Gosselin's NFL rankings: Who's still standing in the Cowboys' way?

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Rick Gosselin's NFL rankings: Who's still standing in the Cowboys' way?

By SportsDayDFW.com

1. New England. The 5-1 Patriots have started and won with three different quarterbacks this season and remain the only team in the NFL that hasn't thrown an interception.
Last week: 2

2. Dallas. The Cowboys sit atop the NFC East and share the best record in the NFC at 5-1. They also are coming off their bye week to play Philadelphia. The Cowboys are 18-9 coming off byes.
Last week: 3

3. Seattle. The Seahawks are scuffling on offense, ranking 22nd in the NFL, but are sitting atop the NFC West with a 4-1-1 record because of their defense. They have allowed a league-low 84 points this season.
Last week: 4

4. Kansas City. NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year Marcus Peters isn't suffering any sophomore slump. He led the NFL with eight interceptions a year ago and leads again this season with five.
Last week: 8

5. Denver. The Broncos are 5-2 but need to get wideouts DeMaryius Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders more involved in the offense. They have only two 100-yard games between them through seven games.
Last week: 12

6. Oakland. Only three NFL teams remain unbeaten on the road -- both the Cowboys and Patriots at 3-0 and the Raiders at 4-0. Oakland is now 8-4 on the road in coach Jack Del Rio's two-year tenure.
Last week: 10

7. Philadelphia. Carson Wentz passed for 769 yards with five TDs and no interceptions in his first three games. But in the three games since he has passed for 555 yards with three TDs and three interceptions.
Last week: 14

8. Minnesota. How much do the Vikings miss NFL rushing champion Adrian Peterson? They rank 31st in both rushing and offense but still sit 5-1 because of the NFL's top-ranked defense.
Last week: 1

9. Green Bay. There have been 11 quarterbacks who have thrown 50 passes in a game this season. They are 1-10 in those games with the one winner Aaron Rodgers, who threw 56 times in a win over the Bears.
Last week: 13

10. NY Giants. The 4-3 Giants have talent on offense with the NFL's sixth best passing attack. But they aren't on the field long enough to capitalize. They rank last in the NFL in time of possession at less than 26 minutes per game.
Last week: 16

11. Detroit. Matthew Stafford has now played 100 career games and thrown 177 career TD passes. Only three QBs threw more TDs in their first 100: Dan Marino (217), Aaron Rodgers (203) and Brett Favre (187).
Last week: 17

12. Atlanta. Matt Ryan leads the NFL in passing yards (2,348) with 16 touchdowns and only four interceptions. The Falcons have a league-leading 12 pass plays of 40 yards or more.
Last week: 5
13. Houston. The Texans are running away with the AFC South because they have been able to protect their home turf. They are 4-0 at Reliant Stadium but 0-3 on the road.
Last week: 9

14. Washington. Matt Jones has given the 4-3 Redskins some legs for their running game with a pair of 100-yard days. Unfortunately, he leads all NFL running backs with four fumbles, losing three of them.
Last week: 6

15. Buffalo. The Bills ought to apply for a shift in conferences. They are 4-3 but three of their wins have come against NFC teams -- the Cardinals, Rams and 49ers.
Last week: 7

16. Pittsburgh. Remember the Blitzburgh days when Pittsburgh assaulted quarterbacks with 50-sack seasons? No more. The Steelers have a league-low eight sacks, including none in their three road games.
Last week: 11

17. Arizona. The Cardinals are the only team in the NFL that ranks in the Top 10 in both offense and defense this week. Yet Arizona is stumbling through the season at 3-3-1.
Last week: 15

18. Tennessee. DeMarco Murray has found his legs again in Tennessee with three 100-yard days in his last five outings. He leads the AFC in rushing with 633 yards.
Last week: 18

19. Baltimore. The Ravens are one of six teams with byes this week. The breather couldn't have come at a better time. Baltimore has seen a 3-0 start dissolve into a four-game losing streak.
Last week: 19

20. Los Angeles. Quarterback Case Keenum has thrown more interceptions (10) than touchdowns (8) this season for the 3-4 Rams. He also has fumbled four times, but lost just one of them.
Last week: 20

21. Cincinnati. A.J. Green is on a pace to catch 114 passes this season for 1,771 yards for the 3-4 Bengals. His best previous season was 98 receptions for 1,426 yards in 2013.
Last week: 21

22. Tampa Bay. The 3-3 Buccaneers are allowing opponents to complete a league-low 58.3 percent of their passes. But both Matt Ryan and Carson Palmer have 300-yard passing games against Tampa.
Last week: 22

23. New Orleans. Drew Brees has passed for a league-leading 17 touchdowns but the Saints have little to show for his productivity. They sit 2-4, steaming toward a third consecutive non-playoff season.
Last week: 23

24. Jacksonville. The 2-4 Jaguars have been assessed a league-leading 555 yards in penalties this season. Twice they have been penalized 100 yards in a game, against Indianapolis and Oakland.
Last week: 24

25. Miami. The Dolphins signed Arian Foster in free agency. It turns out they didn't need him -- not with Jay Ajayi running the way he's been running with consecutive 200-yard rushing games.
Last week: 25

26. San Diego. The Chargers lost 11 fumbles in 2015. They have already lost 11 through seven games this season, including three apiece by QB Philip Rivers and WR Travis Benjamin.
Last week: 26

27. Indianapolis. Adam Vinatieri, at 43, remains the most consistent kicker in the NFL. He has made all 18 of his field goal tries and all 18 of his extra point conversions for the 3-4 Colts.
Last week: 27

28. NY Jets. The 2-5 Jets have lost confidence in QB Ryan Fitzpatrick and now have lost Geno Smith with a torn up knee. When does New York turn to youngsters Bryce Petty or Christian Hackenberg?
Last week: 28

29. Carolina. The defending NFC champion Panthers had their bye last week to take stock in their season. Now they play Arizona in an NFC title game rematch -- but Carolina is 9-12 coming off byes.
Last week: 29

30. Chicago. The season is sliding away on the Bears at 1-6 with three of their losses coming at the hands of AFC teams -- the Texans, Colts and Jaguars.
Last week: 30

31. San Francisco. Twice the 49ers ran out to 14-0 leads at home, against Dallas and Tampa Bay, and wound up losing both games. Little wonder they sit 1-6 at the bottom of the NFC West.
Last week: 31

32. Cleveland. The Browns have lost 10 consecutive games since last winning on Dec. 13, 2015. Five different quarterbacks have started in those 10 losses.
Last week: 32
 
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