Oct 26, 20175 min read

NFL: Seahawks Rise & Chiefs Fall

The seventh full weekend of the NFL season has passed us, and we're continuing our weekly rankings, by Charles Post and Caleb Henderson. The Kansas City Chiefs held the top ranking for five straight weeks, but after a second consecutive loss, they're down a spot. On the other end of things, the Seattle Seahawks are coming off of a 24-7 beatdown of the New York Giants and are on the rise.

1. Philadelphia Eagles (6-1, +1): The Eagles have ascended to the top spot after five weeks of it being held by the Chiefs, and to this point, QB Carson Wentz is the likely NFL MVP. He'll have to prove it over the second half of a season, since the Eagles started 5-1 last year and finished 7-9, but for all intents and purposes, Philly has been the best team to this point and Wentz has been the best player. After a slow start on Monday Night Football, they came back to defeat division rival, the Washington Redskins. This week they get the winless San Francisco 49ers.

Team MVP: Carson Wentz (QB) - 1,852 Yards & 17 TDs.

2. Kansas City Chiefs (5-2, -1): The Chiefs slipped up again, this time to the Oakland Raiders and all of a sudden, they're not in a very good spot. Obviously two losses isn't anything to get too worried about, but if it were to reach a three-game losing steak, then is it time to worry a little bit? QB Alex Smith and WR Tyreek Hill have still been flashy, and RB Kareem Hunt has been the most consistent back in the league, but a Monday Night Football showdown with the Denver Broncos is pretty important to win.

Team MVP: Kareem Hunt (RB) - 717 Yards & 4 TDs.

3. New England Patriots (5-2, +1): The Patriots are slowly starting to look like the team we've expected they'd be. To this point, the defense has been a letdown, and the offense hasn't been able to carry them every single game, resulting in a pair of losses and a few close calls. However, the defense clamped down against the Atlanta Falcons, and if that performance can be repeated throughout the year, the Pats will be just fine. The Los Angeles Chargers are coming to town, and New England should add another win to the winning streak, but they can't overlook QB Philip Rivers and the Chargers' offense.

Team MVP: Tom Brady (QB) - 2,208 Yards & 15 TDs.

4. Pittsburgh Steelers (5-2, +3): The Steelers have looked shaky in a couple of different games, namely versus the Chicago Bears and Jacksonville Jaguars, but they've also looked great against the Baltimore Ravens and Kansas City Chiefs. It's hard to tell where this team is, but when they're playing to the top of their potential, the Steelers are one of the top teams in the NFL. They'll travel to face the Detroit Lions on Sunday Night Football as RB Le'Veon Bell returns to the state of Michigan, where he was a star at Michigan State.

Team MVP: Ben Roethlisberger (QB) - 1,745 Yards & 9 TDs.

5. Los Angeles Rams (5-2, +1): The Rams demolished the Arizona Cardinals, 33-0, while shutting down RB Adrian Peterson. The Rams are for real. They have a very good defensive line, a top running back, and an ever improving quarterback. If QB Jared Goff, RB Todd Gurley, and the offense can continue clicking, the defense should be able to win them a lot of games. This week won't be one of them, though, because the Rams get their much deserved bye week at a good spot. They'll face the New York Giants in Week 9.

Team MVP: Jared Goff (QB) - 1,719 Yards & 9 TDs.

6. Minnesota Vikings (5-2, -1): The Vikings earned another hard fought victory, 24-16, over the Baltimore Ravens, and they lead the NFC North over the Green Bay Packers and Detroit Lions. Although, they've already lost to the Lions. QB Case Keenum has been a pleasant surprise so far this season, looking like a legitimate starting quarterback in this league, and the defense has helped him out as well. They should be able to handle the winless Cleveland Browns on Sunday, and improve to 6-2.

Team MVP: Case Keenum (QB) - 1,322 Yards & 5 TDs.

7. Seattle Seahawks (4-2, +4): The Seahawks' offense came to play against the New York Giants, winning 24-7, and the defense was stout as usual. QB Russell Wilson is looking more like his old self by the week, and if that trend can continue, the Hawks may be in line for a Super Bowl berth. They have a big showdown against the Houston Texans this Sunday, and the defense will be tested with rookie QB Deshaun Watson and his big arm coming into Seattle.

Team MVP: Russell Wilson (QB) - 1,556 Yards & 11 TDs.

8. New Orleans Saints (4-2, +4): The Saints are riding a three-game winning streak and have made their debut in our rankings for the first time this season. QB Drew Brees has been as consistent as always, but it's the defense and running game that have helped key this team from bottoming out. RB Alvin Kamara has been a nice surprise out of Tennessee and RB Mark Ingram is playing just as good as he has since coming out of Alabama. In a division that has four quality teams: The Buccaneers, Falcons, and Panthers, the Saints are leading the pack, and have already beaten Carolina in Week 3. New Orleans gets the Chicago Bears this week with a chance to move to 5-2 and stay in our rankings.

Team MVP: Drew Brees (QB) - 1,652 Yards & 11 TDs.

9. Buffalo Bills (4-2, +4): The Bills have been pretty inconsistent, winning a pair of games over the Atlanta Falcons and Denver Broncos, but then turning around and losing to the Cincinnati Bengals. The Bills have a chance to keep pace with the New England Patriots if they can beat the Oakland Raiders on Sunday, but that's no easy task. The Raiders have QB Derek Carr back and they can get into a shootout with just about anybody. This is a pretty important game for both teams if they want to have a shot at reaching the postseason.

Team MVP: LeSean McCoy (RB) - 370 Yards & 2 TDs.

10. Washington Redskins (3-3, -1): The Redskins are in our rankings again, but their defense is the reason they are only 3-3, and not better. QB Kirk Cousins has been good, and has looked the part of a top level quarterback, but the 'Skins need more if they want to be able to make the playoffs. After losing to the Philadelphia Eagles on Monday Night Football, it's going to be even harder to win the division, but they still have to stave off the Dallas Cowboys, who are also 3-3, and fighting for Wild Card berth. They play each other this Sunday, in by far the biggest and most impactful game of the week.

Team MVP: Kirk Cousins (QB) - 1,637 Yards & 12 TDs.

Top Ranked Team:

Week 1 Top-10 - Dallas Cowboys.

Week 2 Top-10 - Kansas City Chiefs.

Week 3 Top-10 - Kansas City Chiefs.

Week 4 Top-10 - Kansas City Chiefs.

Week 5 Top-10 - Kansas City Chiefs.

Week 6 Top-10 - Kansas City Chiefs.

Week 7 Top-10 - Philadelphia Eagles.

Player of the Week:

W1 - Kareem Hunt (Kansas City Chiefs) - 148 Yards, 1 TD, 42-27 win vs. Patriots.

W2 - Tom Brady (New England Patriots) - 447 Yards, 3 TDs, 36-20 win vs. Saints.