NFL Power Rankings, Week 7: Dallas Cowboys get embarrassed again

A look at the latest NFL Power Rankings entering Week 7 of the 2024 regular season.

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The Dallas Cowboys suffered another embarrassing defeat against a playoff-caliber opponent, raising questions about their resilience.

Meanwhile, Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry have established themselves as the most unstoppable duo in the NFL. While Caleb Williams and the Chicago Bears have officially made their mark.

On a more troubling note, the Jets have reached a critical point of desperation.

With these developments in mind, here are the Week 7 NFL Power Rankings.

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32. Carolina Panthers

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Can someone explain the point of benching Bryce Young? Perhaps he needed to take a step back and watch how the Panthers' offense should be run. It’s clear now that Young needs to stay in the starting lineup because this team is going to lose no matter what.

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31. Jacksonville Jaguars

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The Jaguars have the individual talent to make a deep playoff run, as evident during their playoff journey two years ago. This year they are terrible as a team and need to start searching for answers, which might begin with firing coach Doug Pederson.

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30. New England Patriots

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Drake Maye definitely looked like a rookie quarterback playing in his first game, and that’s exactly what it was. However, he managed to put up a season-high 21 points for the Patriots offense and threw for three touchdowns. Starting him now was the right decision, and it will lead to more wins, just not in 2024.

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29. Miami Dolphins

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Nobody is questioning whether Tua Tagovailoa is good after the way the Dolphins have performed without him. With Tua's return to the field uncertain, Tyler Huntley will not be able to keep this team afloat.

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28. Tennessee Titans

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Easily the best stat of the week was that Will Levis has fewer passing yards than Derrick Henry has rushing yards. The front office surrounded Levis with weapons, and he has failed to perform. He needs to step up down the stretch, or Shedeur Sanders may soon be running the show in Music City.

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27. Cleveland Browns

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The Browns are the only team in the NFL that has not scored 20 points in a game this season. Deshaun Watson should be benched, and general manager Andrew Berry, who decided to guarantee Watson's entire contract, should never be allowed to run an NFL team again.

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26. Los Angeles Rams

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The Rams are not enjoying life after Aaron Donald's retirement. They continue to compete in games, but they’re missing that crucial piece to get over the hump. With Cooper Kupp and Matthew Stafford on the offense, they are running out of time and may consider going all in for one last season in 2025.

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25. Las Vegas Raiders

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The Raiders made their first quarterback change of the year, and it likely won’t be their last after Aidan O’Connell’s performance this past Sunday. The Raiders are another team that should be searching for a new quarterback for 2025.

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24. Arizona Cardinals

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The Cardinals are a threat to get hot offensively, but when they can’t get their offense rolling, this team looks really bad. They have the weapons, but now they need the offensive line, defensive line, cornerbacks, and linebackers.

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23. New York Giants

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The Giants should be scouting for their next quarterback right now. Daniel Jones isn’t terrible, but he certainly isn’t good either. The Giants' defense gave up just 17 points on Sunday and consistently gave the offense opportunities to score, but Daniel Jones simply couldn’t get the team into the end zone.

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22. New Orleans Saints

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The Saints started the season looking like a Super Bowl contender, but now it seems more likely they’ll be fighting for the highest draft pick. With several Pro Bowl players nearing the end of their careers, maybe it’s time to let Spencer Rattler take over.

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21. Cincinatti Bengals

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The Bengals are a team that nobody wants to face now that Burrow, Chase, and Higgins are officially clicking, and their defense is gaining its footing. But is it too late for the 2-4 Bengals?

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20. Denver Broncos

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The Denver Broncos surprised everyone with their three-game win streak and seem to be improving week by week. With a manageable schedule, a great defense, and an improving offense, the Broncos should be fighting for a playoff berth in December.

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19. Indianapolis Colts

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The Colts look like a team that could compete for the playoffs with Joe Flacco under center. The question is how this Colts team will fair when the developing Anthony Richardson takes the field again.

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18. New York Jets

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The Jets certainly looked like a better team without Robert Saleh leading the charge. Their run game improved, and Aaron Rodgers looked like his usual self. It’s kind of ironic that the week the offense showed up, the defense and special teams were terrible.

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17. Seattle Seahawks 

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After starting the season 3-0, the Seattle Seahawks are now 3-3. Seattle's defense can't stop anybody, not even the Giants without Malik Nabers, and their offense doesn't show up when they need it most.

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16. Philadelphia Eagles

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The Eagles might be the worst team in the NFL with a winning record since the Cowboys were 3-2 just a week ago. They have yet to score in the first quarter this season, and it seems both fans and players are fed up with Nick Sirianni's antics.

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15. Pittsburgh Steelers

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The Steelers' formula for winning games is quite simple: establish a strong running game and bully the opposing team's offense. While this strategy may not work against the top teams in the NFL, they will continue to dominate the weaker opponents.

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14. Dallas Cowboys

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The Dallas Cowboys were blown out at home once again, this time by the NFC title-contending Detroit Lions. While the team will be healthier after their bye week, which should bring some improvement, it won’t change the fact that they struggle to stop the run or establish a running game themselves.

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13. Los Angeles Chargers

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The Chargers showcased their best passing attack of the season against a formidable Denver secondary. Although injuries have consistently been a setback for the team, the partnership between Justin Herbert and Jim Harbaugh seems to be a perfect fit.

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12. Chicago Bears

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It seems the training wheels have finally come off for rookie Caleb Williams. The Bears' offense has been firing on all cylinders over the last two weeks, while their defense continues to rank among the best in the NFL.

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11. Atlanta Falcons

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Kirk Cousins is making a graceful comeback from his torn Achilles, currently leading the Atlanta Falcons to a 4-2 record and a playoff spot. He’s maximizing the potential of the promising weapons around him, and the defense has shown positive moments as well.

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10. Washington Commanders 

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The Commanders may have lost this weekend, but they put up a valiant effort against the most unstoppable team in the NFL right now. The only person happier than the Commanders' fan base is Terry McLaurin, whose connection with Jayden Daniels will continue to grow.

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9. San Francisco 49ers

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If there's one thing that's certain, it's that the 49ers are nowhere near as good as they will be by the end of the season. Despite a slow 3-3 start, they remain at the top of their division and are just weeks away from getting their star running back back on the field.

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8. Green Bay Packers

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The Green Bay Packers have certainly carried last season's success into the 2024 season and have become an even better team. With an elite passing game, Josh Jacobs serves as the perfect bruiser to balance their offense in any environment they face.

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7. Buffalo Bills

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The Bills have certainly established themselves as one of the best teams in the NFL, but it remains unclear whether they are true contenders. Their only two losses have come against teams they will likely face in the playoffs, and Josh Allen looked abysmal in both of those games.

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6. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

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The Tampa Bay Buccaneers undoubtedly have the best array of weapons in the NFL. With five good to great wide receivers, three versatile running backs who can get the job done, and a solid tight end group. However, the question remains: can Baker Mayfield continue to lead this team to victory? After all, it was his three interceptions that kept the Saints in the game for so long.

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5. Baltimore Ravens

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After losing their first two games of the season, the Ravens have won four straight and now look like the best team in the NFL—or at least the best offense. With Derrick Henry and Lamar Jackson, they could run the Army offense, and defenses still wouldn’t be able to stop them.

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4. Houston Texans

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The Houston Texans are the latest example of going all-in on their quarterback while he's on a rookie contract by building a super team around him. Losing the league leader in receiving yards? No problem—just give the ball to Stefon Diggs, Joe Mixon, or Tank Dell.

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3. Detroit Lions

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The Detroit Lions could have beaten the Cowboys on Sunday even if they had used their offensive linemen as pass catchers all game. They completely bullied the Cowboys and are certainly up there with the Ravens as one of the most physical and unstoppable offenses in the league.

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2. Minnesota Vikings

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The Minnesota Vikings went into their bye week stress-free with a 5-0 record. However, with the rest of the NFC North sitting at four wins, the Vikings certainly aren't comfortable atop the NFC North throne.

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1. Kansas City Chiefs

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Whether you love him or hate him, Travis Kelce is back, ladies and gentlemen, and he’s likely here to stay with most of the Chiefs' offensive weapons sidelined due to injury. As long as the trio of Patrick Mahomes, Kelce, and Chris Jones are under the guidance of Andy Reid, this team will continue its reign of dominance in the NFL.

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