NFL Power Rankings Week 7: 2020 Standings, Reaction for All Teams Post-MNF

As the 2020 NFL season nears its midway point, we're beginning to sense which teams may want to look toward the 2021 offseason and some desperation from clubs that fell behind in the standings.

In Week 6, the Atlanta Falcons performed at a high level, and this time, they finished the job. Perhaps the team needed a switch in the coaching ranks. Did the change come a little too late in an attempt to salvage their playoff hopes?

Detroit Lions head coach Matt Patricia went into Sunday's game with extra motivation. Will a victory extinguish rumors about his job security? 

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers caught the league's attention with a big win over an undefeated team. Is it enough to push them into the upper echelon of the NFL's hierarchy?

Let's take a look at the Week 7 standings with a deeper dive into four teams in different tiers of the power rankings.

Week 7 NFL Standings

Gene J. Puskar/Associated Press

AFC East

1. Buffalo Bills (4-2)

2. Miami Dolphins (3-3)

3. New England Patriots (2-3)

4. New York Jets (0-6)

AFC North 

1. Pittsburgh Steelers (5-0)

2. Baltimore Ravens (5-1)

3. Cleveland Browns (4-2)

4. Cincinnati Bengals (1-4-1)      

AFC South

1. Tennessee Titans (5-0)

2. Indianapolis Colts (4-2)

3. Houston Texans (1-5)

4. Jacksonville Jaguars (1-5)                  

AFC West 

1. Kansas City Chiefs (5-1)

2. Oakland Raiders (3-2)

3. Denver Broncos (2-3)

4. Los Angeles Chargers (1-4)

NFC East 

1. Dallas Cowboys (2-4)

2. Philadelphia Eagles (1-4-1)

3. New York Giants (1-5)

4. Washington Redskins (1-5)                              

NFC North 

1. Chicago Bears (5-1)

2. Green Bay Packers (4-1)

3. Detroit Lions (2-3)

4. Minnesota Vikings (1-5)                                         

NFC South

1. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-2)

2. New Orleans Saints (3-2)

3. Carolina Panthers (3-3)

4. Atlanta Falcons (1-5)                                 

NFC West

1. Seattle Seahawks (5-0)

2. Arizona Cardinals (4-2)

3. Los Angeles Rams (4-2)

4. San Francisco 49ers (3-3)

Too Little, Too Late for the Atlanta Falcons

Bruce Kluckhohn/Associated Press

32. New York Jets (0-6)

31. Jacksonville Jaguars (1-5)

30. Washington Football Team (1-5)

29. New York Giants (1-5)

28. Cincinnati Bengals (1-4-1)

27. Minnesota Vikings (1-5)

26. Atlanta Falcons (1-5)

25. Los Angeles Chargers (1-4)          

The Atlanta Falcons fired head coach Dan Quinn after the Week 5 defeat to the Panthers, and defensive coordinator Raheem Morris took over the interim role. The team jumped out to an early double-digit advantage over the Minnesota Vikings and held on for a 40-23 victory Sunday. 

If the Falcons had held on to leads earlier in the season, they would have beaten the Dallas Cowboys and Chicago Bears in Weeks 2 and 3, respectively. Instead of a 3-3 record, Atlanta will attempt to dig itself out of a deep hole.

Atlanta has the offensive playmakers to field a top-scoring offense. For the first time since Week 1, wide receiver Julio Jones performed at his best, hauling in eight passes for 137 yards and two touchdowns. He's battled a hamstring injury over the past few weeks.

This season, the defense has faltered late in games. The Falcons saw glimpses of hope on that side of the ball, logging three interceptions. Rookie cornerback A.J. Terrell had a highlight takeaway. 

In Week 6, the Falcons won their first game, which is far too late to make a legitimate playoff push in a competitive division with three other teams at .500 or better in the standings. Barring a miraculous run, Atlanta will likely miss the playoffs for a third consecutive term.

Detroit Lions Respond to Pressure with Matt Patricia on Hot Seat

Phelan M. Ebenhack/Associated Press

24. Denver Broncos (2-3) 

23. Dallas Cowboys (2-4)

22. Houston Texans (1-5)

21. San Francisco 49ers (3-3)

20. Philadelphia Eagles (1-4-1) 

19. Miami Dolphins (3-3) 

18. Arizona Cardinals  (4-2)

17. Detroit Lions (2-3)

Hours before kickoff, Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports reported the Detroit Lions have warmed head coach Matt Patricia's seat in the organization.

"There is mounting frustration within the Lions' front office about the team's slow start and propensity to continue to blow big leads, with many in the organization believing a loss to the Jaguars on Sunday will result in a coaching change," he wrote.

Fortunately for Patricia, the Lions doused the flames in a dominant 34-16 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars. Detroit led from start to finish and cruised to 2-3 coming out of its bye week. 

However, Patricia may still feel the heat with a sub-.500 record and the Atlanta Falcons next up on the schedule. If the Lions' lead skipper loses in Week 7, Detroit may do what Atlanta did last week and fire its head coach. 

The Lions cannot oversell a victory against a Jaguars squad that's probably going to hold a top-five pick in next's year draft. Remember, then-owner Martha Ford expressed playoff expectations to Patricia at the end of last season.

If Detroit drops to 2-4 in a defeat to a one-win club, we may see a third head coach relieved of his duties within a month.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers Earn Signature Win

Jason Behnken/Associated Press

16. Carolina Panthers (3-3) 

15. Cleveland Browns (4-2)

14. Las Vegas Raiders (3-2) 

13. New England Patriots (2-3) 

12. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-2)

11. Chicago Bears (5-1) 

10. Indianapolis Colts (4-2) 

9. New Orleans Saints (3-2) 

Going into Week 6, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers had wins against three teams with records at .500 or worse. Now, they have a signature victory—one that propelled them to 4-2. 

The Buccaneers started slowly in the opening quarter of Sunday's contest with the Green Bay Packers but came on strong in the second frame, intercepting quarterback Aaron Rodgers twice. From there, Tampa Bay went on to rout its opponent 38-10. 

Quarterback Tom Brady didn't have to do much of the heavy lifting, he threw for 166 yards and two touchdowns. Tight end Rob Gronkowski caught his first touchdown pass as a Buccaneer. Running back Ronald Jones II eclipsed 105 rushing yards for a third consecutive game and scored twice on the ground.

Tampa Bay put together a complete performance on both sides of the ball, but it remains outside the top 10 because of losses to the Chicago Bears and New Orleans Saints.

Tennessee Titans Win Nail-Biter, Stay Undefeated

Wade Payne/Associated Press

8. Los Angeles Rams (4-2)

7. Buffalo Bills (4-2)

6. Baltimore Ravens (5-1)

5. Green Bay Packers (4-1)

4. Tennessee Titans (5-0)

3. Pittsburgh Steelers (5-0)

2. Kansas City Chiefs (5-1)

1. Seattle Seahawks (5-0)

Despite Houston Texans interim head coach Romeo Crennel's questionable decision to go for a two-point conversion while up seven points with less than two minutes left, take nothing away from the Tennessee Titans.

On a short week, the Titans beat the AFC East division-leading Buffalo Bills and ran a two-minute drill in a comeback win over the Texans Sunday.

Quarterback Ryan Tannehill looks like an MVP candidate. He threw for 364 yards, four touchdowns and just one interception. Of course, he had a lot of help from running back Derrick Henry, who ran for 212 yards and two scores, which included the game-winning touchdown in overtime.

Within seven days, the Titans have likely erased a lot of doubt about their status as a playoff contender. In Week 7, they'll play the Pittsburgh Steelers in a battle between the AFC's last undefeated teams.