It is safe to say that the 2023 NFL season has been unpredictable pretty much every week – and yet, Week 6 was the wackiest week of them all. Our Week 7 NFL Power Rankings experienced quite the change-up for how teams were ranked, even at the top.
While teams like the Miami Dolphins, Detroit Lions, and Jacksonville Jaguars took care of business, the Philadelphia Eagles and San Francisco 49ers were shockingly upset by the New York Jets and Cleveland Browns, respectively. Star players of the week look to be Raheem Mostert (3 total TDs), Amon-Ra St. Brown (12/124/1), Adam Thielen (11/115/1), and Tyreek Hill (6/163/1), among others.
Take a look at our Week 7 NFL Power Rankings to see where your team falls after the madness that was this past week!
Previous NFL Power Rankings: Week 6 | Week 5 | Week 4 | Week 3 | Week 2| Week 1
32. Chicago Bears (-1)
An ugly matchup between two one-win teams pitted the Bears and Vikings against each other at Soldier Field. With the Vikings missing Justin Jefferson for the next four-plus games, the football gods made things even harder to watch by handing (pun intended) Justin Fields an injury.
With reports coming back that it looks to be a dislocated thumb, future MRI results will show how much time (if any) Fields needs to miss. Even if Fields does start next week, this Bears team should be seen as the worst roster in all of football.
31. Carolina Panthers (+1)
It was one of the better all-around performances from rookie Bryce Young on Sunday, as he showed some real promise in the pocket against the Miami Dolphins. While they still did come up short, the Panthers are starting to put a few things together, which does include the surprising hot-read connection between Young and Adam Thielen, who has been on a tear so far this year.
30. New England Patriots (no change)
Once Ekeziel Elliott found the end zone in the third quarter, it snapped a stretch of 39 consecutive drives that did not result in a TD for New England. For it to come on a direct snap to Elliott is even funnier, as that really shows how putrid the Patriots’ offense has been this year.
Their 21-17 loss to the Las Vegas Raiders was capped off by a late Maxx Crosby safety, and Bill Belichick truly has had no answers to their one-win start through the first six weeks – is there a leadership change coming?
29. Denver Broncos (no change)
It was surprising how long they hung with the Kansas City Chiefs on Thursday, but with Russell Wilson throwing for less than 100 yards, it was only a matter of time for the Denver Broncos team. Welcoming back Javonte Williams was a nice addition for the Broncos, who worked him and rookie spark plug Jaleel McLaughlin, but the offense as a whole was quite stagnant.
28. New York Giants (no change)
It was a valiant effort from the New York Giants, but their upset quest ultimately came up short against the Buffalo Bills on Sunday Night Football. With Daniel Jones still out with a neck injury, long-time veteran Tyrod Taylor stepped in and did a fair job of leading the offense.
Two plays at the one-yard line as the clock ran out came up empty, with the final play having had a pass interference penalty not called on Buffalo. It is going to be quite the uphill climb for this Giants team to figure things out, because as things currently stand, there is no end in sight to their free-fall.
27. Arizona Cardinals (no change)
While they (still) only have one win on the season, the Arizona Cardinals have done a good job of at least making games competitive. Well, at least until Sunday’s loss to the Los Angeles Rams.
Joshua Dobbs just couldn’t get anything going on offense, and Marquise Brown was mostly held in check all game. The offense desperately looked like it missed James Conner, but there will be plenty of games like this moving forward for this roster that is playing more for 2024 than right now.
26. Green Bay Packers (-1)
It will be interesting to see how this Green Bay Packers team looks coming out of their Week 6 bye week, especially with how bad they looked in their loss to the Raiders. After two consecutive three-TD, no-INT games to start the year, Jordan Love has regressed into a turnover machine, something that Matt LaFleur needs to work on over their time off.
25. Tennessee Titans (-4)
Helping cap off the NFL’s 2023 London series, the Tennessee Titans faced off with the Baltimore Ravens to kick off Week 6. While Ryan Tannehill struggled for the majority of the game, his second-half injury that allowed Malik Willis to enter the game in his stead certainly made things interesting.
There have been a lot of question marks surrounding the QB position with this team for a while now, especially with the drafting of Willis and Will Levis in consecutive years. This could be the first time we see Willis this year get another shot at earning the starting job, or it could turn to Levis too.
24. Minnesota Vikings (+2)
In the battle of disgusting teams, it was the Minnesota Vikings that outlasted the Bears on Sunday in a game no one is going to be asking for for a very long time. Kirk Cousins, missing Justin Jefferson, connected with rookie Jordan Addison for one of the game’s few touchdowns, and the defense stood up well against Justin Fields and rookie Tyson Bagent.
23. Indianapolis Colts (-8)
With rumors floating around about Anthony Richardson potentially opting for season-ending surgery on his throwing shoulder, the Indianapolis Colts trotted out Gardner Minshew for what amounted to a retribution game. But that wasn’t enough to keep the Colts in this game.
Minshew threw for 329 yards, one TD, and three interceptions, connecting with Michael Pittman for 109 yards and rookie Josh Downs for his lone TD. Jonathan Taylor earned the same amount of total touches (13) as Zack Moss, so it’s possible that in Week 7, we could see Taylor even closer to earning that starter’s role back.
22. Las Vegas Raiders (+2)
Josh McDaniels was able to turn to long-time veteran Brian Hoyer in the second half of Sunday’s win over the Patriots, and Hoyer did enough to earn the win. Jimmy Garoppolo, who was transported to the hospital to run some tests after he suffered a back injury, was having a solid game before he was hurt, connecting with Jakobi Meyers on a first-half TD.
Make no mistake, this team is still one of the worst teams in the AFC, but they have found themselves in the midst of a winning streak, and that’s without having connected with Davante Adams often.
21. Atlanta Falcons (-7)
Sunday’s loss to the Commanders paled in comparison to last week’s career performance from Desmond Ridder, which makes that look even more like an anomaly at this point. And after a strong start to the season, Bijan Robinson has overall been bottled up, even though he has consistently been receiving a solid workload.
If the Falcons want to take advantage of a division that is up for grabs, then they need to beat the teams they are supposed to beat, Sunday being a prime example of that.
20. Washington Commanders (+3)
It was a bend-don’t-break mentality for the Washington Commanders and their defense against Atlanta, as they allowed twice as many yards than what their own offense produced, yet still won the game, 24-16. Intercepting Desmond Ridder three times and holding Bijan Robinson to only 80 total yards on five total touches should both be considered victories for the defense.
Sam Howell’s three touchdowns overshadowed his 151 passing yard performance, as he found Curtis Samuel, Brian Robinson Jr., and Antonio Gibson for scores through the air.
19. Pittsburgh Steelers (-3)
A Week 6 bye week for the Pittsburgh Steelers comes at a good time, especially with reports that Diontae Johnson is ready to return after his hamstring injury. An offensive attack that goes through plenty of highs and lows certainly will benefit from getting its best receiver back.
Kenny Pickett has shown flashes of being a capable signal caller this year, but taking some pressure off of George Pickens should help open up the offense moving forward. Being penalized three spots in our NFL Power Rankings is unfair to Pittsburgh, but there were a bunch of teams ranked lower than them that won this week, knocking them down a few pegs.
18. New Orleans Saints (-5)
It’s tough to put the blame on any one player for the New Orleans Saints in their Week 6 loss to Houston, because as a whole, they played fairly well on both sides of the ball.
Derek Carr (353 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT), Alvin Kamara (26 total touches, 104 yards), and Chris Olave (7 receptions for 96 yards) paced the offense. Defensively, they kept the Texans under 300 yards of total offense and won the time of possession, but ultimately it didn’t end up being enough to hold Houston off.
17. Los Angeles Rams (no change)
Sunday’s win over Arizona looked like the vintage Los Angeles Rams, especially on offense. Matthew Stafford looks to have re-established his relationship with his favorite target in Cooper Kupp, as the latter hauled in seven passes for 148 yards and a score.
Defensively, they sacked Joshua Dobbs twice, hit him nine times, and picked him off, holding him to 235 passing yards. The run game earned 130 yards as a team, but no player had more than 47 (Dobbs).
16. Houston Texans (+2)
While C.J. Stroud did throw his first professional interception, the fact it took until his sixth game is quite impressive. What is also quite impressive is how the Texans held on at home against a Saints team that, on paper at least, has more firepower on both sides of the ball than Houston.
Even without rookie wideout Tank Dell, Stroud still did enough in the passing game (199 yards, 2 TDs, 1 INT), finding Dalton Schultz (4/61) and Robert Woods (1/6) for scores.
15. Cincinnati Bengals (+4)
A strong home win over the Seattle Seahawks should give the Cincinnati Bengals some momentum moving forward, even with Joe Burrow (185 yards, three sacks) not looking on top of his game.
The Bengals were once again at full strength in their wide receivers room, with Ja’Marr Chase (6/80), Tyler Boyd (7/38/1), and Tee Higgins (2/20) helping lead the way in the passing game. If they continue to look close to 100 percent as a team, then their ceiling is unlimited, especially with their standing in our NFL Power Rankings.
14. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (-4)
It was the Tampa Bay offense that led to their undoing Sunday against the Detroit Lions, something that Baker Mayfield quickly owned up to post game. A lack of any sort of rushing attack put it all on Mayfield, who was able to connect with Mike Evans and Chris Godwin, but not enough to consistently move the ball.
A home loss to the Lions is far from the worst thing, but this game should have been closer than what it was – a quick start could come to a halt for the Buccaneers, so they need to work on their offense.
13. Los Angeles Chargers (-2)
It was a hard-fought loss for the Los Angeles Chargers, as they ultimately dropped their Monday Night Football matchup against the Dallas Cowboys. Welcoming Austin Ekeler back was a much-needed addition to the offense, but he just never felt like he could get a lot going in the run game.
Justin Herbert had to carry the load again for the Chargers, as he found Keenan Allen and Gerald Everett for TDs. But the inability of the Chargers offense to get into the end zone more often ultimately held this team back from earning its third win on the season, knocking them back a few slots in our NFL Power Rankings.
12. New York Jets (+8)
Another surprising AFC-NFC upset happened this weekend, this time at the hands of the New York Jets. Carried by their defense, the Jets utilized a late-game interception (and three total) of Jalen Hurts to turn the tide and stage a massive upset that could be an important loss for Philly down the road.
Nothing to write home about for the offense – Zach Wilson played the role of game manager again, and Breece Hall scored the game-winning TD with less than two minutes left in the contest.
11. Cleveland Browns (+11)
Apparently the Cleveland Browns don’t need Deshaun Watson to beat the best team in the NFL, which certainly will go over well with their fan base and not cause any brash reactions…
Instead of Watson, PJ Walker stepped in, and he did just enough to keep the Browns’ offense in it. Jerome Ford and Kareem Hunt ran for over 100 combined yards, Amari Cooper only needed four receptions to eclipse the century mark, and a last-second missed field goal from the Niners rookie kicker sealed the deal for Cleveland’s third win of the season.
10. Seattle Seahawks (-3)
It was a bit of a struggle for the Seattle offense to put points up on the board, even though they had no issue moving the ball and racking up yards. Over 160 more yards, nine more first downs, 17 more offensive plays, and eight more minutes of possession on offense than Cincinnati, and yet Seattle still found a way to lose.
With only three points scored by each team in the second half, scoring came at a premium. Geno Smith threw for over 300 yards but was unable to really find a connection with DK Metcalf, who was visibly mad on a few occasions. Falling to the outside of the top 10 of our NFL Power Rankings still keeps the Seahawks in a solid spot heading into Week 7 and beyond.
9. Dallas Cowboys (no change)
It may not have been the offensive shootout many had thought it would be, but the Dallas Cowboys were able to hang on and beat the Chargers on Monday Night Football. Dak Prescott finally looked like himself again, his connection with CeeDee Lamb happened early and often, and the defense picked off Justin Herbert on the final drive of the game, sealing the win.
8. Baltimore Ravens (+4)
Baltimore’s London win was an odd one, especially with how much they relied on the right leg of Justin Tucker. Six field goals were what Tucker brought to the table, with a Zay Flowers receiving touchdown the lone TD for the Ravens.
Defensively, the Ravens sacked Ryan Tannehill and Malik Willis six combined times, kept Derrick Henry under 100 rushing yards, and limited DeAndre Hopkins to only one catch on five targets.
7. Jacksonville Jaguars (+1)
Keeping with the theme of poor passing performances, Trevor Lawrence failed to throw for 200 yards in Jacksonville’s win over the Colts on Sunday, but he was helped by two rushing scores (within 16 second of each other) by Travis Etienne Jr.
Three sacks and three interceptions by the defense was all it took to turn this game to Jacksonville’s side, helping them earn their fourth win. After a slow start to their 2023 season, we could be looking at one of the contenders in the AFC this year.
6. Buffalo Bills (no change)
The temptation was real to move the Buffalo Bills down in the NFL Power Rankings after struggling against the Giants. But with a lot of top-tier teams struggling in Week 6, they earned a pass.
Josh Allen force-fed Stefon Diggs targets all night, the defense bottled up the Giants' offense, and it held (literally) on the final play of regulation backed up against their goal post. Buffalo played down to their opponent this week, something they can't do if they want to compete with the best in the AFC.
5. Kansas City Chiefs (no change)
It was a fairly low-scoring Thursday Night Football affair for the Kansas City Chiefs, as they slugged their way to a Week 6 divisional win over the Broncos. With Taylor Swift in attendance for yet another Chiefs game, Patrick Mahomes threw for over 300 yards, finding Travis Kelce nine times for 124 yards.
4. Detroit Lions (no change)
A sustained offensive attack has been the name of the game for the Detroit Lions this year, and their win over Tampa Bay included that again – plus a solid defensive performance too. Jared Goff played pitch and catch with Amon-Ra St. Brown on what felt like every single passing play, and even with David Montgomery leaving with a rib injury, this rushing attack did just enough to help burn up some clock in the second half.
With three of the top five teams from the NFC in our NFL Power Rankings, the Lions look to be one of the teams to beat.
3. Philadelphia Eagles (-1)
On a day where the 49ers lost, leaving the top spot in the NFC wide open for the taking, the Philadelphia Eagles decided they didn’t want it either. Their loss to the New York Jets capped off a pretty gross game, one that turned into a turnover fest for Jalen Hurts.
Three interceptions, including the game sealer that led to the Jets' game-winning score, is incredibly uncharacteristic of Hurts, and the offense as a whole looked stagnant. While D’Andre Swift did find the end zone, he did most of his work through the air, struggling to find much success on the ground.
2. San Francisco 49ers (-1)
There is one way to look at San Francisco’s loss to the Browns – not having both Christian McCaffrey or Deebo Samuel meant they were without two of their top playmakers. But it is the undefeated San Francisco 49ers, a team that has so much talent on offense that they could make up for those losses.
Brock Purdy looked incapable of really leading this team from behind, constantly harassed by the Browns stout defense. While a last-second field goal attempt from rookie kicker Jake Moody drifted right, the Niners were in position to walk it off for the win. A team that once was keeping the seat quite warm at the top of our NFL Power Rankings now has to fight their way back to that spot, because our new No. 1 team doesn't look too keen on giving it up.
1. Miami Dolphins (+2)
We have another new option at the top of our NFL Power Rankings, as the Miami Dolphins have climbed the list this week. With both San Francisco and Miami being surprising upset victims, the AFC East leader is also the leader of this list.
It was a struggle to start the day against the Panthers, but Tua Tagovailoa and Tyreek Hill eventually helped right the ship. In their first game with De'Von Achane, Raheem Mostert was extremely explosive, accounting for three scores in a game that eventually became a blowout.
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