PodcastFrom NFL: The Insiders
Week 7: Rams, Seahawks plummet; Texans, Saints, Cardinals biggest risers
STACKED extracted the fantasy-relevant player signal from this podcast and kept the full transcript here for context.
27 min
Duration
Estimated from transcript
Oct 20, 2026
Published
Tue, October 20, 2026
21
Player insights
19
Players mentioned
Topics
C.J. StroudMarvin Harrison Jr.Baker MayfieldBryce YoungCaleb WilliamsChuba HubbardDeshaun WatsonDK MetcalfDrake MayeJalen HurtsJames CookJaylen WarrenJosh AllenJosh Jacobs
Player analysis
Player insights
Baker Mayfield
NegativeInjury16:00
Baker Mayfield is expected to start throwing more this week for the Buccaneers after suffering a dislocated finger injury, though there is uncertainty about whether he will play in the upcoming game against Carolina.
Insight pageBryce Young
PositiveProjection15:00
Bryce Young is playing the best football of his career for the Panthers. The source highlights this as evidence that Carolina is the most complete and experienced team in the NFC South and is on the precipice of getting back into the top 10.
Insight pageC.J. Stroud
PositiveProjection16:30
CJ Stroud is playing the best football of his career since his rookie season when he was offensive rookie of the year. He dropped absolutely gorgeous dimes in the Texans' game-winning field goal victory over Jacksonville in London, and the source feels very good about his chances going forward.
Insight pagePositiveProjection16:57
Playing fantastically for the Texans; threw his first interception of the season in Week 7 but it didn't cost the team ultimately; source notes he threw some dimes and is performing well despite the early turnover.
Insight pageCaleb Williams
PositiveInjury11:00
Caleb Williams is back off a hamstring injury and the Bears offense is rolling with a strong run game. The source notes that the Bears are the true example of who they are as a squad with Williams back, and they are expected to continue climbing in rankings if they produce at the rate they did against the Jets.
Insight pageChuba Hubbard
PositiveUsage15:00
Chuba Hubbard got going against the Eagles, who are banged up on both sides of the ball. The source cites this as evidence of the Panthers' offensive capability and their status as the most complete team in the NFC South.
Insight pageDeshaun Watson
PositiveProjection20:08
Led another game-winning drive in Week 7 for the Browns; source expresses disbelief that this continues to happen but credits Watson with the clutch gene and ability to deliver in close games.
Insight pageDK Metcalf
PositiveUsage22:38
Steelers fed him short passes in the fourth quarter of their Week 7 overtime win against the Buccaneers; this adjustment to target Metcalf and Jeremy Bernard generated offense for Pittsburgh after Jalen Warren wasn't working.
Insight pageDrake Maye
PositiveProjection7:00
Drake May has been fantastic over the last three weeks for the Patriots, posting 10 passing touchdowns and 1 interception (11 total touchdowns including a rushing touchdown). He looks like the guy expected at the start of the season after a slow start, and the Patriots' offense has undergone a massive transformation since he began playing well.
Insight pageJalen Hurts
NegativeInjury26:03
Eagles quarterback lost for the rest of the season; this is a major blow to a team already dealing with extensive injuries including Lane Johnson's retirement and Cam Juergens' trade.
Insight pageJames Cook
NegativeRole4:00
James Cook is one of the best running backs in the NFL and the Bills' ground game is fantastic, but he has a ball security issue that has been evident so far this season. The source questions whether the Bills can overcome this problem, suggesting it is a concern for their offensive consistency.
Insight pageJaylen Warren
NegativeUsage22:38
Steelers running back wasn't working in Week 7 game against the Buccaneers; the team abandoned the run game in the fourth quarter, opting instead to feed DK Metcalf and Jeremy Bernard with short passes.
Insight pageJosh Allen
PositiveRole4:00
Josh Allen is one of the best players in football and has found different ways to win games for the Bills; two weeks ago he did not have to throw much but ran for a ton of yards, and he has also executed push passes like Patrick Mahomes. He and Mahomes are the only two guys in the NFL who can pull off this magic trick and have it work more often than not.
Insight pageJosh Jacobs
PositiveInjury19:06
Running back for the Packers looks like he could be back relatively soon; the source notes the Packers' running game has been non-existent the first few weeks of the season, suggesting Jacobs' return could provide a boost.
Insight pageKenneth Walker III
PositiveRole2:15
Kenneth Walker is described as the balance and engine of the Kansas City Chiefs offense; he takes away attention from Patrick Mahomes and is central to why the Chiefs are one of the most complete teams in football. The source emphasizes that losing receivers does not matter to the Chiefs because Walker's role is so fundamental to their offensive identity.
Insight pageKyler Murray
PositiveRole5:30
Kyler Murray looked more comfortable in the Vikings offense, especially in the second half of their win over the Saints. The source notes this as a positive sign for the Vikings' offensive momentum heading out of their bye week.
Insight pageLamar Jackson
NegativeInjury9:30
Lamar Jackson was absent for the Ravens' Sunday night win over the Falcons; the Ravens were unable to get the job done the following week against the Cleveland Browns without him. The source notes that while the Ravens have been skilled at overcoming Lamar's absence in the past, they are very reliant on their star quarterback, and his absence contributed to their drop in power rankings.
Insight pageMarvin Harrison Jr.
PositiveRole16:59
Still intriguing to see how he fits into the Texans offense; had a few catches in the Week 7 game against the Colts, with the source expressing optimism about his role development as the team improves.
Insight pageNegativeRole17:00
Marvin Harrison Jr. had a few catches in the Texans' game-winning victory over Jacksonville, and the source is still intrigued to see how he fits into the Texans offense going forward.
Insight pageSam Darnold
NegativeRole13:00
Sam Darnold's lack of ability to protect the football is a big issue for the Seahawks; he gets frantic feet when his first option Jackson Smith-Njigba is not open and makes bad decisions. He turned the ball over twice in the loss to Denver and is too reliant on Smith-Njigba, who accounts for more than 50% of the offense. The source notes that Darnold is not looking elsewhere and needs to be able to do so.
Insight pageSaquon Barkley
NegativeInjury26:09
Eagles running back hasn't been available; part of the team's extensive injury crisis that includes Jalen Hurts, Lane Johnson, and Cam Juergens.
Insight pageFull transcript
Episode Transcript
0:00This is an iHeart Podcast. Guaranteed human. NFL: The Insiders is a production of the NFL in partnership with iHeart Radio.
0:05And welcome to a brand new edition of Power Rankings.
0:08We are presented by Energizer Mike Yam, Nick Shook.
0:10You are the man who is a, I always say this about you, a glutton for punishment.
0:15You're tasked to do the rankings, not easy. Quarterback index, not easy.
0:18And I feel like your DMs and mentions are nothing but love for all of your selections.
0:22The good thing about doing these rankings for so many years though is you develop very thick, tough skin.
0:27Nothing really bothers you when people come after you anymore.
0:30Just want to let you guys know Nick was crying on his way into the studio today.
0:34Let's take a closer look at his rankings and top teams in the NFL.
0:38But checking out the show, man, you have been a steady force and a believer in the San Francisco 49ers who sit
0:43in the number one spot, not changed, Kansas City following them.
0:46How about this Bills squad? Moving up three spots.
0:48Fortunate to get a win in Vegas, but nice little road trip for that squad.
0:52The Vikings, one of three undefeated teams in the NFL at 5-0.
0:55The Jags, 1-1 in London. You got Cincinnati moving up three spots to six.
0:59The Patriots at seven. And the Baltimore Ravens falling four spots to eight.
1:02Break this down for me. You're watching a Monday night football game.
1:05You're seeing the Niners win. But an offense that cooled.
1:08Any hesitation in your mind dropping the Niners in that top spot?
1:11Slightly, but I thought, you know, as a discussion we were having before the show started, that these are also football players.
1:17These are also professional players on the other side.
1:19And it's also Kyle Shanahan, a coach who, while he's so great at so many things, also has a reputation for allowing
1:25games that are in hand to suddenly get out of hand and get a lot more stressful and anxiety-inducing for the 49ers.
1:30Luckily, they did, they finished the job the way the professional outfits do, which is slamming the door defensively with a defensive
1:36front that lacks star power but is getting production from lesser known names.
1:39They were able to get after Jaden Daniels and finish this game off.
1:43You would have liked to see them run away with it because they were certainly the more dominant team in the first
1:48half, but they didn't let it get away from them entirely to where they lost the game.
1:53And that's usually the mark of a winning team.
1:55Final play of the game, they rush three and they still find a way to get to Jaden Daniels.
2:00Which is crazy because it breaks my rule. My rule is never rush three and they got the job done.
2:05Kind of a remarkable way to win a game when you consider some of these slower moments, but a complete football team,
2:11which is why you have them at number one, Kansas City.
2:13All right, I asked you, would you potentially drop them?
2:16Kansas City all of a sudden is looking like maybe the most complete team in the NFL.
2:20And a lot of it begins with Kenneth Walker, the same guy we've been talking about every week.
2:25Week one. He is the balance to their offense.
2:27He is the engine to their offense. He is the guy that actually takes away attention from their superstar quarterback in Patrick Mahomes.
2:33And because of that, they are, you're right, one of the most complete teams in football.
2:37I still wonder a little bit about their defense and what their weaknesses might be over the long haul.
2:42But right now, yeah, this is a game that 22-6 is extremely misleading.
2:46They dominated this game. You know, you got to give the Chargers some credit for playing some quality defense.
2:51They were competitive in this regard and they limited the Chiefs' ability to score points.
2:54But this was a cruise control victory for the Chiefs who just continued to win and continue to overcome slight adversity.
3:00Losing receivers does not matter. They are a machine right now and they look like one of the best teams in football.
3:05A little bit of a glimpse ahead of the matchup against Seattle, who by the way, Seahawks free-falling in your rankings.
3:11We'll get to them in a minute. Yeah, I think that it'll be a good test, I think, for them.
3:16This is one of those games that if you look at the Chiefs' schedule so far, you see wins over Denver.
3:21We know that was a very dominant game. But then they end up playing Indianapolis and Miami, two of probably the worst
3:27teams in football at this point, which is a tease for later, I guess, as well.
3:31Although that's no surprise to anybody. And then the Raiders and the Chargers.
3:35So the tests still await them. Seattle, Denver again.
3:37It's not the hardest schedule though, so it could work out for them.
3:40All right, in the number three spot, you got the Buffalo Bills here.
3:44I'm almost embarrassed to admit I'm a little torn on this team.
3:47There's moments, and look, you go West Coast, you get wins, and it's the Rams and it's Vegas.
3:51It doesn't matter, right? Like cross-country trip, you just want to get the Ws.
3:55They did that. There are these moments where I go, the margins are so darn thin with this team that we are
4:00literally almost feeling like every single week, one or two plays here and there.
4:04This could be a completely opposite record. Yeah, you know, what it does is it makes for a very entertaining brand of
4:10football, but it's a hair-raising brand of football sometimes.
4:12I mean, look at their last few games. They beat the Rams by three.
4:16They beat the Raiders by three. They lose by three to the Patriots.
4:19They end up beating the Chargers by eight. None of these games have been runaway victories.
4:23It points to their defense, which we know is not as strong as you would like them to be, but it's an
4:29offense that papers over a lot of those issues.
4:31And Josh Allen, of course, being the focal point of it.
4:34The big question for them with me is how much are you going to rely on James Cook because he is one
4:40of the best running backs in the NFL and their ground game is fantastic, but he does have a ball security issue as we've seen so far.
4:47So can they overcome that? You know, they did lose DJ Moore recently, and yet they've been able to still find ways
4:52to make it work through the end. The best part about this team is that Josh Allen, as we know, one of
4:58the best players in football, has found different ways to win these games.
5:01Two weeks ago, he didn't have to throw the football that much, but he ran for a ton of yards.
5:06Yeah. And then we got a little push pass from him as well, a la Patrick Mahomes.
5:11Yeah, him and Mahomes. They're the only two guys that can get away with it and not have everybody go, no, what are you doing?
5:17Because it works more often than not. We were doing the highlights on game day preview on Monday, and I made reference to it.
5:23And I was like, oh, only Josh Allen. Oh, actually, it's him and Patrick Mahomes, the only two guys in the NFL
5:29that can pull off that magic trick. At number four, I was actually excited to talk to you about this Minnesota squad
5:35because it feels like they move up three spots.
5:37You're starting to believe in an undefeated team that has found multiple ways to win.
5:41Again, a little snakebitten in terms of the injury bug.
5:43I think this team deserves a lot of credit.
5:46I'm glad you have them in the top five.
5:48Yeah, you know, and sometimes with these rankings from week to week, you'll see teams move up as a product of other teams just falling down the board.
5:55Minnesota is one of those teams given that they were on a bye this week.
5:59So how much can you learn about a team that didn't play?
6:02Well, what I do know about them is that their defense is elite, and it's on track to be one of those
6:08defenses who we remember decades from now when we think about the 2000 Ravens, the 2002 Buccaneers.
6:12Like you just throw those teams out there as some of the great defenses, the 85 Bears.
6:17The Vikings are kind of on track to be one of those groups.
6:20That tells me that they can go very far, but they are an offense that also still lacks a bit of punch.
6:26The good thing with them is that they beat the Saints the week prior and showed some for the first time momentum offensively.
6:31Kyler Murray looked a little more comfortable in this offense, especially in the second half of that game.
6:36If they can sustain that out of the bye, then they're going to continue to stay up here.
6:41But this week their move up is because of some teams falling ahead of them.
6:45Okay, I think we get a real understanding of this squad.
6:47I know they got Indianapolis and obviously that organization has made changes.
6:51They lose to the Tennessee Titans. Chris Ballard, their general manager, gets fired.
6:54But after that, at Detroit, Buffalo, at Green Bay, at San Francisco, at Atlanta team, I think the jury's still out even
7:00at this point of the season, Carolina and then at New England.
7:03This is kind of a brutal stretch where it is make or break for this team.
7:07Yeah, and it's a couple of teams that have some really explosive offenses.
7:10We're going to get a really good test of this defense.
7:13And if we get into one of those situations in which they do actually allow some points on the board, which they
7:19haven't so far, it's going to be a really good examination of just how good they can be against some of the
7:24league's best, at least as we see it right now.
7:27So there's an opportunity for them to fall, which is obviously not a positive opportunity, but it will teach us a lot
7:32about who they are at a pivotal point as we approach the double-digit weeks of the season.
7:37But a good opportunity to get another win against a Colts team that's got some serious questions.
7:41All right, let's shine a spotlight on the Patriots after being left for dead a couple weeks ago.
7:46Drake May and this Pats team, they're clicking on all cylinders.
7:49Three consecutive wins, Drake May looks like the guy that we expected to see at the start of the season.
7:54I know it was a slow start for him, but offensively, this team doesn't look like the one that was struggling earlier this year.
8:00No, it's a massive transformation. It's one of the most remarkable evolutions of a team in a short amount of time.
8:05They go from being one of the worst outfits in the NFL, they landed 31st in my power rankings after week 3.
8:11That loss to Jacksonville, 35-6. Incredibly lopsided. They look like a mess.
8:14Since then they've been nothing but the team that we saw last year.
8:17Prior to the playoffs, the playoffs were a bit of an interesting journey.
8:21They come in, they get that win over the Bills on the road, which is a very inspiring win, a big one for them in the division.
8:28Then they just dominate the Raiders and then they just take care of business against the Jets.
8:32Another division team this week. You know, 26-19 suggests that it really was a one score game.
8:36It kind of wasn't, it felt more like a 10 to 13 point game for most of this contest.
8:41You got to give the Jets credit for battling, but the Patriots were clearly the better team on the field on this Sunday.
8:47And they were the more professional outfit. And now we look at a schedule ahead that has Chicago, Miami, Green Bay and Detroit.
8:53Three of those four teams very much in the thick of the playoff race.
8:57We'll learn more about them, but as it stands right now, the biggest thing with this team, defense.
9:01Defense has been huge with the Patriots, which has just steadily gotten better and better.
9:05You've got no name guys or guys that you don't really recognize making contributions.
9:09If that sustains and then you pair that with Drake May, who's been fantastic over the last few weeks.
9:14I think you're looking at a team that's going to be right in the thick of the AFC East race and perhaps more.
9:20Ten passing touchdowns, one interception for Drake May over the last three games.
9:23I believe it's 11 total touchdowns because he found the end zone on a rushing touchdown a couple of weeks back.
9:28The reality is you're right. We will find out about this team.
9:32Short week TNF against the Bears. Meanwhile, you got another squad in the Baltimore Ravens.
9:35I almost think this is a smidge unfair. Okay.
9:38Drop four spots. You don't have your quarterback. Although I guess you're celebrating the team when you get a Sunday night football
9:43win without your starting quarterback against Atlanta. So with the good, you kind of have to be even.
9:48So maybe you're right. Dropping four spots. It just I don't know.
9:51I still love this team. There are two sides to this coin and you're the way you described it is perfect because
9:57this is a team that was able to come back and get a victory on the road with Snoop Huntley over the
10:02Falcons in prime time against the Falcons team. That's usually very good, especially John Robinson in prime time.
10:07They were unable to do any of that the next week against the Cleveland Browns.
10:11And I, you know, I think that the drop in rankings, there's a few elements to this one being that you weren't
10:17able to get the job done after a very strong start and a 10 nothing lead in Cleveland against a division opponent.
10:22And the other being that when you see a performance like this, it kind of makes you discredit how you perform the week earlier.
10:28More than anything, it paints a picture that look, we are very reliant on our star quarterback, which most teams are.
10:34The Ravens have been one of the more skilled teams at overcoming that when they've lost Lamar before.
10:38But as it stands right now, I couldn't justify keeping them ahead of the Patriots, ahead of the Bengals, ahead of the
10:44Jaguars even after their loss because they lost to the Browns who sit later in my rankings here, you know, kind of
10:50in the middle of the pack right now. If you look at that, I mean, a lot of this is, well, this team just beat that team.
10:57Why aren't they ahead of them? This is as close as I could get to a compromise between those two teams rankings.
11:02Okay. And we put it in context like that in this division where the Cleveland Browns are in first place there.
11:08We got a Ravens team much further ahead. Right.
11:10Power right. So we will talk about the Cleveland Browns a little bit later here on power.
11:14Great matchup against Cincinnati. That Baltimore squad that gets them this week.
11:18Meanwhile, Caleb Williams back off the hamstring injury. Offense is rolling.
11:20Run game was there. Where do they sit in next rankings?
11:23The answer to that is still to come. Football's back.
11:26Hey, it's Drew Franklin from NFL Cover Zero. Enjoy the NFL season while listening to NFL Cover Zero.
11:30We have storylines, predictions and lots of silliness. Here's what you can expect from the podcast in our second season.
11:36When you meet people and you say your job's a sports announcer, it's always interesting to see what the first thing they say is.
11:42I did have one of the more difficult questions though.
11:44He sits next to me and he sees I'm on my computer and he goes, big sports fan.
11:49And I was like, yeah, actually. And he goes, what do you think about my Jaguars this year?
11:54I realized like no one's ever asked me that question ever about anything.
11:57And I was like, do you have all? Listen to NFL Cover Zero on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.
12:03Back here on Power Rankings along with Nick Shook, Mike Yam with you.
12:07And Nick's teams nine through 16. The Denver Broncos still in that top ten sitting at nine.
12:11The Seahawks dropping seven spots. We'll talk about them in just a moment.
12:14They are the 10th team. The Bears moving up two spots to 11.
12:18It's the Lions at 12. Carolina, we'll talk about this Panthers team at 13.
12:21Don't look now. The Texans looking like a different squad.
12:24A real mover up 11 spots to 14. And then it's the Packers and the Cleveland Browns, who we were just talking about.
12:30The Browns, by the way, also moving up five spots.
12:32So there is some love for a team that is winning or leading that division.
12:36Seahawks, seven spots down. They're still in the top ten.
12:39Barely. They are in that 10th spot. I'm kind of with you here with all of these turnovers.
12:43It feels like they needed to be punished. It's tough because I still have so much respect for their defense.
12:49And who this team is, you know, identity wise.
12:51But the big issue with them is Sam Darnold's lack of ability to protect the football.
12:55It's an offense that has lost its identity. They do not run the football well.
12:59They're not protecting well. They were buried by the Denver pass rush in that primetime game.
13:03And Sam Darnold suffered for it. What I'm seeing from Darnold right now is somebody that we saw before he played that season in Minnesota.
13:09Which is if his first option, Jackson Smith and Jigba, is not open, he gets frantic feet.
13:14He makes bad decisions. He turned the ball over twice in that game.
13:17They never should have even had an opportunity to get to overtime in that game.
13:21But because Denver's offense is so bad, they were granted an extra gift of a possession, got it to overtime where they
13:27then suffered that defeat with another turnover. I think that you can win a lot of games with this defense, but if
13:32you cannot balance it out by protecting the football at minimum offensively, then you're going to have problems.
13:37And I don't see a real answer in sight because they run too much of his offense through Jackson Smith and Jigba right now.
13:43And that falls on your quarterback. He's got to be able to look somewhere else right now.
13:47He's just not. Yeah, he's accounted for more than 50% of the offense.
13:51And by the way, it does feel right. This is a 500 team who we look at their defense is absolutely elite.
13:56The turnover is a massive issue for this squad.
13:59And there's still no run game right now. So that's when that happens.
14:02There's still some room for Seattle. They could use Kenneth Walker.
14:05Well, they get to see him against Kansas City this week.
14:08So familiar foe here. The Chicago Bears. Caleb comes back.
14:10They're sitting at four and two right now. It feels like all things are right in the world for Chicago fans.
14:16Yeah, I think that this they probably could have climbed higher if you know, we had a larger sample size of them with Caleb Williams.
14:22But this certainly was the team that we expected to see.
14:25There's just not a lot of volatility with these Bears because of the loss of Caleb Williams for a good portion of the season.
14:31It's kind of hard to pin down exactly who they are.
14:34You know, they're a team that loses 9-3 to Minnesota.
14:37They go and beat Philadelphia 27-7 with Case Keenum.
14:39They beat the Jets and they get dominated by the Packers.
14:42It's just been very topsy-turvy with this team. But I think this is the true example of who they are as a squad right now.
14:48We're just going to have to see it built out, you know, and proven over and over again.
14:53New England this week is going to be a great test.
14:56Seattle is going to be a great test as well.
14:58If they continue to produce at the rate that they did, which that final score doesn't really represent how much this game
15:04was lopsided until the final moments, then they're going to continue to climb and we're going to feel good about them like
15:10we did for most of this season. Yeah, 13th ranked team in your power rankings is the Carolina squad.
15:14Dare I say they're going to take this division in back-to-back years?
15:17I think that they have very much a reason to feel comfortable in the NFC South right now.
15:22They look like the most complete and experienced team in this division.
15:25It's a very winnable division with New Orleans and Tampa and Atlanta all showing some signs of weakness.
15:30Carolina has just been steady save for that loss to the Browns.
15:33They've been very steady this season. Bryce Young's playing the best football of his career.
15:37Chuba Hubbard got going against an Eagles team that is banged up on both sides of the ball.
15:41It's not that this win over the Eagles necessarily gave me, you know, more evidence to boost them, which is why they didn't move up very much.
15:48They only moved up to what did we see one spot to 13, but I think that they're on the precipice of
15:54getting back into the top 10 and then really taking them seriously going forward as a contender.
15:58Tampa Bay, the opponent this week. Once again, we talk about this division and opportunity.
16:02Division games get weird. Yeah, you could separate yourself just a little bit.
16:06Baker Mayfield supposed to start throwing a little bit more this week.
16:09Don't exactly know if he's going to play in that game, but at least an update for him coming off of the finger, the dislocated finger injury.
16:16Let's talk about the biggest power move of the week.
16:18It's the Texans. They're up 11 spots. What a win in London against Jacksonville.
16:22Look game winning field goal. Ninth career game winning field goal for a Kiami Fairbrand.
16:26To me, this team looking like the one that we thought we would get.
16:29They're now 2-4 after back-to-back wins. There's some history that only one team has started 0-4 and make the playoffs, and it happened like nearly 50 years ago.
16:36I think the Texans are positioned to be the second team.
16:39Now, that might sound like a lot right now that they're only 2-4.
16:43We're going into week seven. But CJ Stroud is playing the best football of his career since his rookie season when he was offensive rookie of the year.
16:50He dropped some absolutely gorgeous dimes in this game.
16:52And we talked about this on NFL Report on Friday, which is that the AFC South had yet to get weird.
16:58And it's always a weird division. And this got weird in the way that like, you know, this is a very close game, very back and forth.
17:04They nearly gave away the lead. They ended up winning it on a last-second field goal.
17:09What I saw from this team was a defense that, yes, they gave up a lot of points, but they start to
17:14look more like the D'Amico Ryan's group that we know them to be and a quarterback who's playing fantastically.
17:19Just enough from the running game, and I'm still intrigued to see how Marvin Harrison Jr.
17:23fits into this offense. He had a few catches in this game.
17:26So I feel very good about their chances. And they also get a schedule that I think leans favorably with games against the Giants.
17:33Then you get a bye, you get the Chargers, you get the Browns, which will be a test.
17:37Indianapolis. We could very quickly see this team back at 500 or better.
17:41Yeah, D'Amico Ryan takes over the defensive play calling duties two weeks ago.
17:44Pressures are up. I mean, across the board, the metrics look better than they did at the start of the season.
17:49You mentioned CJ Stroud and some of those dimes.
17:52Almost was kind of crazy to me. We did the highlight on game day preview on Sunday morning through an interception.
17:57That was his first of the year. I was like, oh, damn.
18:00And he grabbed his helmet because he knew he made a mistake, but it didn't cost him ultimately.
18:05All right. The Green Bay Packers, one of those other teams that you've moved up at least just a smidge.
18:10One spot for this team. They're now set 15th in your power rankings.
18:13They've won three straight games. I'm starting to believe in this team.
18:16And they don't even have Micah yet. I'm sure I'm going to draw plenty of criticism from Packer fans who have every
18:22reason in the world to feel as though their team is right back to where they thought they were going to be after this latest win.
18:29And you're right. It's the third straight win in a game or in as many weeks.
18:33And it's funny when we showed that board, you see the Texans sitting at two and four and it's sandwiched by a
18:38bunch of four and two or better teams. But what I like about this Packers team, this is a team that's going
18:44to move up the board, I think, continuously if they can sustain the success that they've produced over the last two weeks.
18:50The big part is not just Jordan Love being able to hit some plays.
18:53It's the defense finding itself. Shutting down that Cowboys offense is a huge sign of success for them.
18:58Micah getting closer to coming back. Micah Parsons and then another good test against the Lions team that doesn't have a great
19:04defense but knows how to put points on the board.
19:06Running game has been non-existent these first few weeks of the season.
19:09Josh Jacobs looks like he could be back relatively soon.
19:12I mentioned Micah Parsons ruled out for this week.
19:14They have a short week, the following one on a TNF game against Carolina.
19:18But there's an opportunity maybe for Micah to get back into the fold there.
19:21But once again, Packers looking like a pretty potent squad.
19:24Time for our team of the week. I was looking forward to talking to you about the Cleveland Browns.
19:29Up five spots. They're leading this division exactly where we thought they would be at the start of the season.
19:34Look, I'll say this. Give Monk credit because he's...
19:36If you told me who's coach of the year right now, Tom Monk is that guy.
19:40Absolutely. And when they made the hire, I thought, okay, that's not going to go well for them.
19:45And I was wrong. I was wrong because I didn't realize that he would mesh so well with this organization, with this city.
19:51He understands the importance of the Browns to the fabric of this region.
19:54And they are embracing him wholeheartedly because he continues to produce victories.
19:57They're never pretty. This is an ugly team when it comes to winning football games, but it's consistent.
20:02They're able to lean on their defense and get just enough out of their offense every week to win these close games.
20:08The clutch gene is there. Even in Deshaun Watson, he led another game-winning drive this season, which is...
20:12I cannot believe that we continue to say that, but that's where we are in the year 2026.
20:17And look, these are my people. This is where I came from.
20:20And I've been following them as they've enjoyed the success of the Browns.
20:23Optimism is near sky high. They haven't been in first place in this division this late into the season as we go into week 7 since 2014.
20:30Do you know where I was in 2014? Fresh out of college.
20:33It's been a long time. You're that young? Yeah.
20:36Oh, dude. 2003 for me, man. I'm feeling like...
20:38I mean, you don't even know this. I was here.
20:41You don't even know what it's like to get out of bed, man.
20:44Snap, crackle, pop, and the knees, the back. I'm going to the chiropractor after this show.
20:48Like, this... Physical therapy. You're still good, man. You are still good.
20:51The Cleveland Browns, by the way. Also, I'm going to say a good football team.
20:55And for whatever you want to say about Deshaun Watson and some of these game-winning drives and that clutch factor, this defense
21:01doesn't have Miles Garrett anymore and continues to be an absolute juggernaut.
21:04That's the reason why they're winning a lot of these games.
21:07You know who's not winning a lot? The Rams.
21:092-4 on the season. Free falling in the power rankings.
21:11I cannot believe we're not talking about them as one of the top five teams in the NFL.
21:16Football's back. Hey, it's Drew Franklin from NFL Cover Zero.
21:19Enjoy the NFL season while listening to NFL Cover Zero.
21:21We have storylines, predictions, and lots of silliness. Here's what you can expect from the podcast in our second season.
21:26When you meet people and you say your job's a sports announcer, it's always interesting to see what the first thing they say is.
21:33I did have one of the more difficult questions, though.
21:35He sits next to me and he sees I'm on my computer and he goes, big sports fan.
21:40And I was like, yeah, actually. And he goes, what do you think about my Jaguars this year?
21:44I realized, like, no one's ever asked me that question ever about anything.
21:48And I was like, do you want? Ooh. Listen to NFL Cover Zero on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
21:54All right, back here on Power Rankings. Nick Shook, you can check the entire list and you can find it on NFL.com.
22:00But for a closer look here at 17, it's the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Raiders at 18.
22:04The Falcons drop four spots to 19. It's the Saints, the Giants, and the Cardinals.
22:08At number 23, it's the Commanders. Don't look now.
22:10Dropping 12 spots, sitting at 2 and 4. The NFL super team, it is the Los Angeles Rams.
22:15By the way, just for context, and I don't want to go too far ahead, but you got the Rams right now
22:20sitting between the Commanders and the Jets at 2 and 4.
22:23We'll talk about Los Angeles here in just a moment.
22:26But the Steelers get a win after the game.
22:28Aaron Rodgers is like, hey, this could be like a transformative type victory for a season changing.
22:32Is he overstating it or do you think this team can make a run?
22:36I think there's some validity to it because what the Steelers did for the first time this entire season was they adjusted
22:42to where they were having difficulties in a game.
22:44Usually that just kind of defined the game. They also won a game in an even week the first time this year.
22:50I thought they'd be every other the entire season, just end up 8 and 9 or something like that.
22:55They had a great fourth quarter in which they said, you know what?
22:58We're not going to push the ball down the field.
23:00Jalen Warren's not really working. We're just going to take the short passes and feed DK Metcalf and Jeremy Bernard.
23:06And it generated offense for them. Their defense, we know it's aggressive, especially in key spots.
23:10They were able to force turnovers. They get the sack to end the game in overtime.
23:14I was impressed. Do I trust them? Not yet.
23:16But I do think that they'll be in a good spot against these Saints this week.
23:20Yeah, by the way, a nice road win in overtime against the Bucs.
23:24You mentioned the Saints who now sit at 20 in your power rankings.
23:27They move up seven spots, taking out the Giants.
23:29Gail Benson came out, was disappointed. Kellen Moore said, I get it.
23:32And they responded. It's never a good thing when an owner goes to practice to hug the coach, you think?
23:38It's like a bad sign. And yet it worked out for them.
23:41Yeah. What really worked out for the Saints in this game was capitalizing on turnovers and getting hot at the right time.
23:46They went from down 10-0 to up by multiple scores.
23:49It was a frantic comeback. It legitimately went from 10-0 to 34-10.
23:52And I'm like, the Saints have just woken up.
23:54This is the team that I thought they would be.
23:57Then I remembered they were playing the Giants. And then I remembered that they were playing at MetLife where things got crazy in the fourth quarter.
24:03I hesitate to really give them a ton of credit for this, although they do move up seven spots.
24:08But when we look at this section of the teams, who do I think could beat the team near them or around them?
24:14They lose to the Falcons. They're behind them. But they beat the Giants so they're ahead of them.
24:19I feel good about them being at 20. They got to do it for more than one week though.
24:24By the way, complete coverage from Paris. These two teams, the Saints and the Steelers, will meet NFL Daily.
24:29Greg Rosenthal, I know he was excited to get on that trip.
24:32Jordan Roderick as well. Commissioner Roger Goodell, they get an opportunity to catch up with him.
24:36So it's going to be a loaded week for us here on the NFL channel.
24:40The Rams, 24. I'm going to ask you a question.
24:42They're 24. They're 24 and they could be lower.
24:45It's bad when your coach says, we don't know what our identity is right now.
24:49It's week seven. You're an all-star cast. Yes, you're missing guys.
24:51You're missing Miles Garrett. They suffered a ton of injuries in this game.
24:55They lost Puna Ford for the season. Devontae Adams out six to 10 weeks with a ruptured hamstring.
24:59Kobe Turner also going to be missing some time.
25:02That's bad for a team that was already missing some stars.
25:04Miles Garrett, yet to return yet. Groupie, their kicker.
25:07Groupie comes in for one game, tears his ACL.
25:09He's done. They got to go find another kicker.
25:11It's bad. The operation is bad. The loss to Arizona is embarrassing for this team, which at two and four feels lost right now.
25:18Lost is a good way to describe it. And I got an opportunity to take out a Raiders team that has now lost three consecutive games.
25:24Just wow. And you know what? I still feel better about the Raiders than I do the Rams.
25:29Isn't it wild? Yeah. You said, what's their identity?
25:31I was asking that question before the season started, but it was because I didn't know which unit was going to be better, offense or defense.
25:38Meanwhile, teams 25 through 32, I made reference to the Jets sitting at 25, the Cowboys at 26.
25:43We got Tampa Bay, Philadelphia at 28. The Titans get their first win.
25:46They move up three spots. The Colts, the Dolphins, and the Chargers.
25:49Philly, to me, you take out the Chargers, you just circle their name a few times.
25:53Of course. And there are so many red arrows in this entire group, but the Eagles, it's tough to drop them this far.
25:59What it is, is it's a reflection of where they are as a team right now.
26:03They lose Jalen Hurts for the rest of the season.
26:06They've already been dealing with a ton of injuries.
26:08They lost Lane Johnson to retirement, Cam Juergens to a trade.
26:11The list goes on and on and on. Saquon Barkley hasn't been available.
26:14I give them credit because they've actually been competitive over the last two weeks, despite all of these injuries.
26:19But when you look at them on paper, I just have a hard time looking forward and thinking this team's going to turn it around.
26:25There's just too many injuries, too much disorganization for them to really, I think, climb back up.
26:30I'm looking at your teams, 24 through 32. I thought the Rams would win the division.
26:34I thought the Cowboys would win the division. I thought Philly would have a chance.
26:38And the Chargers, I thought, would be a playoff team.
26:40Babe, the Titans moved up. We think we know stuff about football and then the season plays out.
26:45We know absolutely nothing. But it's his job to sort it all out for us.
26:49Nick, great job with the Power Rankings. Appreciate you checking us out here on the show.
