Top 5 NFL Teams Through Week 7
Drawing conclusions through the first seven weeks of the NFL season is little more than an exercise in futility, but what the heck? Here's the current rankings, in order, of the most impressive teams as we near the close of the first half of the season.
1. Denver Broncos (5-1)
Denver's only loss came in Seattle and is coming fresh off a 42-17 thrashing of the 49ers. They have the most explosive offense in the league led by the most prolific quarterback of all-time. Until they lose a playoff game, this top spot is theirs for the keeping.
2. Dallas Cowboys (6-1)
Dallas had low expecations coming into the year, coming off a season in which their defense was historically awful and they stumbled to their third straight 8-8 finish. A revamped defense, led by Raiders' castoff Rolando McClain, combined with the dominant ground attack of DeMarco Murray, have propelled the Cowboys to the top of the NFC East. They even boast a win in Seattle against the defending champs.
3. Arizona Cardinals (5-1)
Arizona stands shaky at the number three spot - not because of their performance, as their record speaks for itself - simply as a result of the fact that the Seahawks and 49ers will be viewed as the class of that division until the Cardinals are able to clinch the NFC West title. Bruce Arians' defense has overcome injuries to form one of the most dominant units in the league. They still have to play Seattle and St. Louis twice, make a trip to Santa Clara to play the 49ers, plus a trip to Dallas and contests against Philadelphia and Kansas City. Arizona has been strong to start, but they have a big hill to climb to win the division.
4. Indianapolis Colts (5-2)
The Colts earn a top-five spot solely because they have the most dangerous quarterback in football that isn't named Peyton Manning. Andrew Luck is big, gross, looks like a caveman, but is also immensely talented - and likely has more trade value than anyone in the league. His style isn't pretty, but he continually wills his team to victory, whether it be through the air, on the ground, or by sheer brute force. They get this spot because the Colts are capable of beating anyone because of Luck, regardless of how dire the scoreboard looks.
5. San Diego Chargers (5-2)
Philip Rivers has posted MVP numbers through the first seven games and put the icing on the cake with their week one victory over Seattle. Even after a divisional loss to the Chiefs this weekend, Rivers and the Chargers appear to have overcome their affliction of playing down to their competition.