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The NFL is officially a third of the way through the 2021 season. Week 6 wrapped up with the Titans beating the Bills in a thriller on Monday Night Football. The Ravens suddenly get a huge game up on Buffalo after Josh Allen tripped attempting to convert a 4th and 1 in the final minute of the game.
The biggest upset of the week was probably the Jaguars managing their first win with a last second field goal against the Dolphins. Sunday was a big day for the favorites, but arguably the biggest win saw the slim underdog Cardinals crush the Browns in Cleveland. And that causes some notable movement in our alternate power rankings.
Rather than ranking out the teams based on a feeling, we’re trying something a little different. Below we’ve ranked the teams based on spread differential. We took the pre-game point spread at DraftKings Sportsbook and added in the point differential from the game. For example, the Seahawks closed as 4.5-point underdogs against the Steelers and lost the game by three points. For the Seahawks spread differential, we added -3 to +4.5. For the Steelers spread differential, we added 3 to -4.5.
Point spread can offer a little more context to how good or bad teams might be. The rankings are a lot more fluid than your traditional fantasy rankings, but it is starting to give us a handle on who does a particularly good job and who does a particularly bad job when it comes to performance against the spread.
NFL Power Rankings ahead of Week 7
2021 NFL power rankings, Week 7
| Rk | Team | Record | Spread differential | Point differential | LW |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rk | Team | Record | Spread differential | Point differential | LW |
| 1 | Arizona Cardinals | 6-0 | +75.5 | +85 | 3 |
| 2 | Buffalo Bills | 4-2 | +67.5 | +105 | 1 |
| 3 | Dallas Cowboys | 5-1 | +53.0 | +59 | 2 |
| 4 | Cincinnati Bengals | 4-2 | +36.0 | +37 | 7 |
| 5 | Baltimore Ravens | 5-1 | +31.5 | +47 | 12 |
| 6 | New Orleans Saints | 3-2 | +29.5 | +36 | 4 |
| 7 | Los Angeles Rams | 5-1 | +28.0 | +52 | 10 |
| 8 | Carolina Panthers | 3-3 | +17.5 | +22 | 6 |
| 9 | Indianapolis Colts | 2-4 | +17.5 | +8 | 15 |
| 10 | Philadelphia Eagles | 2-4 | +10.5 | -15 | 9 |
| 11 | Las Vegas Raiders | 4-2 | +8.5 | +3 | 19 |
| 12 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 5-1 | +5.0 | +51 | 13 |
| 13 | Minnesota Vikings | 3-3 | +4.0 | +10 | 16 |
| 14 | Los Angeles Chargers | 4-2 | +1.0 | -2 | 5 |
| 15 | Tennessee Titans | 4-2 | -0.5 | +5 | 21 |
| 16 | Chicago Bears | 3-3 | -4.5 | -26 | 17 |
| 17 | Denver Broncos | 3-3 | -7.5 | +16 | 11 |
| 18 | New England Patriots | 2-4 | -11.5 | -2 | 20 |
| 19 | Seattle Seahawks | 2-4 | -11.5 | -9 | 23 |
| 20 | Cleveland Browns | 3-3 | -12.0 | +5 | 8 |
| 21 | Pittsburgh Steelers | 3-3 | -14.0 | -15 | 22 |
| 22 | San Francisco 49ers | 2-3 | -14.0 | -2 | 24 |
| 23 | Detroit Lions | 0-6 | -18.0 | -63 | 14 |
| 24 | Houston Texans | 1-5 | -19.0 | -80 | 18 |
| 25 | Green Bay Packers | 5-1 | -19.5 | +8 | 26 |
| 26 | Kansas City Chiefs | 3-3 | -22.0 | +9 | 30 |
| 27 | New York Jets | 1-4 | -26.0 | -54 | 27 |
| 28 | Jacksonville Jaguars | 1-5 | -31.5 | -56 | 31 |
| 29 | Atlanta Falcons | 2-3 | -32.0 | -43 | 29 |
| 30 | New York Giants | 1-5 | -38.0 | -63 | 25 |
| 31 | Washington | 2-4 | -41.0 | -50 | 28 |
| 32 | Miami Dolphins | 1-5 | -62.5 | -78 | 32 |