missing Danny Amendola and Steven Jackson, but still, this team is .500 and poised to move to 4-3 after beating the Carolina Panthers in Week 7.

19. Arizona Cardinals (3-3)

Carson Palmer and Co. love to air it out and pay little attention to their ground game, but the opposite will have to hold true against the Seahawks and the league's second-best pass defense in Week 7. Rashard Mendenhall, Andre Ellington and whoever else is capable of carrying the football in Arizona should be prepared for an increased workload.

20. Cleveland Browns (3-3)

The Cleveland Browns suffered their first loss since trading Trent Richardson last week, and they'll probably lose again at the hands of a depleted Packers offense this week.

It turns out that Brandon Weeden isn't exactly the best fit in Cleveland. Really? I can't believe it either.

The team misses Brian Hoyer in a big way, but that hasn't stopped Josh Gordon from putting together unbelievable numbers in just four games. He already has 25 catches for 429 yards and two touchdowns.

Willis McGahee is doing his best to turn back the clock, but he and Chris Ogbonnaya should be able to shoulder the load out of the backfield. Neither back will be starting in Cleveland next season—mark my words.

21. Carolina Panthers (2-3)

Talk about teams with a terrible pass offense. Cam Newton has had no consistency in the air. He and Steve Smith are not on the same page at all, something that is very uncharacteristic for the duo. If those two had a little more consistency, this team could feasibly be 4-2. The Panthers have a great pass rush and an underrated defense in general.

22. New York Jets (3-3)

Ah, the New York Jets. Geno Smith suffered a tough loss to the then-winless Pittsburgh Steelers last week and will face the Patriots in Week 7. This is a statement game for the rookie quarterback.

If Smith can hang with Tom Brady like he did in Week 2 (a 13-10 loss), then maybe more people will start believing in him as the next big quarterback in New York. He still lacks the weapons necessary to have strong passing numbers, and that will be the team's upper management's job this offseason.

23. Buffalo Bills (2-4)

The Buffalo Bills have 10 interceptions but allow just over 270 yards per game in the air. This simply doesn't compute.

The Bills have an all-or-nothing defense. They unit has a nose for the football because it often abandons coverage to go get the ball while it's in the air. That's great when you come up with the interception. That's terrible when you get burned and your assignment ends up with a touchdown.

24. Atlanta Falcons (1-4)

What's wrong with the Atlanta Falcons? Health. Health is what is wrong.

Steven Jackson hasn't been healthy all year. Julio Jones is out for the season, and Roddy White has been battling injuries as well. In fact, Jackson and White weren't even at practice on Tuesday, as reported by Josh Alper of NBC Sports.

Matt Ryan is doing the best he can with the resources available to win games, but he hasn't done a great job of doing so. But, really, who can blame him?

If Atlanta can get healthy within the next few weeks, then there will still be hope for the once-NFC favorites to get back to their winning ways. At this point, though, it's hard to foresee them finishing better than 10-6.

25. Pittsburgh Steelers (1-4)

The Pittsburgh Steelers are in the win column, but they'll probably be right back in the loss column after running into the Ravens this week. Ben Roethlisberger is suffering from "no running game" syndrome, and the entire team has suffered as a result. If Le'Veon Bell can start to break out, maybe there is still time for the Steelers.

Maybe.

26. Houston Texans (2-4)

Matt Schaub is quickly running out of favor in Houston, and the Texans are quickly shaping up to be the NFL's biggest disappointment. At 2-4, the Texans are an interesting case. They allow just over 130 yards per game in the air (by far the best in the NFL), but they just can't score enough points to win games—not even low-scoring ones.

Could it be time for a new quarterback in Houston?

27. Washington Redskins (1-4)

With the Chicago Bears coming to town, the Washington Redskins risk losing yet another game in the first half of the season. Robert Griffin III, Alfred Morris and the rest of the offense need to get on the same page—and fast. The Redskins were once thought to be the favorites in the NFC East. I'm not sure about that anymore.

28. Oakland Raiders (2-4)

Terrelle Pryor was sacked 10 times last week against the Chiefs, and his inability to escape the pocket pretty much signifies the Oakland Raiders' season. No matter what they do, they just can't seem to escape mediocrity.

29. Minnesota Vikings (1-4)

Josh Freeman will be starting on Monday Night Football, according to Tom Pelissero of USA Today, and it's clear that the Minnesota Vikings view him as the better option ahead of Christian Ponder and Matt Cassel moving forward.

Agree or disagree, you have to respect head coach Leslie Frazier's ability to make a quick decision. Monday night's game could prove to be a good one between two horrible teams.

30. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (0-5)

In the post-Freeman era, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are leaning on rookie Mike Glennon to make plays under center. He has Doug Martin behind him at all times—which is a plus—but he still needs to learn NFL defenses before he can really be relied upon. He has valuable weapons in Vincent Jackson and Mike Williams; he just needs to establish some chemistry with them.

31. New York Giants (0-6)

Could this finally be the week that the New York Giants get off the schneid? Well, they certainly hope so.

Michael Cox and newly signed Peyton Hillis, according to the New York Daily News, will handle running duties, and that isn't a good thing for the Giants. They could hardly run with semi-talented backs like Brandon Jacobs and David Wilson. Throwing a rookie and disappointment into the mix on Monday Night Football kind of sounds like a recipe for disaster.

32. Jacksonville Jaguars (0-6)

The Jacksonville Jaguars were awarded with a moral victory of sorts last week when they hung with the Broncos for the first three quarters of the game.

Then, it all went downhill.

Regardless, the Jaguars have something to build off. Whether they continue to build is entirely up to them, though.