NFL Power Rankings Week 7: AFC East Still Chasing Big Ben and Steelers
It’s NFL Power Rankings time, and Week 7 looks to be similar to last week.
Some teams did drop a couple of rungs, but when you lay and egg on national TV, it is bound to ruin your reputation.
A quarterback returns, a Super Bowl champion re-emerges, and we can see a playoff picture out in the distance. Here we look at the past weekend and how it has affected the hallowed grounds of the NFL power rankings.
Bottom Feeders: No. 32-21
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No. 32 Carolina Panthers (0-5)
Having a bye week didn't hurt the Panthers, but being the worst team in the league, it didn't help them either.
No. 31 Buffalo Bills (0-5)
Ryan Fitzpatrick is quietly putting together solid numbers. The Bills just may win one, one of these days.
No. 30 Cleveland Browns (1-5)
Can Colt McCoy lead this team out of the cellar? Um, no.
No. 29 San Francisco 49ers (1-5)
Things were getting a bit dicey there for a second.
With their first win in the bag, the 49ers can breath a little easier.
No. 28 Oakland Raiders (2-4)
If they roll out Jason Campbell one more week, I will be forced to even include this team in the rankings.
He was deplorable.
No. 27 Dallas Cowboys (1-4)
The season is slowly slipping away from them. Wade Phillips may have already lost his chance to coach this team for next year, and rightly so.
No. 26 Detroit Lions (1-5)
Their blowout win against the Rams last week was but a distant memory. Matthew Stafford better heal quickly.
No. 25 Jacksonville Jaguars (3-3)
I have to put them here.
I actually could make a case putting them at number 32. They utterly gave up on national television last night, and it was disgusting.
No. 24 San Diego Chargers (2-4)
Norv Turner has himself a soft defense and sloppy special teams. They are wasting Philip Rivers' peak.
No. 23 Cincinnati Bengals (2-3)
They are much better than how they are playing.
Maybe the bye week will give them a chance to regroup.
No. 22 Denver Broncos (2-4)
Every week is crucial in the NFL. It is tough to lose a game in the waning minutes.
No. 21 St. Louis Rams (3-3)
They moved up for showing they can be a balanced team, for about three quarters.
No. 20: Green Bay Packers (3-3)
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Aaron Rodgers just might be the best quarterback in the league.
He has to be at least considered when he puts up his numbers with absolutely no protection.
If they can find someone to give him some time, you will see the Pack rise. They are better than a .500 team.
No. 19: Minnesota Vikings (2-3)
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Their win against Dallas was huge.
It may serve to get this team back on track.
The Favre saga could also derail them, though. They will need a lot more leadership to keep this train moving in the right direction.
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No. 18: Arizona Cardinals (3-2)
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The Cards real question coming into the season was their offense.
The open spot at quarterback was a blaring weakness.
This week will go largely to answer if Max Hall is the solution. If he is, the Cardinals could be playoff bound.
No. 17: Seattle Seahawks (3-2)
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The Seahawks are playing some good defense these days.
If they can keep it up, the future is bright. Though, you don't have to be exactly spectacular to win the NFC West these days.
No. 16: Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3-2)
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The drubbing they received at the hands of the Saints this weekend showed who the class of the division is.
On the bright side for Bucs fans, Atlanta seems to be faltering as well.
No. 15: Washington Redskins (3-3)
7 of 21
Their loss to the Colts showed that the Skins have a lot to do to become an elite team.
They do have a weapon worth $23 million just sitting on the bench each week. Maybe it is time to deal Albert Haynesworth or play him.
Anything else is just distracting.
No. 14: Kansas City Chiefs (3-2)
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The Chiefs are quite possibly the worst division leader.
Their success has come against a weak schedule. What is more, it looks like it will stay that way for the remainder of the season.
The Raiders, Broncos and Chargers look unfit to rock the AFC West boat.
No. 13: Miami Dolphins (3-2)
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The defense is looking good.
Chad Henne is leading the team like a quarterback should. They just finished off a great away victory in Green Bay.
Too bad they play in one of the toughest divisions.
No. 12: Chicago Bears (4-2)
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The Mike Martz offense is killing the Bears.
In it, you sit back and let the play develop. It is a good idea if you had an offensive line to speak of.
Jay Cutler is reeling because of it.
If things stay the same, the Packers or Vikings will catch up. The Bears have looked too shaky in their last couple of outings to hold onto first.
No. 11: Houston Texans (4-2)
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The Texans showed a lot of heart and class Sunday.
When the chips were down, they rallied behind their leader. Matt Schaub put together a couple of great drives to ensure the comeback victory over the Chiefs.
This should be an exciting race between them and the Titans for second place.
No. 10: Atlanta Falcons (4-2)
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A big loss against Philadelphia showed this team is not quite ready for prime time.
With a surging New Orleans Saints, the Falcons just may be knocked out of the top 10 by next week.So, savor this week, Falcons fans.
No. 9: New York Giants (4-2)
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The Giants are playing on a precipice this year.
Some weeks they look like a top-10 team, and other times they look uninspired. This week, they received a scare from a team they should have blown out in the Detroit Lions.
They need to play better to stay atop this tough NFC East.
No. 8: Tennessee Titans (4-2)
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The Titans have a potent offense led by the best back in the game in Chris Johnson.
They will, however, need the services of Vince Young if they plan to remain in the top 10. Young was injured early in the game last night, and Kerry Collins relieved him.
Collins' stellar play should be taken with a grain of salt, as the Jaguars looked completely uninterested Monday night.
No. 7: New Orleans Saints (4-2)
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Now we enter the cream of the crop in the NFL.
The next seven teams are all contenders. This week, last year's winner finally had their breakout game with a rout over the Buccaneers.
Drew Brees looks like himself, and they are rolling. All this without Pierre Thomas and Reggie Bush.
No. 6: Philadelphia Eagles (4-2)
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It seems that the quarterback position in Philadelphia is magical.
No matter who you throw in that slot, they become unstoppable. Kevin Kolb has been a monster for the second consecutive week.
Enjoy this while you can. With Mike Vick's imminent return, things are going to get messy.
No. 5: Baltimore Ravens (4-2)
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It looks like the Ravens have finally found some consistency out of Joe Flacco.
They will need that and more just to compete with the big boys, as we saw on Sunday against New England. Flacco had a great game, but in the end it was just not enough to best a team like the Patriots.
No. 4: Indianapolis Colts (4-2)
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The Colts will eventually win the AFC South.
It is just more likely than not. When you have Peyton Manning, you find a way to always win the tight ones.
That is exactly what happened this weekend against Washington. Manning showed why he is still one of the best in the league and McNabb is not.
No. 3: New England Patriots (4-1)
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The Patriots drew one of the tougher games this week.
Two top-10 teams going head-to-head is always revelatory. In the end, the Patriots told the league that they are still contenders to win it all.
The amazing thing is they stay relevant while still shipping off great talent like Richard Seymour and Randy Moss. Karma does work, I guess.
No. 2: New York Jets (5-1)
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The Jets' only loss is a first-week defensive battle against Baltimore.
The following week, they took care of the Patriots easily. Since then. they have been just about the best around.
Mark Sanchez is consistently confident in the huddle and the defense is just that much better with Darrelle Revis back.
No. 1: Pittsburgh Steelers (4-1)
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The AFC North was supposed to make ample progress while Pittsburgh quarterback Ben Roethlisberger was suspended. Instead, the Steelers showed they are a very good team without their Pro Bowl QB by going 3-1.
Big Ben came in this Sunday and showed no signs of rust. The Steelers look to be hitting their stride with no signs of weakness.
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