2013 Week Seven NFL Power Rankings

By: Matt Harmon

32. Jacksonville Jaguars (0-6)
  • They certainly were feisty in Denver this Sunday, but that should not give us any doubt in considering who the worst team in football is. In a year where Jacksonville needs little victories to get excited about, Justin Blackmon is giving them just that. He is emerging as a dominant piece in the middle of the field. 

31. New York Giants (0-6)
  • Eli Manning is on pace for over forty interceptions this season, so I hate the fact that some people still want to give him a pass just because he has two Super Bowl rings. He has been a huge part of the problem, not a part of the solution. The Giants could be staring at their first win when they play the Vikings Monday night. 

30. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (0-5)
  • How embarrassing is it that the Bucs cannot control a MRSA outbreak? As a multi-million dollar a year organization you should be able to provide the best, and safest facilities for your employees. The NFL Players Association has every right to be upset with this organization and its head coach. 

29. Minnesota Vikings (1-4)
  • Matt Cassel did not play as poorly as his numbers indicate, but it will almost certainly be Josh Freeman’s time on Monday night. Minnesota is running out of time to make this season matter, so switching to Freeman now, before it is too late, makes the most sense. 

28. Washington Redskins (1-4)
  • What are the Washington Redskins doing well right now? Their defense is terrible on the back end, they cannot tackle, and no one on offense is playing up to their 2012 level. This ranking feels really low for a team with some talent, and they really could improve any week. For now though, it is hard to pick the Redskins to beat anybody right now. Their only win came against the Matt Flynn led Raiders. 

27. Buffalo Bills (2-4)
  • It looks like we are all ready to go on another ride with Thad Lewis in Week Seven! My new favorite backup quarterback gets to take on another tough defense in Mimi this week, so it will be yet another litmus test for where he is in his young career. 

26. Oakland Raiders (2-4)
  • The Raiders showed on Sunday that they are not ready to compete with the top teams in the AFC, even though their quarterback beleives they are. Nevertheless, considering where they were just a month ago, unless something crazy happens like they lose out, this season looks like it will be considered a success.  

25. Houston Texans (2-4)
  • Houston continues to sink in the power rankings and after getting worked over at home by a seemingly inferior team, they earned it. Houston rose up from obscurity a few years ago and looked to be an ascending AFC playoff contender for the next several years. Now, it looks like that potential super Bowl window has all but slammed shut, and we now must consider what big changes are in store for this team when this miserable season comes to an end. 

24. Pittsburgh Steelers (1-4)
  • Pittsburgh gets that elusive first win, but it likely comes too late to make much noise in their division. The rest of this season is likely going to be an opportunity for the Steelers brass to gauge where this team is. Is it time for a full on rebuild, or does this team just need to reload at key spots, and who stays and who needs to go?

23. Carolina Panthers (2-3)
  • Even though they dominated the Vikings in a blowout on Sunday, the Panthers do not make a big leap up these rankings. The Panthers needs to show consistency and the understanding that the formula they used on Sunday is how they will win more games. They could either use that win as a springboard for the rest of this season, or they could go into a shell like they did against the Cardinals. 

22. Atlanta Falcons (1-4)
  • The Falcons are coming off a bye week, but they get to play the Buccaneers at home this week to try and jump-start their seemingly lost season. 

21. Arizona Cardinals (3-3)
  • The Cardinals have a good defense, some talent on offense, and a quarterback holding them back. Sound familiar? Everyone got excited that Carson Palmer was coming to down, but Palmer is looking even worse than he did as a Raider. No doubt, he is better than the guys Arizona had last year, but maybe not as much as many thought. 

20. St. Louis Rams (3-3)
  • We still do not have a good feel on where the Rams are as a team. They looked ready to be buried after their Thursday night loss to the 49ers, but since then they have been lights out. Granted those two games were against the 32nd ranked Jaguars and the collapsing Texans. However, maybe the difference is rookie running back, Zac Stacy, who has been a stabilizing, if unspectacular, force in this offense. 

19. New York Jets (3-3)
  • The Jets can compete with good teams if Geno Smith is having an on week, but in his off weeks, they are not good enough to win consistently in this league. Let’s not forget how hurting this offense is for high-end talent around Smith. 

18. Cleveland Browns (3-3)
  • Brandon Weeden’s presence will probably continue to cause the Browns to fall in the ranking. Cleveland’s defense was even more disappointing on Sunday. They have played like a top ten unit prior to Sunday, but they let the Lions go up and down the field with ease. That side of the ball needs to improve, not fall away, if the Browns want to keep pace in their division. 

17. Tennessee Titans (3-3)
  • The Titans are another team that is falling back to Earth, but that has a lot to do with their current quarterback situation. You have to wonder if Jake Locker will be good enough to bring life back to this team, and if he will not be back too late. 

16. Philadelphia Eagles (3-3)
  • Don’t look now, but the Eagles are tied for first place in the NFC Least. Here is what Eagles fans have to be really excited about: this is just a rebuilding year. If the Eagles can get to the playoffs in a year where Chip Kelly has probably installed barely half of the program he wants, then you have to feel really good about their future going forward. 

15. Miami Dolphins (3-2)
  • The Dolphins were on a bye this week and lets hope they spent most of that week trying to solve their pass protection woes. Despite a surprising start to the season, this team is going nowhere if they do not give Ryan Tannehill more time to throw. 

14. San Diego Chargers (3-3)
  • It felt like everyone was just waiting for the Chargers to blow that game, but that moment never came to pass. If the Chargers offensive line plays that well in the pass and running game, they can contend in the AFC. Phillip Rivers is right when he said that game could be a season changing win. 

13. Baltimore Ravens (3-3)
  • With Torrey Smith the only reliable weapon in the passing game, and sputtering running game, it is hard to project the Ravens for great things this season. The defense certainly cannot afford to let up the big plays, and running yards it did to Green Bay on Sunday.

12. Detroit Lions (4-2)
  • The NFC is jam packed with potential playoff teams, and the Lions are making a serious push to be considered amongst them. This offense is dangerous, and has role players like Joseph Fauria and Kris Durham emerging around the stars. They have already matched their win total from last season, and look to be back on the right track as an organization. 

11. Dallas Cowboys (3-3)
  • The Cowboys showed signs of being a complete team on Sunday, which they had not to that point in the season. However, if DeMarco Murray misses significant time, it could be crushing for this offense. The Cowboys would really prefer Tony Romo and the passing game to not have to carry this team, but none of the back up running backs on this roster look capable of carrying the load if called upon. 

10. Chicago Bears (4-2)
  • The Bears have an Achilles heel, and it is the middle of their defense. After countless injuries to their defensive tackle core, there is serious doubt they will be able to stop the run effectively. Watching Brandon Jacobs barrel through that defense was just humiliating. 

9. Cincinnati Bengals (4-2)
  • The Bengals certainly should have never let it be that close against the Bills, but they still won the game. I am a notorious Andy Dalton detractor, but I have to admit, he played his best game all season against the Bills. If he plays like that, this team will be tough to beat in the AFC. 

8. New England Patriots (5-1)
  • The Patriots had an impressive win against the Saints on Sunday, but it is still tough to see them besting the teams ahead of them in an odd numbered series. If Aqib Talib is forced to miss significant time, that will seriously hurt a defense that has carried this team to its 5-1 record. 

7. Indianapolis Colts (4-2)
  • The Colts laid a big old egg on Monday night. For the love of the football gods, why does Indianapolis want to be a power running team when they clearly do not have the personnel for it? Their offensive line cannot blow open holes, and their defense got bullied by the Chargers running game, and clearly cannot compete in a close contest. It is beyond apparent the Colts need to open up the offensive playbook and go to an up-tempo quick passing attack. 

6. Kansas City Chiefs (6-0)
  • The Chiefs just keep winning games with spectacular defense and leaning on Jamal Charles on offense. It is hard to see them being a serious contender with a pedestrian passing offense, but there is a silver lining for the Chiefs. They do not play a good football team until November 17th against the Broncos.

5. San Francisco 49ers (4-2)
  • The 49ers are back to being a physical running football team. Of course, there is a lack of pass catching weapons, but was the offseason of crowning for Colin Kaepernick premature? Most of the time he does not read the entire field or even look for his second read. He is still very raw as a pure passer, and still has a world of potential. However, there is clearly still a lot of growth needed with him.

4. Green Bay Packers (3-2)
  • Green Bay has sustained some injuries to its impressive stable of pass catchers, but luckily have developed a dominant rushing attack led by Eddie Lacy just in time to overcome them. However, this team has sustained multiple injuries to key players (Cobb, Jones, Matthews, Perry currently), and cannot afford too many more. 

3. New Orleans Saints (5-1)
  • The Saints fell to the Patriots, but you cannot kill a team for losing to Brady and Belichick in Foxboro. The saints head in to a bye at the perfect time, because it looks like Jimmy Graham will have all the time he needs to heal from the injury he sustained in that contest. 

2. Seattle Seahawks (5-1)
  • Being able to win when you are banged up, and not playing your best is the sign of an elite team. Seattle is doing that right now. When the Seahawks get Percy Harvin and their injured offensive lineman back they will be a much-improved team, and they are already the best team in the NFC. 

1.    Denver Broncos (6-0)
  • The Broncos continue to plug along, even though the game with Jacksonville was closer than expected. Who would have thought that Knowshon Moreno would be the second most important player on this offense? This former first round bust is not only the perfect fit in this offense with his proficiency as a pass catcher and blocker, but he is the teams tone setter. Moreno is running angry and gets this team fired up. If he ever goes down, the drop off to Ronnie Hillman and Montee Ball will be significant.