2021 NFL Power Rankings, Week 6: Bills own the AFC, Cowboys keep surging
28. team. 31. . . Previous: 28th. New York Giants
The New York Giants weren’t exactly a good football team to begin with but things got worse in a 44-20 drubbing against the rival Cowboys.
First, Saquon Barkley took a bad step onto a Dallas defender’s foot and injured his ankle. Then, Daniel Jones took a hit to the head that forced him out. Kenny Golladay left the game as well and, as rookie Kadarius Toney stepped up, he was ejected at the end of the game for throwing a punch. This was a team that couldn’t afford injuries and now they’re piling up quickly.
Previous: 24th. Miami Dolphins. 27. team. 59. .
Things look ugly in Miami right now and I’m not even sure that having to turn to Jacoby Brissett instead of Tua Tagovailoa is the issue.
When you watch the Dolphins, the offense just looks haphazard. They aren’t using the talent at their disposal to their advantage and seemingly have no grand design for what’s happening. On top of that, the defense just isn’t the dominant force it has been in recent years. When you take all of that into account against a team like the Bucs, 45-17 losses are going to be commonplace.
Previous: 27th. Atlanta Falcons. 26. team. 44. .
We finally got to see the Kyle Pitts breakout game — at least you did if you woke up early enough for NFL in London on Sunday. The rookie tight end was a monster as he led the team across the board in receiving with Calvin Ridley out.
That bright spot was almost overshadowed by the fact that the Falcons almost blew another lead, this time against the struggling Jets. Credit to Atlanta for hanging on and securing their second win of the season but they still have given few reasons to believe in them long term.
Philadelphia Eagles. 25. team. 54. . . Previous: 26th
Philadelphia picked up a big road win against the Panthers on Sunday thanks to a late Jalen Hurts touchdown but I’m still having a hard time believing they’re any better than their 2-3 record. The defense benefitted from bad Darnold decisions and the offense continued to look extremely limited in their current state.
With matchups coming against more potential contenders next week and beyond, we’ll see the true colors of the Eagles, which say they are a middling to bad NFL team in the 2021 season.