As we head towards another round of NFL action, I believe there is one question being asked more than any other this week… "Who is the best team in the league?"
All the previous six weeks of action have done is muddy the waters. What seems apparent is that there are no great teams and the post-season knockout tournaments in the AFC and NFC are going to be filled with jeopardy.
On with the Power Rankings as I unveil a new team at the top and turgid familiarity right at the bottom.
- TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS +3
The Baker Mayfield factor alone might be enough to put Tampa top of these rankings, especially as he is now making backup receivers look like stars. But the Bucs showed themselves to be a complete team in Week 6 with six sacks and two pics of Mac Jones.
- DETROIT LIONS -1
It's not a massive drop for the Lions, primarily because I think they will be just fine once they can get healthy on defense again. That said, we kept waiting for them to get healthy on that side of the ball in 2024 and things got steadily worse. In Dan Campbell we trust!
- SEATTLE SEAHAWKS +3
I heard it mentioned a few times that the Seattle-Tampa Bay game might have been a dress rehearsal for the NFC Championship Game. That felt fanciful at the time, but not now. The Seahawks took care of business against the Jags, winning a ninth straight road game.
- INDIANAPOLIS COLTS +1
The Colts may have let the Arizona Cardinals hang around for far too long, but they got the job done eventually and any kind of 5-1 record is worth our respect in this crazy league. This Colts team that has punted just 10 times in six games remains super-productive on offense.
- BUFFALO BILLS -3
Buffalo! Now look what you've made me gone and do… A second sloppy loss in as many weeks leaves me with no choice but to point out that your only wins to date have come against Baltimore (1-5), NY Jets (0-6), Miami (1-5) and New Orleans (1-5). Time to pick it up.
- GREEN BAY PACKERS +1
Jordan Love is a top five quarterback in terms of passer rating this season and yet it feels like we should expect a lot more from this aerial attack. Josh Jacobs remains the driving force on the ground and the Packers got back to winning ways last week. Next up, Arizona away.
- LOS ANGELES RAMS +2
The Rams were rarely flashy or all that exciting last Sunday, but they did what good teams do and they beat those they are expected to defeat. But what was the price of the 17-3 win over Baltimore? Wide receiver Puka Nacua is now a major doubt for Sunday's game in London.
- PHILADELPHIA EAGLES -5
This has been coming all season long. The Eagles look lost on offense or, worse, predictable. Jalen Hurts is too inconsistent and the only constant success is the Tush Push. The in-fighting has begun, but this happened last year as well. Can it be turned around and soon?
- KANSAS CITY CHIEFS +4
The Chiefs played like champions against Detroit on Sunday Night Football. And why not them in an AFC loaded with good but not great teams? Rashee Rice coming back should allow for further explosion on offense. And never write off Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes.
- PITTSBURGH STEELERS +4
You can worry about Aaron Rodgers' 41-year-old legs. And you can fret about hits to his 41-year-old body. But you have no reason to be worried about his 41-year-old arm. There is plenty of life left in that cannon. Coupled with an awoken D, the Steelers are dangerous.
- DENVER BRONCOS --
The Broncos have yet to find their offensive fluidity, but I think the real version of them is closer to the one that beat Philadelphia in Week 5. The version we saw at Tottenham on Sunday definitely played down to the opposition. Denver's D might just be the league's best.
- JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS -4
The Jags leaked sacks at an alarming rate against Seattle, conceding seven in one game having seen Trevor Lawrence taken down just six times in the first five outings. That surely cannot all have been due to the absence of center Robert Hainsey? It is a major concern.
- WASHINGTON COMMANDERS -1
The Commanders let a game they should have won slip away on Monday Night Football. That defeat to the Chicago Bears leaves Washington at 3-3. And that sums up their start to the year perfectly. Some good, some bad… too much inconsistency not helped by key injuries.
- LOS ANGELES CHARGERS +2
The Chargers escaped Miami with a win that could very easily have been a third straight loss. Ironically, the most pressured quarterback in the league this season – Justin Herbert – produced some late magic by evading a sure sack to set up the game-winning field goal.
- SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS -5
How many more injuries can the Niners take on board and still stay afloat? All-Pro linebacker Fred Warner is gone with a dislocated and fractured ankle. The NFL is all about depth, I'm told. But stars win championships. And all of San Francisco's stars are in the medical room.
- ATLANTA FALCONS +3
A couple of things really jumped out to me when watching Atlanta dismantle Buffalo on Monday Night Football. And neither was the weekly given that Bijan Robinson is excellent. Drake London has been jolted into life and it looks like this team finally has a defense of note.
- MINNESOTA VIKINGS -2
You won't find many coaches more supportive of his quarterbacks than Kevin O'Connell, who always talks about being in games with his passer. So, his refusal to fully back JJ McCarthy spoke volumes. Are we witnessing a soft benching in favour of Carson Wentz?
- NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS --
The Tennessee Titans didn't want Mike Vrabel, but I'm sure the 4-2 Patriots were glad to take him off the hands of a team now without a head coach. The Pats have a proven leader at the helm and a blossoming quarterback in Drake Maye. That makes them a quick AFC contender.
- CHICAGO BEARS +2
The Bears won't care that their last two games have resulted in somewhat-fortuitous wins over Las Vegas and Washington. All that matters is that Ben Johnson's team has won three in a row after an 0-2 start and New Orleans at home offers up a genuine shot at a 4-2 record.
- HOUSTON TEXANS -1
Have the Texans found their offensive footing after beating Tennessee and Baltimore before last week's bye? Those were not the toughest of challenges so maybe we will know more after a Monday Night Football visit to the Seattle Seahawks. That should be more revealing.
- DALLAS COWBOYS -4
Dak Prescott is red hot with 10 TD passes and no interceptions in his past three games. And George Pickens looks fantastic at receiver. But their good work is undone by a defense allowing an NFL-high 412 yards per game. The Cowboys are an exciting and frustrating watch.
- CAROLINA PANTHERS +5
The Panthers have won two in a row and three of their last four. That means they have opened in the same positive manner in which they ended 2024. Bryce Young has shown some fight and Tet McMillan is a reliable WR target. But running back Rico Dowdle has been the star.
- BALTIMORE RAVENS -1
Not many teams come back from 1-5 to make the playoffs, but I'm still not writing this club off just yet. Lamar Jackson should return after their bye and then a run of games where many are winnable… Chicago, Miami, Minnesota, Cleveland, NY Jets and Cincinnati the next six.
- ARIZONA CARDINALS -1
Might the Cardinals be better off with Jacoby Brissett at quarterback? They suffered a fourth straight loss last Sunday but looked much more fluid and efficient on offense. What was impressive was the evidence that this team has not quit, despite dropping some tough ones.
- NEW YORK GIANTS +4
Emotion, passion, moxie… it's all there wrapped up in a load of frat-boy energy and exuberance when Jaxson Dart and Cam Skattebo are on the field at the same time. And it has given the Giants an immediate jolt with two wins from their last three. They are fun to watch.
- LAS VEGAS RAIDERS --
The Raiders snapped their four-game losing streak last weekend, but it was only against the lowly Titans. Geno Smith was marginally better at quarterback but still tossed up an interception and defense need to power the win. Next up, a daunting trip to Arrowhead.
- NEW ORLEANS SAINTS +1
The Saints are playing hard for Kellen Moore and Spencer Rattler is having some positive moments at quarterback. But there are still too many mistakes at key times, which result in turnovers or, in Sunday's case, too many field goals with four against New England at home.
- CINCINNATI BENGALS -3
The quarterback change did not result in a Cincinnati victory at Lambeau Field in Week 6. But it does make sense for Joe Flacco to be starting over Jake Browning. After a slow start, Flacco warmed up and Ja'Marr Chase was back in our NFL lives. Pittsburgh at home next.
- MIAMI DOLPHINS +1
Miami almost won against the Chargers, but didn't. And then they lost in the worst possible way when Tua Tagovailoa stood before the media and told on teammates turning up late for meetings. If it had to be said, cool, but out in public? Why not in a mandatory team meeting?
- CLEVELAND BROWNS -6
This was to be expected, I guess… but one week after a decent showing against Minnesota in London, rookie quarterback Dillon Gabriel looked totally overwhelmed against Pittsburgh. I wonder if Myles Garrett regrets not sticking to his "trade me or else" guns this offseason.
- TENNESSEE TITANS --
We've talked a lot this season about quarterbacks who turned out to be decent once they got out of a bad situation. Will Cam Ward one day escape and join the likes of Sam Darnold, Baker Mayfield and Daniel Jones. The rookie passer is getting destroyed on a weekly basis.
- NEW YORK JETS --
That was not NFL-standard offensive football in London on Sunday and the Jets remain the NFL's only winless team at 0-6. Given that we seem to have one every year or two, I'm wondering if Aaron Glenn is more likely to be a one-and-done coach than a regular winner.
