NFL Power Rankings Week 7: How Do New York Jets and Other 3-3 Teams Stack Up?

The New York Jets are no longer under .500. The Super Bowl dream is still alive, and that means the world can go back to spinning.

The Jets still have work to do, of course. Their three-game losing streak may be over, but 3-3 is not where they want to be. Especially not in an AFC East that features two legit playoff contenders in the New England Patriots and Buffalo Bills.

It would be easier to have faith in the Jets if they were better than their 3-3 record would indicate, but I don't think that's the case. In fact, I don't think the Jets even compare very favorably to the other 3-3 teams in the league.

To that end, here's how I rank the league's four 3-3 teams.

4. New York Jets (No. 19 overall)

Had the Jets actually lost to the Miami Dolphins on Monday night, it would have been easy to bury them altogether.

They didn't, but the Jets still managed to make a blowout win over the Dolphins look pretty difficult. The running game struggled yet again, Mark Sanchez was less than sharp and the Jets actually let the Dolphins out-gain them.

In watching the Jets, one is forced to ask which is more telling: their three wins or their three losses?

I side with the losses. All three came against superior teams, and the Jets definitely looked like the inferior team in all three games. Their three wins, on the other hand, have come against three teams that have three wins between them. It's also worth noting that all three wins came at home.

You don't have to think that the Jets are a bad team if you don't want to. I only ask that you agree that the Jets still have much to prove.

3. Chicago Bears (No. 18 overall)

Now that we've ripped the Jets, why don't we go ahead and rip the Bears?

My guess is that we all know about the Bears' problems. They tend to get outplayed in the trenches, and they have a troubling shortage of playmakers on both sides of the ball. Were it not for Matt Forte and Devin Hester, one wonders where the Bears would be.

The Bears had similar issues last year, but they were able to get over them. Unless they come together in a heretofore unseen way, I don't see them being as lucky this year.

Especially not when you consider their remaining schedule, which is very tough. The Bears still have games against the Green Bay Packers and Detroit Lions to worry about, and they also have to take on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Philadelphia Eagles, San Diego Chargers and Oakland Raiders.

With such a tough road ahead, I fear that .500 might be as good as it gets for Da Bears.

2. Houston Texans (No. 17 overall)

One can sympathize with the Texans to some extent. They may be losers of two in a row, but it's pretty obvious that they miss Andre Johnson. They also miss Mario Williams, who is done for the season.

Six games into the season, the Texans are already at a crossroads that they find themselves at far too often. They can either buck up and become a good team, or they can fall apart. They typically do the latter.

This year, I still think the Texans have the ability to finish strong. The process will be helped by a pretty weak schedule, and they'll be much better offensively once Johnson returns.

If the Texans do fall flat again, however, nobody should be surprised. There's just something about them...

1. Atlanta Falcons (No. 16 overall)

If Atlanta continues its trend from the first six games of the season, the Falcons will lose in Week 7 at the Detroit Lions. That's just how their win-loss, win-loss cookie is crumbling.

The bright side for the Falcons is that they are still as talented as just about any team in the NFC. They've gotten off to a rough start, yes, but we're still talking about a team that went 13-3 in 2010. They may have overachieved last season, but they are very clearly underachieving this season.

For what it's worth, I do think the Falcons can beat the Lions on Sunday. Even if they don't, they have a golden opportunity to make a run after their Week 8 bye. Five of their last nine games will be at home, and they're going to play some duds along the way.

If any of the league's 3-3 teams are going to make the playoffs, I think it will be the Falcons.

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	New York Jets	3-3
20	Dallas Cowboys	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	0-5
32	St. Louis Rams	0-5