Power Rankings Week 7
Week 6 was wild, stunning, and breathtaking. The NFL is never in short supply of surprises and many were had this weekend.
The Bengals and the Bills fought to a thrilling overtime victory for Cincinnati, the Patriots came from behind to stun the Saints and the Cowboys took care of business against division rival Washington.
Here are the Power Rankings heading into Week 7.
1.
Record: 6-0
It was a tougher than expected win over the Jacksonville Jaguars, but yet again Peyton Manning and the Broncos prevailed. Manning threw for two scores, while Knowshon Moreno ran for three. The Broncos came in as heavy favorites, but the Jaguars gave the roaring Broncos a run for their money. Denver is still rolling.
2.
Record: 6-0
The Kansas City Chiefs beat up the Oakland Raiders on Sunday, improving to a fantastic 6-0. Jamaal Charles ran for two scores, while the Chiefs defense chased Terrelle Pryor into a frenzy. This is the second best start for the Chiefs in franchise history… let’s see how long they can keep up their winnings ways.
3.
Record: 5-1
Marshawn Lynch’s two key touchdowns proved to be the Titans’ kryptonite. Richard Sherman came up with his third interception of the season and the Seahawks rolled to a somewhat easy victory over the troubled Titans. Seattle has yet again proved that being at home can be used to their advantage.
4.
Record: 4-2
A big day from Frank Gore and Vernon Davis lifted the fighting 49ers over the Arizona Cardinals. Gore ran for 101 yards on 25 carries, while Davis had 2 receiving touchdowns and 180 yards. San Fran has seriously bounced back from their two straight losses. The Niners are back on track and steam rolling the competition.
5.
Record: 4-2
In a wild contest, the Cincinnati Bengals were able to pull out a thrilling overtime win against the Bills. It was Mike Nugent who hit a 43-yard field goal that lifted the Bengals into first place in the AFC North. Cincinnati might be a more ferocious team this season than previously thought.
6.
Record: 5-1
On a thrilling final pass, Tom Brady connected with Kenbrell Thompkins with 5 seconds remaining to pull the Pats ahead of the New Orleans Saints in a roller coaster thrill ride of a game. Brady’s late heroics paid off handsomely as he marched the Patriots 70 yards down field with just over a minute left. If New England can continue this steady flow of game play, even with their injury situation, the sky is the limit.
7.
Record: 5-1
The New Orleans Saints defense had a tremendous performance, but a last second touchdown pass from Tom Brady cemented a huge victory for the Pats. The Saints offense couldn’t run out the clock, giving the Pats offense one more shot at the end zone, which they took full advantage of. Rob Ryan’s face at the end of the game was all that was needed to be said for New Orleans.
8.
Record: 4-2
The Indianapolis Colts appear human after all. In Andrew Luck’s first Monday Night Football game, he struggled to move the ball efficiently, having a tough time against the San Diego defense. Many of the Colts receivers had several drops, while the Chargers effectively kept the Colts offense off the field. It was an unusually low scoring affair for the Colts on Monday night.
9.
Record: 3-2
Even with a very lackluster start, the Green Bay Packers were able to hold off the Ravens fourth quarter rally. The Packers suffered a slew of injuries on Sunday, but that didn’t stop Aaron Rodgers from connecting with Jordy Nelson for a 64-yard score. The Packers finally find themselves with a winning record this season.
10.
Record: 4-2
The Chicago Bears snapped out of their two game losing funk and took the hammer to the Giants. Jay Cutler and Brandon Marshall connected early for two scores, while Tim Jennings stole two picks from Eli Manning. The Bears offense has been invigorating this season, but it seems the defense could use some tuning up.
11.
Record: 3-3
The Baltimore Ravens looked extremely disorganized on Sunday against the Packers. The offense wasn’t clicking while the defense was able to keep Baltimore in a back and forth punt fest. Joe Flacco and the Ravens rallied late, but a little too late.
12.
Record: 3-3
The St. Louis Rams took full advantage of the mistake prone Texans and pummeled them into the ground. Sam Bradford tossed three touchdown passes while the St. Louis defense and special teams added scores. It’s never say never for this Rams team.
13.
Record: 3-3
With Michael Vick facing the injury bug, it was Nick Foles who stepped in with three touchdown passes, propelling the Eagles to an exciting win. Chip Kelly’s sharp offense was on par once again and now Philly can ring the Liberty Bell all week long.
14.
Record: 4-2
The Detroit Lions got back on track this week with a thrilling come from behind victory over the Cleveland Browns. Matthew Stafford led the explosive offense, tacking up 24 points in the second half to stun the Browns. The NFC North race certainly is juicy this season…
15.
Record: 3-3
The Dallas Cowboys defense was ruthless to RGIII and the Washington Redskins. Tony Romo only had 170 yards through the air, a week removed from a 506 performance. Nonetheless, the Cowboys took the Skins to town, earning their third victory of the season. A win on Jerry Jones’ 71st birthday was probably much appreciated.
16.
Record: 2-3
The Carolina Panthers proved they can be a lethal football team, by putting the Vikings to sleep. Cam Newton threw 3 touchdown passes and ran for another score and it looked all too easy for Carolina. If the Panthers continue to play like this, what’s to stop them?
17.
Record: 3-3
Just when you thought the Cleveland Browns were invincible, you might want to think again. Cleveland has had a stellar season thus far, but if they lose their grip, they may never get it back this season. The second half was a disaster for the Browns on Sunday, who need to learn to play football for an entire 60 minutes.
18.
Record: 3-2
A bye week might just be what the doctor ordered for the Miami Dolphins, who have lost two straight. Next week, they need to fight hard against the Bills to catch the Pats in the AFC East.
19.
Record: 3-3
The San Diego Chargers were able to grind out a much needed win on Monday Night Football against the Indianapolis Colts. By effectively keeping the Colts offense from seeing much of the field, San Diego wore down the Colts D, securing a 19-9 victory. The Bolts are currently charged up.
20.
Record: 3-3
The Arizona Cardinals were able to match the Niners in every aspect of the game on Sunday, but let things get away from them due to costly turnovers. Calais Campbell was lost to an apparent right leg injury and now Arizona needs to play catch-up in the NFC West.
21.
Record: 2-4
The Houston Texans are in a state of panic, having lost their fourth straight game. Matt Schaub sustained a right ankle injury and was replaced by T.J. Yates with mediocre results. The Texans defense imploded while the offense seemed utterly useless. Gary Kubiak may find himself on the coaching hot seat if things don’t turn around quickly.
22.
Record: 3-3
The Tennessee Titans were not able to match-up with the Seattle Seahawks. Tennessee merely got lucky a few times and with several missed opportunities on both sides of the ball. Tennessee just couldn’t muster up enough strength to snag a W.
23.
Record: 3-3
The New York Jets appeared flabbergasted on Sunday facing the Steelers. Geno Smith was intercepted twice and the Jets struggled on both sides of the ball. Sometimes all the answers can’t be unlocked and there might not be an explanation for the Jets’ Sunday performance.
24.
Record: 2-4
The swashbuckling Raiders were absolutely assaulted on Sunday by the Kansas City Chiefs. Terrelle Pryor was scrambling for his life while the Raiders only managed 7 points all afternoon. The Raiders might want to consider working on reading defenses at practice this week.
25.
Record: 2-4
The Buffalo Bills have been through the ringer this season. Thad Lewis led the way in place of the injured E.J. Manuel and fared quite well after being promoted from the practice squad earlier in the week, but his effort just wasn’t enough to overcome the Bengals. Though, the Bills might have found their new man under center for the time being.
26.
Record: 1-4
The Washington Redskins lost all momentum after their bye week, falling hard to the Dallas Cowboys. RGIII had a decent performance, but couldn’t rally the offense to beat the Dallas D. Washington has had a rough start this season and needs to get back on track… quickly.
27.
Record: 1-4
In the wake of tragedy, the Minnesota Vikings seemed unprepared to play football this weekend. It was an embarrassing showing for Adrian Peterson and company, dropping the Vikings further and further down the NFC North chart. This team needs to regroup and prepare for next week.
28.
Record: 1-4
Steel City finally reserved their first win of the season. Getting off to their worst start since 1968, the Steelers finally turned things around with a much needed win over the Jets, marking their 600th in franchise history. Let’s see if this turnaround lasts for Pittsburgh.
29.
Record: 1-4
With the bye week, Atlanta hopes to forget this stunningly surprising start and focus on winning some more football games… especially if they hope to reach the NFC Championship, without Julio Jones.
30.
Record: 0-5
This team is in an absolute state of disarray. Even with the new man under center, Mike Glennon, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are having trouble finding ways to win. Greg Schiano might not be in Tampa Bay much longer…
31.
Record: 0-6
The disastrous 2013 season continues for the New York Giants. Eli Manning continued his interception tirade, throwing three picks, including one that sealed the Giants fate. Tom Coughlin might find himself on the coaching hot seat.
32.
Record: 0-6
In a hard fought effort against the best team in the NFL, the Jacksonville Jaguars finally looked like an NFL team. The Jags had the Broncos on thin ice in the third quarter, but just couldn’t contain the Broncos rushing attack. Jacksonville still sits at the bottom, but are making improvements.
Chris Strong is a die-hard Green Bay Packers fan living in the heart of Chicago and though he gets many strange looks wearing his green and gold, he represents his team proudly in the windy city. By day, Chris is a supervisor at a Chicago Cubs merchandise store located across the way from Wrigley Field, not to mention an avid film and media writer. By night, Chris continues to pursue a sports writing career as he loves all things football, especially the NFL.
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