NFL Power Rankings, Week 7: Baker Mayfield-led Buccaneers hit No. 1, while Seahawks crack top 3

Every single Sunday, Baker Mayfield seems to make one hellacious play with his legs, completely flummoxing the defense and invariably inspiring his teammates. Sunday's offering was a ridiculous scramble to move the chains on third-and-14. Two snaps later, he delivered a bomb to rookie WR Tez Johnson, who made a fingertip grab for one of the most aesthetically pleasing touchdowns of the season. Johnson and second-year pro Kameron Johnson -- no relation, though they are similarly diminutive -- might have to be the newest breakout receivers, with Emeka Egbuka the latest one to get hurt (joining Mike Evans, Chris Godwin and Jalen McMillan). The WR ranks remain painfully thin, but with Mayfield under center, the Buccaneers always have a chance. Tampa Bay faces a tough road game this coming Monday night in Detroit, but the Bucs have shown they'll go into any lion's den and compete.

The Lions have struggled to slow down explosive offenses this season. They had issues at times with Green Bay in Week 1, Baltimore (with a healthy Lamar Jackson) in Week 3 and were stung several times by Patrick Mahomes on Sunday night. Now the high-flying Bucs come to Detroit this coming Monday night in another huge test for the defense. Allowing more yards and points to that caliber of offense is understandable, but the Lions must produce more splash plays defensively. Against the Packers, Ravens and Chiefs, they forced only one total turnover; they had eight turnovers forced in the other three games. The Chiefs essentially made it an eight-possession game for the Lions, limiting the visitors' chances to score.

The Seahawks might have dropped their two toughest games of the young season at home, but they've looked pretty terrific on the road, having just improved to 10-1 under Mike Macdonald in the unfriendly confines since the beginning of last year. Seattle never felt truly threatened by Jacksonville on Sunday, in spite of the relatively close score. The Seahawks simply looked like the more complete and composed team. In a season where preseason favorites are sinking like crypto prices, that'll play well if they can keep it up. The defense responded from a tough outing against the Buccaneers to play darned well in Duval, in spite of the thin secondary. Sam Darnold had fourth-quarter turnovers in their two losses, but he's played a lot of clean, efficient football this season -- never more so than when he throws to Jaxon Smith-Njigba. JSN is a true WR1 who is becoming one of the best at his craft. This team is pretty good, folks.

The Bills are in second place in the AFC East -- gulp -- after their second straight loss, and they're frankly just not a disciplined team right now. I really struggled with where to slot them, hemming and hawing over their potential vs. what the eyes tell me. Josh Allen was picked off late in both halves and didn't play well in Atlanta. There were eight more penalties, bringing the Bills' total to 30 over the last three games. The defense was smoked early and worn down late. And yet, Buffalo had every chance to steal the game after the opening-drive TD in the third quarter. But Greg Rousseau's field goal block was followed by back-to-back three-and-outs, and the window closed. In a game where James Cook averaged more than 5 yards per run, the Bills scored 14 points and couldn't break 300 yards. The operation is broken.

The offense started slowly, and the defense found itself on its heels once Joe Flacco heated up, but the Packers at least took care of business and didn't let the 40-year-old quarterback beat them twice in the same season with different sub-.500 teams. Josh Jacobs reprised his workhorse role in the second half and helped spur the offense to two important TD drives and the game-sealing field goal. It was also nice to see more big plays and increased usage for first-round pick Matthew Golden, who hauled in a huge pass late when the game was still in doubt. But I am starting to wonder if Green Bay's defense is truly an elite unit. It has looked pretty pedestrian in the past few games, and the Pack have forced just two turnovers all season, one on a first-half Hail Mary.

Losing to the Broncos in Week 5 raised one set of questions, but last Thursday's stomping by the Giants significantly ratcheted up concerns. I'd given the Eagles a pretty big benefit of the doubt previously, but the issues are too big to ignore now. Are there foundational cracks with this team? The offense has now been outgained in every game, and the product has looked downright blah for long stretches. The defense started cracking late against the Broncos and never really firmed up against the Giants. Although the Eagles were missing star DT Jalen Carter (heel) in this past week's defeat, they still looked woefully unprepared for Jaxson Dart's athleticism -- even after just having faced Baker Mayfield and Bo Nix. Philly faces a rested Minnesota team on the road this coming Sunday before the rematch against the Giants in two weeks. We'll find out a lot about the fabric of this team prior to its Week 9 bye.

The goal-line stand right before halftime seemed to awaken the Rams, who finally took the lead on the opening drive of the third quarter. It was great to see Kyren Williams make a few terrific plays on that drive after his costly fumble in the loss to the 49ers on Thursday Night Football. Still, I can't help but think that even a moderately healthy Ravens team could have beaten the Rams with the way they played on Sunday. The special teams again were a problem, with a missed field-goal try and lost field position in the return game. Offensively, they were underwhelming against a Baltimore defense ranked near the bottom of the league. Puka Nacua again missed snaps and returned to the game, and L.A. essentially won without him on Sunday, but it appears he'll miss some time. I don't want to downplay a two-TD win at Baltimore, but it came littered with questions.

Even with Daniel Jones throwing a bad pick, he still quarterbacked an efficient attack that added another 31 points to the ledger. Jonathan Taylor led a relentless rushing attack that battered the Cardinals for four quarters, too, and yet the game went down to a fourth-down stop in the red zone. That sealed the contest for good, but it didn't allay fears about the state of Indy's defense. The Cardinals were without Kyler Murray and multiple running backs, and they lost Marvin Harrison Jr. to injury midway through the second quarter, yet Arizona racked up 400 yards of offense and scored on the three drives before the definitive turnover on downs. With two tough road games in the next three weeks -- at the Chargers and Steelers -- the Colts must find some defensive solutions soon.

Patrick Mahomes looked more like Prime-Time Pat against the Lions, delivering TD drives in all four quarters and limiting his offensive missteps in a clean performance. Now the Chiefs are getting Rashee Rice back from suspension and finally will have a full complement of playmakers at their disposal. With home games against the Raiders and Commanders before the all-important Week 9 bout at Buffalo, it's not hard to see the path back to prominence, even though the Chiefs have been streaky to this point. They should be 4-2 and could overtake the vulnerable Chargers and Broncos for AFC West supremacy. It won't be a cakewalk, but Kansas City isn't going anywhere.

Over the past three weeks, the AFC North has shifted almost completely into the Steelers' hands. They've won their only two games in that span, while the Ravens, Bengals and Browns went a combined 0-9. The Week 5 bye helped get Pittsburgh's defense in even better shape, and it showed Sunday against Cleveland. The Steelers battered Dillon Gabriel for six sacks and 16 QB hits and kept the Browns out of the end zone. The offense stalled for field goals three times in the first half, but Aaron Rodgers delivered another solid game, with two second-half TD drives. He also was barely touched, which is great news. I don't know if this is a great team yet, but Pittsburgh is playing like a very good one, at the very least. 

The Broncos were devastating defensively against the Jets, but it almost didn't matter. A slew of offensive and special teams miscues nearly undercut the feat of sacking Justin Fields nine times and allowing one offensive play longer than 8 yards. Trailing 11-10 for much of the second half, the Broncos finally mustered a field goal to take the lead before having to sweat out the final five minutes. That's what makes this next game against the Giants so worrisome. Yes, Denver's pass rush could feast on Jaxson Dart, but New York can also rush the passer, and Bo Nix wasn't under heavy pressure against the Jets. The Broncos need to find some offensive answers with four of the next five games at home before the Week 12 bye.

Monday felt like a missed opportunity for the Commanders, who had the ball twice in the fourth quarter with the lead but punted and fumbled, opening the door for the Bears to snag a one-point win. Jayden Daniels rallied from his early pick to take command of the game, but he coughed the ball up late in the misty weather. The Bears had no trouble hanging on to the ball, and they promptly marched down the field for the game-winning field goal. Washington held them to 1-for-3 in the red zone, but it was not a particularly good defensive showing for the Commanders, especially after such an encouraging outing against the Chargers. The offense did its part with three turnovers, and Matt Gay also missed a kick, so the breakdowns were all around.

Coming off the emotional Monday night win over the Chiefs, the Jaguars' sloppy loss to the Seahawks stings a little, especially just before shipping off for London. There were too many sacks, too many missed connections in the passing game and too many crippling penalties. The 'Hawks took away the Jags' ground game, including Trevor Lawrence as a scrambler, and made them one-dimensional. It was tough to generate much pass rush on defense with Travon Walker limited, and Jacksonville's streak of forcing turnovers ended. In fact, the Jags haven't played great defensively over the past few games. The team looks different under Liam Coen -- with more promise than before -- but this feels like an inflection point where things could go either way.

It was by no means a pretty affair down in Miami, but Justin Herbert once again bailed his team out in key situations, leading four second-half scoring drives and overcoming three different deficits to earn a tough road win and end the two-game slide. The offense bogged down often in the first half against the Dolphins, but Kimani Vidal gave the Chargers a lift with a career-best 124 rush yards and a TD catch. They actually cut him after training camp, yet now he might end up playing a key role in their season. They’re 4-2 overall and 3-0 in the division, so building an early cushion has helped keep Los Angeles afloat, with two measuring-stick games at home upcoming (against the Colts and Vikings). The Bolts are hanging on by a thread, but Jim Harbaugh's team remains in contention.

The hits keep coming. Fred Warner, who had previously only missed one game in his career, is now out for the season after suffering a dislocated and broken ankle in Sunday's hard-fought loss to the Bucs. His absence was felt, too; with Warner off the field, Tampa Bay scored touchdowns on three straight drives in the second and third quarters, when the game slipped away from San Francisco. The 49ers are without several key players on offense, and now the team's two best defenders (Warner and Nick Bosa) are done for the year. Simply unreal. A battered Mac Jones did his best to keep his squad in it, but a dormant rushing attack and an inability to finish drives hurt. The loss dropped the Niners into a three-way tie atop the NFC West. They're hanging on, but the struggle is taking a toll.

The Patriots are 4-2, and their next two contests are against the Titans and Browns. They also still have both Jets games remaining on the schedule. Things are lining up quite nicely for this suddenly intriguing squad, led by star-QB-in-the-making -- and dark-horse MVP candidate? -- Drake Maye. With Joe Burrow already out of the running this year and Lamar Jackson perhaps not far behind Burrow, Maye's heroics can't be dismissed. In Week 5, it was Maye to Stefon Diggs. On Sunday, it was Maye to Demario Douglas and Kayshon Boutte. There are limitations to the run game, and the defense still has some leaks, but the way things are going, the Patriots are steaming toward a winning season.

I heard Raheem Morris say that Bijan Robinson is the best player in football, and I am having trouble finding counterarguments at the moment. We can have MVP debates about running backs until we're Falcon red in the face, but Monday was a truly breathtaking performance from Robinson, who's had at least 111 yards from scrimmage in every game so far -- and he more than doubled that against the Bills with a career-high 238 total yards. And sure, it could have cost Atlanta, but I absolutely loved Drake London going for the knockout blow at the end of the first half, despite the fact that he came up just short. It showed a little killer instinct from a team that looked like it leveled up in Week 6. The offense delivered on a huge stage, and the Falcons' season trajectory has changed.

Well, that's one way to make up for last year's debacle at Northwest Stadium. With everything seemingly going against Chicago after a fine start at Washington on Monday night, the defense got two huge late stops, and D'Andre Swift took over. The road team really had an ideal game script, running the ball well, taking an early lead, winning the turnover battle 3-0 and getting quality kicking from Jake Moody, who was just added to the active roster to replace the injured Cairo Santos. But the whole operation threatened to blow up after Rome Odunze's TD was nullified and Moody's FG try was blocked. Thankfully for Chicago, Moody redeemed himself with the game-winning kick -- after a huge assist from Swift, who set up a much shorter try with one last chunk gain on the ground. That's two straight 25-24 nailbiter wins for the Bears, who seldom make it easy on themselves.

The two questions on everyone's minds: 1) When will J.J. McCarthy return? 2) How much faith will the staff have in him when he does? The answer to No. 1 might be this Sunday against the Eagles, but it also won't be stunning if McCarthy needs more time to heal. If Carson Wentz is the QB again, he'll have a chance to beat his old team while it's down, coming off two straight losses. The Week 6 bye came at a good time for the Vikings, who also should be getting RT Brian O'Neill, LB Blake Cashman and edge rusher Andrew Van Ginkel back over the coming weeks; the arrow is pointing upward. But as of right now, it's hard to know where this team is, given the topsy-turvy start and the rash of injuries. 

The Texans' 2-3 record is still the bottom line, but they seemingly turned the corner offensively prior to their Week 6 bye while maintaining their defensive excellence. They allowed only one TD over the course of back-to-back wins following an 0-3 start and haven't given up more than 20 points in a game all season. Speaking of that proverbial corner, C.J. Stroud also appeared to round it on a personal level, producing six TDs and no turnovers in those statement victories. The Texans will head to Seattle for an excellent measuring-stick contest that kicks off a very competitive four-game stretch. Houston probably needs to emerge with a record of .500 or better. There is work to be done, but this team might be hitting its stride after the tough beginning to 2025.

The Panthers have now won two straight in the fourth quarter, and three of their past four overall. It has been a bit of a bumpy ride to this point, but Carolina finds itself in decent shape ahead of a game at the winless Jets. In fact, this is the first time the Panthers haven't had a losing record this late in the season since 2021. You have to credit Bryce Young for how he’s bounced back over the past few weeks, really taking ownership of the offense. He also has a true go-to guy now. Tetairoa McMillan made up for a drop that led to an interception, catching his first two NFL TD passes in the win. Rico Dowdle also has made a shocking statement in the backfield, with a stunning 473 yards from scrimmage the past two games. How high can the Panthers fly? This will be a fascinating team to follow in the next few games.

The Cowboys followed a familiar script Sunday, with Dak Prescott playing well enough to win and the defense unable to get the requisite stops. Old friend Rico Dowdle ran circles around Dallas’ defense all afternoon, making the defensive frustration even worse. The Panthers consistently moved the ball, with the Cowboys getting no pressure on Bryce Young and having no true difference-makers to generate a big play when it was most needed. That’s been the big void since the Micah Parsons trade. Prescott couldn’t convert the final few drives into touchdowns, but it’s tough to bash the offense right now when its margin for error remains minute. They’re now under .500 again, with two tough games upcoming against Washington and at Denver. The season is back on a tilting point, and it’s hard to imagine Dallas can solve the defensive issues with what’s currently on the depth chart.

Let's start with the excellent news: Lamar Jackson is on track to be back after this week's bye. Now, the bad: The Ravens are 1-5, with six more road games, and they probably need to go 9-2 or better to make the postseason. In previous seasons going back to 1990, just three of 128 teams that started 1-5 ultimately hit the playoffs. But Sunday at least offered a glimmer of hope that things could be better. The Ravens were far more impressive defensively against the Rams than they'd been all season long, and there were signs that the run game could come back to life. Even with a pick, two lost fumbles and four turnovers on downs, the Ravens stayed competitive through most of the game. They might not play past Week 18, but I think they'll be a very thorny opponent, taking out their frustrations for the remainder of the season.

The Cardinals had arguably their best offensive showing of the season -- and it came without Kyler Murray. Jacoby Brissett kept Arizona humming all day, getting within a few plays of taking the lead late. Credit Jonathan Gannon for having his team ready to go without Murray and the Cards' top two running backs. Brissett's one mistake (a red-zone pick right after a Daniel Jones INT) was costly, but he certainly made a case to earn another start this week against the Packers if Murray's foot isn't right. Throwing for 320 yards and two TDs, despite Marvin Harrison Jr. leaving in the second quarter, was a big-time showing. Even so, that's now four straight losses for Arizona after a 2-0 start. The Cards need a win badly.

Spencer Rattler again did a lot of good things, but the Saints couldn't secure a second straight win because they couldn't finish drives, which has been a sore spot all season. They went 1-for-2 in the red zone on Sunday to bring their season conversion rate to 8-for-19. Against the Patriots, they settled for four field goals, including one inside the red zone and two just outside of it. That, along with Juwan Johnson losing a critical fumble late, was enough to put the game out of reach. Chris Olave also had a pair of big drops, and the Saints had some ill-timed penalties. They've been in every game but one so far, but they've also been their own worst enemies in multiple losses. It's back to the drawing board, with three of the next four games on the road.

This team's hopes are now pinned on two rookie bros who at least are guaranteed to make Giants football more exciting over the final 11 games of the season. We've seen Jaxson Dart and Cam Skattebo at their worst (at the Saints) and at their best (vs. the Eagles), all in a tidy five-day span. There's no doubt they've added energy and encouragement, even after losing Malik Nabers for the season. The Giants are 2-4 and face a long road ahead, with just two home games between now and Dec. 14 and few obvious weak spots remaining on the schedule. You also worry about the health of the rookie duo, as both Dart and Skattebo have taken some huge hits the past few games. But if they can keep chugging away, we'll keep watching. 

The first four series at Green Bay were predictably ugly, but as sure as death and taxes, Joe Flacco eventually started throwing dimes. Though he couldn't quite engineer a heroic comeback on the road at Lambeau, Flacco had the Packers reeling for a minute -- about five days after he arrived via trade. Who knows if he can keep it up, but that's pretty incredible. At 2-4, the Bengals are waist-deep in water, but they'll at least have three straight home games before the bye to give themselves a puncher's chance. If they can somehow get back to relevance, it will be because Flacco is able to get the ball in the hands of their best playmakers. On Sunday, he gave us a taste of what's possible.

The Raiders got back in the win column, ending their four-game losing streak with a victory over the hapless Titans, who fired their coach the day after the game. However, they didn’t exactly set the field on fire early and were lucky that Geno Smith’s fumble (followed by a Titans scoop and score) was nullified. Smith also had a fourth-quarter pick and only played marginally better than he had to that point. Ashton Jeanty has found some rhythm over the past few games, and Michael Mayer has done a nice job with Brock Bowers out, but there are only so many positives following a fairly bad game by both teams. The Raiders could come crashing back to earth this week at Arrowhead if they don’t play a lot better.

When Tua Tagovailoa hit Darren Waller for the go-ahead TD with 46 seconds left on Sunday, it appeared as if the Dolphins could steal a much-needed victory from the Chargers. But in typical Fins fashion, they only needed a few plays to kiss that goodbye. A 40-yard kickoff return and a sack-turned-42-yard-completion set up the Bolts’ game-winning field goal. Tagovailoa’s final, desperation pass was picked for a fitting end. The real drama came after the loss -- and it carried over to Monday. Tagovailoa called out the team’s “leadership,” and Mike McDaniel appeared to support his QB postgame before running an end-around on Monday. It feels like the Dolphins are talented but aimless heading into a virtual must-win game at Cleveland.

Cleveland is 1-5 after the loss at Pittsburgh, and the two trades the team made in the week leading up to the game should indicate what the Browns' mindset is: finding players who will be part of the future. Anyone over a certain age making too much money might be next to go prior to the Nov. 4 trade deadline. Rookie QB Dillon Gabriel won't be traded, but he could be hurting after taking some massive hits against the Steelers. It's hard to get an accurate evaluation of a quarterback when he's being mauled on every other dropback, but this is the Browns' unfortunate habitat right now. It would be the same if Shedeur Sanders were in there -- maybe worse, given his penchant for taking sacks in college.

Ultimately, not even Week 5's miracle comeback victory could save Brian Callahan. The Titans followed that up by once again flopping in a non-competitive loss to the 1-4 Raiders, who pretty much put the game away midway through the third quarter -- and it's not like Las Vegas played great. The Titans were just not progressing on the whole, and Cam Ward was new GM Mike Borgonzi's handpicked quarterback to lead this team. They couldn't wait any longer on the QB's progression, which has stalled in a frustrating start to the season, so you can bet that Callahan's full-time replacement will be a candidate who can help get the No. 1 pick right. Ward has logged an interception in four straight games, and he lost two fumbles Sunday, but he's not getting much in the way of organizational support now.

Things are bad. The Jets nearly stole a game in which they were never a real threat to pass the 100-yard mark offensively. Justin Fields was sacked nine times, meaning that the Jets dropped back to pass 26 times and netted minus-10 yards on those plays. It was a putrid offensive performance that included a botched drive before halftime, with 32 seconds ticking off without a play run. The defense did its job Sunday, grabbing the first takeaway of the season and holding Denver in check most of the game. But the Jets have a quarterback problem early in Aaron Glenn’s tenure. They could bench Fields, but for whom? They have Tyrod Taylor on the roster and Brady Cook on the practice squad. The slow march to another losing season wears on.