NFL Power Rankings, Week 7: Updated AFC rankings entering pivotal week

7. Pittsburgh Steelers

I like the Pittsburgh Steelers a lot more now than I did at the start of the season, I’ll say that much.

The Steelers didn’t look like a truly legitimate operation at the beginning of the year. It was looking like Aaron Rodgers was going to be a ghost of his former self, and this team has turned it around quickly, to their credit.

One of the biggest questions I had about the Steelers was whether or not their offense was still going to have an explosive element to it, and they have squashed any concerns there. It still hasn’t been a perfect operation, by any stretch of the imagination, but Aaron Rodgers has at least shown some of the guy this team needs him to be to actually contend. There will be even more pressure on his shoulders now with both Michael Pittman Jr. and Roman Wilson going on IR.

6. Cleveland Browns

Say what you want at this point, but the Browns have shown themselves to be a good football team. And they’ve shown that they can beat some good football teams.

At some point, the wins have to matter more than the team’s reputation or “eye test”, right?

The Browns put up a total dud two weeks ago when they played the New York Jets, but for a team that is 4-1 in its last five games, does it not feel completely disrespectful that they are entering this week as just 1.5-point favorites on the road against the hapless Titans?

Maybe we’re in line for another defensive battle in Nashville this week, but the Browns have been good. The running game and offense need to pick things up quickly (they are the lowest-scoring team in the AFC North in 2026), but they have played well situationally and are great on defense.

5. Jacksonville Jaguars

The Jacksonville Jaguars had the privilege and benefit of staying an additional week in London compared to the Texans, and they still lost in Week 6. Tough.

The Texans are a good team, however (yes, even at 2-4), so the Jaguars just have to take that one on the chin and move on. It was a close game that came down to the wire. It happens.

I’m not losing much confidence in the Jaguars at all after a game like that. This is still one of the best and most complete teams in the AFC right now, and Liam Coen has done a terrific job of getting this ship going in the right direction as quickly as possible.

After being in London the past couple of weeks, the Jaguars will return Stateside and get a much-needed reprieve.

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