We’re nearing the midway point of the 2022 NFL season, and that means we’re starting to get some vital clarity.
In a weak NFC, the Eagles feel like the unquestioned favorite. Case closed. At the same time, in the AFC, barring a genuinely shocking surprise, the evenly-matched Bills and Chiefs are on a collision course for the AFC Championship Game. Would you expect anything less from the sport’s arguable two best teams, led by Josh Allen and Patrick Mahomes — the sport’s two best players?
But as much as there’s an obvious Cerberus of good football atop the league, there are a few surprising storylines. For example, what on Earth has gotten into the Giants and Jets in New York? These two squads were supposed to be rebuilding — at least a year or two from actual contention — yet suddenly look like legitimately solid playoff teams. We might know who the elite are, but an increasingly unpredictable season means anyone might make themselves a factor for January.
We dive into what we learned this weekend and more in the Week 7 edition of For The Win’s NFL power rankings for the 2022 season.
32
Carolina Panthers
Last week’s rank: 32
P.J. Walker completed precisely zero passes that went further than one yard downfield against the Rams. With that in mind: Why are the Panthers still playing football in 2022? Stick a fork in them — Matt Rhule is gone, their season is virtually over, and they’re not going to learn anything insightful about themselves over the next few months. The Panthers should petition the NFL to automatically forfeit their last 11 games as they prep for the Bryce Young/C.J. Stroud et al. sweepstakes.
31
Chicago Bears
Last week’s rank: 30
Chicago did a great Broncos impression Thursday night, driving deep into the red zone before falling flat on its face and coming away with zero points. Justin Fields is showing signs of growth, but this team’s lack of talent has it stuck roughly where we expected six weeks into 2022. The fact the suggestion “maybe N’Keal Harry will help” is a legitimate statement right now shows just how dire things are for this offense.
30
Washington Commanders
Last week’s rank: 31
The Commanders left Chicago with a win on Thursday night, but you’d be hard-pressed to say Washington actually earned the victory, as much as the Bears did seemingly everything possible to lose. With Carson Wentz now out for the foreseeable future with a finger injury, it’s hard to see a stressed-out Ron Rivera rebounding with Taylor Heinicke, Sam Howell, or whoever is the unfortunate soul that has to play signal-caller in D.C.
29
Cleveland Browns
Last week’s rank: 24
The good vibes of the Jacoby Brissett era are officially over. After starting the season with top-10 efficiency numbers, the journeyman backup has been unable to hold his offense together, and now Cleveland is just 2-4 and has yet to beat a team with a record of .500 or better. The passing game is questionable, but the defense has been worse than anyone could have predicted; only three teams in the league have allowed more points than the Browns in 2022.
28
Houston Texans
Last week’s rank: 25
A bye week presented an excellent opportunity for us all to appreciate and bask in the unique talent of Dameon Pierce — perhaps the NFL’s angriest pure runner since Marshawn “Beast Mode” Lynch. In this case, the Texans should focus all their energy on positives from Pierce because there’s still so, so little to write home about from Houston.
27
Denver Broncos
Last week’s rank: 29
The Broncos played yet another impossibly boring primetime game and, yet again, simply couldn’t finish a team they had on the ropes. Denver entered this first season with Russell Wilson — who, by far, is having the worst statistical year of his career by every relevant measure — with Super Bowl aspirations. At 2-4 in mid-October, the Broncos will be lucky to be in the playoff picture by December. Denver is on the fast track to mediocrity with zero flexibility for the future — the worst place to be in the NFL.
26
Arizona Cardinals
Last week’s rank: 20
Kyler Murray is playing the worst football of his career, security blanket Marquise “Hollywood” Brown might be out for the season, and Kliff Kingsbury — whose coaching seat is scorching hot — has zero real solutions. Other than that, Mrs. Lincoln, how was the play? DeAndre Hopkins’ imminent return probably won’t be enough to save this fledgling Cardinals group.
25
Detroit Lions
Last week’s rank: 26
Dan Campbell’s streak of moral victories ended in Week 5, thanks to Bailey Zappe and the Patriots’ defense. Beating the Cowboys in Week 7 might be his last chance to build the Lions into something more than someone else’s spoiler in 2022.
24
Pittsburgh Steelers
Last week’s rank: 27
If not for a battered and bruised Tampa Bay offense, the Steelers — with an admirable effort from a fill-in Mitchell Trubisky — probably don’t nab a surprising home victory over the Buccaneers. But a win is a win, and it’s encouraging to see Mike Tomlin’s squad not throw in the towel just yet. Maybe not all is lost in Western Pennsylvania for the 2022 season.
23
Las Vegas Raiders
Last week’s rank: 21
Las Vegas isn’t as bad as its 1-4 record indicates. It’s 0-4 in games decided by six points or fewer. Still, coming back from that kind of deficit to mount a playoff run is difficult, even before you consider how stiff the rest of the competition in the AFC is. With a defense that’s been uneven so far, the Raiders will need Derek Carr and Davante Adams to play lights-out football to climb over .500.
22
Jacksonville Jaguars
Last week’s rank: 17
After cutting defenses up to start the year, Trevor Lawrence has fallen back to Earth as a pedestrian passer at best. And make no mistake: The Jaguars are suffering for it. There’s still little reason to panic in Jacksonville, especially amidst a rebuild, but Lawrence — like really all the other second-year QBs — is showing that his development will resemble more of an extended process rather than any potential meteoric rise.
21
Atlanta Falcons
Last week’s rank: 28
Atlanta is 3-0 when Marcus Mariota throws 20 passes or fewer. The Falcons have Kyle Pitts and Drake London and are most effective cosplaying as a Big Ten team. Thanks, we hate it.
20
Miami Dolphins
Last week’s rank: 10
Miami is doing the right thing to be cautious with Tua Tagovailoa as he recovers from a scary concussion, but they might have to start giving up on relevance in the 2022 season the more time he misses. The Dolphins were one of the league’s most explosive offenses during the first 3.5 games of their campaign. With Teddy “Two Gloves” Bridgewater, that initial smokes-and-mirrors illusion has faded. That even dueling 100-plus-yard efforts from Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle from this past Sunday seemingly can’t elevate the Miami offense is a giant red flag.
19
Green Bay Packers
Last week’s rank: 14
The run defense and special teams still stink, creating a world where Zach Wilson can beat Aaron Rodgers by 17 on a day where he throws for just 110 yards. The reigning MVP looked decidedly unlike himself in Week 6, and a team in need of a statement game after falling to the Giants in London barely mustered up a whimper. GM Brian Gutekunst better be making some calls with the trade deadline approaching.
18
New Orleans Saints
Last week’s rank: 15
As Jameis Winston tries to return to the starting lineup from a broken back (not advisable!), the Saints’ season continues to sink deeper and deeper. If Dennis Allen and Co. have to continue leaning on the red-haired BB gun known as Andy Dalton, New Orleans should start up its draft scouting even more earnestly. Which, about that: The Saints don’t own their 2023 first-round pick, currently slotted quite safely in the top 10. Awkward.
17
Indianapolis Colts
Last week’s rank: 19
Matt Ryan finally looked like a player worthy of being traded for, which is a scary thought for the rest of the AFC. Ryan threw for 389 yards and three touchdowns while leading the Colts back from multiple fourth-quarter deficits to beat the Jaguars. A defense that allowed Jacksonville 6.4 yards per play, however, is a concern.
16
Los Angeles Chargers
Last week’s rank: 12
The Chargers can’t block anyone. Prized offseason acquisition J.C. Jackson appeared to be benched late in a close game. Justin Herbert has a cannon arm and can’t use it because his pockets disintegrate like Alka-Seltzer tablets. We hate this team so much.
15
Seattle Seahawks
Last week’s rank: 22
After six weeks of the season, the Geno Smith Seahawks are tied for first place in the NFC West. What might be even crazier is that these same Seahawks probably have the best quarterback in the division. Unthinkable even a month ago, we know! We’re done trying to make sense of this oh-so-silly NFL.
14
Los Angeles Rams
Last week’s rank: 16
Kudos to the Rams for maximizing their first bye week of the season with an uninspiring win over Carolina. They now get their second bye to try and figure out if they can somehow keep Matthew Stafford upright during an upcoming slate that features the 49ers and Buccaneers’ relentless pass rushes.
13
New England Patriots
Last week’s rank: 23
Bailey Zappe’s ability to thrive against weak secondaries and busted coverages adds a little extra shine to Mac Jones’ return. The bigger story is a defense bottling up a pair of potent offenses in back-to-back weeks. First, it was shutting out a Lions team that had scored 35 points per game in Weeks 1-4. Now it’s limiting the Browns’ top-ranked rushing offense to only 70 yards on the ground and forcing the action on Jacoby Brissett’s shaky arm.
12
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Last week’s rank: 7
Yes, Tom Brady’s efficiency is waning in his age-45 season, and he’s throwing deep less than ever before. But he’s not the guy who gave up 20 points to Kenny Pickett and Mitchell Trubisky. Or the reason why his running backs are averaging a league-worst 3.1 yards per carry. Tampa Bay has more flaws under Brady than it did in either of the last two seasons. An underwhelming NFC should still allow the team to coast to the postseason, but things will get dicey from there.
11
San Francisco 49ers
Last week’s rank: 6
After a few weeks of beating up on the Rams’ horrendous offensive line and the Panthers’ fake pro football team, the 49ers were boat raced by a Falcons squad that saw Marcus Mariota throw for 129 yards. Total. These are the kinds of flat, listless performances — especially from Jimmy Garoppolo, who gifted the Falcons a few turnover presents — that should be a reality check for anyone who thinks the 49ers can simply get hot in the winter and make another deep playoff run.
10
New York Jets
Last week’s rank: 18
Zach Wilson is one of three undefeated starting quarterbacks in 2022. As long as you don’t look too hard at the numbers, that sounds great. On Sunday, he let a punishing pass rush and grinding ground game do the heavy lifting for him. The Jets only gained 99 net yards through the air but added 179 on the ground, dominated on special teams, and made Aaron Rodgers look pedestrian to tell the rest of the NFL they’ve got a playoff spot in their sights this winter.
9
Cincinnati Bengals
Last week’s rank: 13
The Bengals aren’t in the middle of a Super Bowl hangover, nor have they regressed. This was who the defending AFC champs essentially were last year: A team with an impossibly streaky offense led by superhero performances from Ja’Marr Chase and very, very occasional timely defensive playmaking. Whether they make a run again is anyone’s best guess, but we’re probably talking about a team already at its ceiling.
8
Baltimore Ravens
Last week’s rank: 5
The Ravens were the latest victims of New York’s ability to rally the troops in the fourth quarter as an underdog. Baltimore led 20-10 and had an 89.3 percent win probability before New York’s rally, punctuated by a Kayvon Thibodeaux strip sack that snuffed out any hopes of a Ravens rally. It also reassured the world that, yes, once teams bracket Mark Andrews, Lamar Jackson’s target list gets grim, fast. Jackson only completed 47 percent of his non-Andrews targets in Week 6.
7
Tennessee Titans
Last week’s rank: 11
Tennessee rose up the rankings through attrition on a bye week after painful losses from the Ravens, 49ers, Dolphins, and Buccaneers. The Titans will have to fend off a renewed charge from the Indianapolis Colts to win the AFC South and have a bit of a Giants vibe to them. Their three-game winning streak has been predicated on edging out close games, their quarterback is efficient but doesn’t throw much thanks to a depleted WR corps, and their success weighs heavily on a workhorse running back. So if New York gets to be a top-five team, surely we can shrug and give Tennessee a top-10 spot coming off a bye.
6
Minnesota Vikings
Last week’s rank: 9
Minnesota has wins over the Packers, Lions, Saints, Bears, and Dolphins. Not exactly a murderer’s row. But 5-1 is 5-1. Meanwhile, he doesn’t have the usual (empty) numbers, but Kirk Cousins is playing the best “conductive” football of his career, and Justin Jefferson might be the NFL’s No. 1 matchup problem. That puts Minnesota in a quality purple (dark) horse position, which feels weird and fluky, but someone has to stand on top of a growing garbage heap.
5
New York Giants
Last week’s rank: 8
Daniel Jones, for one week, is the starting quarterback of a top-five team. This isn’t the blasphemy you’d expect, even if he’s only throwing for 170 yards per game. The embattled young quarterback has slashed his turnover rate — only two in his last five games — and has been a stable presence at the center of the Giants’ offense. That keeps New York winning close games (though this 5-1 record in one-score finishes suggests regression is coming) and has Jones leading the NFL with four game-winning drives (to take the lead in the fourth quarter or later) in six weeks.
4
Dallas Cowboys
Last week’s rank: 4
A slow start and a spate of turnovers from Cooper Rush doomed Dallas’s chance to upset the Eagles in a potential preview of the NFC title game. But you have to appreciate how the Cowboys still fought back to make it interesting. Big D is an unquestioned heavyweight in a Junior Varsity NFC conference with a healthy Dak Prescott ready to step in soon.
3
Kansas City Chiefs
Last week’s rank: 2
Patrick Mahomes’ magic finally wore off against the Bills, as his last-gasp drive ended with an interception and allowed Buffalo to escape Arrowhead Stadium with a win for the second time in two years. Holding Josh Allen’s offense to three touchdowns feels like a positive development for a defense with major questions to answer, but the pressure will be on Mahomes to step up in any postseason rematch with Buffalo. The Bills were able to generate pressure without blitzing, cutting off his single-coverage options downfield while making him uncomfortable in the pocket — and bullying him into a pair of brutal turnovers.
2
Buffalo Bills
Last week’s rank: 3
Like he did in last year’s heartbreaker, Josh Allen put the Bills on his back in Kansas City. But this time, when Patrick Mahomes had the perfect chance to drive a stake into Buffalo’s heart, Von Miller played ultimate closer — exactly as the Bills had always planned. That special quarterback-edge rusher 1-2 punch will be tough sledding for any other AFC contender to overcome.
1
Philadelphia Eagles
Last week’s rank: 1
The king stays the king, as last week’s No. 1 ranking served as a tiebreaker over the Buffalo Bills. Philadelphia created room for undue concern by turning a 20-0 lead into a 20-17 sweat against the Cowboys. Ultimately, the Eagles’ playmakers made plays — led by A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith, C.J. Gardner-Johnson, and James Bradberry — all players added by GM Howie Roseman over the last two seasons. Philly built things right and has a clear path to the NFC’s postseason bye … assuming the New York Giants don’t trip them up along the way.
