Jason La Canfora’s Week 7 power rankings: Chiefs stay No. 1, Browns jump 10 spots, and the Falcons fall 12

Jason La Canfora’s Week 7 power rankings keep the Kansas City Chiefs at No. 1 and the San Francisco 49ers second, but the real story sits further down: the Atlanta Falcons fall 12 spots to 22nd, the Los Angeles Rams drop 10 to 17th, and the Cleveland Browns jump 10 to 13th after beating the Ravens.

La Canfora put his list together before Monday night, so the 49ers and the Washington Commanders hold their places until they meet in Santa Clara. His view of San Francisco’s Sunday was that it felt like a bye with benefits, since both of its NFC West rivals lost games they were expected to win.

La Canfora’s full Week 7 order

Records through Sunday, October 18. *The 49ers and Commanders play Monday night. Change is measured against La Canfora’s previous list; his Bills entry repeats a previous rank already given to another team, so their move is shown only as a climb.

Why Kansas City stays on top

The Chiefs beat the Chargers 22-6 to reach 5-0, and La Canfora argued they are still flying under the radar given what they have done with Patrick Mahomes back from surgery. He described the win as the sort of division result Andy Reid’s teams produce before a bye: smother a struggling offense and leave with a victory.

Minnesota climbs three places to third without playing. La Canfora called the Vikings’ defense the best in the league and said he does not think that is really up for debate. He sees the bye as a chance to work out more for Kyler Murray, whom he wants to use his legs more.

The biggest risers

The Browns made the biggest climb, and La Canfora admitted he had punished them too hard for their loss to the Jets. He still does not trust Deshaun Watson, but he credited a defense that shut down Derrick Henry in the 13-10 win even without two of its best interior linemen, and said a healthy Mason Graham would make it a playoff unit.

Houston moved up seven places to eighth after its 34-31 win over Jacksonville at Wembley, a game La Canfora said the Texans badly needed. Chicago climbed six to seventh: Caleb Williams’s near-perfect first half in his return was, in La Canfora’s words, exactly what Ben Johnson needed, though he also urged the club to spend on defense before the trade deadline. New Orleans rose six to 20th after its 34-27 win over the Giants.

The biggest fallers

Atlanta’s 12-spot slide is the steepest. La Canfora wrote that the Falcons’ early run now looks like a short lift from Michael Penix Jr.’s return rather than proof of a good team, and that they need Bijan Robinson involved heavily from the opening drive. The Rams fall to 17th after the 18-16 loss to Arizona; he called their special-teams problems close to parody and the team very vulnerable.

Seattle drops seven to 10th after the 17-14 loss in Denver. La Canfora said he is now officially worried about how Sam Darnold looks without the play caller he had last season, and he flagged the offensive line and Jaxon Smith-Njigba’s ankle. Baltimore slides five to 14th; he pointed to another blown double-digit lead and a fourth-quarter defense he ranks among the league’s worst.

At the bottom

The winless Chargers fall to 32nd after failing to score a touchdown against Kansas City, and La Canfora expects teams to call about Justin Herbert this week. Miami moves up one to 31st during its bye, with La Canfora saying the season is about 2027 and predicting two trades by the deadline. Tennessee climbs four places to 28th after its first win, though he expects the Titans back at 30 or lower soon.

What comes next

Week 6 ends Monday night with the Commanders at the 49ers. Week 7 opens Thursday with the Patriots at the Bears, a meeting of the No. 9 and No. 7 teams on this list. See the full NFL standings.