Two years ago at this time there were five undefeated teams remaining. Now there are none with Kansas City going down. But they weren’t the only top-10 in our weekly power rankings to go down in Week 6. A whopping 75 per cent of our top eight lost this weekend.
That means the league’s longest win streak in the NFL belongs to the Philadelphia Eagles at four games.
The second-longest is three games. And it belongs to — you guessed it — the New Orleans Saints.
Those two facts are good enough to bump both teams up in our panel’s rankings… for now.
This week our panel includes editors Geoff Lowe and Craig Battle, and staff writers Donnovan Bennett and Mike Johnston.
| Rank | Team | Previous | |
| 1 |  |
Carson Wentz’s MVP-type play and the continued dominance of the defensive front seven (Fletcher Cox is a beast) have made the Eagles an early-season force in the NFC. (GL) |
4 |
| 2 |  |
Stymied by the Steelers’ D for much of the game, the Chiefs put up just three points in the first three quarters. They scored 10 points in the fourth and threatened late, but fell short of maintaining their undefeated season. (CB) |
1 |
| 3 |  |
It’s important not to downplay how crucial Week 7’s division win was for the Patriots, as it could end up being vital in the surprisingly-tight AFC East. But the defence continues to be a concern: New England has allowed a 300-yard passer in each of their first six games. (GL) |
5 |
| 4 |  |
This is the first time this year Antonio Brown had 150 yards receiving and Le’Veon Bell had 150 rushing yards. Only problem is there’s one ball. Martavis Bryant has reportedly recently requested a trade. His teammates and coaches are well aware that he’s unhappy. (DB) |
10 |
| 5 |  |
Questionable fourth-quarter play calling and game management cost the Panthers a win over the Eagles on Thursday. (MJ) |
3 |
| 6 |  |
As one AFC North QB is put on the IR, another comes off as Teddy Bridgewater has been cleared to be activated from the PUP list. Bridgwater’s return after 14 months of rehab could be the biggest boost to Minnesota’s playoff hopes. (DB) |
11 |
| 7 |  |
They get the Giants coming out of their bye week, which suddenly doesn’t look as much like the gift it did even a few days ago. (CB) |
9 |
| 8 |  |
This is the first 4-2 start for the Rams since 2006. Now Jared Goff and Co. will try not to go 4-6 from here on in like the 2006 Rams team did. (CB) |
15 |
| 9 |  |
Washington finds itself in a good position with a massive Monday Night Football matchup against the Eagles ahead, but there’s reason for concern after allowing the 49ers to hang around on Sunday. (GL) |
12 |
| 10 |  |
Since their coming-out party dismantling of the Cowboys in Week 2, the Broncos are just 1-2 — and that win was by six points over the Derek Carr–less Raiders at home. Now they hit the road for a “Who’s For Real?” match versus the Chargers, who they beat by three in Week 1. (CB) |
6 |
| 11 |  |
It’s amazing what having a capable starting quarterback can do for a franchise. Deshaun Watson became the first rookie QB to throw for three or more touchdowns in three consecutive games. Even without J.J. Watt, the Texans have both short- and long-term hope thanks to the rejuvenated offence. |
17 |
| 12 |  |
It’s not as bad as blowing a 28-3 lead in the Super Bowl but allowing Jay Cutler and the Dolphins to storm back from a 17-point second-half deficit is downright embarrassing. Matt Ryan has only thrown for multiple touchdowns in one game this season, while Julio Jones is averaging only 73.4 yards per game and hasn’t scored. The Falcons could and probably should be 1-5. (MJ) |
7 |
| 13 |  |
Since 1992 the Packers have played only nine games without Aaron Rodgers or Brett Favre. Looks like they may play 10 more in short order — Rodgers suffered a broken collarbone and could be done for the season. (DB) |
2 |
| 14 |  |
The Bills return from their bye week with two winnable home games against the Bucs and Raiders. (GL) |
14 |
| 15 |  |
While Adrian Peterson racked up 134 yards and two TDs in his first game with the Cardinals, the Saints put up a 50-burger in a wild win over the Lions in the team’s first game without AP. New Orleans is now a game above .500 for the first time since 2013. (MJ) |
22 |
| 16 |  |
The looming suspension of Ezekiel Elliott is big trouble for a Cowboys team that has already played below expectations through their first five games. (GL) |
13 |
| 17 |  |
Golden Tate will miss a couple weeks with an AC joint sprain. The bye comes at a good time as Matthew Stafford is hampered with a right ankle injury. (DB) |
8 |
| 18 |  |
Held the Rams offence in check, only allowing 124 yards through the air, but it was poor special teams play that cost them. They allowed a kickoff return touchdown on the opening play of the game, had a punt blocked and returned for a TD and Jason Myers missed two field goals, which cost him his job. (MJ) |
16 |
| 19 |  |
Of all the shocking results in Week 6, Miami’s win in Atlanta was the biggest jaw-dropper. Down 17-0 nothing on the road, a heavy dose of Jay Ajayi and a monstrous second-half defensive effort got the Dolphins back in the thick of things in the AFC East. (GL) |
24 |
| 20 |  |
Adrian Peterson’s first four games with the Saints: 27 carries, 81 yards, no TDs. Week 6 with the Cardinals: 26 carries, 134 yards, 2 TDs. Safe to say he’s not done and the Cards benefitted in a win over the Buccaneers. (CB) |
26 |
| 21 |  |
Apart from a late 72-yard touchdown from Derrick Henry, the Titans struggled to run the ball. They were too cute in the red zone and settled for five field goals. Once Marcus Mariota is back to full health it’ll be a different story. (MJ) |
25 |
| 22 |  |
Considering the circumstances, Sunday’s loss will be tough for the Jets to swallow. But New York can take solace in the fact that they’re very much alive in the division. (GL) |
19 |
| 23 |  |
Lost 38-33 to the Cardinals but that score is not indicative of how one-sided that game was. The defence was mauled in the first half and the score was 31-0 until midway through the third quarter. Jameis Winston injured his shoulder so the Bucs might need to rely on Ryan Fitzpatrick against the Bills. (MJ) |
18 |
| 24 |  |
Things are looking up for the Bengals as they’d won two straight heading into their bye week. Since his promotion, offensive coordinator Bill Lazor has Andy Dalton completing 73.1 percent of his passes for 826 yards and seven touchdowns. (DB) |
23 |
| 25 |  |
A two-game win streak hilariously makes them one of the hottest teams in the league. Melvin Gordon has put this team on his back the last two weeks with 313 yards from scrimmage and four touchdowns. (CB) |
27 |
| 26 |  |
Mitchell Trubisky gets his first win, but he completed just eight of 16 for 113 yards in a win over the Ravens. After blowing a 14-point lead, the Bears held on to win in OT. (DB) |
29 |
| 27 |  |
Baltimore had five drops in their loss to Chicago. The Ravens offence scored one TD or fewer five times in 2015 and six times in 2016, and they’ve done it three times already this season. (DB) |
20 |
| 28 | |
Losing on a last-second FG to the Chargers to fall two games below .500 hurts this team’s playoff chances. (MJ) |
21 |
| 29 |  |
Hats off to the Giants. After the entire football world left them for dead, Big Blue completely stifled the Broncos in Denver with the same shutdown defence that got them to the playoffs in 2016. (GL) |
30 |
| 30 |  |
Jacoby Brissett showed an ability to limit mistakes and utilize his check-downs effectively in a loss to the Titans, but this team has difficulty stretching the field. That doesn’t bode well for their Week 7 matchup against the Jags and that imposing secondary. (MJ) |
28 |
| 31 |  |
The Niners just keep racking up moral victories. They’ve now lost five straight by three points or fewer, and four of those games have been on the road. Still, they’re putting up the 20th-most yards per game in the NFL and giving up the fifth-most. It’d be a stretch to say the record is underserved. (CB) |
31 |
| 32 |  |
The Browns traded the 2017 pick used on Deshaun Watson and took Deshone Kizer instead. In 2016 they traded the pick that turned into Carson Wentz, then drafted Cody Kessler with one of the eight picks they used before Dallas snapped up Dak Prescott. How long can Cleveland’s “Moneyball” regime last if they keep this up? (DB) |
32 |
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