2016 NFL Power Rankings: Week 7
1. New England Patriots (Record: 5-1; Last: 2)
In his first two games (vs. the state of Ohio), Tom Brady has completed 76 percent of his pass attempts for 782 yards (10.43 Y/A), six touchdowns and no interceptions. With back-to-back 100-yard games, Rob Gronkowski has a total of 12 catches for 271 yards and a touchdown in Brady's two games.
2. Minnesota Vikings (Record: 5-0; Last: 1)
Minnesota ranks second in total defense (287.6 YPG), first in scoring defense (12.6 PPG), tied for third in sacks (19) and first in the NFL in turnover differential (+11). With an extra week to prepare coming off their bye, it could be a long day for rookie Carson Wentz on Sunday.
3. Seattle Seahawks (Record: 4-1; Last: 6)
When covering Arizona's Larry Fitzgerald, Richard Sherman has been effective. Per NFL Research, Sherman has allowed only six receptions on 18 targets for 102 yards, no touchdowns and two interceptions.
4. Dallas Cowboys (Record: 5-1; Last: 7)
Breaking the previous record held by Tom Brady, Dak Prescott now holds the record for most NFL pass attempts to begin a career without an interception (176). As should be expected, Tony Romo's debut will be pushed back beyond Week 8 (following their Week 7 bye).
5. Green Bay Packers (Record: 4-2; Last: 4)
The Packers offense bounced back on Thursday Night Football with three 10-reception receivers (surprisingly, Jordy Nelson wasn't one of them), but the team will be without Eddie Lacy and James Starks for multiple weeks.
6. Buffalo Bills (Record: 4-2; Last: 11)
On a four-game winning streak (first such streak since 2008), the Bills lead the NFL in scoring differential (+59) through Week 6. LeSean McCoy had a monster game (19/130/3) against the 49ers and he now has 110-plus rushing yards in three of the past four games.
7. Kansas City Chiefs (Record: 3-2; Last: 12)
Give The Walrus (and his teams) some rest and you (opponents) will lose. Andy Reid-coached teams have now improved to a 16-2 record in their first game off of a bye.
8. Pittsburgh Steelers (Record: 4-2; Last: 3)
Not only did the Steelers lose to the Dolphins on Sunday, but they lost Ben Roethlisberger for at least this week and possibly longer. The Steelers have a bye in Week 8, but the best-case scenario would be for Big Ben to return following their bye although he could miss up to six weeks.
9. Denver Broncos (Record: 4-2; Last: 5)
The Broncos have lost back-to-back games and a third loss would be their first three-game losing streak since 2011 (i.e., pre-Peyton Manning). This week, they face Manning's expected successor, Brock Osweiler.
10. Atlanta Falcons (Record: 4-2; Last: 8)
Since 2013, the Seahawks have allowed just six 300-yard passing games (in 53 games played). The first this season was allowed Matt Ryan (335 yards, 3 TDs), who threw three TDs in third quarter alone. Ryan is on pace for 5,533 yards and 40 touchdowns.
11. Oakland Raiders (Record: 4-2; Last: 9)
Raiders receivers Amari Cooper (36/585/1) and Michael Crabtree (31/365/5) have a total of 950 receiving yards. No other tandem has more in the NFL.
12. Arizona Cardinals (Record: 3-3; Last: 13)
David Johnson has back-to-back 100-yard rushing games with a total of five touchdowns in those two games. Through six games, Johnson leads the NFL in yards from scrimmage (833) and touchdowns (eight).
13. Washington Redskins (Record: 4-2; Last: 14)
Washington's three running backs combined for 231 rushing yards -- Matt Jones (135), Rob Kelley (59) and Chris Thompson (37). Washington's 230 rushing yards was their most since Week 17 of the 2012 season.
14. Houston Texans (Record: 4-2; Last: 16)
Scoring his first touchdown (technically, first two touchdowns) as a Texan, Lamar Miller racked up 178 yards from scrimmage on 27 touches in Houston's come-from-behind overtime win vs. the Colts.
15. Philadelphia Eagles (Record: 3-2; Last: 10)
The Eagles failed to score an offensive touchdown, but they scored on a kickoff return and a defensive touchdown. In the past three seasons, a team has scored at least two return touchdowns with no offensive touchdowns and the Eagles have two of those three games. The other was Minnesota earlier this season.
16. New York Giants (Record: 3-3; Last: 19)
Things haven't gone well for Odell Beckham Jr. this season, but the explosive wide receiver went off for a career-high 222 yards and two touchdowns in their win against the Ravens on Sunday. OBJ and the Giants will face the Rams in London in Week 7.
17. Detroit Lions (Record: 3-3; Last: 20)
After an incredibly slow start to the season, Golden Tate had eight catches for 165 yards and a touchdown against the Rams. Not only did Tate set a career high, but his 165 receiving yards exceeded his yardage total from the first five games combined (134).
18. Tennessee Titans (Record: 3-3; Last: 21)
After throwing more interceptions (five) than touchdowns (four) in his first four games, Marcus Mariota has three passing scores and 60-plus rushing yards in back-to-back games. Those performances were in two favorable matchups, but Mariota gets another plus matchup against Indianapolis, 29th against the pass this season.
19. Baltimore Ravens (Record: 3-3; Last: 15)
It's been quantity over quality for Baltimore's passing attack this season. No team has more pass attempts (265) than Baltimore, but no team has averaged fewer yards per attempt (6.0).
20. Los Angeles Rams (Record: 3-3; Last: 17)
With 7/136/2 in Sunday's loss to Detroit, Kenny Britt now has 67-plus yards in five of six games and a total of 30/492/2 on the season. Only four receivers have ever exceeded the 1,300-yard mark in Rams history with Torry Holt (2005) being the last to do so.
21. Cincinnati Bengals (Record: 2-4; Last: 18)
The Bengals benched Cedric Ogbuehi, their 2015 first-round pick, and center Russell Bodine was carted off the field on Sunday. Through six games, Andy Dalton has been sacked a total of 19 times.
22. New Orleans Saints (Record: 2-3; Last: 22)
There have been three 85-yard plays this season, two of them were Drew Brees to Brandin Cooks touchdowns. Cooks became the first player in NFL history to have two 85-yard touchdown receptions in a team's first five games of the season.
23. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Record: 2-3; Last: 24)
Following a three-game absence and a bye, Doug Martin had a setback and is expected to miss Week 7. With 35 touches in his previous game, Jacquizz Rodgers should carry the load once again as he faces a 49ers defense that has allowed five consecutive 100-yard rushers.
24. San Diego Chargers (Record: 2-4; Last: 27)
Rookie tight end Hunter Henry led the Chargers in receiving (6/83/1) in Thursday's win over the Broncos. The ex-Razorback now has more than 60 yards in four consecutive games and faces an Atlanta defense (in Week 7) that bleeds production to the position.
25. Carolina Panthers (Record: 1-5; Last: 25)
The Panthers have gone from 17-2 (including a Super Bowl loss) to 1-5. It's not impossible to start 1-5 and make the postseason (the Chiefs did it last season), but it will take near perfection. (Kansas City was only one of 92 teams to make the season after a 1-5 start since 1990.)
26. Jacksonville Jaguars (Record: 2-3; Last: 26)
Blake Bortles threw another interception (and lost a fumble) in Week 6. He now has more turnovers (nine) than touchdown passes (eight). Since entering the NFL in 2014, no quarterback has more interceptions than Bortles (42). In fact, nobody's close -- Eli Manning, Philip Rivers and Ryan Fitzpatrick (all 34) are tied for second.
27. Miami Dolphins (Record: 2-4; Last: 29)
Going into the week, the Dolphins ranked 31st in the NFL in rushing offense (72.4 yards per game). Almost singlehandedly, second-year back Jay Ajayi nearly tripled that weekly output with a 25/204/2 stat line despite the difficult matchup. Going into Sunday's games, the Steelers had allowed only 77.0 YPG (fifth fewest).
28. Indianapolis Colts (Record: 2-4; Last: 23)
It was a devastating loss for the Colts in Week 6, but one positive was Frank Gore ending the team's 100-yard rushing drought. Gore gained 106 yards on 22 carries in Week 6 and became the team's first 100-yard rusher since 2012. Since that 2012 100-yard game, the Colts have allowed 15 opponents to rush for 100-plus yards.
29. New York Jets (Record: 1-5; Last: 28)
In a lost season, the Jets will stick with Geno Smith (over Ryan Fitzpatrick) in Week 7. Fitzpatrick was pulled in Monday night's blowout loss to the Cardinals and he currently has a league-worst 11 interceptions (and only five touchdowns). It's possible that we also see Bryce Petty and/or Christian Hackenberg at some point this season as well.
30. San Francisco 49ers (Record: 1-5; Last: 31)
Since shutting out the Rams in their season opener, the 49ers have allowed five consecutive 100-yard rushers -- Fozzy Whittaker (100, Week 2), Christine Michael (106, W3), Ezekiel Elliott (138, W4), David Johnson (157, W5) and LeSean McCoy (130, W6). Doug Martin and the Bucs are up next.
31. Chicago Bears (Record: 1-6; Last: 30)
Brian Hoyer extended his 300-yard game streak to four games, but he broke his arm on Thursday Night Football. While it was the longest 300-yard game streak this season, the Bears were forced to turn to Matt Barkley, who is not good at football.
32. Cleveland Browns (Record: 0-6; Last: 32)
The Browns are the only winless team in the NFL, are this week's biggest underdog (-10.5) against their in-state rivals and have lost their past three games to the Bengals by a combined margin of 98-13.
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