Week 7 of the 2021 NFL season is now in the books. With the Dallas Cowboys coming off of a bye week and several teams already getting time off as well, we are approaching the heart of the season.
Every team has at least six games under the belt which I feel is a far time to unleash my first round of in-season power rankings. Although this exercise is usually steeped in opinion, I owe it to you guys to be as fair, honest, and in-depth as possible.
As you already know, the Dallas Cowboys have everything clicking right now. Even though some might argue having a bye week during a five-game winning streak could slow down momentum, the timing of the week off actually helped Dallas greatly.
Quarterback Dak Prescott has a calf-strain that will need all the time possible to heal. Suspended right tackle La’el Collins is now eligible to return. Rookie cornerback Kelvin Joseph and receiver Michael Gallup should also return from injury to start practicing this coming week as well.
Reinforcements for a 5-1 team, comfortably leading their division sounds pretty sweet to me. So, how do the Dallas Cowboys stack up to the rest of the league? Let’s find out with our pre-Halloween NFL power rankings.
Eyes on 2022
32. Detroit Lions (0-7)
31. New York Jets (1-5)
30. Miami Dolphins (1-6)
29. Jacksonville Jaguars (1-5)
28. Houston Texans (1-6)
These five teams are really only good for betting fodder week-to-week. Every so often, they can maybe keep a game closer than it should be, however, these teams already are planning for next year.
At least we’re not terrible… right?
27. Philadelphia Eagles (2-5)
26. New York Giants (2-5)
25. Washington Football Team (2-5)
24. San Francisco 49ers (2-4)
23. Seattle Seahawks (2-5)
If these teams were applying for jobs, their resumes would invoke laughter. The Giants (at New Orleans) and Seattle (at Indianapolis) are the only two teams in this group with a quality win. Once the NFC East intradivisional games get underway, it is likely that three of these teams will just take one step forward and two steps back.
Fools gold
22. Atlanta Falcons (3-3)
21. Denver Broncos (3-4)
20. Carolina Panthers (3-4)
19. New England Patriots (3-4)
Speaking of resumes, Atlanta’s three wins were against Miami, the Jets, and Giants. Denver beat both New York teams as well as Jacksonville. Carolina won three straight versus the Jets, Texans, and New Orleans only to lose their next four while New England’s three wins include two over the Jets and one over the Texans. El. Oh. El.
The jury is still out
18. Chicago Bears (3-4)
17. Minnesota Vikings (3-3)
16. Pittsburgh Steelers (3-3)
15. Indianapolis Colts (3-4)
Chicago has two impressive wins while already starting multiple quarterbacks due to injuries. The Steelers are in no man’s land with their aging signal-caller. Minnesota’s losses (three by a total of 11 points to Cincinnati, Arizona, and Cleveland) are more impressive than their wins. Meanwhile, the Colts feel like they are close to hitting their stride, lurking as dangerous while navigating injuries.
The great unknowns
14. New Orleans Saints (4-2)
13. Kansas City Chiefs (3-4)
New Orleans has been operating all of 2021 with essentially one hand tied behind their backs. As they get healthier, they could make a huge run but there will always be a major question with their quarterback until Jameis Winston proves people wrong. Kansas City, on the other hand, is struggling with their confidence as teams are forcing them to play without the big play. Still, their four losses are all to teams in the top 12 of the league. They remain a team to be feared.
Playoff pretenders
12. Las Vegas Raiders (5-2)
11. Cincinnati Bengals (5-2)
Both of these teams seem destined to be good regular season teams that will very likely be first-round exits when the playoffs roll around.
Dangerous teams… with one huge flaw
10. Cleveland Browns (4-3)
9. Baltimore Ravens (5-2)
8. Los Angeles Chargers (4-2)
7. Green Bay Packers (6-1)
The Browns’ near future will depend on the play they get from quarterback Baker Mayfield who is playing with a torn labrum in his non-throwing shoulder. The only thing that Baltimore can rely on is their quarterback and their kicker, while the Chargers desperately need their defense to play much better. As for the Packers, we will find out a lot about their defense in the coming weeks against Arizona, Kansas City, and the Rams.
The elite
6. Dallas Cowboys (5-1)
5. Buffalo Bills (4-2)
4. Tennessee Titans (5-2)
3. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6-1)
2. Los Angeles Rams (6-1)
1. Arizona Cardinals (7-0)
All of these teams have consistently been the most impressive so far this season. Dallas is a field goal away from being undefeated. The Bills have the second-highest scoring offense to go with the second-best scoring defense.
Tennessee has back-to-back wins over the Bills and Chiefs with their only loss to Arizona. The Bucs’ only loss was to the Rams whose only loss was to Arizona. Lastly, Arizona is the lone undefeated team possessing a top four offense and the league’s best scoring defense.
The next power rankings will be unveiled prior to the Thanksgiving holiday. A lot could change by then, but I feel confident in saying that the top 14 teams should all remain in the upper echelon of the league. Only time will tell, however.