After the seventh week of action in the 2020 NFL season, we’ve learned a few things. The NFC West has four contenders who might all deserve playoff spots, especially after the Arizona Cardinals took down the Seattle Seahawks in overtime this past weekend. The NFC East has four teams that, at least so far, have no business in the playoffs, although the Washington Football Team looks like they’re at least playing the hardest. We’ve also seen that the Chicago Bears might have turned into a bit of a mirage, and that Jason Garrett may not have been as bad a head coach in Dallas as Cowboys fans thought.
Take a look at this week’s power rankings as you plan your NFL betting.
NFL News: Power Rankings after Week 7
#1 Pittsburgh Steelers (6-0)
After surviving a trip to Tennessee, the Steelers are the last unbeaten team in the NFL. The defense looks impressive but could use better play out of safety Minkah Fitzpatrick. He had a key defensive holding penalty that extended a Tennessee drive last week. For now, though, the Steelers are the class of an intriguing AFC North.
#2 Kansas City Chiefs (6-1)
Did you know that the Chiefs have the worst kicker in terms of PAT conversion? He’s missed five already and has made just 79.2 percent of those kicks. It seems like a mental thing, because he has made 93 percent of field goals, including a pair of 58-yard kicks on Week 2 against the Chargers.
#3 Seattle Seahawks (5-1)
Seattle’s problems are on defense, as they have given up at least 23 points in each game and could not get a single stop down the stretch against Arizona. They need safety Jamal Adams back; he’s been out since Week 3, but he still is tied for the team lead in sacks with two.
#4 Baltimore Ravens (5-1)
The Ravens need another wide receiver to emerge opposite Marquise Brown. Miles Boykin hasn’t done the job so far, and James Proche hasn’t gotten much field time except for returning kicks. Adding Dez Bryant, after a two-year NFL absence, to the practice squad shows the desperation.
#5 Green Bay Packers (5-1)
The Packers are rolling on offense now, and their defense would be even better with more of a pass rush. Preston Smith had seven sacks through six games in 2019 — but this year he has just a half-sack and two hits on the quarterback.
#6 Tennessee Titans (5-1)
Stephen Gostkowski was missing key kicks in New England, and he’s doing it again for the Titans, pushing extra points and field goals, including one that would have sent Sunday’s game with Pittsburgh to overtime.
#7 Tampa Bay Buccaneers (5-2)
Look at Rob Gronkowski — over the past two weeks he has caught ten passes for 140 yards and two scores, and he is showing his old confidence in the middle of the field and on back-shoulder fades into the end zone. It looks like coming out of retirement might have been the right choice after all.
#8 Buffalo Bills (5-2)
Numerous injuries in the linebacker corps and secondary have made the defense human again. Linebacker Tremaine Edmunds needs to step up his game to his Pro Bowl form from 2019…and Josh Allen needs to find that pinpoint accuracy again.
#9 New Orleans Saints (4-2)
Teams are throwing deep on the Saints knowing that New Orleans is as likely as not to commit pass interference. Their secondary has given up six completions of at least 48 yards over the last four games, and they only have one pick since Week 1. Aren’t Janoris Jenkins and Marshon Lattimore two of the top cornerbacks in the league?
#10 Los Angeles Rams (5-2)
The Rams need to decide which team will show up, week in and week out. They looked soft against San Francisco but trounced the Bears in prime time.
#11 Arizona Cardinals (5-2)
We had this team pegged as a wild card from the beginning, but the Cards just lost Kenyan Drake to an ankle injury. Chase Edmonds can pick up the slack, as he had 145 all-purpose yards against Seattle — and the Cards will need him to.
#12 Chicago Bears (5-2)
The Bears have a stout defense, but the problems remain on offense. Nick Foles looks hesitant at just the wrong times. He needs to summon that mojo that he used to roll to a Super Bowl title in Philadelphia.
#13 Indianapolis Colts (4-2)
In six games, T.Y. Hilton has just 20 catches for 242 yards and zero touchdowns. Quarterback Philip Rivers isn’t the problem; Hilton just isn’t getting open. Given that Hilton is in a contract year, turning up the production wouldn’t just help the Colts — it would help him.
#14 Cleveland Browns (5-2)
The Browns just lost wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr for the season with just the latest in a litany of ACL tears that have marred this NFL season. This means that Rashard Higgins needs to step up in the #2 receiver slot.
#15 San Francisco 49ers (4-3)
Jimmy Garoppolo has returned to play fairly well at quarterback, but the 49ers will need him to become even more aggressive in pushing the ball down the field when opponents load the box against the running game.
#16 Las Vegas Raiders (3-3)
The Raiders have looked terrific at times — and they’ve looked dreadful at times. It didn’t help that the whole starting O-line had to miss practice and self-quarantine ahead of that loss to Tampa Bay. The culture is changing, but the change needs to hurry up.
#17 Carolina Panthers (3-4)
New Orleans went 12 of 14 on third downs in their win over Carolina this week. That has to improve if the Panthers are going to contend.
#18 Miami Dolphins (3-3)
Tua Tagovailoa is the future at quarterback, and to help him out, the trio of tailbacks (Myles Gaskin, Jordan Howard and Matt Breida) need to get the running game going.
#19 New England Patriots (2-4)
Cam Newton has not looked like himself since returning from COVID-19. Some common side effects include an inability to maintain breathing during cardiovascular exercise and what’s been described as a “mental fog.” If those effects are lingering for Newton, then the Pats are in trouble.
#20 Los Angeles Chargers (2-4)
The Chargers blew a 16-point lead against Jacksonville on Sunday before restoring order and winning. The team also led Tampa Bay and New Orleans by 17 points but lost both of those contests. The defense needs to pick up its execution.
#21 Detroit Lions (3-3)
Tailback D’Andre Swift has emerged as a bright spot. Adrian Peterson needs to join him in taking the pressure off Matthew Stafford on offense.
#22 Philadelphia Eagles (2-4-1)
It looks like Carson Wentz has found his game again, coming none too soon in the last five minutes of their win over the Giants. The defense is a question, permitting 28 points per game. If the Eagles are going to win the ridiculous NFC East, that number will have to decline.
#23 Denver Broncos (2-4)
We’re learning whether Drew Lock can be the next franchise quarterback in Denver — and the answer, so far, seems to be “No.”
#24 Minnesota Vikings (1-5)
The Vikings might be the biggest disappointment among the 32 franchises, and the blame starts with Kirk Cousins. He had six interceptions in all of 2019, and he already has thrown ten, tied for the NFL lead, in six games. The problem for the Vikings is that he still has two years of mostly guaranteed money on the Minnesota salary cap.
#25 Houston Texans (1-6)
Interim coach Romeo Crennel has the Texans playing more passionate football, but new tailback David Johnson, who will make over $11 million this year, is only averaging 3.88 yards per carry. The running game must improve for Deshaun Watson to get time in the pocket.
#26 Cincinnati Bengals (1-5-1)
Joe Burrow might be the biggest surprise in the AFC as far as rookie contributions on offense. Cincinnati can’t get any stops, though, as we saw in their loss to Cleveland on Sunday.
#27 Washington Football Team (2-5)
Washington’s defense looked confident against Dallas on Sunday, and tailback Antonio Gibson had a breakout day. That’s important, because Washington won’t be able to rely as heavily on the passing game as they were against the Cowboys, who don’t rush the passer and don’t cover.
#28 Atlanta Falcons (1-6)
When scoring a touchdown costs you a victory, as it did against Detroit on Sunday, then your mental state as a team is dreadful.
#29 Dallas Cowboys (2-5)
The Cowboys will either start seventh-round draft pick Ben DiNucci or concussion-addled Andy Dalton at quarterback against Philadelphia. Effort and execution are not part of the Cowboy Way right now.
#30 Jacksonville Jaguars (1-6)
How on earth did Jacksonville beat the Colts in Week 1?
#31 New York Giants (1-6)
Quarterback Daniel Jones is struggling in his sophomore season, with 11 turnovers in seven games. However, the offense is slowly improving. Is Jones the answer?
#32 New York Jets (0-7)
If the Jets win, they might not get Trevor Lawrence — but they already have Sam Darnold. Will this team really wreck two of the best young quarterbacks of the twenty-first century?
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