The Patriots won a big road game on Sunday at Pittsburgh 27-16, improving to 6-1 on the year and on top of this week’s power rankings. This team looks terrific with Tom Brady back under center and a defense that continues to play well in tough games.
Last week’s top team, Minnesota, suffered their first loss of the season at Philadelphia. The Eagles defense used pressure to disrupt the Vikings all afternoon and it showed in the final score 21-10. While the loss hurts, they still hold a one game advantage over Green Bay in the NFC North and with one of the best defenses in the league, they figure to stay in the hunt for the best overall record in the conference.
Dallas had a bye and at 5-1 are next in the rankings, but they will need to continue that momentum as every team in the NFC East has a winning record and it figures to get tougher as the season moves forward. The Cowboys will also have to answer a tough question in the next few days, continue with rookie Dak Prescot playing quarterback or allow veteran Tony Romo to take back as the offensive leader despite not playing since the preseason.
The NFL playoff rankings are still muddled in several divisions. The AFC West is another tight race with Oakland, Denver, who plays on Monday night, and Kansas City all with just two losses on the year. These teams are also battling for the best record in the AFC and that makes each game important as the year moves on.
Seattle is now fourth overall after a bruising 6-6 tie at Arizona. The Seahawks have the defense and experience to beat any team in football, but the offensive line must improve over the second half of the season for this franchise to have any hope of winning a Super Bowl title at seasons end.