NFL Power Rankings, Week 7: Biggest risers and fallers after Week 6

24. Arizona Cardinals (2-4)

The Arizona Cardinals have a huge issue on defense, but this team wasn’t quite ready yet.  I did pick them to surprise a lot of people this year.  I’ve said they’d win about eight games in the 2024 NFL Season, which would be double their win total from 2023.  They’re now 2-4 after six games and feel like they are definitely in a better spot than they were last year, but a lot of roster work is still yet to be done.

General Manager Monti Ossenfort most certainly needs at least one more solid offseason to get this defense situated.  The offense clearly has some nice pieces to them, but another wide receiver and perhaps another running back would be necessary.  The Cardinals are good enough to hang in most games but just do not have the overall roster talent to be a legitimate team.  I would not rule them out from being a breakout team in 2024.  They lost to the Green Bay Packers in Week 6 one week after beating the San Francisco 49ers in Week 5.

23. New Orleans Saints (2-4)

The New Orleans Saints are cooked, folks.  Starting QB Derek Carr is now out for another few weeks with his own injury, so that has paved the way for rookie QB Spencer Rattler to get some time on the field.  With the Saints now losers of four in a row and their season slipping away, it may not make a lot of sense for the Saints to turn back to Carr, who can be cut after the 2024 NFL Season.

Rattler at least has some fun upside that the Saints can try to work with.  Offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak and Rattler could become a fun combination going forward.  Rattler showing something substantive in the coming weeks could end up being the best part of this team going forward.  They need it, frankly.