Jeremy Cluff kept the San Francisco 49ers, Kansas City Chiefs and Minnesota Vikings in the first three places of his Week 7 power rankings, but the biggest moves on his list came from Sunday’s upsets: the Arizona Cardinals rose eight spots to 21st, and the New York Giants dropped nine to 17th.
Cluff built his week around three underdog wins, Arizona over the Los Angeles Rams, Tennessee over Indianapolis and Cleveland over Baltimore, and moved all three winners up. Green Bay and New England each climbed four places into the top six after their third straight victories.
Cluff’s full Week 7 order
| Rank | Team | Record | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Francisco 49ers | 5-0* | No change |
| 2 | Kansas City Chiefs | 5-0 | No change |
| 3 | Minnesota Vikings | 5-0 | No change |
| 4 | Buffalo Bills | 5-1 | +1 |
| 5 | New England Patriots | 4-2 | +4 |
| 6 | Green Bay Packers | 4-2 | +4 |
| 7 | Jacksonville Jaguars | 4-2 | -3 |
| 8 | Baltimore Ravens | 4-2 | -2 |
| 9 | Pittsburgh Steelers | 4-2 | +2 |
| 10 | Denver Broncos | 4-2 | +2 |
| 11 | Seattle Seahawks | 3-3 | -4 |
| 12 | Carolina Panthers | 3-2 | +1 |
| 13 | Detroit Lions | 3-2 | +1 |
| 14 | Cincinnati Bengals | 3-2 | +1 |
| 15 | Cleveland Browns | 4-2 | +2 |
| 16 | Chicago Bears | 4-2 | +2 |
| 17 | New York Giants | 3-2-1 | -9 |
| 18 | Las Vegas Raiders | 3-3 | +1 |
| 19 | Houston Texans | 2-4 | +7 |
| 20 | Atlanta Falcons | 2-4 | No change |
| 21 | Arizona Cardinals | 2-4 | +8 |
| 22 | Los Angeles Rams | 2-4 | -6 |
| 23 | Dallas Cowboys | 2-4 | -2 |
| 24 | New Orleans Saints | 2-4 | +4 |
| 25 | New York Jets | 2-4 | -2 |
| 26 | Indianapolis Colts | 2-4 | -4 |
| 27 | Philadelphia Eagles | 2-4 | -3 |
| 28 | Washington Commanders | 1-3-1* | -3 |
| 29 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 1-5 | -2 |
| 30 | Tennessee Titans | 1-5 | +2 |
| 31 | Miami Dolphins | 0-5 | No change |
| 32 | Los Angeles Chargers | 0-6 | -2 |
Records through Sunday, October 18. *The 49ers and Commanders meet Monday night. Change is measured against his Week 6 list.
Who climbed
Arizona’s eight-place jump is the largest on the list. The Cardinals won 18-16 at SoFi Stadium on Chad Ryland’s late field goal, and Cluff pointed out that Arizona now has two wins in that building this season, one more than the Rams and Chargers have managed there combined. He ranked the Cardinals one spot ahead of the Rams, who share their 2-4 record, and conceded the jump might look generous.
Houston rose seven places to 19th after a 34-31 win over Jacksonville in London, the Texans’ second victory in a row after an 0-4 start. Cluff likes their next three games against the Giants, Chargers and Browns. New England reached fifth on a three-game winning streak that has carried Drake Maye’s team from 1-2 to 4-2, and Green Bay’s 23-13 win over Dallas, also a third straight, sets up a meeting in Detroit that Josh Jacobs could return for.
Tennessee moved off the bottom to 30th. The Titans were shut out 13-0 in the first half against the Colts, then scored 20 points in the fourth quarter for their first win.
Who fell
The Giants’ slide to 17th came after a 34-27 loss to New Orleans in which they replaced Jameis Winston, who had completed 14 of 26 passes for 152 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions, with J.J. McCarthy. Cluff left open whether McCarthy should keep the job. The Rams lost six places; their last three defeats add up to nine points.
Indianapolis fell four to 26th after a fumble and two interceptions against Tennessee. Philadelphia dropped three to 27th: with Jalen Hurts out, Tanner McKee threw for 215 yards on 26-of-45 passing at Carolina, and the Eagles managed 35 rushing yards on 13 carries. Jacksonville slipped three to seventh after allowing 34 points in London, having given up no more than 17 in any earlier game.
How he reads the top
Cluff rates Buffalo among the AFC’s best but notes the Bills face Baltimore and Minnesota after their bye. He sees Minnesota’s schedule turning hard after the Colts visit, with Detroit, Buffalo, Green Bay and San Francisco next, and trusts the Vikings’ defense to carry them. Kansas City leads the AFC West but goes to Seattle and Denver on consecutive weekends.
What comes next
Week 6 closes with Washington at San Francisco on Monday night. Week 7 opens Thursday, October 22, when the fifth-ranked Patriots visit the 16th-ranked Bears. Follow every race in the NFL standings.
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