The problem with judging teams by their records is that records oftentimes don't tell the whole story. For example, the San Diego Chargers may not be as good as their 4-1 record says they are, and the St. Louis Rams may not be as bad as their 0-5 record says they are.
OK, fine. Maybe the Rams are as bad as their record indicates. The same is true of most of the other lousy teams around the NFL.
But not all of them. Some of the league's bad teams are actually pretty decent. Why don't we go ahead and give them some props?
4. Carolina Panthers (No. 25 overall)
The Panthers are 1-5 and their only win came at home against a hapless Jacksonville Jaguars squad that is also 1-5. Clearly, the Panthers are a bad team.
This is true, but it's rare that bad teams are as fun to watch as the Panthers. Cam Newton is already one of the league's most exciting players, and waiting for him to hook up with Steve Smith makes Carolina's games worth watching.
Moreover, you have to give the Panthers credit for refusing to be a pushover. They've only won one game, but they've been competitive in all six of their games. The teams that share the bottom of the barrel with them cannot claim that they have done the same.
3. Seattle Seahawks (No. 22 overall)
At the start of the season, it would not have surprised me if the Seahawks ended up going 0-16 this season. It looked like they were that bad, and that they were thus that much of a shoo-in for Andrew Luck.
Instead, the Seahawks are sitting on two wins, the last of which was a surprise road upset of the New York Giants. I'm still not quite convinced that the Seahawks are a good team, but they do seem to be better than the sum of their parts.
Kind of like they were last year.
2. Philadelphia Eagles (No. 21 overall)
Admittedly, I am quite ashamed to be including the Eagles on this list. A team that came into the season with as much hype as they did does not deserve props for being 2-4.
That said, I still think you have to give the Eagles props for the outstanding individual pieces that they have. Their win over the Washington Redskins notwithstanding, the Eagles still haven't figured out how to make these pieces fit together, but at least they have them.
Goodness knows what will happen if and when the Eagles figure out how to make it all work.
1. Dallas Cowboys (No. 20 overall)
How good are the Cowboys? Well, they're the only team to beat the San Francisco 49ers, and they were able to do it on the road.
Yes, but how bad are the Cowboys?
You should know the answer to that question. The folks at ESPN have been hitting us over the head with Dallas' problems all season, and these very problems have led them to a 2-3 record. For all their talent, the Cowboys do not have a killer instinct. It has cost them three wins so far, and it might rob them of more going forward.
If that happens, ESPN will make sure you have all the details. If the Cowboys happen to develop a killer instinct, you'll hear about that too.
Zachary D. Rymer's Week 7 Power Rankings
| Rank | Team | Record |
| 1 | Green Bay Packers | 6-0 |
| 2 | New England Patriots | 5-1 |
| 3 | Baltimore Ravens | 4-1 |
| 4 | San Francisco 49ers | 5-1 |
| 5 | Detroit Lions | 5-1 |
| 6 | San Diego Chargers | 4-1 |
| 7 | New Orleans Saints | 4-2 |
| 8 | Oakland Raiders | 4-2 |
| 9 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 4-2 |
| 10 | Pittsburgh Steelers | 4-2 |
| 11 | Buffalo Bills | 4-2 |
| 12 | New York Giants | 4-2 |
| 13 | Tennessee Titans | 3-2 |
| 14 | Cincinnati Bengals | 4-2 |
| 15 | Washington Redskins | 3-2 |
| 16 | Atlanta Falcons | 3-3 |
| 17 | Houston Texans | 3-3 |
| 18 | Chicago Bears | 3-3 |
| 19 | New York Jets | 3-3 |
| 20 | Dallas Cowboys | 2-3 |
| 21 | Philadelphia Eagles | 2-4 |
| 22 | Seattle Seahawks | 2-3 |
| 23 | Cleveland Browns | 2-3 |
| 24 | Kansas City Chiefs | 2-3 |
| 25 | Carolina Panthers | 1-5 |
| 26 | Denver Broncos | 1-4 |
| 27 | Arizona Cardinals | 1-4 |
| 28 | Jacksonville Jaguars | 1-5 |
| 29 | Minnesota Vikings | 1-5 |
| 30 | Indianapolis Colts | 0-6 |
| 31 | Miami Dolphins | 0-5 |
| 32 | St. Louis Rams | 0-5 |
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