NFL Power Rankings Week 7: Which Teams Are Mired in Mediocrity?

It's a tough thing to get out of, but being mired in mediocrity could be a lot worse.

That being said, it also gets very frustrating, so in order for things to get better, they must in fact, sometimes get worse.

So, with mediocrity in mind, here are three teams that are stuck in it.

Chicago Bears (3-3)

The problem with the Bears really isn't their team, it's their insanely difficult schedule that only appears to have a break when they play Denver and Kansas City.

Sure, the Eagles may be 2-4, but it's a road game, and Chicago's not much better to begin with.

And no thanks to being in the NFL's most difficult division, as the Packers and Lions will be fighting for NFC supremacy all year.

So until things get worse in the Windy City, they're not going to get any better.

Cleveland Browns (2-3)

Unfortunately for Browns fans, mediocrity is about as good as it's going to get.

Peyton Hillis trade talks aside, the RB is having an underachieving year. Also, they could have done way better in the draft, and now it's coming back to haunt them immediately.

In addition, we're seeing strides made by the Cincinnati Bengals, and the Pittsburgh Steelers are still in playoff contention.

So being in a tough division hasn't helped, but the Browns won't get better until they actually learn to hire and draft the right personnel.

Dallas Cowboys (2-3)

Big D remains inconsistent, and just when everything seems to be back on the upswing, they pull a 180-degree turn for the worse.

Obviously closing out games is killing them and their confidence, but luckily they're in the NFC East, arguably one of the easiest divisions in the league.

Therefore, Dallas isn't out of playoff contention just yet, but they're also not out of mediocrity either.

The future may hold something otherwise, as they do have a ton of talent, however, no one is going to really believe they can contend in the NFC until they actually start playing as well as they look.

Week 7 NFL Power Rankings (LW = Last Week's Rank)

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

Be sure to check out John on Bleacher Report. 

And, you can follow him on Twitter @ Sportswriter27.