NFL Power Rankings Week 7: Latest 2014 Standings and Reaction for All 32 Teams

As NFL Week 7 barrels down the tracks, beginning with an AFC East clash between the New York Jets and the New England Patriots on Thursday, only one facet of power rankings is a sure thing: chaos.

Week 6, like the weeks before it, was unkind to the rankings. Cincinnati and Carolina tied. New England continued its resurgence. Seattle took its second spill of the season.

The point is, power rankings are as entertaining as the action that births them. In other words, this has been an absolutely amazing year to sit back and dish out rankings, as the power index has never become boring.

With that in mind, let's take a look at where all 32 teams stand before the Jets and the Patriots begin the wild cycle all over again.

32. Jacksonville Jaguars (0-6)

Wade Payne/Associated Press

Another week, another loss for Gus Bradley's team. 

Week 6 was at least more competitive, but that is not saying much when the opposition was lowly Tennessee.

Blake Bortles continues to learn the ropes in a somewhat encouraging manner, but the coaching staff is not helping him much. Putrid offensive line or not, there is no excuse to run it just 23 times and throw it 46 times, especially in a game that was decided by two points.

31. Oakland Raiders (0-5)

The Oakland Raiders remain winless, although nobody can accuse the team of going down without a fight last week.

Rookie quarterback Derek Carr and the Raiders took San Diego, one of the best teams in the league, down to the wire in an eventual 31-28 loss. Carr was superb in the face of a great defense, throwing for 282 yards and four touchdowns.

For one of the worst overall teams in the league, though, the disappointing finish comes with the territory that is rebuild mode.

30. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1-5)

How horrible does Pittsburgh, the only team to lose to Tampa Bay, feel right now?

The latest knee-slapper produced by the miserable Buccaneers? A 48-17 home loss to Baltimore in which the team was down 38-0 at the half after allowing five passing touchdowns.

Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com provided the highlight of the day for the Buccaneers:

Inexcusable does not do the situation justice.

29. Tennessee Titans (2-4)

How Tennessee has two wins on the season is tough to figure out.

The Titans do nothing horribly or all that well, which goes a long way in explaining why the team needed to block a field goal late to upend the winless Jaguars 16-14.

Charlie Whitehurst threw for 233 yards in place of Jake Locker, but as far as highlights for the team go, that was about it. Tennessee has an elite set of wideouts and a scrappy defense, but one could argue coaching is holding everything back.

28. New York Jets

The New York Jets have now lost five games in a row despite a somewhat strong pass defense and a great rush defense.

The issue, of course, is Geno Smith's offense—not that Michael Vick's offense has a nicer ring to it.

Against Denver, Smith went 23-of-43 for 190 yards and two touchdowns to an interception. The ground game rushed just 15 times total, and Smith led the team in rushing—with 11 yards.

What more needs said?

27. St. Louis Rams (1-4)

Scott Kane/Associated Press

A rebuilding team without its starting quarterback, as great as Austin Davis may look at times, is sure to have these sorts of performances.

The St. Louis Rams went out and put up a major fight on Monday Night Football against the San Francisco 49ers but wound up playing from behind and eventually tossing an interception that got returned for a touchdown on a final drive that could have tied things up.

Expect the Rams to keep fighting hard. Just do not expect a lot of wins.

26. Minnesota Vikings (2-4)

Mike Zimmer's Minnesota Vikings continue to be one of the NFL's most up-and-down teams this season.

To his credit, as the team captures on Twitter, he is not backing down from the plethora of issues:

Week 4 was a 41-28 win over Atlanta. That was followed by a 42-10 loss to Green Bay. Last week with Detroit in town, Teddy Bridgewater looked every bit a rookie with 188 yards and three interceptions.

The growing pains for this franchise will not fade soon.

25. Washington (1-5)

Things are not going well for Jay Gruden in his first year as Washington's coach.

His team has now dropped four straight as Kirk Cousins continues to implode, most recently throwing two touchdowns to three interceptions against Arizona.

Like more than a few teams to come on the list, the staff thought it wise to ignore its strong running game, making just 17 rushing attempts compared to 38 passes in a game that was lost by 10 points.

It is hard to imagine that even the return of Robert Griffin III could save this putrid roster.

24. Atlanta Falcons (2-4)

The Atlanta Falcons simply cannot catch a break. 

Make that three consecutive losses for Atlanta, a team that saw Matt Ryan go 19-of-37 for 271 yards, one touchdown and one interception against a wobbly Chicago defense. The ground game—which, for some reason, was only used 13 times—was not much better.

Until the defense no longer surrenders almost 400 passing yards and the offensive calls become more balanced, this streak is going to continue.

23. Miami Dolphins (2-3)

The Miami Dolphins were seconds away from winning two games in a row this past Sunday, the other being a Week 4 triumph over the lowly Raiders.

Aaron Rodgers was having none of that, though.

The Miami defense allowed Rodgers to gun his way to a trio of scores, including the game-winner, while Ryan Tannehill hurt his team with a pair of touchdowns and interceptions.

Meanwhile, the defense let a pass-first team rumble for 121 total rushing yards, so the bye week clearly did not change a whole lot on that side of the football.

22. Houston Texans (3-3)

The Houston Texans are starting to fade, as expected.

Now sitting at .500, Bill O'Brien's team has lost two straight, the latest a tough loss at the hands of AFC South rival Indianapolis.

There, even 109 rushing yards and a pair of scores from Arian Foster were not enough, mostly because the defense gave up 370 yards and three scores through the air alone. Unless both units play nearly perfect games, the Texans will continue to lose.

21. Pittsburgh Steelers (3-3)

Rock bottom at .500 is a strange place to see the Pittsburgh Steelers, but such is the life of any team that cannot string together multiple wins—or losses—in a row.

After hardly escaping the Cleveland Browns by three points to start the season, Ben Roethlisberger and the Steelers visited their rivals last week and got absolutely whipped 31-10.

Even though the team generated 138 rushing yards on the ground, the defense had no answer for Brian Hoyer through the air and repeatedly missed tackles on the ground, allowing 158 yards on 4.2 yards per carry.

20. Cleveland Browns (3-2)

Do not look now, but the Browns have a winning record, and Hoyer is under center doing the damage, not rookie Johnny Manziel.

Mike Ditka, per NFL on ESPN, is rather adamant that the staff's decision in that area is the reason the team is currently riding high:

It is hard to argue with that point, although it is worth mentioning that the veteran signal-caller is backed by a three-headed monster at running back. Regardless, it is getting the job done, and the Browns are suddenly a team to watch.

19. Kansas City Chiefs (2-3)

Andy Reid's 2-3 Kansas City Chiefs needed the Week 6 bye after a 22-17 loss to San Francisco the week prior.

The Chiefs delivered an epic beatdown to the Patriots earlier in the season, but Reid's team has been as erratic as it gets. A win over New England is nice, but a loss to Tennessee? Not so much.

Go ahead and try to predict how the Chiefs will play coming out of the bye. The team has to hit the road to San Diego, and at face value, that is not a good thing.

18. New Orleans Saints (2-3)

Let's all say it together: New Orleans is just not that good.

Though the Saints were a preseason Super Bowl favorite for many, Drew Brees' offense has been erratic, and a supposedly improved defense has been miserable at best.

The Saints have two wins. One came against Minnesota. The other came last week, when Brees and Co. needed overtime to beat Tampa Bay. A Week 7 encounter with Detroit is a nightmare.

17. Buffalo Bills (3-3)

Call Week 6 a letdown game for the Buffalo Bills after a major road upset of Detroit the week prior.

The Bills welcomed the rolling New England Patriots to town and got 299 yards and a pair of scores, only to lose.

Now at .500, Buffalo has other issues besides the quarterback controversy. The secondary seemingly collapsed on itself, allowing Tom Brady to go for 361 yards and four touchdowns.

16. New York Giants (3-3)

It is back to the drawing board for the New York Giants after a brief run as a team that looked like one of the NFL's most dominant thanks to a potent offense.

That offense posted a goose egg against Philadelphia last week.

Eli Manning did not turn the ball over, but he did muster just 151 yards, while rookie back Andre Williams found room for just 58 yards on 16 carries.

The Giants looked flat against an NFC East rival, which is a horrific sign for a team that will need to win major games to take home the crown in a competitive division.

15. Chicago Bears (3-3)

A downright brutal schedule finally birthed a win for Chicago in Week 6 thanks to a strong showing from Jay Cutler and his 381 yards and a touchdown against a suspect Atlanta defense.

The Bears had the help of a friendly environment on the road, as captured by Zach Zaidman of CBS Chicago:

Regardless, a win is a win, although not every opponent will fail to capitalize on a bumbling defense, so the Bears have some serious work to do in the coming weeks to get above .500.

14. Baltimore Ravens (4-2)

The Baltimore Ravens are not a bad team by any means, but to take a 48-17 win over the hapless Buccaneers at face value is just silly.

Joe Flacco tossed five touchdowns faster than any quarterback in history, and Justin Forsett ran for 111 yards on 14 carries, but a loss to Indianapolis two weeks ago is a better gauge for these Ravens.

The defense is great against the run, and Flacco can get hot thanks to a wealth of passing options, but the team as a whole has something to prove in order to be taken seriously.

13. San Francisco 49ers (4-2)

A win over a divisional opponent on the road, no matter that opponent's record or recent history, is a great sign for any team. 

San Francisco did just that on Monday Night Football against St. Louis. Some may knock the 49ers for falling behind and letting the game stay close late, but the Rams are much better than advertised.

The 49ers got 343 passing yards and three scores from Colin Kaepernick, an output fans can only hope is a sign of things to come. Thanks to a strong defense, the 49ers will continue to roll either way.

12. Cincinnati Bengals (3-1-1)

Paul Sancya/Associated Press

All week, fans heard that it was time to see how the Cincinnati Bengals would respond after yet another loss on prime time—and an ugly loss, at that.

The answer was about as expected.

Marvin Lewis' team entered a bout with Carolina hobbled and posted 37 points, but the team was once again unable to finish, watching Mike Nugent's game-winning kick as time expired go wide.

If the Bengals were healthier, they might have won that game. But in this league, the standings and the playoff seedings do not want to hear it.

11. Carolina Panthers (3-2-1)

That tie represents a hold on momentum for Cam Newton and the Panthers.

While the defense continues to rank horribly in most regards, Sigmund Bloom of FootballGuys.com offers another perspective:

A win would have been great, especially heading into what may be the most brutal stretch of the season for any team at the moment—at Green Bay, against Seattle and against New Orleans.

10. New England Patriots (4-2)

Just like that, Brady and the Patriots are arguably the hottest team in the NFL.

Brady's numbers were expected after a rebirth last week in a blowout win over Cincinnati, but what really makes the team click this season is a defense that ranks in the top half of the league against the run and in the top five against the pass.

Major tests against Chicago and Denver in the coming weeks will tell the globe much about whether this seemingly complete team can win with some form of consistency.

9. Green Bay Packers (4-2)

Rodgers, fake spike and all, bailed out the Packers on Sunday in Miami, which is enough to throw the team as a whole this high.

There are still major issues in Green Bay, though, as ESPN.com's Rob Demovsky points out:

Until those issues are somehow cleaned up, Rodgers will continue to need epic performances to pull out wins. At some point, that is not sustainable—right?

8. Detroit Lions (4-2)

Few better options exist for a bounce-back game than a date with Minnesota.

After a crushing loss to Buffalo the week prior and without Calvin Johnson and Reggie Bush, the Detroit Lions went out and got a 17-3 win over the Vikings to get back on course toward a playoff berth.

The offense was efficient, but more important was the defense, which continues to nearly top the league against both the pass and the rush. Detroit is far and away one of the league's most complete teams, with health seemingly the only issue.

7. Arizona Cardinals (4-1)

Matt York/Associated Press

The Arizona Cardinals continue to quietly go about their business in a dominant manner, most recently picking up a 10-point win over a bumbling Washington team.

Forget the numbers in that blowout; the main takeaway is that quarterback Carson Palmer returned from injury to great success. As Sam Farmer of the Los Angeles Times points out, that is the key for the Cardinals:

As long as Palmer can stay healthy, these Cardinals are not going anywhere.

6. Philadelphia Eagles (5-1)

An oft-criticized Chip Kelly defense took it to the Giants on Sunday night in a 27-0 win, and, best of all, key aspects of the offense got back on track. 

For example, LeSean McCoy finally exploded for major production, going for 149 yards on just 22 totes. The passing attack saw four players catch three or more balls as the spread-it-around approach worked to perfection.

At the end of the day, the Eagles have just a single loss to their name, which was decided by all of five points. Until further notice, Philadelphia is a major force.

5. Seattle Seahawks (3-2)

That was unexpected. 

Russell Wilson looked sluggish with 126 yards and an interception, and Marshawn Lynch ran for 61 yards as the staff decided to rush it just 18 times in a shocking home loss to Dallas last week.

Any offense is due for a bad day, but most concerning of all is the whipping the usually stout defense took, allowing Dallas to go 10-of-17 on third downs and hold the ball for more than 37 minutes.

Every defending champ faces adversity, but few get tossed around like that at home. Let's see how the Seahawks respond.

4. Indianapolis Colts (4-2)

It was easy to discredit the Indianapolis Colts over the course of the first, say, five weeks. Two losses to contenders and then wins over Jacksonville and Philadelphia were not exactly brag-worthy.

A win in Houston on a short week thanks to Sunday Night Football? That is something to brag about. Bleacher Report's Matt Miller puts it best: 

The Colts without Andrew Luck is a scary thought. Right now, the team seems to be improving on a week-by-week basis, which is also a scary thought.

3. Dallas Cowboys (5-1)

It is time to take the Dallas Cowboys seriously.

Wins over Tennessee, St. Louis, New Orleans and Houston were not enough to think Tony Romo and Co. had turned a corner, but a win in Seattle sure is.

Last week, Romo threw for 250 yards and a pair of scores. The offense retained its elite balance and made a mockery of the Seattle defense with 115 yards and a touchdown from DeMarco Murray on his own.

The Cowboys are elite.

2. San Diego Chargers (5-1)

Philip Rivers and the Chargers got a major scare from the Raiders, but good teams find ways to win those sorts of trap encounters. 

Rivers did just that with 313 yards and a trio of scores. Despite a hobbled backfield, Branden Oliver is a name every fan should know by now—he mustered 101 yards and a score on 26 totes to keep the defense honest.

Speaking of defense, Sunday was an uncharacteristic letdown for what has been a great unit so far. Until it becomes a trend, though, there is no reason to worry about one half of one of the best teams in the league.

1. Denver Broncos (4-1)

Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos continue to be the hottest team in the league just a few weeks removed from a six-point loss in Seattle.

The Broncos took down Arizona with ease and did the same to an iffy Jets team behind 237 yards and three scores from Manning.

Perhaps most impressive of all, the Broncos continue to rank among the league's best against the run and do well against the pass too. In other words, offseason acquisitions on that side of the ball are working as intended, which makes Denver the most complete team in the league.