6:35 AM ET
NFL Nation reporters
Welcome to Week 8 of the NFL regular season.
Our powerfulness sheet -- a radical of much than 80 writers, editors and TV personalities -- evaluated however teams are stacking up done 7 weeks.
The New York Jets and New York Giants proceed to triumph portion the Green Bay Packers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers proceed to endure head-scratching losses. While unexpected, it definite does marque for an absorbing Power Rankings list.
In summation to our updated rankings, we checked successful with NFL Nation reporters crossed the league and asked them to prime a season-defining stat -- 1 that helps explicate wherever each squad sits truthful adjacent to midseason. Good oregon bad, these stats assistance archer an important portion of each team's performance.
Let's get to it.
Jump to a team:
ARI | ATL | BAL | BUF | CAR | CHI | CIN
CLE | DAL | DEN | DET | GB | HOU | IND
JAX | KC | LV | LAC | LAR | MIA | MIN
NE | NO | NYG | NYJ | PHI | PIT | SF
SEA | TB | TEN | WSH
1. Buffalo Bills (5-1)
Week 7 ranking: 1
The Bills' aboriginal play occurrence could beryllium described successful galore ways, but constituent borderline encapsulates however the squad has been winning. The squad leads the league with a plus-95 constituent margin, which is 39 points much than the adjacent closest squad -- the undefeated Philadelphia Eagles astatine plus-56. The Bills person recovered large occurrence contempt the sixth-hardest spot of schedule, according to ESPN's Football Power Index. In games against past year's playoff teams, the Bills are 4-0 and person won by an mean borderline of 23.5 points. -- Alaina Getzenberg
2. Philadelphia Eagles (6-0)
Week 7 ranking: 2
The Eagles are the runaway leaders successful turnover differential astatine plus-12 -- with the Cowboys the adjacent closest astatine plus-6. It speaks to however effectual the defence has been astatine generating takeaways (they're tied for the league pb with 14) and however good Jalen Hurts and the discourtesy has protected the football, committing conscionable 2 turnovers successful six games. Philadelphia has rushed the shot 225 times -- the 3rd astir -- and has yet to suffer a fumble. -- Tim McManus
3. Kansas City Chiefs (5-2)
Week 7 ranking: 3
The Chiefs are doing galore bully things connected offense, but that's thing new. However the defence is tied for sixth successful the league successful sacks with 19 -- and that is new. The Chiefs had conscionable 31 sacks each of past season. Chris Jones per accustomed is starring the squad with 5 sacks, but Frank Clark had his champion crippled of the play against the 49ers with 1.5 sacks. The Chiefs are besides getting productive walk rushes from galore of their antiaircraft backs and linebackers, astir notably cornerback L'Jarius Sneed and linebacker Nick Bolton. -- Adam Teicher
4. New York Giants (6-1)
Week 7 ranking: 5
The Giants person 4 fourth-quarter comebacks this season. And they rallied successful the 2nd fractional of a 5th victory. That means 5 of New York's six wins this play person been successful come-from-behind fashion. This squad is pursuing successful the footsteps of caller manager Brian Daboll and intelligibly believes it tin marque plays precocious successful games. Daniel Jones and respective different players person referred to it arsenic their "competitive spirit," noting a intelligence toughness with this radical that hadn't been determination successful erstwhile seasons erstwhile they regularly mislaid these benignant of games. -- Jordan Raanan
5. Minnesota Vikings (5-1)
Week 7 ranking: 4
Coach Kevin O'Connell has stressed the value of elevated play successful cardinal moments of the game, including the moments earlier halftime erstwhile outcomes tin beryllium tipped successful hidden ways. In maximizing that sliver of the game, done play-calling and timepiece management, O'Connell helped the Vikings pb the NFL done 7 weeks with 59 points scored successful the last 4 minutes earlier halftime. The accomplishment is symbolic of however the Vikings started the play 5-1 by, successful O'Connell's words, winning "in the margins." -- Kevin Seifert
6. Dallas Cowboys (5-2)
Week 7 ranking: 6
Through 7 games this season, the Cowboys person allowed conscionable 8 touchdowns -- compared to the 19 touchdowns allowed done 7 games successful 2021. And they person lone allowed much than 1 touchdown successful a crippled conscionable erstwhile -- the 26-17 nonaccomplishment to the 6-0 Eagles. They besides fertile 2nd successful points allowed per crippled (14.9), person a league-high 29 sacks and person registered 12 takeaways. Scoring matters astir and teams can't find the extremity portion against Dallas. -- Todd Archer
7. Baltimore Ravens (4-3)
Week 7 ranking: 7
There are 2 teams who person held double-digit leads successful each crippled this season: the Ravens and the Eagles. But Philadelphia is undefeated astatine 6-0 and the Ravens are 4-3. Why? Baltimore has been outscored by a league-worst 46 points successful the 4th quarter. The Ravens would fertile among the NFL's champion if not for fourth-quarter meltdowns against the Dolphins, Bills and Giants. -- Jamison Hensley
0:39
Rex Ryan weighs successful connected however Lamar Jackson's declaration concern is affecting his play.
8. New York Jets (5-2)
Week 7 ranking: 9
The Jets person the league's champion scoring borderline successful the 4th fourth astatine plus-54. They pridefulness themselves connected being beardown finishers, and they've backed it up with 2 come-from-behind wins implicit the Browns and Steelers. Then, successful the past 4 games, they've outscored their opponents 51-7 successful the 4th quarter. The concealed formula? Strong defense, nary giveaways, situational consciousness and dependable coaching. Another cardinal factor: they've faced backup QBs successful 4 of the aforementioned 5 games. -- Rich Cimini
9. Cincinnati Bengals (4-3)
Week 7 ranking: 13
The Bengals person a plus-10 touchdown differential, lone 2nd to the Bills who were idle this week. Cincinnati's discourtesy has recovered immoderate prime signifier successful back-to-back weeks, with QB Joe Burrow spearheading the attack. Defensively, the Bengals person yet to surrender a second-half touchdown this season, the archetypal squad since the 2000 Ravens to execute that feat done the archetypal 7 weeks. That inclination has enabled the Bengals to upwind an early-season lull and enactment successful the premix to triumph the AFC North for the 2nd consecutive season. -- Ben Baby
10. Miami Dolphins (4-3)
Week 7 ranking: 17
The Dolphins person 61 pressures done 7 games, ranking 27th successful the NFL -- a whopping 22 of those came against the Bills successful Week 3. Miami is blitzing often, arsenic its been known to bash implicit the past fewer years, but its walk unreserved isn't generating the benignant of unit it's accustomed to seeing. The middle-of-the-pack sack numbers (14, 19th successful the NFL) could beryllium forgiven if the pressures were there, but it appears opponents person figured retired the Dolphins' tactics. Opposing quarterbacks are getting the shot retired astatine the ninth-fastest complaint successful the league (2.7 seconds) and successful turn, Miami allows the fourth-highest completion percent successful the league. Whether the unreserved oregon sum is much astatine blame, it's thing the Dolphins request to fig retired if they're to marque a last playoff propulsion travel November and December. -- Marcel Louis-Jacques
11. Tennessee Titans (4-2)
Week 7 ranking: 16
The Titans person won 4 consecutive games by a combined borderline of 22 points. They person besides fixed up much yards than they've gained successful each 4 wins, but much importantly they person recovered a mode to triumph adjacent if it is by 1 people oregon less. Sometimes it's a 76-yard interception instrumentality similar past Sunday against the Colts. Other times it's a tipped walk similar erstwhile reserve linebacker Dylan Cole's fingertips redirected a Derek Carr walk that was intended for Darren Waller connected a failed two-point conversion to necktie the game. -- Turron Davenport
12. Los Angeles Rams (3-3)
Week 7 ranking: 11
The Rams person started 9 antithetic violative linemen this season, which has been reflected successful backmost Matthew Stafford's protection. The Rams' 22 sacks allowed are the fifth-most successful the NFL this season. Los Angeles is hoping that the instrumentality of halfway Brian Allen volition bring immoderate stableness to an violative enactment who has had conscionable 1 subordinate commencement each of the Rams' archetypal 7 games. The Rams' discourtesy has struggled to determination the shot consistently this season, and the show of the violative enactment is simply a large crushed why. -- Sarah Barshop
13. Seattle Seahawks (4-3)
Week 7 ranking: 18
The Seahawks' tally crippled has been among the champion successful the NFL and their defence has gone from atrocious to excellent, but Geno Smith has been their MVP. He has the fourth-best Total QBR astatine 66.8, which is indicative of however he's been truthful overmuch much than simply the crippled manager that galore expected him to be. That's much than 23 points higher than Smith's Total QBR implicit his archetypal 9 seasons, and it's much than 31 points higher than the feline helium replaced successful Seattle. Russell Wilson ranks 28th astatine 35.2. -- Brady Henderson
14. San Francisco 49ers (3-4)
Week 7 ranking: 12
Let's not complicate this, the 49ers are astatine their champion erstwhile they instrumentality attraction of the shot and play bully defense. Their 12 giveaways are tied for fourth-most successful the NFL and a nonstop enactment tin beryllium traced from that class to their record. In their 3 wins, they person 1 turnover. In their 4 losses, they person 11. -- Nick Wagoner
15. Los Angeles Chargers (4-3)
Week 7 ranking: 8
The Chargers invested successful their defence implicit the offseason successful effort to support opponents retired of the extremity zone. The changes, which included expected upgrades connected the edge, interior and secondary, person truthful acold yielded akin results arsenic 2021. The Bolts person allowed an mean of 27 points per game, which ranks 30th successful the NFL. Injuries, including Joey Bosa being placed connected injured reserve pursuing Week 3, person played a relation successful the defense's inefficiencies. However, if the Chargers privation to recognize a extremity of earning their archetypal playoff travel since 2018, they indispensable rapidly fig retired a mode to travel together. "It's a consciousness of urgency for everyone," antiaircraft lineman Sebastian Joseph-Day said. "Not conscionable the players, but besides the urgency the coaches enactment connected the players. Once we bash each that, past it's each going to get figured out." -- Lindsey Thiry
16. Green Bay Packers (3-4)
Week 7 ranking: 14
Aaron Rodgers has not been capable to implicit passes down the field. He averaged conscionable 3.2 aerial yards connected his completions successful Sunday's nonaccomplishment to the Commanders. Even earlier that, helium entered the time with the second-fewest aerial yards per completion successful the NFL astatine 4.3. As intolerable arsenic Davante Adams has been to replace, they besides miss the heavy menace that was Marquez Valdes-Scantling. -- Rob Demovsky
1:04
Ryan Clark breaks down wherefore the Packers' title hopes are over.
17. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3-4)
Week 7 ranking: 10
The Bucs' scoring accumulation has fallen off, going from averaging 31.4 violative points a crippled done the archetypal 7 weeks past twelvemonth to 16.71 points a crippled this year. It's not adjacent conscionable the reddish portion anymore -- they've lone been determination 19 times successful 77 drives truthful acold this play (24.6%). In the archetypal 7 games past year, it was 39 times successful 79 drives (44.3%). -- Jenna Laine
18. New England Patriots (3-4)
Week 7 ranking: 15
When the Patriots were 1-2 and Mac Jones was struggling, they had 8 turnovers and a minus-4 turnover differential. The 8 turnovers were the 2nd highest full successful the NFL and Jones had 5 interceptions. Since that point, the Patriots person successfully constricted mistakes and entered Week 7 with a plus-1 turnover differential. It's nary astonishment that their play turned astir arsenic a effect of it, though they backslid with a minus-3 ratio successful Monday's nonaccomplishment to the Bears. -- Mike Reiss
19. Atlanta Falcons (3-4)
Week 7 ranking: 19
It does not substance who it is. It does not substance the clip of game. Arthur Smith volition bash his champion to tally the shot again and again. The Falcons, adjacent aft a blowout nonaccomplishment to Cincinnati connected Sunday, person the No. 3 rushing onslaught successful the NFL. It's simply astir however Atlanta's caput manager tin power the crippled and beryllium competitory each week. What's awesome is that they are doing it with a converted receiver (Cordarrelle Patterson), a fifth-round prime (Tyler Allgeier), a subordinate who started the twelvemonth connected the signifier squad (Caleb Huntley) and a converted cornerback (Avery Williams). If Atlanta ends up arsenic a astonishment part victor this season, it'll beryllium connected the spot of its quality to shorten games and beryllium productive connected the ground. -- Michael Rothstein
20. Arizona Cardinals (3-4)
Week 7 ranking: 26
DeAndre Hopkins' was targeted connected 48% of the Cardinals' passes successful his play debut connected Thursday night. It showed conscionable however important helium was to Arizona's offense, which struggled mightily without him. The Cardinals were 2-4 without Hopkins and present are 1-0 with him. He was missed and missed a lot. With him back, the Cardinals person their WR1 backmost and it is instantly paying off. -- Josh Weinfuss
21. Washington Commanders (3-4)
Week 7 ranking: 28
Washington ranks 24th successful the NFL averaging 17.57 violative points per game. Since Week 3, that fig drops to 13.60 per game. The Commanders were expected to beryllium energized this play with backmost Carson Wentz and a steadfast -- and upgraded -- acceptable of receivers. Instead, it's been a cardinal crushed wherefore they are lone 3-4, contempt having won 2 successful a row. Injuries and an infective interior violative enactment person played a part, but there's nary mode they anticipated this level of conflict connected offense. If the Commanders privation to support gathering connected their triumph streak it has to go much accordant connected offense. -- John Keim
1:07
Louis Riddick contends thing is incorrect with the Colts adjacent aft the benching of Matt Ryan.
22. Indianapolis Colts (3-3-1)
Week 7 ranking: 20
The Colts are averaging conscionable 16.1 points per crippled and it isn't bully enough. QB Matt Ryan has present been benched successful favour of Sam Ehlinger. The Colts person a viable defence that connected Sunday didn't let a touchdown against the Titans. But they person been truthful anemic connected discourtesy that astir thing other matters. Time volition archer whether the recently promoted starter tin spark the team, but if the likes of Ryan and Jonathan Taylor can't transcend the Colts' violative enactment play, who can? -- Stephen Holder
23. Las Vegas Raiders (2-4)
Week 7 ranking: 27
Josh Jacobs has rushed for 441 yards with 6 touchdowns successful Las Vegas' past 3 games, averaging 6.4 yards per transportation successful that clip frame. His ascendance has helped the Raiders oft-slow starting discourtesy close itself and the Raiders, who got disconnected to an 0-3 commencement nether caller manager Josh McDaniels, triumph 2 of their past 3 games. They person present besides enactment themselves successful presumption to spell connected a run, of sorts, with the docket easing up and Jacobs producing similar an All-Pro. -- Paul Gutierrez
24. Jacksonville Jaguars (2-5)
Week 7 ranking: 22
The Jaguars' defence had 7 sacks successful the archetypal 2 games and radical started to wonderment if this was going to beryllium a repetition of the 2017 defense, which led the NFL with 55 sacks that season. Nope. They've posted conscionable six since, including conscionable 2 successful the past 3 games. Without the unit the Jaguars aren't forcing the turnovers they did aboriginal successful the play -- 9 turnovers successful the archetypal 4 games and nary since. The deficiency of unit and turnovers is simply a large crushed the Jaguars person mislaid 4 successful a row. -- Michael DiRocco
25. Cleveland Browns (2-5)
Week 7 ranking: 23
The Browns haven't been consistently bully defensively successful immoderate 4th this season. But successful the 4th quarter, Cleveland has been astatine its worst. The Browns fertile 30th successful the league successful 4th fourth antiaircraft expected points added (minus-45.43), underscoring the fourth-quarter collapses that person enactment Cleveland's play already connected the brink. The Browns played amended defensively Sunday successful Baltimore, including successful the 4th quarter. But aft yet different loss, it mightiness extremity up being excessively little, excessively late. -- Jake Trotter
26. New Orleans Saints (2-5)
Week 7 ranking: 21
The Saints person a minus-10 giveaway/takeaway ratio and person lone intercepted 1 walk this year. Their 7 fumbles and 9 squad interceptions are worst successful the league, and they person turned the shot implicit successful captious times. Andy Dalton's 2 first-half prime sixes against the Cardinals turned a necktie crippled into a spread they couldn't flight successful an eventual loss, and it's conscionable 1 of galore games wherever turnovers defined the eventual outcome. -- Katherine Terrell
27. Denver Broncos (2-5)
Week 7 ranking: 24
There are 2 players successful the league close present -- Austin Ekeler and Nick Chubb -- who person scored arsenic galore touchdowns (eight) arsenic the full Broncos teams has. And that dismal scoring show means the Broncos are 2-5 -- contempt a defence that has surrendered conscionable 8 touchdowns each season. Wide receiver Jerry Jeudy leads the squad successful touchdowns -- with conscionable 2 -- and the moving backs person scored conscionable 2 rushing touchdowns successful 7 games. -- Jeff Legwold
28. Chicago Bears (3-4)
Week 7 ranking: 29
Justin Fields has been nether changeless duress, which is exhibited by the Bears owning the league's worst unit (46.2%) and sack percent (13.5%) entering Monday's game. Those numbers bespeak a operation of deficiencies on the violative enactment successful protecting Fields and the backmost holding onto the shot excessively agelong (a league-high 3.03 seconds). Defenses person been utilizing those things to their vantage to dial up much unit connected the 2nd twelvemonth QB. No backmost has been blitzed much (39%) this play than Fields. -- Courtney Cronin
29. Pittsburgh Steelers (2-5)
Week 7 ranking: 25
The Steelers are averaging 15.3 points per game, and that's simply not enough. Only the Denver Broncos (14.3) are scoring less points per game. The squad made the power to Kenny Pickett astatine backmost successful hopes helium could supply a spark, and portion determination are flashes of imaginable for an explosive offense, the squad is inactive averaging a league-worst 4.8 yards per play -- the aforesaid paltry people they averaged successful 2021. The AFC North is weaker than expected, and the Steelers could someway beryllium successful the premix aft a 2-5 commencement -- but their discourtesy has to rapidly and drastically amended for that to happen. -- Brooke Pryor
30. Carolina Panthers (2-5)
Week 7 ranking: 32
The Panthers entered Sunday's crippled ranked past successful the NFL successful third-down conversion complaint astatine 23.6%, and did small to amended that with astatine 4-for-12 day. The past squad with a conversion complaint of 24% oregon worse was the 2005 San Francisco 49ers who went 4-12. -- David Newton
31. Detroit Lions (1-5)
Week 7 ranking: 31
The Lions' defence has been truly bad. Yes, they've seen betterment week-to-week, but they're inactive allowing a league-high 32.33 points per game. The discourtesy and defence person failed to get connected the aforesaid leafage astatine immoderate constituent this season, but adjacent if they're putting up large points, the defence has to beryllium capable to halt the different squad -- this is simply a large crushed for the 1-5 record. -- Eric Woodyard
32. Houston Texans (1-4-1)
Week 7 ranking: 30
The Texans' unreserved defence is allowing 164 yards per game, and that ranks past successful the NFL. It's holding backmost the defence from being a large portion due to the fact that their walk defence is forcing quarterbacks into a passer standing of 74, the seventh-lowest people among defenses. The defence allowed Colts' RB Jonathan Taylor to nutrient 161 yards successful Week 1, the Bears to tally for 281 yards successful Week 3 and Raiders' RB Josh Jacobs to full 3 touchdowns successful Week 7. This is an country the Texans tin amended on. -- DJ Bien-Aime
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