Here are our Week 7 NFL Power Rankings, along with Super Bowl title odds
Week 7 NFL Power Rankings 2019
1. New England Patriots (6-0)
While the Patriots don’t have a Top 10 offense right now, their defense and special teams are one of the best combinations we’ve seen in the NFL in a decade. The schedule ramps up for the Pats after one more cupcake against the Jets next Monday.
2. New Orleans Saints (5-1)
Much like New England, New Orleans is motoring along with a pedestrian offense and an excellent defense/special teams. The Saints, however, will get a huge lift when Drew Brees (thumb) is able to return, which could be as soon as Week 8.
3. Kansas City Chiefs (4-2)
A boneheaded sequence near the end of the first half against the Texans wound up costing the Chiefs a second consecutive loss. Once Pat Mahomes gets his full complement of weapons back and heals his ankle, KC should resume its status as an offensive juggernaut.
4. Green Bay Packers (5-1)
Darrius Shepherd nearly cost Green Bay the game against Detroit on Monday night, but Aaron Rodgers was able to muster a miracle with a skeleton crew. The Packers offense could catch up to their elite defense once Davante Adams (toe) returns.
5. Seattle Seahawks (5-1)
Despite committing a few key mistakes in a road test at desperate Cleveland, the Seahawks once again prevailed in a tight game thanks to the clutch play of Russell Wilson and others. Seattle’s defense is very much a work-in-progress, but Wilson can overcome those issues.
6. San Francisco 49ers (5-0)
The Niners defense is clearly elite, but QB Jimmy Garoppolo is not. For that reason alone, it will be tough to rank San Francisco over the above teams, which are all led by truly elite quarterbacks.
7. Houston Texans (4-2)
Deshaun Watson is back on track in his MVP campaign, as he willed the Texans to a 31-24 road win in KC and sealed the game with an incredibly gutsy throw on 4th down. Carlos Hyde has sparked Houston’s running game and the Texans secondary is improving despite losing key pieces during the offseason.
8. Minnesota Vikings (4-2)
Kirk Cousins appears to have patched a rift with both Adam Thielen and Stefon Diggs. With both receivers happy and Dalvin Cook healthy, the Vikings offense could finally push this defensive-minded team over the top.
9. Philadelphia Eagles (3-3)
Aside from a horrendous secondary, the Eagles are a great team. But unless they find some help at cornerback, good offenses will find a way to circumvent their stout front seven and burn Philly with speed.
10. Baltimore Ravens (4-2)
When facing teams that can’t stop the run, the Ravens look unbeatable. The problem will be figuring out how to move the ball in much tougher matchups against Seattle and New England over the next two weeks.
11. Chicago Bears (3-2)
Mitchell Trubisky (shoulder) returned to practice during Chicago’s bye week and should be under center when the Bears take on the Saints in a premier Week 7 matchup.
12. Indianapolis Colts (3-2)
The Texans joined the Colts in upsetting the Chiefs at home, and now Indy prepares to host Houston in a battle with huge AFC South title implications.
13. Los Angeles Rams (3-3)
Sean McVay couldn’t concoct a game plan to beat the Niners surging defense and the Rams defense struggled with SF controlling the ball for over 38 minutes. Perhaps the Rams can bounce back from this slide with three straight wins during a softer part of their schedule.
14. Carolina Panthers (4-2)
The Panthers are back to playing fundamental, complementary football with Christian McCaffrey carrying the offense and Ron Rivera’s 3-4 defense shutting down the opposition. That formula has led to four straight wins with Kyle Allen under center.
15. Dallas Cowboys (3-3)
Even with starting tackles Tyron Smith (ankle) and La’el Collins (knee) out, and Amari Cooper (quad) departing the game early, losing to the Jets is a fire-able offense for Cowboys coach Jason Garrett. If Dallas doesn’t play well in upcoming division games against the Eagles and Giants, Garrett should finally be shown the door.
16 Buffalo Bills (4-1)
The Bills third-ranked pass defense is extremely tough to crack. Josh Allen is doing enough with new weapon John Brown and the Bills offense could catch up to speed if rookie RB Devin Singletary (hamstring) is able to return after their bye.
17. Detroit Lions (2-2-1)
The Lions were unable to beat a shorthanded Packers squad at Lambeau Field, although they were undone by a pair of ghost penalties on DE Trey Flowers. Detroit is a dangerous team without any glaring weaknesses, but the Lions happen to play in the best division in football.
18. Oakland Raiders (3-2)
After pulling off a pair of upsets prior to their bye week, the Raiders go on the road to Green Bay and Houston before hosting a talented Detroit team. Josh Jacobs and that running game will travel.
19. Cleveland Browns (2-4)
Baker Mayfield threw a pair of costly interceptions – one of which wasn’t his fault – to subvert Cleveland’s chances of topping a hot Seahawks squad. The Browns have to find ways to get Odell Beckham Jr. involved or Freddie Kitchens could be on the hot seat.
20. Pittsburgh Steelers (2-4)
Pittsburgh ranks seventh in DVOA defense and showcased an improving rush offense in a Sunday night win at the Chargers. Devlin “Duck” Hodges managed the game appropriately and might be a good fit for the Steelers’ conservative approach.
21. Denver Broncos (2-4)
By holding the Titans to 39 rushing yards on 21 attempts, Denver’s pass rush was able to tee off to the tune of seven sacks, three interceptions, and a shutout of struggling Tennessee.
22. Los Angeles Chargers (2-4)
Once again, the Chargers received no boost from playing at home, as they were shut out through three quarters and completely helpless to stop the Steelers on the ground.
23. Jacksonville Jaguars (2-4)
Gardner Minshew was finally stymied by the Saints, but the Jags defense did enough to keep them in the game against one of the best teams in the NFL. This should be a learning experience for Minshew, who has kept Jacksonville quite competitive.
24. Tampa Bay Bucs (2-4)
Jameis Winston melted down in London, taking seven sacks while tossing five packs against Carolina’s surging defense. Famed quarterback whisperer Bruce Arians will have to try and reach his new QB during the bye week.
25. New York Giants (2-4)
With no Saquon Barkley (ankle), Evan Engram (knee), Wayne Gallman (knee), or Sterling Shepard (concussion), Daniel Jones still found a way to challenge the Patriots for three quarters in Foxboro. There’s reason for optimism in the Giants’ camp with Barkley expected to return in Week 7.
26. Arizona Cardinals (2-3-1)
Kyler Murray and Kliff Kingsbury are rapidly improving to give the Cardinals an above-average offense and Patrick Peterson’s return from suspension will give Arizona’s struggling defense a lift.
27. Atlanta Falcons (1-5)
It’s fitting that the Falcons latest loss came on a missed PAT from reliable veteran kicker Matt Bryant. This has been a season full of bad luck (and horrendous pass defense) for Atlanta.
28. New York Jets (1-4)
Sam Darnold returned to spark the Jets offense and their defense continued to play well enough to limit a suddenly vulnerable Cowboys team. With Darnold under center, the Jets are no longer an automatic win as they were with Luke Falk at quarterback.
29. Tennessee Titans (2-4)
Tennessee’s offense is clearly amongst the worst in the league with a run-heavy approach that isn’t going anywhere and a QB in Marcus Mariota, who has just 20 completions over his last two starts and ranks 29th in overall QBR (31.6) this season.
30. Cincinnati Bengals (0-6)
The score looks competitive, but the Bengals coughed up a laughable 269 rushing yards in a 23-17 loss at Baltimore. Only Miami has been more consistently vulnerable in rush defense.
31. Washington Redskins (1-5)
Interim coach Bill Callahan went back to Case Keenum and used a heavy dose of Adrian Peterson to barely edge the lowly Dolphins and earn Washington might be its’ lone win this season.
32. Miami Dolphins (0-5)
Following their loss to Washington, the Dolphins have the clear inside track to earning the No. 1 overall pick in next year’s NFL Draft and an 0-16 season is well within their reach.
How to use NFL Power Rankings
Reading these weekly rankings (or even creating your own Power Rankings) can significantly increase your odds of placing correct bets against the spread each Sunday. You may even be able to create your own formula based on win probability, results over the past couple of seasons, and current updates.
Of course, you have to account for factors such as travel time, home-field advantage, and injuries as the season progresses. Yet early in the season, it’s possible to go against oddsmakers by sticking to your own process.
Sports bettors tend to overreact to transactions, such as Antonio Brown leaving the Steelers, and sportsbooks adjust the odds accordingly as money comes in. This creates opportunities to bet against the public as you see value appear in the market.
If you stick with the raw data, i.e. metrics on offensive line play, a quarterback’s record at home, and turnover differential, you might be able to cash big early in the season before oddsmakers and the betting public adjust. Trust your data and stay one step ahead with a comprehensive Power Rankings system.
