2013 NFL Power Rankings: Week 7
Updated: October 15, 2013, 7:20 PM ET
ESPN.com
Week:
The Broncos and Chiefs are the NFL's last unbeatens, so it's no surprise our voters (John Clayton, Ashley Fox, Dan Graziano, Jamison Hensley, Mike Sando and Kevin Seifert) have the AFC West stalwarts atop our Week 7 hierarchy.
Kansas City, No. 3 here last week, leapfrogged New Orleans after the Saints lost a heartbreaker in New England. The rest of the top 10 stayed mostly the same, with only Baltimore (No. 12) falling out to make room for Green Bay (No. 9).
Are we only a week away from a shakeup? Maybe. In one of the most anticipated games of the year so far, Broncos QB Peyton Manning returns to Indianapolis to face his former team on Sunday night. A Colts win would perhaps open the door for Kansas City or one of the other lurking heavyweights to grab the top spot.
If Denver does get knocked off, the surprising Chiefs could actually be set up for a multiweek run at No. 1. After hosting struggling Houston in Week 7, they host Cleveland (No. 18) and play at Buffalo (No. 25).
But let's not get ahead of ourselves. Beating Denver has proved to be a tall order for anyone, so don't be surprised if the status quo continues into Week 8.
Note: The comments below are provided by ESPN Stats & Information.
• Reporters' analysis | Offense hindering Ravens, Steelers | Mike & Mike 
| Rank 'Em | Team Power Rankings charts since 2002
| 2013 Power Rankings: Week 7 | ||||
| RANK | TEAM / RECORD | TRENDING | COMMENTS | |
| 1 |  | -- Last Week: 1 | Circle Week 11. Indy presents a nice story, but Washington, a bye and San Diego are also between now and the Broncos' all-important first meeting with the 6-0 Chiefs. | |
| 2 |  | 1 Last Week: 3 | Is it Week 11 yet? Kansas City's elite defense kept rolling Sunday, but the Chiefs face Houston, Cleveland, Buffalo and the bye week before finally meeting Peyton's Broncos. | |
| 3 |  | 1 Last Week: 2 | The Saints have an extra week to heal up with the bye before the Bills in Week 8. Jimmy Graham, Darren Sproles and Cameron Jordan missed parts of Sunday's game. | |
| 4 |  | 1 Last Week: 5 | Marshawn Lynch had 21 rushes for 77 yards and four catches for 78 yards Sunday, his first career game with at least 75 rushing and 75 receiving yards. | |
| 5 |  | 1 Last Week: 6 | Tom Brady got the headlines, but the defense held Drew Brees to 0-for-6 with an interception targeting Jimmy Graham. The team effort continues in Foxborough. | |
| 6 |  | 2 Last Week: 4 | The Colts' defense has allowed 246 rushing yards between the tackles in its past two games, just 1 yard fewer than it allowed in the first four games. | |
| 7 |  | -- Last Week: 7 | Simple stuff for the Niners. San Francisco is 4-0 when forcing multiple turnovers this year and 0-2 when not. The 49ers are plus-8 in turnover margin in wins and minus-6 in losses. | |
| 8 |  | -- Last Week: 8 | No team has allowed fewer touchdowns with four or fewer rushers than the Bengals (two), winners of two straight and four of their past five games. | |
| 9 |  | 2 Last Week: 11 | Losing Randall Cobb and James Jones would hurt. Aaron Rodgers was 4-of-9 with an interception targeting Jordy Nelson, who, with Jermichael Finley, accounted for nine of Rodgers' 11 second-half passes. | |
| 10 |  | -- Last Week: 10 | Jay Cutler has thrown for 602 yards, four touchdowns and no interceptions in his past two games. Brandon Marshall? He caught nine of 10 targets for 87 yards and two touchdowns on Thursday. | |
| 11 |  | 1 Last Week: 12 | Matthew Stafford completed both end zone throws to Joseph Fauria on Sunday. Stafford is 4-of-6 to Fauria and 3-of-10 on end zone attempts to all other Lions this season. | |
| 12 |  | 3 Last Week: 9 | Ravens rushers were hit in the backfield on nine of 21 designed runs Sunday, their most since Week 1 of the 2010 season against the Jets. The Steelers are up next. | |
| 13 |  | 2 Last Week: 15 | Five touchdowns, 506 yards and a pick had Romo vilified last week in a loss. Now? His 170 yards, touchdown and interception in a win somehow was better. Go figure. | |
| 14 |  | 1 Last Week: 13 | Did the bye help Miami's inconsistency? This team won in Indianapolis but has consecutive losses to the Saints and Ravens. Divisional matchups loom against the Bills and Pats. | |
| 15 |  | 5 Last Week: 20 | Keenan Allen had career highs in targets (12) and receptions (nine) in Monday's win. Philip Rivers was 7-for-7 targeting Allen 5 yards or fewer downfield. | |
| 16 |  | 2 Last Week: 14 | Tennessee's plus-8 turnover margin is the second best in the league (Chiefs, plus-12). But Jake Locker's injury and Ryan Fitzpatrick's sporadic play means there's a low ceiling on what the Titans can accomplish. | |
| 17 |  | 4 Last Week: 21 | A good day rushing opened up play-action for Nick Foles on Sunday. Foles was 9-of-12 on play-action passes, including a pair of touchdowns thrown deeper than 35 yards downfield. | |
| 18 |  | 2 Last Week: 16 | The Browns have flashed quality at times this season but didn't have much in Sunday's loss to the Lions. This Sunday's trip to Lambeau likely won't allow much, either. | |
| 19 |  | 6 Last Week: 25 | QBs with at least eight passes, two touchdowns and no incompletions against at least five rushers since the start of 2008: Drew Brees, Tom Brady Brett Favre and ... Sam Bradford. | |
| 20 |  | 2 Last Week: 18 | One step forward, one step back for Geno Smith. A week after a three-touchdown performance and game-winning drive in Atlanta, Smith threw two interceptions and managed six points against the Steelers. | |
| 21 |  | 2 Last Week: 19 | Carson Palmer was 1-of-8 with two interceptions on throws at least 15 yards downfield Sunday. Palmer's seven picks on deep throws lead all quarterbacks. | |
| 22 |  | 5 Last Week: 17 | Out goes Matt Schaub, in comes T.J. Yates ... and yet another pick-six. The comedy of errors that is the Texans right now probably won't look much better at Arrowhead in Week 7. | |
| 23 |  | 1 Last Week: 22 | The offense has big problems, but the next three opponents have a combined 5-11 record. If the Falcons are to make a move this year, the next month is crucial. | |
| 24 |  | 2 Last Week: 26 | Cam Newton completed a career-high 85.7 percent of passes within 10 yards downfield against the Vikings, with more touchdowns (two) than in his previous four games combined. | |
| 25 |  | 2 Last Week: 23 | Thad Lewis had 233 yards of offense and three touchdowns Sunday, but one lost fumble on a scramble was the difference. A Bengals touchdown nine plays later hurt in a three-point loss. | |
| 26 |  | 2 Last Week: 24 | Terrelle Pryor was sacked 10 times Sunday, the most since Greg McElroy was sacked 11 times in Week 16 last year. Only five quarterbacks since 2001 have reached double digits. | |
| 27 |  | 2 Last Week: 29 | It took until Week 6, but the Steelers' defense finally forced a turnover with two interceptions. Last year, it took Pittsburgh 11 snaps to force its first turnover. | |
| 28 |  | 1 Last Week: 27 | Forget about RG III for a moment. The Redskins' defense has allowed a 79.8 completion percentage when sending four or fewer rushers, more than five points worse than any other team. | |
| 29 |  | 1 Last Week: 28 | The Vikings' defense has cost the team 44.6 expected points this season, worst in the league. Uncertainty at quarterback and a bad defense could equal a lost season. | |
| 30 |  | -- Last Week: 30 | The Buccaneers are in a tailspin, and it won't get easier any time soon. They have tough games in Atlanta, hosting Carolina and in Seattle next. | |
| 31 |  | -- Last Week: 31 | Eli Manning has thrown an interception on 6.6 percent of passes, at least two percentage points worse than any season of his career and better than only Blaine Gabbert. | |
| 32 |  | -- Last Week: 32 | The Jags held Denver receivers to a season-low yards-after-catch total, and Justin Blackmon had a huge day. Positive effort on the round, but the Jaguars remain winless. | |
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| Glossary |
| The rankings were determined by ESPN's Power Panel, a group of more than 80 writers, editors and television personalities. |
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