Every single week, the NFL provides drama you simply cannot find anywhere else in professional sports. Even in the midst of multiple teams making bids to represent their respective league in the World Series, the NFL is just unparalleled craziness.
Okay, maybe there’s nothing quite like Shohei Ohtani in the NFL right now, but what we saw in Week 7 around the league was yet another crazy example of how anything can happen any week in this league.
The Bengals upended the Steelers. The Broncos won one of the craziest games you’ll ever see against the New York Giants. The Chiefs are back…? We’re coming at you with a fresh set of NFL Power Rankings after Week 7, and basing these rankings on every team’s whole body of work so far, how well each team is passing the “eye test”, and a number of other factors at this point (projection going forward, head-to-head wins, consistency). Buckle in, because we’ve got some serious movement in our Week 8 NFL Power Rankings.
Week 8 NFL Power Rankings: Steelers tumbling; Chiefs skyrocketing
32. New York Jets
At this stage, I don’t think it’s even arguable that the New York Jets are the worst team in the NFL by a long shot. They gave it everything they had last week against the Broncos in London, but now that they are back stateside this week, they’ve clearly regressed.
During the Jets’ loss to the Panthers on Sunday, they finally gave Tyrod Taylor the shot we’ve all been waiting for. The problem is, the results really weren’t all that different, but you can’t blame them for trying, right?
The Jets being sellers at the NFL trade deadline now feels like a foregone conclusion. How quickly they move on from some of their players will be interesting to watch, because the writing is on the wall and it feels like teams are ready to deal now. That’s going to be the most interesting thing to watch with this team at this stage. How far away is the 2026 NFL Draft, again?
31. Miami Dolphins
If you’re reading this and Mike McDaniel is still the head coach of the Miami Dolphins, he’s undoubtedly on borrowed time. The Dolphins had a last-gasp sort of game against the Chargers last week, but it felt like all the wind was out of their sails when they took on the Browns in Cleveland.
I mean, this game was an absolute mess, and for the Dolphins, likely the last straw.
What we’ve seen from this franchise over the past couple of years is difficult to pin all on Mike McDaniel, because injuries played a factor in this team missing its window, but it’s probably become very clear to the people in charge of this team that wholesale changes are needed.
Frankly, at this point, I can’t say I would be shocked if we saw Zach Wilson out there starting for the Dolphins in the near future. We saw Quinn Ewers out there on Sunday, and it feels like the winds of change are blowing in South Beach.
30. Tennessee Titans
The Titans lost the Mike Vrabel revenge game, to absolutely nobody’s surprise. Things were actually not looking too bad at the very start of the game for interim head coach Mike McCoy and Cam Ward, who got a little something going against the Patriots, but it was short-lived.
The Titans’ defense could do absolutely nothing to stop Drake Maye, it seemed, and an interception late by Ward (which went off his receiver’s hands) was really indicative of how this game got away from the Titans.
It feels like we pile on this narrative every single week, but the Titans just have one of the worst all-around rosters in the NFL. They went into this season as one of the league’s oldest teams, and one of the least talented. And they are harvesting the bitter fruits of that.
29. Las Vegas Raiders
Nobody was under any illusion that the Raiders were going to beat the Kansas City Chiefs this week. That game was one of the easiest blowouts of the year to predict so far.
However, I think with a Pete Carroll-coached team, you expect a lot more than a team that watched Patrick Mahomes sit on the ball in victory formation with nearly 3 minutes to go in the 4th quarter. The Raiders’ early admission of defeat was a merciful white flag on an otherwise awful day at the office for every phase.
Geno Smith has not raised the floor of the Raiders’ offense as many expected. The Raiders’ defense went into this season looking like one of the worst overall defenses on paper, and we’ve seen them, unfortunately, live up to that on the field. The Raiders basically just allowed the Chiefs to have another field day out there, getting Rashee Rice acclimated and handing out touchdowns to every playmaker in the offense.
28. Cleveland Browns
The fact that we’re approaching the middle of the 2025 season and the Browns already have multiple victories right now is nothing short of stunning. Considering their quarterback situation in the offseason, and the recent trade of Joe Flacco to the Bengals, it’s even more impressive.
Last offseason, the Browns gave head coach Kevin Stefanski and general manager Andrew Berry extensions, and those moves were looking like they might need a mulligan at one point. But the coaching job by Stefanski this year as well as the rookie class for the Browns have undoubtedly renewed some faith in this brain trust.
The Browns got a nice win in Week 7, albeit against the broken Miami Dolphins. It doesn’t matter who you beat in the NFL – wins are the bottom line. It’s good for this organization to see Dillon Gabriel, Quinshon Judkins, and this impressive young core having success.
27. Baltimore Ravens
Ravens were on a bye in Week 7
The next time we see the Baltimore Ravens, hopefully it will be with Lamar Jackson under center. And normally, with a team that’s 1-5, you could pretty safely say that nobody returning from injury would matter all that much, but for the Ravens, it’s a different conversation entirely.
The Ravens struggled even with Lamar Jackson, so it’s not like anything is going to be handed to them on a silver platter. With that said, this team has a chance to come out of the bye week and start chipping away. They played horribly with the backup quarterback out there, but that doesn’t excuse the way this defense has played pretty much all year so far.
The Ravens need to hope Lamar Jackson is the jolt they need coming out of the bye, because the Steelers at least left the door cracked open a little bit this week.
26. New Orleans Saints
Just when we started to say some nice things about Spencer Rattler, right?
The young quarterback for the Saints has been really solid this season, even with the team struggling, but he was horrendous against the Chicago Bears on Sunday. Rattler had four turnovers in total, and the Saints’ offense couldn’t get anything going on the ground. Alvin Kamara led the team with 28 yards on 11 carries, and the Saints dropped to 1-6 on the season.
The bigger questions for this team at this point revolve around who is actually going to be around in a few weeks. When the NFL trade deadline passes, will the Saints look a lot different? It remains to be seen if they are going to be big sellers, but you get the feeling that this team might be interested in stockpiling assets for the future NFL Draft war chest.
And if Rattler has any more four-turnover games, we might hear the cries for Tyler Shough start to get louder. But Rattler has earned a longer runway and we’ll see how he does after flushing this one.
25. Arizona Cardinals
Nobody is going to sit here and accuse the Arizona Cardinals of not playing hard on Sunday, but the latest loss came at the worst possible time.
The Cardinals suffered a narrow loss to one of the best teams in the NFL, the Green Bay Packers, and they were anything but full strength for this one. Arizona’s injuries, especially offensively, are well-documented at this point. No Kyler Murray and no James Conner (among other backs being out) is detrimental for this team.
Even with the Packers racking up six sacks against them, the Cardinals managed to convert 50 percent of their third-down attempts this past week, but it was converting just two of their four red zone attempts that sunk the ship in this one. I said this loss came at the worst possible time, and that’s because instead of being 3-4 and being within range of the other teams in the NFC West, the Cardinals are already an afterthought behind the 5-2 Rams and 49ers, with the Seahawks yet to play in Week 7.
24. Cincinnati Bengals
You really have to tip your cap to Joe Flacco. Maybe all the Bengals needed was someone named “Joe” playing quarterback.
I will admit, I was a little worried about the state of this team after trading for Flacco, because that move seemed like a last-ditch effort to save face after all the money they spent in the offseason. To his credit, Flacco has done an incredible job. He had the Bengals looking like they were a juggernaut on offense, helping Ja’Marr Chase to one of the best games we’ve ever seen from him, and leading a clutch drive making one throw after another.
I mean, all the slant routes you could possibly have asked for. The Bengals and Flacco had that rolling. It’ll be interesting to see how this team fares moving forward after a quality win on a short week bumped them up to 3-4 on the season. They’re not out of it just yet.
23. Jacksonville Jaguars
Well, on the bright side for the Jacksonville Jaguars in an otherwise dismal trip across the pond, Travis Hunter had a 100-yard receiving game. You just can’t lay any flatter than the Jacksonville Jaguars have the past two games, albeit tough matchups against two very good teams.
The Jaguars’ win against the Kansas City Chiefs on Monday night a couple of weeks back apparently came with some strings attached, because they’ve only scored 19 points since then and were just steamrolled on Sunday morning by the Los Angeles Rams.
Part of the problem for the Jaguars in this game was not being able to get out of their own way. The Rams had five passing touchdowns against Jacksonville, and the Jags gave them eight free first downs via penalties. It was about as ugly a performance as you could have asked for, and the Jags have lost some ground at a bad time in the AFC South.
22. New York Giants
Losses do not get any more brutal than the one we saw the New York Giants endure in Week 7 against the Denver Broncos.
Leading 26-8 in the fourth quarter, watching your young core of players absolutely balling, and seemingly coasting to your third win in the last four games, the entire Giants fan base has to still be in a state of absolute shock after losing by a point on Monday.
Having an emergency kicker didn’t help, as two extra points could have been the difference in a one-point loss, but the Giants also just couldn’t stop the Broncos late in this game. Even taking a lead with under 40 seconds left wasn’t a good enough spot for the defense to be in, as Bo Nix and the Broncos went right down the field and got into field goal range. This was a brutal week for the Giants, but that young core continues to prove that better days are ahead for the franchise.
21. Houston Texans
Texans play Monday night vs. Seahawks
The Houston Texans are bringing the #1 scoring defense in the NFL, and a little bit of momentum, into Seattle for a Week 7 showdown that should be an extremely entertaining nightcap on a Monday night double-header.
Houston’s 0-3 start to this season was a massive disappointment, on the heels of a disappointing regular season in 2024. If they can’t get a tough win on the road against Seattle, they’ll be 2-4 and falling way behind the 6-1 Colts.
Even now, the separation between the Colts and Texans is starting to feel a little intimidating. This situation for quarterback CJ Stroud is a lot like needing a response drive down by 10 points in the 4th quarter. Are the Texans going to be able to keep pace? We already know the rest of the NFC West will be honorary Texans fans on Monday night, but how the Texans play on Monday will give us a great indicator of where this team is truly at.
20. Minnesota Vikings
Even with Carson Wentz throwing a pick-six in his return to Philadelphia, the VIkings still gave the Eagles all they could handle in a Week 7 loss. Coming off of a bye week, we would not have expected anything less from a Kevin O’Connell-coached team. The ball just didn’t bounce Minnesota’s way in the fourth quarter.
That, and they had absolutely no answer for DeVonta Smith and AJ Brown, who combined for over 300 receiving yards. I guess that cornerback issue for the Vikings might not be solved after all…
Because of the way other teams have been playing, it feels like the Vikings are on the cusp of falling way behind in their own division, but they are only one game behind in the loss column to both the Lions and Bears. There’s still time for them to turn it around.
19. Atlanta Falcons
The beauty of the NFL is that things can change so quickly on a week-to-week basis. There are obviously 32 teams with guys that get paid to play, but is it too much to ask for a little predictability from some of these teams?
The Atlanta Falcons are one of the most confusing teams in the league right now, one of the hardest to figure out, and they just made us all even more confused after Sunday’s loss to the 49ers. The week prior, the Falcons got a signature win against the Buffalo Bills. Then, they got trounced by whatever is left of the 49ers.
Granted, the 49ers still have studs out there, and are well-coached, but this was not the encore we hoped to see from the Falcons. I would say regarding the Falcons, my optimism is fading and the arrow is pointing down.
18. Washington Commanders
It was a brutal weekend for the Washington Commanders, who not only lost to the Dallas Cowboys, but once again left the game with injury concerns regarding star quarterback Jayden Daniels, who hurt his hamstring.
Injury to insult, especially when you get beat up by a division rival like the Commanders did.
At 3-4, it’s really tough right now to picture the Commanders going on a big run, especially without their QB1. Jayden Daniels hasn’t played the greatest this season, but he was also out there with a rag-tag bunch of receivers against Dallas, which didn’t exactly help.
Dan Quinn said after the game that the Commanders are not playing to the “standard” they’ve set. It’s becoming clear that this team played way above expectations last year, but they can be much better than the brutal effort we saw on Sunday. I’m not completely out on them just yet.
17. Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys’ offense is something special right now.
Since the very first game of the season, it’s been clear that Dak Prescott is playing on another level so far this season, and we got to see him back out there with both CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens in Sunday’s win over the Commanders.
And Prescott was dealing.
When you watch this Dallas offense, you just see such balance right now. Prescott not only had three touchdowns, no picks, and one sack on the afternoon, but Javonte Williams continues to be a massive free agent steal. He had 116 rushing yards and a touchdown in his outstanding rebound year.
The Dallas defense has obviously struggled much of this year, but they got a ton of pass rush production against the Commanders, racking up four sacks on the afternoon.
16. Carolina Panthers
They don’t all have to be pretty in the NFL, but I’m not sure Carolina Panthers fans will agree about the win against the Jets on Sunday being an “ugly” one. For this fan base, it doesn’t matter if you’re going against Justin Fields or Tyrod Taylor, you want to see that defense play the way it did on Sunday.
Situationally, making clutch stops, sealing a win. It was all there for the Panthers’ defense in this one, and that unit has obviously been a major problem area for the team in the past. Ejiro Evero might have that unit turning things around after the past few weeks, and the Panthers did something else important in Week 7: They got their first win of the season on the road.
Carolina is creeping up a little bit right now. Bryce Young was knocked out of the game against the Jets, so that will be something to monitor going forward, but this team is quietly now 4-3 and making some noise in the loaded NFC.
15. Los Angeles Chargers
Injuries are brutal, and they have taken their toll already this year on the Los Angeles Chargers.
This is a team that started the season 3-0 with three straight wins against their division rivals. I don’t know that we’ve even actually seen that before in the NFL. The Chargers were looking like a legitimate Super Bowl contender, but they’ve now lost three of their last four games, and have given way to both the Broncos and Chiefs in the AFC West.
And by given way, I mean the Chargers are no longer in first place.
The loss to the Colts on Sunday was a wake-up call for the Chargers, who gave up 38 points and were just out-muscled in every possible way by Shane Steichen’s crew. The Chargers are one of the biggest “fallers” of this week’s action.
14. Pittsburgh Steelers
Last week, we talked about the Pittsburgh Steelers having a bit of a stress-free time with the rest of the AFC North and the state of things in that division entering Week 7.
Well, things can change dramatically in the NFL on a dime, can’t they?
The Steelers had a chance on Thursday night to bury the Cincinnati Bengals, write their eulogy for this season, and take a commanding lead at 6-1 in the AFC North, but they absolutely blew it. I mean, has anyone ever seen so many slant routes completed in a single NFL game? It was absolutely wild to see.
In the battle of the oldest quarterbacks in the NFL, most people assumed the Steelers were going to get the job done. They did not. At least Aaron Rodgers can still throw the ball a long way, right? The Steelers have to refocus quickly now. This loss should be a wake-up call for them, but it could also be the beginning of a backslide.
13. Chicago Bears
Let’s give some love to the job being done by Ben Johnson with the Chicago Bears right now. You’re not going to win any awards for beating the Saints this season, but it’s an important win, nonetheless.
The Bears have now won four straight games, and this is the type of performance you wanted to see from this team coming out of the bye, at least from the defense.
Chicago’s defense forced four turnovers off of Saints quarterback Spencer Rattler, who had been playing really well this season. The revenge game vibes for Bears defensive coordinator Dennis Allen against his old team were strong.
Chicago’s offense was carried by the running game and D’Andre Swift, somewhat surprisingly. They were able to overcome an interception and two fumbles (one lost) from Caleb Williams, but when the defense is forcing turnovers like that, you’re going to win a lot of games.
12. Philadelphia Eagles
After a little bit of extra time to think following a Thursday night loss in Week 6 against the New York Giants, the Philadelphia Eagles refocused and got back to their winning ways with a tough road trip to face the Vikings in Week 7.
And there’s no doubt that it was a tough road trip, even with the Vikings using backup QB Carson Wentz. Any team coming off of a bye week is going to be a tough draw on a given week, but the Vikings have one of the best offensive minds and collections of receivers in the NFL.
The Eagles had just enough in them to go on the road and gut out a tough win. Jalen Hurts had 326 yards and three touchdowns, while the defense got a pair of interceptions, including one returned for six. We’ll see if this team can now string something together, especially with DeVonta Smith and AJ Brown combining for over 300 yards receiving.
11. Denver Broncos
For three quarters against the New York Giants, the Denver Broncos looked lost. They had nothing going offensively, they were not able to stop the Jaxson Dart Express, and they looked like they were on their way to 4-3 on the season.
Until they weren’t.
Bo Nix became the first player in NFL history to have two passing touchdowns and two rushing touchdowns in one quarter, and it happened all in the fourth quarter against the Giants. The Broncos put up 33 points against the Giants in the final frame of the game to get a stunning win. At this point, the Broncos are 5-2. They are what their record says they are.
But, can we ask: What is this team?
Sean Payton and Bo Nix have got to figure out a way to get that offense humming before it’s a do-or-die situation. This team has a lot of growing to do, but I guess, given their record, that’s kind of a good thing for them as well.
10. Seattle Seahawks
Seahawks play Monday night vs. Texans
I have to eat a little bit of crow every single week, it seems like, but I was definitely one of the ones who was skepitcal of the Seahawks before the start of this season.
Playing in one of the toughest divisions in the NFL, the Seahawks moved off of their offensive coordinator, quarterback, and star receiver all in one fell swoop. And to their credit, they really upgraded on that side of the ball in every possible way, which is crazy to think.
Sam Darnold has that offense playing at an extremely high level right now, and the Seahawks are one of just a few teams right now with a top-5 scoring offense (5th) and a top-6 scoring defense (6th). The Seahawks are a pretty complete operation on both sides of the ball, but the true test for that offense will come on Monday night when they host the Texans, who boast the #1 scoring defense in the league.
9. San Francisco 49ers
We just watched the San Francisco 49ers close out a nice win against the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday Night Football, and we have to start talking about Kyle Shanahan as the possible NFL Coach of the Year in 2025.
After losing a number of key players to NFL free agency this offseason (and there were a lot), the 49ers have also had to endure multiple major injuries to their starting lineup, including their highest-paid players on either side of the ball (Brock Purdy, Nick Bosa). And this team is sitting here on Victory Monday at 5-2.
What Shanahan has done with that group of guys is impressive, and the way they are executing on the field is your best possible indicator that the 49ers are one of the most well-coached teams in the entire NFL.
8. Los Angeles Rams
After somewhat of an ugly win last week, the Rams were back to winning “pretty” in London against the Jaguars. And with Puka Nacua out, it was not a gimme, especially with how well the Jaguars’ defense has played this season.
The Rams made them look like a college team in this one.
Matthew Stafford didn’t even have 200 yards passing in this game, but a whopping five touchdowns. Three of those touchdowns went to Davante Adams, as you may have guessed, but how in the world did the Rams score that many touchdowns with their leading rusher at 54 yards and Stafford only finishing with 182 through the air?
They got eight first downs via penalty, courtesy of the Jaguars. Talk about taking advantage of the other team’s mistakes.
7. Green Bay Packers
If you go on the road in the NFL and get a win, you’re not going to complain about it.
No matter what…
The Green Bay Packers can’t really afford to care about the style points of going on the road and beating an Arizona Cardinals team that was down Kyler Murray and actually got a pretty inspired performance from Jacoby Brissett. You take the wins however you can get them.
Even with Micah Parsons racking up 5 QB hits and 3 sacks against the Cardinals, and even with the Packers getting by with a 27-23 win, you can’t help but feel like this team hasn’t really played up to its full potential in a few weeks. Offensively, it’s been a tough month or so.
But if the Packers haven’t been playing up to their full potential lately, that could be viewed as good news that this team could still peak at just the right time. They’re still one of the most well-rounded rosters in the league.
6. Buffalo Bills
Bills were on a bye week in Week 7
The bye week for the Buffalo Bills probably couldn’t have come at a better time, but also, kind of a terrible time.
The Bills lost two games in a row before the bye, and obviously have a sour taste in their mouths. Especially with the Patriots being one of the hottest teams in the NFL, the Bills probably would have loved a chance to get back on track this week.
So it goes in the NFL.
As things stand right now, the Bills have actually fallen behind the Patriots in the AFC East standings after New England’s win over the Titans in Week 7. Maybe that will be a bit of a spark for this team when they come back from the off week, but it’s a wake-up call, if nothing else.
5. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Buccaneers play Monday night vs. Lions
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are one of the most interesting teams in the NFL, and they have themselves a legitimate MVP candidate in Baker Mayfield.
Mayfield has been phenomenal all year, leading the way for the “Cardiac Bucs” who have also been the most clutch team in the league so far this season. Last year, turnovers were a legitimate problem for Mayfield, who had 16 interceptions, the most he’d thrown since 2019.
So far this season, he’s thrown just one interception compared to 12 touchdowns, and we’re seeing the Bucs really respond to the way he’s playing. This is a dangerous team that will give us a fantastic litmus test against the Detroit Lions when they take each other on during Monday Night Football’s latest double-header.
4. New England Patriots
Week after week, the New England Patriots just keep climbing up these rankings. At this point, they are doing more than just passing the eye test. They’ve beaten the Bills, Drake Maye is playing outstanding football in year two, and the Patriots are one of the only teams playing truly complementary football at this stage of the season.
What more can you ask for?
There are very few teams that look as well-rounded right now (or over the last four weeks) as the Patriots. It’s not a signature win, going up against the Titans, but didn’t the Patriots already do that with their win over the Bills in primetime a couple of weeks ago?
It might seem like a bit of a hot take, and we do consider the opponents played by teams in these weekly NFL Power Rankings, but the Patriots look like a top-5 team in the NFL at this stage of the season.
3. Indianapolis Colts
If Kyle Shanahan isn’t going to win NFL Coach of the Year, then Shane Steichen should probably win it. The fact that virtually no NFL team looks like as well-oiled a machine as the Colts right now speaks volumes to the job that Steichen has done.
And frankly, general manager Chris Ballard as well.
The Colts took a shot on Daniel Jones this offseason, knowing that bringing in competition for Anthony Richardson was necessary. That’s not an easy pill for an NFL brain trust to swallow, especially when you’ve invested a top-5 overall pick at that quarterback position.
But ultimately, nobody’s worried about the Anthony Richardson pick being a miss, potentially, because Daniel Jones is looking more like an MVP out there than he is a reclamation project. The Colts are fun, and they’re a threat in the AFC right now.
2. Detroit Lions
Lions play Monday night vs. Buccaneers
Even after getting their face kicked in by the Kansas City Chiefs last week a little bit, I’m still buying Detroit Lions stock.
When the Lions lost in Week 1 against the Green Bay Packers, it seemed like they were going to be missing their coordinators badly, but they’ve rebounded and played some of the best football out of any team in the league since Week 1.
And that’s ultimately why the Lions are still this high in our NFL Power Rankings. They had such a good month of October that we can’t really push them down the list too far after getting beaten on the road against the Chiefs. As much as you’d love to see them go into KC and get a tough win, you take what you can learn from a loss like that and live to play another day. Detroit is still one of the best teams in the league right now, capable of beating anyone.
1. Kansas City Chiefs
At this point, the only fan base that might have a legitimate gripe about not having the #1 overall spot on the list on merit is the Indianapolis Colts. I don’t want to diminish anything the Colts have done, but I also feel like their spot at #3 on this list is justified.
For the Kansas City Chiefs, this is more than just recency bias. Is there even such a thing with a team like Kansas City? Even at 4-3 to start the year, I think it’s safe to say that nobody has been as impressive the last two weeks across the NFL landscape as Kansas City.
They have been dominating to the point that the Raiders just let the Chiefs kneel the ball with nearly three minutes left on Sunday. The Chiefs systematically dismantled the Lions the week prior. The last two weeks, the Chiefs have looked like the most complete team in the NFL, and loaded with weapons on offense.