What a week in the NFL, here’s my Week 7 power rankings, the hardest list to formulate so far this season.

1. Miami Dolphins (5-1)
For the first time this season, Miami is at the top of my power rankings, and rightfully so. It feels like this passing offense has sleepwalked through the past two games, yet Tua Tagovailoa continues to put up MVP-type numbers. For those who were worried what this run-game would look like without De’Von Achane, worry no more, as Raheem Mostert is more than capable of carrying the load. With Jeff Wilson Jr. set to return this week, that will only help. The defense still needs a lot of work, but I trust Vic Fangio to turn this thing around by Thanksgiving. Miami faces the Eagles on Sunday night this week.

2. Detroit Lions (5-1)
These Lions are certainly for real. After a dominant win over Tampa Bay, it’s hard to doubt this team. While the offense runs through the run game, the Lions had to pivot to the passing game with an injury to David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs being inactive. All Jared Goff did was throw for 353 yards and three touchdowns all while playing turnover-free football. The defense was great, which is the biggest difference from this Lions team last season, who had a bottom-three defense in 2022. Detroit faces another road test on Sunday, this time in Baltimore.

3. San Francisco 49ers (5-1)
For the first time in several weeks, the 49ers are not on top of my power rankings, but that’s what happens when you lose to P.J. Walker. I know I know, Christian McCaffrey and Deebo Samuel were knocked out of the game with injuries, but the 49ers offense was the worst it’s ever been on Sunday with Brock Purdy at QB. The Browns’ defense is certainly legit, and the 49ers were in a position to win before a Jake Moody field goal at gun leaked to the right. We’ll see how long Samuel and McCaffrey could be out, but this 49ers team will be fine. SF faces the Vikings on Monday night in Minneapolis.

4. Philadelphia Eagles (5-1)
Well, that was an absolutely disgusting performance on Sunday. The Eagles played their worst game in 2+ years and lost to Zach Wilson, something not a lot of people, including myself, saw coming. The problems with this team came to roost on Sunday. The defense is nowhere near as good as it was last year, the offensive line got considerably worse when Lane Johnson went down with an ankle injury, and Jalen Hurts has regressed from last season. Hurts already has more turnovers this year than he did last year, and the schedule only gets tougher from here. Philly needs to rebound quickly, as they face Miami on Sunday night.

5. Kansas City Chiefs (5-1)
Another ugly win for Kansas City this week, this time over the lowly Broncos on Thursday at Arrowhead. This offense is clearly not in sync like it was last year during their Super Bowl run, and hasn’t been all season. It’s not that Mahomes has regressed by any means, but his lack of weaponry outside has certainly caused a dip in his numbers. The defense is still underrated and great, and I have no worries about this team finding their stride by January. The Chiefs face the Chargers at home this week in an AFC West showdown. 

6. Buffalo Bills (4-2)
It was an ugly week for teams I considered contenders heading into the week, and Buffalo was no different. A gutsy 14-9 win over the Giants will do, but that’s now two consecutive weeks that Buffalo has struggled on offense. I chalked up last week to jetlag in London, but this week the Bills were in the comfy confines of Orchard Park and continued to struggle against a backup quarterback. I’m curious to see how the defense will look the rest of the way without Tre White and Matt Milano, as it’s hard to have a big takeaway from last week when facing one of the worst offenses in the league, and the game coming down to the final play that probably should’ve been a penalty. Nonetheless, the Bills are 4-2 and face the Patriots this weekend.

7. Dallas Cowboys (4-2)
It’s so hard to figure out what this Dallas team truly is. Some weeks they look fantastic, others they look awful, and this week was somewhere in the middle. Dak Prescott was excellent on Monday, a welcome sign for Cowboys fans, but the run game has been an issue. A solid road win over the Chargers should give this team so much-needed confidence after getting blasted by the 49ers, but it’s still a question whether Dallas can compete with the big dogs in this league. They head into their bye feeling good about themselves, but there are still major questions with this team.

8. Jacksonville Jaguars (4-2)
The Jags seem to have somewhat found their stride as they currently ride a three-game win streak, but it still feels like this offense has yet to reach its true potential. Trevor Lawrence has been good, not great, Calvin Ridley is hit or miss, and this line has struggled for most of the season. The good news is this run-game has gotten going and the defense is much better than anticipated, but there are still a lot of questions with this team and many, including myself, would take a step forward this season. The Jags face the Saints at home on Thursday in a quick turnaround. 

9. Baltimore Ravens (4-2)
It’s still fairly difficult to believe in this Ravens team, but Lamar Jackson has his team at 4-2 after a win across the pond against the Titans. The fumbles and drops by receivers continue to be a problem, but Jackson is putting up a terrific season through the air and remains a weapon in the run game. Baltimore is still piecing it together with running backs Gus Edwards and Justice Hill, but they’ve done just enough to provide the punch that is needed. I wouldn’t be surprised if Baltimore makes a trade for a receiver before the deadline, a Jerry Jeudy or Courtland Sutton perhaps? Either way, Baltimore faces the Lions in a big cross-conference game at home on Sunday. 

10. Cleveland Browns (3-2)
Hello Cleveland! Without Deshaun Watson, Nick Chubb, and Joel Bitonio, this team was able to top the NFL-best 49ers in a defensive battle this week. Jim Schwartz has turned this defense into the best in the league, something that is carrying the load with all the injuries on offense. This team should only get healthier, minus Chubb, upping the firepower this team is capable of. The only question is if this defensive production is sustainable, as it’s only allowing 121 passing yards per game. Time will tell, but they’ll have a great opportunity to keep it up in a Week 7 matchup with the Colts.