The top of the power rankings saw minimal change for Week 7 while the middle of the pack grows wider by the week.
Call it parity, but there seems to be a lot more mediocrity in the NFL this season.
A year ago, we couldn’t make the top tier of the power rankings large enough as the pool of true Super Bowl contenders seemed to expand by the week with so many positive surprises and consistent teams at the top of the league.
This year, we’re narrowing the top tiers by the week.
There’s no change at the top as the San Francisco 49ers remain deservedly at No. 1 as one of three remaining unbeaten teams and boasting the best overall resume.
But what to do with teams like the 2-4 Los Angeles Rams, 3-3 Seattle Seahawks and any other number of expected contenders off to underwhelming starts?
Here are the updated power rankings for Week 7.
(With the power rankings posting on Saturday, we took into account the Chicago Bears’ 30-24 win over the New England Patriots on Thursday night.)
Tier 1 True Super Bowl Contenders
1. San Francisco 49ers (6-0, no change): The NFC West figured to again be the most competitive division in all of football, and yet just six weeks into the season the 49ers have a three-game lead atop the standings with wins over fellow top contenders the Seahawks and Rams. Incredible. We made the case last week that this is starting to look like it’s San Francisco’s season. There’s a long way to go, of course, and injuries are always a concern for the 49ers, who will be without star WR Mike Evans (ribs/Achilles) this week at Atlanta. That hurts as Evans (27 catches for 420 yards and 3 TDs) has looked like an in-his-prime WR1 when on the field this season, showing a rapport with Brock Purdy that makes it look like they’ve spent their careers together. Even without Evans, Purdy has plenty of support with RB Christian McCaffrey (540 combined rushing/receiving yards and 7 TDs) and TE George Kittle (26-337-5). Purdy has the second-best MVP odds entering the weekend, per DraftKings Sportsbook, with 1,460 passing yards, 14 TDs and 2 INTs so far.
2. Kansas City Chiefs (6-0, no change): RB Kenneth Walker III has transformed Kansas City’s offense, leading the NFL with 665 rushing yards on a career-best 6.3 yards per carry (plus 95 receiving yards with 8 total TDs) while becoming the centerpiece of the Chiefs’ attack. And now he heads back to Seattle for a clash with his former team Sunday night, having won Super Bowl MVP honors with the Seahawks last year. Meanwhile, Patrick Mahomes has returned strong from knee surgery, throwing for 1,309 yards, 9 TDs and 3 INTs (plus a rushing TD) so far. All told, the Chiefs have the NFL’s top-ranked offense (414.0 YPG) while ranking fifth in scoring at 28.0 PPG and now face the NFL’s top defense on the road. Either way, Kansas City looks like a true Super Bowl contender again, but a win Sunday night would be quite a statement.
3. Buffalo Bills (5-1, no change): Everyone knows that Josh Allen and James Cook III are one of the most prolific tandems in the league, and to no surprise Allen is currently the betting favorite for the MVP with 1,504 passing yards, 9 TDs, 4 INTs and 240 rushing yards with 8 scores while Cook has 627 rushing yards and 6 scores. And that offense really hasn’t had top offseason addition WR D.J. Moore all that much due to injury, so it should only get stronger when Moore gets past his shoulder issue. But it’s time to acknowledge that the Bills’ defense is a major, major liability. Buffalo ranks 31st in total defense (386.8 YPG) and 28th in scoring defense (28.5 PPG). Sure, Allen, Cook and Co. will win their share of shootouts, but that’s not a recipe to finally get Allen to his first Super Bowl. The defense threatens to undermine this team’s top-end potential if first-year defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard can’t find answers soon.
4. Chicago Bears (5-2, up 4 spots): Again, we’re factoring in the Bears’ 30-24 win over the Patriots on Thursday night here. In QB Caleb Williams’ two games back from his hamstring injury, he’s thrown for 613 yards, 3 TDs and 0 INTs while Chicago has scored 61 points in that stretch. The defense has played better in recent weeks and the return of versatile defensive back Kyler Gordon (4 sacks and 6 tackles for loss in two games!) makes a real difference. And the Bears just need the defense to be solid because the offense is absolutely loaded with Luther Burden III (35-491-2) having the breakout many projected while the rest of the supporting cast makes this one of the deepest units in the league — and especially potent with Ben Johnson directing it. For Chicago to be 5-2 despite Williams missing three games is mighty impressive.
5. Baltimore Ravens (4-2, down 1 spot): The Ravens’ place on these rankings is looking very tenuous with star QB Lamar Jackson officially ruled out for Sunday’s showdown with the Bengals as he misses a third straight game due to his injured ankle. Tough matchups with the Bills and Jaguars follow, so it’s not unreasonable to think Baltimore could be 4-5 or 5-4 after that stretch. But Jackson will be back eventually, and at full strength this team absolutely has the look of a Super Bowl contender. It may just take some time for that to fully materialize.
Can’t Deny What They’re Doing, But …
6. Minnesota Vikings (5-0, up 3 spots): The Vikings have a great opportunity to extend their unbeaten start to six games as they host the reeling Colts on Sunday. Minnesota is giving up the fewest points (12.8/game) and second-fewest yards (259.8/game) in the league as defensive coordinator Brian Flores’ blitz-heavy scheme is gaining attention around the NFL. But the Vikings rank just 27th offensively (283.0 YPG) and haven’t gotten the kind of boost they expected from free agent QB Kyler Murray (662 passing yards, 2 TDs, 2 INTs with 93 rushing yards in essentially three games). RB Jordan Mason returns from injured reserve this week and should bolster the rushing attack alongside Aaron Jones (410 yards and 2 TDs on 4.2 YPC). With the playmakers Minnesota has in the passing game — namely Justin Jefferson (24-258-3) — this should be a more explosive attack, though.
7. Denver Broncos (4-2, up 3 spots): It’s honestly impressive that Denver is 4-2 with the schedule it has played (wins over the Jaguars, Rams, Chargers and Seahawks and losses to the unbeaten Chiefs and 49ers) with how poorly its offense has performed. Denver is second-to-last in the NFL in yards (252.2/game) and 26th in points (19.0/game) and not even especially high in the defensive rankings. Indeed, the Broncos have a -11 point differential overall despite their record, which indicates they can’t possibly keep this up unless Bo Nix (just 1,049 passing yards, 6 TDs and 3 INTs in six games) gets a lot more aggressive and productive in the passing game.
Sleeping Giants
8. Los Angeles Rams (2-4, down 2 spots): We can’t keep making apologies for the Rams — they had to slide down further on the list after an 18-16 loss to the lowly Cardinals. They can absolutely play their way into the playoffs and at that point would still have all the upside that everyone projected in the preseason, especially when EDGE Myles Garrett returns from injury. But this has to start feeling like must-win mode for Sean McVay’s team as they go on the road Sunday in Las Vegas before a pretty favorable stretch against the Chargers, Commanders (on the road) and Cardinals again (on the road). Los Angeles is going to be without WR Davante Adams (hamstring) for a while, which hurts given their lack of depth at the position behind star Puka Nacua (37-417-1) and why it was incredibly misguided not to use the No. 13 pick in the draft on a WR rather than third-string QB Ty Simpson. But surely Matthew Stafford (1,794 yards, 11 TDs and 6), Nacua and Co. will get the offense going with their season at stake these next few weeks.
9. Seattle Seahawks (3-3, up 2 spots): We fully expect Seattle to be much higher on this list by the end of the season, maybe by the end of the month, but like with the Rams, the results have to matter at some point. And while the reigning Super Bowl champs still play excellent defense (tops in the NFL in allowing just 237.3 YPG), the offense has very real issues and concerns. Pretty much in every way beyond WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba (49-717-7). Because the rushing attack has been so feeble with Walker in Kansas City, Zach Charbonnet still recovering from this torn ACL, first-round rookie Jadarian Price underwhelming and now injured, etc., the Seahawks have had to put more pressure on QB Sam Darnold’s arm, which has predictably resulted in more turnovers. Darnold is second in the league with 7 INTs despite missing most of two games. The return of Charbonnet eventually will help, or maybe Seattle makes a trade to bolster the ground attack that needs to be its offensive identity.
Playoff Locks
10. Jacksonville Jaguars (4-2, down 4 spots): A tough 34-31 loss to the Texans on a late field goal last week killed their momentum, but Jacksonville has looked the part of a contender all season and QB Trevor Lawrence has largely sustained his late-2025 mojo with 1,480 passing yards, 14 TDs (tied for the NFL lead) and 4 INTs. The Jaguars have a bye this week after back-to-back games in London.
11. New England Patriots (4-3, down 4 spots): The Thursday night loss to the Bears aside, the Patriots have largely found their stride with Drake Maye rounding into form. Over the last four games, the 2025 MVP runner-up has averaged 299.75 passing yards while throwing for 12 TDs and 2 INTs with 2 rushing TDs in that span. And WR1 A.J. Brown still hasn’t looked fully back to form in two games since returning from his ankle injury, meaning there’s still greater upside for the offense. If a battered and depleted offensive line doesn’t prove to be the Pats’ undoing, that is. Right guard Mike Onwenu (broken ankle) is likely out for the season, left guard Alijah Vera-Tucker is on injured reserve now with a hamstring injury and will miss at least four games, two of the team’s reserve guards are also injured and right tackle Morgan Moses is playing through an ankle injury.
Best Of The Rest
12. Green Bay Packers (4-2, up 5 spots): Full disclosure, we were ready to write off the Packers after a 1-2 start and a humbling 35-14 beatdown from the Falcons at Lambeau Field. But credit coach Matt LaFleur for righting the ship as Green Bay has reeled off three straight wins with QB Jordan Love playing at a high level (fourth in the NFL with 1,684 passing yards, 11 TDs, 4 INTs) with Christian Watson (29-538-6) and Matthew Golden (30-501-3) operating as one of the better WR duos in the league. Now, the Packers’ reeling rushing attack gets Josh Jacobs back in action after he missed six games on the commissioner’s exempt list due to his off-field transgressions. Jacobs can only help what has been the league’s worst rushing attack (59.8 YPG). And eventually star EDGE Micah Parsons will return as well, further bolstering a defense playing some good ball in recent weeks. Green Bay is bordering on full-fledged contender status again.
13. Pittsburgh Steelers (4-2, up 5 spots): After having a minimal role through his first two NFL games, second-round rookie WR Germie Bernard is breaking out for the Steelers with 17 catches for 167 yards and a TD over the last two weeks. With DK Metcalf coming off one of his best games of the season (11 catches for 93 yards in a win over the Buccaneers) and Jaylen Warren on pace for a career year in the backfield, the Steelers offense might be finding something. A clash in Paris this week with the Saints’ sieve-like defense could further that momentum.
14. Cincinnati Bengals (3-2, down 2 spots): The Bengals’ considerable preseason buzz has wilted a bit with two straight losses followed by a 31-24 win over the lowly Dolphins. Cincinnati is going to need to show a lot more to be taken seriously as a contender, and it gets a big opportunity Sunday at Baltimore (where the Ravens are likely to still be without QB Lamar Jackson) in a key AFC North matchup. The Bengals have been so blah for so long that this feels like a more important game than it probably actually is. One advantage for Cincinnati is that WR Ja’Marr Chase averages 120 receiving yards per game in his career vs. the Ravens. He and Joe Burrow (1,361 passing yards, 11 TDs and 3 INTs this season) will look to set the tone against what will be a limited Baltimore offense if Jackson sits again.
15. Detroit Lions (3-2, no change): One reason Detroit has been so listless defensively has been that absence of its two star safeties Brian Branch and Kerby Joseph. Well, Branch returns this week from the torn Achilles he sustained last December. (Joseph doesn’t have a set return date). So that has to help a little for a Lions team that has given up the most yards in the NFL (404.4 per game) and third-most points (29.6 per game). Because there’s no question Detroit can pile up points of its own with Jared Goff, Jahmyr Gibbs, Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jameson Williams, Sam LaPorta and Co. In fact, the Lions are tied for the NFL lead at 32.8 PPG while ranking fourth in yards (393.8/game). So they just need a little something more from that defense, and maybe Branch is enough of a difference-maker to swing the balance in the Lions’ favor.
16. Dallas Cowboys (2-4, down 2 spots): The Cowboys have played their two worst games of the season the last two weeks, including a fairly one-sided 23-13 loss to the Packers in Week 6. While the questions about Dallas’ defense haven’t dissipated, the pressing present concern is that its vaunted offense has mustered just 29 points combined in those two losses with Dak Prescott throwing 2 INTs in each defeat. Dallas is probably still the favorite to win the NFC East even after a 2-4 start, but at some point the Cowboys have to turn the momentum. A road game in Philadelphia will test that offense once again, but the Eagles are so beaten up and depleted this is almost a must-win for Dallas.
17. Las Vegas Raiders (3-3, down 1 spot): The Raiders were again competitive in a 33-30 loss to the Bills, tying the game midway through the fourth quarter, but nonetheless they’ve lost three straight game since their surprising 3-0 start. And fresh questions are mounting about 2025 first-round pick Ashton Jeanty, who had just 22 yards and a TD on 10 carries (plus 4 catches for 36 yards) while being outshined on the ground by rookie Mike Washington Jr. (9 carries for 43 yards). Jeanty is averaging a rough 3.2 YPC (313 rushing yards in six games), which ranks 43rd among running backs with at least 20 carries.
18. Houston Texans (2-4, up 3 spots): That’s two wins in a row for the Texans after their 0-4 start and beating the Jaguar 34-31 last week was solid statement … of some sort. But it doesn’t assuage concerns about a defense that was one of the two best in the NFL last season and has now given up at least 31 points in half of its games while ranking middle of the pack in yards and points allowed. The positive was that QB C.J. Stroud was mostly solid in that win over Jacksonville, throwing for 312 yards, 3 TDs and overcoming a costly late interception to help lead the game-winning field goal drive. That was Stroud’s first INT of the season as he’s passed for 1,714 yards and 9 TDs. The Texans have a prime opportunity to make it three wins in a row while hosting the Giants and QB J.J. McCarthy this week before heading into a bye.
19. Atlanta Falcons (2-4, down 6 spots): The Falcons have the upside to be much higher on this list, but back-to-back losses to the Ravens and Bears (a pretty lopsided game most of the way) have sapped any momentum they were building and a clash with the undefeated 49ers this week isn’t ideal scheduling for Atlanta. That said, the NFC South is going to remain as perpetually open as a Waffle House this season, and the Falcons still look to have the most top-end talent in the division with the duo of Bijan Robinson (second in the league with 641 rushing yards, along with 144 receiving yards and 5 total TDs) and Drake London (31 catches for 550 yards — fourth-best in the NFL).
20. Carolina Panthers (3-2, down 1 spot): They did it! The Jekyll and Hyde Panthers won back-to-back games for the first time in a year, besting a beaten-up and beleaguered Eagles team. This remains a tough team to project from one week to the next, however, heading into a pivotal NFC South game with the visiting Buccaneers. QB Bryce Young is having a career year so far with 1,549 passing yards, 11 TDs and 2 INTs while RB Chuba Hubbard is heating up with at least 120 rushing yards in back-to-back games and 3 TDs in that span.
21. Cleveland Browns (4-2, up 3 spots): One of the biggest positive surprises in the NFL so far, it does merit noting that the Browns’ -16 points differential is the worst of any team with a winning record — meaning it’s unlikely they keep up this pace. But maybe for another week while hosting the winless Titans! Deshaun Watson’s strong start has already leveled out as he threw for just 319 yards and 1 TD combined over the last two games.
There’s Always Next Year
22. Philadelphia Eagles (2-4, down 2 spots): The Eagles are officially the “Season from H***” team for 2027. Without QB Jalen Hurts now out for the season and on blood thinners for the next few months to address blood clots that have spread to his lungs, the Eagles are facing far tougher scrutiny and questions than what to do with head coach Nick Sirianni. Tanner McKee is the QB moving forward, throwing for 215 yards, 1 TD and 0 INTs in a loss to the Panthers last week. The Eagles will look to snap a four-game losing streak Monday night in a pivotal NFC East clash with the Cowboys with RB Saquon Barkley expected back from injury.
23. New York Giants (3-2-1, down 1 spot): The Giants are really going to start recently acquired J.J. McCarthy this week at Houston — what a time to be alive. McCarthy came off the bench late in the team’s 34-27 loss to the Saints, rallying the Giants to a pair of touchdowns and a field goal all in the fourth quarter while completing 11 of 21 passes for 243 yards, 1 TD and 1 INT. But it’s very possible Jameis Winston gets another shot at running the offense at some point this season.
24. New Orleans Saints (2-4, up 4 spots): The Saints snapped a three-game losing streak with that win over the Giants, but the passing game continued to slump with just 144 yards after being held to 96 yards through the air the previous week. Tyler Shough’s overall stats still look good — 1,443 yards, 12 TDs, 5 INTs, 2 rushing TDs — but the second-year QB has delivered diminishing returns since his hot start.
25. Indianapolis Colts (2-4, down 2 spots): The dominoes are already tumbling. Longtime Colts general manager Chris Ballard was fired this week after Indianapolis became the first team to lose to the lowly Titans, and now trade buzz surrounding star RB Jonathan Taylor is heating up.
26. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1-5, no change): The good news is QB Baker Mayfield makes his return to action this week for a big NFC South clash with the Panthers after missing three games with a thumb injury. The bad news is that Mayfield wasn’t very good when healthy (or the entire second half of last season), throwing for just 615 yards, 2 TDs and 2 INTs in three games.
27. New York Jets (2-4, up 2 spots): The Jets have taken advantage of their best opportunities this season with wins over the Titans and Browns and now face another prime matchup Sunday at home vs. the winless Dolphins. RB Breece Hall, who missed the last two games with a quad injury, remains questionable.
28. Arizona Cardinals (2-4, up 2 spots): The Cardinals pulled the most surprising upset of the season last week, 18-16 on the road over a Rams team desperate for a win. Arizona did despite not scoring a single touchdown, relying on six Chad Ryland field goals. None of that changes the reality the Cardinals have the third-worst point differential in the NFL at -52. First-round pick Jeremiyah Love will miss a second straight game with an ankle injury this week vs. the Broncos.
29. Washington Commanders (1-4-1, down 4 spots): More clock management and situational awareness questions arose from Washington’s 23-17 loss to the 49ers last Monday night — with QB Jayden Daniels casually throwing the ball away out of bounds on a crucial fourth down rather than even trying to get it to a receiver — which overshadowed an otherwise encouraging performance from Daniels (29-of-40 passing for 300 yards, 2 TDs and 0 INT). Nonetheless, it’s been a long time since Daniels won a game.
Race To The Top Of The Draft
30. Los Angeles Chargers (0-6, down 3 spots): The Chargers officially drop into the bottom tier as one of just two remaining winless teams through six weeks. Does Los Angeles become a seller on the trade market and turn the focus to 2027? Does offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel keep his job much longer? The Chargers have a bye week to ponder those questions and how to fix QB Justin Herbert (1,141 passing yards, 5 TDs and 8 INTs).
31. Tennessee Titans (1-5, no change): The Titans earned their first win last week, 26-20 on the road over the Colts. Alas, it came thanks to a blocked punt return for touchdown and four Joey Slye field goals while QB Cam Ward continued to struggle badly with just 102 passing yards, 1 TD and 1 INT. That’s not a recipe for many more wins.
32. Miami Dolphins (0-5, no change): The Dolphins are coming off a bye, so they’re at least well-rested heading into a winnable game on the road vs. the Jets. Ollie Gordon II has been effective replacement for star RB De’Von Achane so far, rushing for 188 yards and 2 TDs over the last two games.
