Feel A Change Coming On

Unscripted NFL Power Rankings

2014 Week 7

Nipping at #10's heels:

Browns (#16), Bears (#15), Panthers (#14)

Packers (#13), 49ers (#12), Ravens (#11)

10. Detroit Lions (4-2)

Last Week: 10th

Best Ranking: 7th (Week 5)

The Lions offense was down two of its top playmakers. The kicking portion of special teams is still striving to reach ordinary. But in 2014, the Lions defense has been continuously dominant and is the reason Detroit is 4-2 and could be better than that if it had a capable kicker. It's a defense with multiple packages to actually employ every defender's strengths. On Sunday, it was perhaps more dominant than any game this season as they intercepted Vikings' QB Teddy Bridgewater three times, sacked him eight times, defended six of his pass attempts, hit him 12 times and pressured him a number clearly in double-digits, holding the Vikings to 212 yards, Minnesota's lowest output of the season. - Michael Rothstein

9. New England Patriots (4-2)

Last Week: 13th

Best Ranking: 2nd (Week 1)

The Patriots showed exceptional mental toughness. Every step of the way teaches us about this football team, and what we learned Sunday about the 2014 Patriots is that from the coaching staff to the sideline, this is a group with a steely resolve. They had key players dropping like flies, were coming into a supercharged environment in which the Bills were celebrating the first game for new owners, and they stood up to the physical and mental test. Quarterback Tom Brady still has plenty of magic left in that golden right arm, throwing for 361 yards to 10 different receivers for 4 touchdowns. Since Brady became a starter in 2001, this is his eighth game with at least 350 yards, four touchdowns and no interceptions, which ties with Drew Brees for most in the league over that span. - Mike Reiss

8. Arizona Cardinals (4-1)

Last Week: 8th

Best Ranking: 5th (Week 5)

By the numbers and eye test, it's tough to say that Carson Palmer wasn't back close to 100 percent Sunday. That's good news for Arizona going forward. The Cardinals need a consistent starting quarterback to win in the NFC West, but there were still too many issues that raised a lot of red flags. Arizona struggled again in the red zone, settling for field goals over touchdowns, and the Cardinals' offense couldn't get the run going late in the fourth quarter when it needed to eat up clock. And as well as the defense played in the second half, intercepting Kirk Cousins three times, it let big plays dictate the first half. The front seven was strong, sacking Cousins twice. The secondary, which struggled defending DeSean Jackson early, had three picks in the fourth quarter to end any attempt of a Washington comeback. - Josh Weinfuss

7. Cincinnati Bengals (3-1-1)

Last Week: 4th

Best Ranking: 3rd (Week 5, 4)

Sunday afternoon's tie primarily means that the Bengals are pretty good at home. That's not a surprise. After all, they haven't lost in a franchise-record 12 consecutive regular-season games inside the place they fondly refer to as "The Jungle." It also means they may be in the market for a new kicker, after Mike Nugent missed a 36-yard field goal attempt right as time expired in overtime. The Bengals nearly outlasted a Panthers team that outplayed them for much of the day. Because the Panthers did play well, it's hard to say that this tie showed exactly who the Bengals are. They committed two turnovers on offense and had trouble closing out defensively on third down. Carolina was 8-for-17 on third down. Overall, Cincinnati didn't look as clean as it did during the first three games of the year. - Coley Harvey

6. Indianapolis Colts (4-2)

Last Week: 6th

Best Ranking: 5th (Post-Draft)

It was billed as Andrew Luck versus J.J. Watt. The two premier players in the AFC South and NFL MVP candidates. Watt, the Houston Texans' do-everything defensive end, was his disruptive self, outshining Indy QB Luck. But the reason the Colts left NRG Stadium in sole possession of first place in the division is the quarterback's supporting cast stepped to the forefront and did its job. Luck is the Colts' franchise player, and it will remain that way as long as he's taking the snaps. But his heroics aren't as necessary now that he's surrounded by easily the best talent he's had in his three-year career. It's not about simply winning the AFC South for the Colts, it's about surpassing the entire AFC and getting to the Super Bowl. - Mike Wells

5. Philadelphia Eagles (5-1)

Last Week: 5th

Best Ranking: 4th (Week 4, 3)

The Eagles dispatched a division opponent that had won three consecutive games and was starting to feel pretty confident. With the Dallas Cowboys' big win in Seattle, the Eagles kept pace with a 5-1 record. And they did it in style. Their offense finally looked like the 2013 version, with LeSean McCoy rushing for more yards (85) in the first half than he’d gained in an entire game all season. Nick Foles was efficient, throwing for two touchdowns before a couple of interceptions clouded his evening. The Eagles' defense also played its best all-around game, sacking Eli Manning five times in the first half and getting the Eagles’ first shutout since a 24-0 defeat of the Giants on Dec. 1, 1996. Put simply: The Eagles really looked like the team their record says they are. - Phil Seridan

4. Seattle Seahawks (3-2)

Last Week: 1st

Best Ranking: 1st (6, 5, 4, 2, 1, Post-Draft)

Seattle had only one offensive touchdown Sunday, and that came after a muffed punt gave the Seahawks possession at the Dallas 14, dropping the Seahawks to a 3-2 record. However, take a look at the two teams that beat them. The San Diego Chargers and the Cowboys are 5-1. The Chargers defeated the Seahawks in San Diego, where they are 3-0 this season. The Cowboys now are 3-0 on the road after Sunday. The Washington Redskins (1-5) were the only Seahawks opponent so far that doesn’t have a winning record. The only loss for the Denver Broncos (4-1) came in overtime at Seattle, and the Green Bay Packers (4-2) have won four of five since the season-opening 36-16 loss at CenturyLink Field. So Seattle’s five opponents are 19-10 overall, but things should get a little easier in upcoming games. The next five opponents for the Seahawks - the St. Louis Rams, the Carolina Panthers, the Oakland Raiders, the New York Giants and the Kansas City Chiefs - are a combined 9-17-1. - Terry Blount

3. Dallas Cowboys (5-1)

Last Week: 7th

Best Ranking: 3rd (Week 7)

If this doesn't signify the Cowboys are for real, what will? For the first time since 2007 the Cowboys are 5-1 and have their longest winning streak since that season, which they finished with an NFC-best 13-3 mark. They beat the defending Super Bowl champs and handed the Seahawks just their second home loss of the Russell Wilson era. The Cowboys did their best to give it away on special teams, but they continued to fight and claw and left with what was undoubtedly the best win of the Jason Garrett era. The offense stuck to its identity and the defense had its best game, punctuated by Rolando McClain's interception. - Todd Archer

2. San Diego Chargers (5-1)

Last Week: 3rd

Best Ranking: 2nd (Week 7)

Down 28-24, Chargers running back Branden Oliver dove over the goal line from a yard out for the winning score with 1:56 left in the game. Oliver finished with 101 rushing yards, the second straight week he rushed for over 100 yards. Philip Rivers threw for 313 yards and three touchdowns, finishing with multiple passing touchdowns in a contest for a fifth straight game, a career record. Rivers also threw a touchdown in a team-record 26th straight game. With a fifth straight victory the Chargers have their longest winning streak since 2009, when they totaled 11 straight. Dating to last season, the Chargers have won nine of their past 10 regular-season games. - Eric D. Williams

1. Denver Broncos (4-1)

Last Week: 2nd

Best Ranking: 1st (Week 7, 3)

Although it became more of a struggle than it should have been, the Broncos continue to grind their way through the array of physical defenses that have dotted the opening half of their 2014 schedule. The Broncos sit at 4-1, with their only loss coming in Seattle in overtime in Week 3. They certainly didn’t have their best fastball Sunday and looked out of sorts at times on offense to go with far too many penalties (10 in the first three quarters), but they had just enough for the struggling Jets. The Broncos now have what is likely their toughest turnaround of the season. They will face the run-heavy, pound-it-out San Francisco 49ers next Sunday followed by a now-key AFC West matchup with the San Diego Chargers a week from Thursday. The Chargers, on a Thursday, were the only team to defeat the Broncos at home last season. - Jeff Legwold