NFL Power Rankings: Dallas Cowboys and 4 Playoff Pretenders That Tumbled

With each week that passes in the NFL, it gets a little easier to separate the men from the boys.

I hate clichés as much as the next guy, but this is a pretty good way to describe the big picture. We've had enough time at this point to see what each team in the NFL has to offer, and some of them simply have more to offer than all the others.

Of course, there are a couple of teams that occupy the middle ground. They're not great, but they're just good enough to stay in the playoff discussion.

There are a bunch of these teams out there, but four of them lost ground this weekend.

Cleveland Browns (No. 23)

I have to admit, it's a bit of a reach to assert that the Browns have ever been in the playoff discussion, especially in a tough division like the AFC North. But they entered Week 6 at 2-2 and with a chance to notch a big statement win against the Oakland Raiders, so I'm going to allow it.

But not surprisingly, the Browns lost. The final score was 24-17, but the game never did seem that close. The Raiders had the Browns' number all day, and the loss of starting quarterback Jason Campbell really didn't do much to slow them down.

When I did my power rankings last week, I had the Browns at No. 21. I moved them down to No. 23 after their loss to the Raiders, but the only reason I didn't move them any lower is because they're not quite as bad as the teams that occupy the bottom of the barrel.

Dallas Cowboys (No. 19)

Part of me thinks that the Cowboys are actually the best team in the NFC East. The problem is that they are doing everything in their power not to be the best team in the NFC East.

As you may have noticed, the Cowboys have shown a tendency to shoot themselves in the foot this season. If you've noticed that, then you noticed that the Cowboys shot themselves in the foot again on Sunday against the New England Patriots. They could have won, but missed opportunities and Tom Brady did them in.

I have the Cowboys at No. 19 in my new rankings, which actually makes them my highest-ranked 2-3 team. I think they can come back and salvage their season, but I have my doubts about whether or not they will.

Houston Texans (No. 17)

The Texans are doing their thing again. They were good a couple weeks ago, but now they're overrated.

Injuries are partly to blame for this, but one way we know that the Texans are not one of the better teams in the league is that they can't beat any of the better teams in the league. Their win over the Pittsburgh Steelers was nice, but their losses to the Raiders and the Baltimore Ravens seem like better indications of Houston's overall quality.

I have the Texans at No. 17 in my new rankings, which is down six spots from where I had them last week. They're technically still very much in the playoff hunt in the AFC South, but I think they need to show they actually belong.

Washington Redskins (No. 15)

 Last week, I liked the Redskins. I guess I should also mention that I was giving Rex Grossman the benefit of the doubt last week.

On Sunday, Grossman proceeded to demonstrate why the quarterback position is so important. The Redskins played the Philadelphia Eagles tough, but Grossman killed their chances of winning with his four interceptions.

Presumably, it will now be John Beck's turn. I want to believe that this is going to be a good thing, but I just can't.

I had the Redskins at No. 8 overall this time last week. I now have them at No. 15, and I'm going to be very surprised if the Redskins climb much higher this season. They have a good team, but they're are flawed at the one area that good teams cannot be flawed.

Zachary D. Rymer's Week 7 Power Rankings

Rank	Team	Record
1	Green Bay Packers	6-0
2	New England Patriots	5-1
3	Baltimore Ravens	4-1
4	San Francisco 49ers	5-1
5	Detroit Lions	5-1
6	San Diego Chargers	4-1
7	New Orleans Saints	4-2
8	Oakland Raiders	4-2
9	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	4-2
10	Pittsburgh Steelers	4-2
11	Buffalo Bills	4-2
12	New York Giants	4-2
13	Tennessee Titans	3-2
14	Cincinnati Bengals	4-2
15	Washington Redskins	3-2
16	Atlanta Falcons	3-3
17	Houston Texans	3-3
18	Chicago Bears	3-3
19	Dallas Cowboys	2-3
20	New York Jets	2-3
21	Philadelphia Eagles	2-4
22	Seattle Seahawks	2-3
23	Cleveland Browns	2-3
24	Kansas City Chiefs	2-3
25	Carolina Panthers	1-5
26	Denver Broncos	1-4
27	Arizona Cardinals	1-4
28	Jacksonville Jaguars	1-5
29	Minnesota Vikings	1-5
30	Indianapolis Colts	0-6
31	Miami Dolphins	0-4
32	St. Louis Rams	0-5