NFL Power Rankings Week 7: 2015 Standings, Reaction for All Teams Post-MNF

A long list of undefeated teams in late October is typically reserved for college football, but the NFL has a serious case of the haves and have-nots this season.

Adam Schefter of ESPN noted the five undefeated squads remaining in the league entering Week 7 is the most since the 1970 merger. On the other end of the spectrum, there are 18 teams with losing records, including 13 with records at least two games under .500. Chances are your favorite team is either really good or terrible through six weeks.

With such little separation at the top of the league and the bottom of the league, the power rankings have proven to be fluid on a week-to-week basis. Here is a look at the latest pecking order heading into Week 7.

Rank	Team	Record	Reaction
1	New England Patriots	5-0	Good luck stopping this offense
2	Green Bay Packers	6-0	Injury problems are real, but Aaron Rodgers is still unbeatable at this point
3	Cincinnati Bengals	6-0	This team is a Super Bowl contender
4	Carolina Panthers	5-0	Incredible win on the road against defending NFC champs. Cam Newton is an MVP candidate
5	Denver Broncos	6-0	Undefeated despite Peyton Manning. Go figure
6	New York Jets	4-1	Quietly hanging around behind Patriots
7	Atlanta Falcons	5-1	Disappointing loss but still in control of playoff destiny
8	Arizona Cardinals	4-2	Perhaps not the world-beaters we saw in the early going
9	Minnesota Vikings	3-2	Legitimate playoff contender in the NFC
10	Pittsburgh Steelers	4-2	Michael Vick deserves credit for keeping team afloat
11	Indianapolis Colts	3-3	Almost got their revenge for the AFC Championship Game
12	St. Louis Rams	2-3	This team is better than record indicates
13	Philadelphia Eagles	3-3	It wasn't always pretty Monday, but the Eagles are atop a mediocre NFC East
14	Seattle Seahawks	2-4	Legion of Boom is quickly becoming Legion of Blown Leads
15	New York Giants	3-3	So much for first place after a critical head-to-head loss against Philadelphia
16	Buffalo Bills	3-3	Sunday's loss to Cincinnati showed Buffalo still far from the elite in AFC
17	San Diego Chargers	2-4	Two straight heartbreaking losses
18	Cleveland Browns	2-4	Josh McCown has added some life to a Browns team that is better than record
19	Dallas Cowboys	2-3	Can still compete if they ever get healthy
20	New Orleans Saints	2-4	Impressive showing against Atlanta in what has otherwise been a disappointing season
21	San Francisco 49ers	2-4	Stunningly within striking distance in the NFC West
22	Oakland Raiders	2-3	A young core is in place to compete in the near future
23	Miami Dolphins	2-3	New coach, different result
24	Kansas City Chiefs	1-5	A borderline playoff contender before season. Not anymore
25	Houston Texans	2-4	Brian Hoyer is the clear-cut starter
26	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	2-3	This season all about Jameis Winston's development
27	Chicago Bears	2-4	Upon further review, Golden Tate apparently still gets credit for the touchdown. Sorry, Bears
28	Washington	2-4	Another second-half collapse
29	Baltimore Ravens	1-5	Quickly shaping into a season to forget for the Ravens
30	Detroit Lions	1-5	Ugly overtime win at home against another bad team. Not a sign of better things to come
31	Jacksonville Jaguars	1-5	Another rebuilding year in Jacksonville
32	Tennessee Titans	1-4	Only goal this season is to keep Marcus Mariota relatively healthy and didn't do it Sunday

Team of Week 6: Carolina Panthers

Streeter Lecka/Getty Images

It’s time to start paying attention to the Carolina Panthers, and not just because of the zero in the loss column. The defense is flying around, Cam Newton is an MVP candidate and Greg Olsen demonstrated why he is the perfect playmaker at the tight end position for this team with the game-winning touchdown catch in the 27-23 victory over the Seattle Seahawks.

Carolina is a true Super Bowl contender.

It’s not just that the Panthers won, but how they did it. They were down 23-14 on the road in deafening CenturyLink Field in the fourth quarter and proceeded to march 80 yards in each of their final two possessions for touchdowns. Newton finished an incredible 12-of-15 for 162 yards in the final 15 minutes and hit Olsen for the 26-yard score with 32 seconds remaining.

Newton was the obvious hero and deserving of any MVP hype he receives after beating the two-time defending NFC champions. However, don’t overlook Olsen’s impact on this team that simply doesn’t have any proven wide receivers on the outside.

He finished with 131 receiving yards and the final score, and it marked the second time in three games he topped 130 receiving yards. He also caught three touchdowns the past three weeks as the security blanket for Newton when things broke down.

It was not an accident that he was targeted on the final offensive play, especially since no other Panthers pass-catcher notched more than 24 receiving yards Sunday.

As for Newton, the fact he has his team undefeated without Kelvin Benjamin is a testament to his greatness. Yes, he threw two picks Sunday, but he overcame that with the brilliant final drives against a once-vaunted Legion of Boom secondary in arguably the most hostile territory in the league. He also demonstrated why he is a rushing threat with a touchdown on the ground. 

Jeff Darlington of NFL Network and Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports were certainly impressed:

Running back Jonathan Stewart also deserves some credit for two touchdown carries in the rushing attack.

The comeback wouldn’t have been possible if the defense didn’t contain Seattle in the second half. Carolina held superstar running back Marshawn Lynch to a meager 54 rushing yards, sacked Russell Wilson four times and consistently pressured the quarterback.

The return of All-Pro linebacker Luke Kuechly was a massive lift after he missed three games with a concussion. All he did was rack up 14 tackles as an unstoppable force in the middle.

In all, Carolina ranked seventh in the league in yards allowed per game and sixth in points allowed per game after Sunday’s win. It was also third in the league in interceptions, led by four from cornerback Josh Norman.

The combination of Newton and Olsen on offense and an athletic defense that flies around and makes plays is a winning formula for the two-time defending NFC South champions.

The mettle the Panthers demonstrated in the fourth quarter will also pay off later, as center Ryan Kalil suggested, per Lindsay H. Jones of USA Today:

"

We kept our composure, and I think that's a sign of a mature team. From last year to this year, obviously the continuity is there, but you really have seen us grow up. That's going to be big for us, 'cause we're going to have some more close games like this later on down the stretch. So for us to have that win, going into these games knowing we can do that, I think that will give us a lot of momentum and give us a lot of confidence going forward.

"

That is a scary thought for the rest of the NFC.