2023 NFL Week 7 Power Rankings: Cowboys rise with win

Life is so much better when your football team wins going into the bye.

The taste of victory hovers for just a bit longer and if you can pick up even more help while you are off then things are multiplied exponentially. This past week saw the Cowboys indeed get some help and when they were presented with an opportunity to do work themselves they got the job done on Monday night against the Chargers.

All told Week 6 was a strange one in the NFL and we are here to rank the lay of the land now knowing how it unfolded. It is time for this week’s power rankings and collection of where people around the internet have the Cowboys ranked.

You can see last week’s rankings right here.

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1. Kansas City Chiefs, 5-1 (LW: 3)

Back at the top where they have been for so long.

2. Miami Dolphins, 5-1 (LW: 4)

Watching them visit Philadelphia on Sunday night will be fun. This offense is amazing.

3. San Francisco 49ers, 5-1 (LW: 1)

They have more than earned the benefit of the doubt, but it sure was nice to see them look mortal for once, even if it was a week after they looked anything but against the Cowboys.

4. Detroit Lions, 5-1 (LW: 5)

Everything happening here is very real. What a time.

5. Philadelphia Eagles, 5-2 (LW: 2)

This may seem like a large drop, but while the Eagles have been winning this season they have hardly looked stout in the process. Getting to 5-1 in the process of that is impressive, but the next few weeks will be tough: MIA, at WAS, DAL, BYE, at KC, BUF, SF.

6. Buffalo Bills, 4-2 (LW: 6)

A win is a win, but Sunday night was gross.

7. Baltimore Ravens, 4-2 (LW: 7)

They are an impressive 4-2 with a chance to show who they really are against the Lions this week.

8. Dallas Cowboys, 4-2 (LW: 9)

I’d put them ahead of the Ravens if the offense was reliable. Hopefully the bye helps stabilize things.

9. Jacksonville Jaguars, 4-2 (LW: 8)

Trevor Lawrence and the offense get all of the headlines, but the Jaguars defense is impressive in its own right. They have to get through Thursday night, but if they do with a win against the Saints they will be sitting pretty with a date in Pittsburgh right before their bye.

10. Cincinnati Bengals, 3-3 (LW: 17)

To their credit they have dug out of an 0-2 hole, just like last year, and it has to feel amazing to reach .500 at the bye. They might be back.

11. Seattle Seahawks, 3-2 (LW: 10)

Honestly I picked Seattle to beat Cincy and thought it might work out. The Seahawks have a lot of interesting pieces but until they can hang with the elite it will be a constant game of wonder.

12. Los Angeles Rams, 3-3 (LW: 12)

We have made mention of this already but it appears that the Rams are at least a relevant team in 2023. Who would have thought?

13. Cleveland Browns, 3-2 (LW: 19)

Sunday was such an impressive defensive performance (we would know).

The Browns are very much in the AFC North conversation.

14. Houston Texans, 3-3 (LW: 21)

While C.J. Stroud threw his first career interception, the fact that it didn’t really wind up hurting his team (New Orleans fumbled on the return) is sort of representative of how Houston is turning the tide. They are a fun and interesting team once again.

15. Washington Commanders, 3-3 (LW: 25)

It is so hard to buy into them, but they have reached .500 with back-to-back division games (not against our Cowboys) up next. I am intrigued.

16. New Orleans Saints, 3-3 (LW: 11)

Everything about them just feels so difficult.

17. Las Vegas Raiders, 3-3 (LW: 22)

Similarly, the Raiders make football look a lot more difficult.

18. Tennessee Titans, 2-4 (LW: 13)

Obviously the Titans fall in line with this thought as well. It has been tough sledding as of late.

19. Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 3-2 (LW: 14)

At least they looked incredible. The creamsicle jerseys are wonderful.

20. Los Angeles Chargers, 2-3 (LW: 16)

They have so much potential that it is weird how they can’t unlock it.

21. Minnesota Vikings, 2-4 (LW: 26)

I’m guilty of wanting to believe in the Vikings, but at 2-4 are they totally out of the conversation?!

22. New York Jets, 3-3 (LW: 24)

Thank you very much!

For real though, next up they have the Giants. Are they not two weeks away (they are on bye) from being north of .500?

23. Indianapolis Colts, 3-3 (LW: 15)

Tough times right now, especially if Anthony Richardson is going to miss extended time.

24. Pittsburgh Steelers, 3-2 (LW: 18)

Welcome back from the bye.

25. Atlanta Falcons, 3-3 (LW: 20)

At least Kyle Pitts scored a touchdown.

26. Green Bay Packers, 2-3 (LW: 23)

Also back from a week off.

27. Arizona Cardinals, 1-5 (LW: 27)

Wouldn’t it be something if the Cowboys were their only win? I kid.

28. Chicago Bears, 1-5 (LW: 28)

Their offense without Justin Fields will be hard to watch.

29. Denver Broncos, 1-5 (LW: 29)

Just like this team.

30. New York Giants, 1-5 (LW: 30)

And this one.

31. New England Patriots, 1-5 (LW: 31)

Oh and this one.

32. Carolina Panthers, 0-6 (LW: 32)

Bryce Young looked nice for a bit!

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NFL.com: 8 (LW: 8)

No movement here.

After getting steamrolled by the 49ers, the Cowboys’ defense ratcheted up its performance Monday night, particularly at winning time. Immediately after I typed “Where is Micah?” and “Where are the big plays?” in my notes, both questions were answered in style. Micah Parsons delivered a huge sack to put the Chargers on the ropes, and Stephon Gilmore provided the knockout blow with a pick on the very next play. Dak Prescott had some much-needed big moments in the win, and the Cowboys weathered a late storm — another crucial test passed. Los Angeles controlled the third quarter, but the Cowboys responded with an impressive touchdown drive and a much-needed stop ... until the muffed punt that led to the Bolts’ game-tying TD. That’s when Prescott willed the ‘Boys back, and “Mr. Perfect” Brandon Aubrey hit another big kick. Impressive resilience that’ll make the bye week sweeter in Big D.

ESPN: 7 (LW: 7)

No movement again. Plus they added a lesson learned for each team.

Lesson learned: We can’t trust them.

They are either outstanding (see the blowout wins against the Giants, Jets and Patriots) or poor (see the losses at the Cardinals and 49ers). For a team that won 12 games in each of the two previous seasons, that inconsistency was unexpected. The defense can create turnovers (it has forced 12 so far), but the offense is still searching for an identity. This bye week might be coming at a good time even if the Cowboys will not get a lot of on-field work done. It will allow them to catch their breath after an up-and-down start. — Todd Archer

USA Today: 8 (LW: 8)

Also no movement.

Scratching out a win in LA against the Chargers – in front of legions of Dallas fans – salvaged a bye week that was on the verge of ruination, especially pitted against former OC Kellen Moore and coming on the heels of the blowout in San Francisco. WR Brandin Cooks’ TD catch Monday means he’s reached the end zone with five NFL teams.

Yahoo: 7 (LW: 7)

It is a hard week to put the Cowboys above anyone that was above them last week which is why no movement is happening a lot.

Seeing Brandin Cooks show up with a touchdown and a big third-down catch on Dallas’ long drive to take the lead was a good sign. The Cowboys’ offense has not been good this season, but if Cooks emerges that would help.

CBS Sports: 6 (LW: 7)

The streak is broken!

It wasn’t pretty, and there were a lot of mistakes, but they found a way to win Monday night against the Chargers. They head into the bye week feeling a lot better than a week ago.

The Athletic: 9 (LW: 7)

You are not misreading, the Cowboys dropped here. The Jaguars and Browns leapfrogged them. By the way they listed “who’d you beat” for every team.

Who’d you beat?: Giants, Jets, Patriots, Chargers

Are the Cowboys for real or not? Wins against the quartet of teams they have beaten don’t exactly tell us a lot, but at least Mike McCarthy can spend his bye week thinking how smart he was to send Kellen Moore out of town. Dallas held Moore (the Chargers’ offensive coordinator) and Los Angeles to 53 rushing yards Monday night.

Sports Illustrated: 8 (LW: 5)

Interestingly, another drop. And a much bigger one at that.

A bit of an unusual Cowboys win in that the defensive pressure didn’t show up until the waning moments. Still, we saw in one play: a game-sealing interception of Justin Herbert, which showed just how anchored this defense is at all critical spots. While I’m not sure why the ball was going to Quentin Johnston in the first place, Stephon Gilmore was able to take advantage of the rookie’s inexperience, drive upfield and box him out for a pick. After a few weeks of us calling Dallas a paper tiger, this was as good a result as they could have hoped before the bye.