NFL post week six power rankings

New England Patriots

For the first time this season, the Patriots gave up a score through the air: a long touchdown pass, with an impressive effort by Giants’ receiver Golden Tate, who shook off Patriots defenders before taking off for the score. Rookie quarterback Daniel Jones and the Giants’ offense could not get things going without running back Saquon Barkley, tight end Evan Engram and wide receiver Sterling Shepard. New England continues to roll over their opponents, and they now have their first 6-0 start since 2015.

New Orleans Saints

The Saints’ defense was as tough as nails against rookie quarterback Gardner Minshew and the Jaguars on the road. Minshew was never able to settle in against a brutal pass rush from the Saints, and could only hang six points against them as a result. It was a quiet day for the Saints’ offense against a surprisingly stout Jacksonville front, but quarterback Teddy Bridgewater and his crew were able to do just as much as they needed to in the victory as they now improve to 4-0 without future hall of fame quarterback Drew Brees.

San Francisco 49ers

Speaking of defensive domination, the 49ers have validated the legitimacy of their defensive unit. Defensive coordinator Robert Saleh was hyped up Sunday afternoon as his team shredded the Rams, especially as his defense stopped the NFL’s second-best offense from a year ago in a goal-line stand, including a stop on fourth down to turn the ball over. Saleh has every reason to be excited about his defensive unit, as rookie defensive end Nick Bosa came in and has become a leader for this talented group, elevating them to this level. The real and scary question is, can this 49ers’ front seven get even better?

Seattle Seahawks

Early on in Sunday’s matchup against the Browns, it looked like the game was going to be all Cleveland. The Browns were coming off of a tough Monday night loss and it appeared they were ready to rally behind it. They carried momentum as they jumped out to a 20-6 lead over Seattle in the first quarter. From then on, it was all Seattle. Quarterback Russell Wilson finished with 295 passing yards, two passing touchdowns, and a rushing touchdown to boost his case for league MVP. Seattle’s defense was able to force a big turnover late in the game to close out quarterback Baker Mayfield and the Browns.

Green Bay Packers

One of the biggest takeaways from Monday night’s game against the Lions was that the Packers have something special with their two-headed monster at running back, via the duo of Aaron Jones and Jamaal Williams. The two combined to pace Green Bay on the ground to the tune of 170 yards, bringing the Packers back in their contest against Detroit. Look for these two to be quarterback Aaron Rodgers’ best friends come December.

Houston Texans

The Texans delivered a big statement win over the Kansas City Chiefs. Houston is the latest team to use the blueprint of controlling the clock to beat the Chiefs. The Texans amassed 194 rushing yards, beating the Chiefs in the time of possession battle and making sure quarterback Patrick Mahomes had as little time as possible with the football. The Texans held the ball for twice the amount of time as the Chiefs, 40 minutes to 20, which may be the key for other NFL teams moving forward against Mahomes. The Texans are as legit as any other team and now when it comes to seeding later in the season, Houston will have the edge in a potential tie-breaker over Kansas City.

Kansas City Chiefs

The defense continues to be a disaster for the Chiefs. Adequate run defense is essentially what prevented this team from making the Super Bowl last year, and after not addressing the need for depth on the defensive side in the offseason, the defense is an even more glaring issue than it was last year. Add in the fact that the offensive line has not been able to protect Mahomes, resulting in an ankle injury. Head coach Andy Reid can’t expect his gunslinger to throw 50 touchdowns every year and overshadow the enormous flaws of the rest of the team.

Buffalo Bills

Buffalo is sitting in the driver’s seat to improve to 5-1 this week as they take on the Miami Dolphins, who have announced that they will bench quarterback Josh Rosen in favor of quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick this Sunday. It would be safe to say the only way Buffalo loses this game is if Fitzpatrick flashes the “Fitzmagic” he has shown he is capable of in years past, particularly last season when he threw for over 400 yards in the first three weeks of the season. Looking at the talent, or lack thereof, around Fitzpatrick, it doesn’t seem like there will be much magic happening.

Minnesota Vikings

Maybe it was just another one of those games where Kirk Cousins fools us all into thinking he is one of the better quarterbacks in the league, which he has done time and time again and how he earned a fully guaranteed contract, but the Vikings offense looked deadly against Philadelphia. The Vikings’ wide receiver Stephon Diggs looked happy in Minnesota’s offense, hauling in seven catches for 167 yards and three touchdowns. The Eagles’ secondary has been atrocious this season, so take this performance for what it’s worth, but the Vikings may have finally clicked offensively. Sunday’s game against Detroit could be telling.

Baltimore Ravens

Baltimore grabs another win to open up a two-game lead in the weak AFC North. Quarterback Lamar Jackson dominated on the ground, picking up 152 yards and a touchdown on 19 carries. The Ravens still have a lot to prove against stronger competition before they should be considered legitimate contenders, but a 4-2 record to this point puts that in a three-way tie for the second seed in the AFC and a top 10 spot on the power rankings.