Six weeks into the NFL season, we see separation between the best and worst teams in the league. Our LWOS Braintrust Week 7 NFL Rankings find the San Francisco 49ers and Kansas City Chiefs as the clear top two. The Los Angeles Chargers and Miami Dolphins are our clear bottom two. In between, we have plenty of good(such as the Buffalo Bills and Minnesota Vikings), bad(Dallas Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles), and ugly(Washington Commanders and Indianapolis Colts). Take a closer look to learn more.
LWOS Braintrust Week 7 NFL Rankings: 49ers and Chiefs at the Top
LWOS Braintrust Week 7 NFL Rankings: 49ers, Chiefs, Bills, Vikings, and Jaguars #1-5
The San Francisco 49ers and Kansas City Chiefs have pulled away from the pack and established themselves as the top two teams in the league. The Chicago Bears jumped up eight spots to claim #8 in our rankings, edging out the Seattle Seahawks. Moving into the top ten for the first time this season are the Green Bay Packers at #10.
LWOS Braintrust Week 7 NFL Rankings: Biggest Risers
The Bears’ jump of eight spots is the league’s best. A team on the rise with a two-game winning streak is the Houston Texans, moving to #18 from #24. Another noteworthy jump is from the New England Patriots, moving to #6 from #10. The Patriots have rebounded from a rough start to the season, and if quarterback Drake Maye can be consistent, they will be a top-five team in a short time.
LWOS Braintrust Week 7 NFL Rankings: Biggest Falls
The Philadelphia Eagles have seen their season collapse, and their fall from #15 to #23 was the biggest drop this week.
LWOS Braintrust Week 7 NFL Rankings: Bottom of the NFL
The Miami Dolphins resume spot #32 in our LWOS Braintrust Rankings, but the Los Angeles Chargers are doing their best to fall to the bottom.
Week 7 NFL Rankings: 49ers and Chiefs at the Top
| Rank | Last Week | Record | Team | ESPN | NFL.com | CBS | SI | PFT | Yahoo | The Braintrust | LWOS Braintrust Ranking |
| 1 | 1 | 6-0 | San Francisco 49ers | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1.189 |
| 2 | 2 | 5-0 | Kansas City Chiefs | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1.811 |
| 3 | 6 | 5-1 | Buffalo Bills | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 9 | 4 | 3.954 |
| 4 | 3 | 5-0 | Minnesota Vikings | 4 | 4 | 12 | 7 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 5.1355 |
| 5 | 4 | 4-2 | Jacksonville Jaguars | 5 | 9 | 5 | 8 | 4 | 9 | 5 | 6.236 |
| 6 | 10 | 4-2 | New England Patriots | 7 | 5 | 6 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 6.7675 |
| 7 | 8 | 4-2 | Denver Broncos | 10 | 7 | 4 | 10 | 6 | 12 | 7 | 7.866 |
| 8 | 16 | 4-2 | Chicago Bears | 9 | 6 | 11 | 5 | 10 | 11 | 9 | 8.816 |
| 9 | 7 | 3-3 | Seattle Seahawks | 6 | 16 | 8 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 10 | 8.869 |
| 10 | 12 | 4-2 | Green Bay Packers | 11 | 11 | 15 | 4 | 9 | 14 | 8 | 10.2585 |
Week 7 NFL Rankings: Playoff Contention
| Rank | Last Week | Record | Team | ESPN | NFL.com | CBS | SI | PFT | Yahoo | The Braintrust | LWOS Braintrust Ranking |
| 11 | 5 | 4-2 | Baltimore Ravens | 8 | 8 | 7 | 15 | 12 | 15 | 12 | 10.899 |
| 12 | 13 | 3-2 | Cincinnati Bengals | 13 | 12 | 9 | 12 | 14 | 10 | 11 | 11.6645 |
| 13 | 9 | 3-2 | Detroit Lions | 12 | 15 | 10 | 11 | 14 | 11 | 13 | 12.4745 |
| 14 | 18 | 3-2 | Carolina Panthers | 15 | 10 | 14 | 13 | 17 | 13 | 15 | 14.0175 |
| 15 | 14 | 2-4 | Los Angeles Rams | 14 | 18 | 13 | 16 | 15 | 15 | 14 | 14.954 |
| 16 | 11 | 4-2 | Pittsburgh Steelers | 17 | 14 | 17 | 17 | 13 | 16 | 17 | 15.7855 |
| 17 | 21 | 4-2 | Cleveland Browns | 19 | 13 | 18 | 18 | 11 | 19 | 16 | 16.0335 |
| 18 | 24 | 2-4 | Houston Texans | 16 | 19 | 16 | 14 | 19 | 17 | 19 | 17.4125 |
| 19 | 23 | 3-3 | Las Vegas Raiders | 18 | 17 | 20 | 19 | 16 | 18 | 18 | 17.877 |
| 20 | 20 | 2-4 | Dallas Cowboys | 20 | 22 | 19 | 21 | 22 | 21 | 21 | 20.913 |
This second tier of teams feels like one win or one loss could result in a jump or fall of 8-10 spots.
Week 7 NFL Rankings: Third Tier Dominated by NFC Teams
| Rank | Last Week | Record | Team | ESPN | NFL.com | CBS | SI | PFT | Yahoo | The Braintrust | LWOS Braintrust Ranking |
| 21 | 19 | 2-4 | Atlanta Falcons | 22 | 20 | 21 | 23 | 20 | 22 | 20 | 20.9865 |
| 22 | 17 | 3-2 – 1 | New York Giants | 23 | 21 | 23 | 20 | 18 | 20 | 22 | 21.0145 |
| 23 | 15 | 2-4 | Philadelphia Eagles | 21 | 23 | 24 | 27 | 21 | 28 | 24 | 23.735 |
| 24 | 28 | 2-4 | New Orleans Saints | 24 | 24 | 22 | 25 | 25 | 23 | 25 | 24.0825 |
| 25 | 29 | 2-4 | Arizona Cardinals | 27 | 26 | 27 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 26 | 25.1165 |
| 26 | 27 | 2-4 | New York Jets | 25 | 25 | 25 | 24 | 28 | 29 | 23 | 25.518 |
| 27 | 26 | 1-5 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 28 | 29 | 26 | 30 | 29 | 26 | 27 | 27.825 |
| 28 | 25 | 1-4 – 1 | Washington Commanders | 29 | 27 | 28 | 26 | 30 | 25 | 29 | 27.9315 |
| 29 | 22 | 2-4 | Indianapolis Colts | 26 | 28 | 30 | 28 | 27 | 28 | 30 | 28.16 |
| 30 | 32 | 1-5 | Tennessee Titans | 30 | 30 | 29 | 29 | 26 | 30 | 31 | 29.3115 |
The bottom tier teams are true works in progress. Two wins in a row from any team in the bunch would see their composite ranking rise to top 15 levels. Two wins in a row, and a bottom-five ranking in the league, is on tap.
Week 7 NFL Rankings: Bottom Two Dropping
| Rank | Last Week | Record | Team | ESPN | NFL.com | CBS | SI | PFT | Yahoo | The Braintrust | LWOS Braintrust Ranking |
| 31 | 30 | 0-6 | Los Angeles Chargers | 31 | 31 | 31 | 31 | 32 | 31 | 28 | 30.596 |
| 32 | 31 | 0-5 | Miami Dolphins | 32 | 32 | 32 | 32 | 31 | 32 | 32 | 31.837 |
The Last Word
We can see at this point in the season that the league’s top teams(49ers, Chiefs, Bills, Vikings) look like playoff locks, and then all the rest of the league except for the Dolphins, Chargers, and Titans have a chance to make the playoffs. Some teams are hanging on by a thread, of course, and others are nearly a playoff lock. Teams have just three weeks until the November 10 trade deadline to decide if acquiring or trading talent makes sense. Trades will have significant impacts on our LWOS Braintrust rankings. Stay tuned.
More NFL News
- Chargers Top NFL Pressure Index Leaders, with Eagles and Saints Also Struggling
- Football Obsessions Impact Productivity and Health for Fans
- Buffalo Bills Week 6 Takeaways: Hard-Fought Win and 5-1 at the Bye
- NFL Corporate Sponsors for 2026 Include Team, Stadium and Jersey Patch Sponsorships: NFC Look
- 2026 NFL Guardian Caps: Helmets Improve NFL Player Safety
Main Photo: [Cary Edmonson] – Reuters Connect