NFL Power Rankings Week 7: Atlanta Falcons and More Teams Desperate for a Win

As we approach the mid-point of the NFL regular season, there are a number of teams that are in must-win situations on Sunday in order to feel better about their playoff chances. 

Some teams just need a victory to boost their confidence, and others are just looking for their first win of the season.

A number of teams continue to climb and fall in the power rankings, and Sunday will determine if some teams will rise up to the top half of the rankings or fall flat on their face.

Here are three teams in desperate need of a win in Week 7.  

Atlanta Falcons 

Atlanta hasn't played well on the road this year, and sitting at 3-3 right now, the Falcons have to go into Detroit and beat the Lions. 

The best way to do that is with the ground and pound, and the Falcons have a fantastic running back in Michael Turner. Keeping Matthew Stafford and Calvin Johnson off the field is a key for Atlanta, especially since the Falcons secondary is subpar at best. 

The Lions have been a big surprise this year, whereas the Falcons have been a bit of a disappointment. Despite a 1-2 road record, they'll be playing in a dome this time around and will fare better. 

Should the Falcons lose though, they'll be in a hole in the wild card race this season, so Sunday is a must win. 

Houston Texans 

The Texans were labeled the favorites in the AFC South as soon as Peyton Manning was ruled out, but they're 3-3 with a two game losing streak right now. Houston has to beat its division rival on Sunday or else the Texans are in trouble. 

Matt Schaub and Arian Foster hit the road to take on the surprise Tennessee Titans, and they will be challenged for all four quarters. 

Matt Hasselbeck would love to still have Kenny Britt, but he's had success without elite receivers before. Should the Titans beat the Texans they will be in the driver's seat in the AFC South. 

Houston cannot afford to lose on Sunday because this is supposed to be their year. Gary Kubiak will be fired at the end of the year if he can't manage to win the division while the mighty Colts are without their leader. 

Dallas Cowboys 

The Cowboys host the winless St. Louis Rams on Sunday afternoon, and don't be surprised if this is a close game at the end. 

The Rams are talented, but they've been banged up all season and have had to deal with a very tough schedule to start the year. Sam Bradford remains questionable, but he's a tough guy and I believe he will start for the Rams. 

The addition of Brandon Lloyd will greatly help the Rams, and if the Cowboys lose their third straight game chaos will ensue in Dallas, especially since they'd be losing to a team that hasn't won yet. 

The Cowboys can't keep losing if they want to win their division or make it to the playoffs this year. They should win this game, but sometimes you just never know with Dallas because Tony Romo and company can often choke big-time. 

 Eric Bowman’s 2011 NFL Power Rankings  

1. Green Bay Packers

2. Baltimore Ravens 

3. New England Patriots

4. Pittsburgh Steelers

5. New Orleans Saints

6. Detroit Lions

7. San Diego Chargers 

8. New York Jets

9. San Francisco 49ers 

10. Chicago Bears

11. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

12. Houston Texans

13. Buffalo Bills

14. Oakland Raiders

15. Atlanta Falcons

16. Dallas Cowboys

17. New York Giants

18. Tennessee Titans

19. Philadelphia Eagles

20. Cincinnati Bengals

21. Washington Redskins

22. Carolina Panthers

23. Cleveland Browns 

24. Minnesota Vikings

25. Seattle Seahawks

26. Denver Broncos 

27. St. Louis Rams

28. Arizona Cardinals

29. Kansas City Chiefs

30.  Jacksonville Jaguars

31. Miami Dolphins

32. Indianapolis Colts