There are a few certainties in life. Death, taxes, and the Dallas Cowboys shrinking at the sight of any reasonable expectations. Dearest readers, you follow the NFL. You know that those first two sentences could've likely been written at any point in the Jerry Jones era in Dallas. But, somehow, this time feels worse.

That's because Jones effectively wrote blank checks for these Cowboys to be Super Bowl contenders.

After an extended summer of consternation, Jones relented and gave superstar receiver CeeDee Lamb $100 million. Not long after, Jones made Dak Prescott -- a quarterback who is the picture of mercurial to some -- the highest-paid quarterback in NFL history. These deals came on the heels of a relatively recent handsome extension to cornerback Trevon Diggs.

Jones' reward for his faith in his players?

Prescott is one of the least efficient quarterbacks in football through six weeks, Lamb can't produce the way he's expected to with his running mate struggling, and Diggs is the face of a sieve defense that is getting run off the field almost every week. On top of that, Mike McCarthy is doing his typical "I have no idea what I'm doing" act, leaving Dallas already grasping for straws in a 3-3 start. All in all, I frankly couldn't think of a worse birthday present for Jones as the man who has thought he'd turn around the Cowboys for over a quarter-century.

And I don't blame you if you're already jumping off this bandwagon.

The Cowboys are naturally a huge part of For The Win's Week 7 NFL power rankings, as are several other disappointing NFL teams. Let's hop in and find out where everyone stands in mid-October.

32. Jacksonville Jaguars

Last week's rank: 29

Jacksonville briefly crawled out of its hole by only getting moderately shredded by Joe Flacco in Week 5. Then it crawled back in to get entirely shredded by Caleb Williams. The New England Patriots are next on the London schedule in a game that Great Britain may wind up filing a formal complaint against the next time the United Nations are in session. -- Christian D'Andrea

31. Tennessee Titans

Last week's rank: 31

Calvin Ridley isn't happy with his role in the Titans' offense. How could he be? The veteran receiver has less than 30 targets on the season and is otherwise invisible within the constraints of Brian Callahan's scheme. But it's hard to say that Ridley is alone. As long as Will Levis is the quarterback, most of the Titans' skill players' production will be underwhelming. -- Robert Zeglinski

30. New England Patriots

Last week's rank: 32

Drake Maye's first start infused the Patriots' offense with a little life, even without Rhamondre Stevenson in the lineup. This didn't matter because the defense allowed 41 points, but it's still a step in the right direction. Maye is gonna have some ugly games, but he's also gonna make the kinds of throws that give New England something to look forward to. -- CD

29. Cleveland Browns

Last week's rank: 30

Kevin Stefanski insists the Browns will simply not bench Deshaun Watson, once accused of sexual misconduct by more than 20 women in what the NFL would later characterize as "predatory behavior." That makes you feel bad for the Browns veterans giving their all, watching a season go to waste because of the league's worst quarterback. To be clear, you only feel bad for them, though. -- RZ

28. Carolina Panthers

Last week's rank: 26

Andy Dalton's brief revival was fun, but it was never going to last. Now he's a replacement-level quarterback for a team stocked with replacement-level players. Even if he was slinging the ball, no defense in the NFL has given up more points than the Panthers, who have given up at least 34 in each of their last three games. -- CD

27. Las Vegas Raiders

Last week's rank: 27

A quarterback change wasn't going to change the Raiders' fortunes, as they took their second consecutive defeat by double digits. That's because Las Vegas has an extremely top-heavy roster led by two All-Pros in Maxx Crosby and Davante Adams. And both might not even be Raiders anymore after the NFL's trade deadline in a few weeks. Brutal. -- RZ

26. Miami Dolphins

Last week's rank: 28

Tua Tagovailoa didn't even play two full games this season. He's still Miami's passing leader by nearly 200 yards. The Dolphins had the entire offseason to shore up their backup plan but looked at Tagovailoa's 17-game 2023 and shrugged. It doesn't look like things will get better after the bye. --CD

25. Indianapolis Colts

Last week's rank: 25

Joe Flacco will, in fact, keep getting away with it. Well, as long as he gets to play the hapless Titans and Jaguars every week. There's an argument to be made that the veteran is better now than he ever was during his "elite" meme heyday. That's a deep-seated problem for the Colts, who have effectively given the struggling Anthony Richardson a "Don't worry, take as much time as you need to heal" pass. If Richardson develops any confidence issues from this weird situation, then the Flacco gambit has backfired. -- RZ

24. New York Giants

Last week's rank: 23

Daniel Jones is playing like a top-20 quarterback and doing so without WR1 Malik Nabers. That's a very low bar to clear, and it wasn't enough to beat the Cincinnati Bengals at home on Sunday night, but it's something. New York is getting more encouraging returns from its defense, including a pass rush that's been able to create pressure even without Kayvon Thibodeaux in the lineup. -- CD

23. Los Angeles Rams

Last week's rank: 24

A bye week was exactly what the ailing Rams ordered. Los Angeles entered its early-season break with roughly half its starting depth chart hurt or on injured reserve outright. Not everyone will come back in Week 7, but a week-long vacation for a team already in tatters so quickly might be enough to start salvaging a meager 1-4 start. -- RZ

22. New York Jets

Last week's rank: 21

Aaron Rodgers can't scramble like he used to. His passes don't quite have the same velocity they once did now that he's 40. But, good god, the man can still throw one hell of a Hail Mary.

Anyway, his Jets are 2-4. They were 3-3 at this point last year. - CD

21. Denver Broncos

Last week's rank: 22

Bo Nix giveth and Bo Nix taketh away. A week after enjoying the finest performance of his young career, the Los Angeles Chargers locked Nix in a phone booth, predisposing him to his worst check-down instincts. The rookie is now averaging just 5.5 yards per pass attempt on an offense nobody fears downfield. Denver could still be an AFC playoff contender with its great defense ... if Nix ever shakes this mindset. Don't hold your breath. -- RZ

20. Arizona Cardinals

Last week's rank: 17

The Packers cooled off Kyler Murray's scrambles and forced him to throw downfield in a lineup without Marvin Harrison Jr. It went poorly, as Arizona lost by three touchdowns. The mercurial quarterback is playing efficient football in his first full season back from a torn ACL, but he has yet to prove he can be the difference between winning and losing for a rebuilding franchise. -- CD

19. Cincinnati Bengals

Last week's rank: 20

The Bengals are 2-4, and I'm not sure what they do well. Joe Burrow looks good in spurts, but Cincy doesn't really run the ball. Lou Anarumo's defense remains a confusing mess for offensive minds, but a patchwork secondary is the definition of vulnerable. I won't rule out another Bengals midseason turnaround, but everything about this underwhelming squad says that probably isn't coming this time. -- RZ

18. Dallas Cowboys

Last week's rank: 16

Goodbye, Mike McCarthy. You will be remembered fondly. Not by Cowboys fans, mind you. -- CD

17. New Orleans Saints

Last week's rank: 13

Let's start with the good news for the Saints. Potential quarterback of the future Spencer Rattler wasn't that awful in his debut. There might be something to build on there! The bad news is that New Orleans has now lost four in a row, with the last two defeats never even being within reach. This is more or less what a hollowed-out aging Saints core looks like on its last legs. -- RZ

16. Philadelphia Eagles

Last week's rank: 15

Philadelphia is 3-2 and is a few bounces away from 5-0. But no one feels very good about how the Eagles got here, least of all the fans who ended up jawing with Nick Sirianni as he wound down a four-point home win over an opponent starting the league's most disastrous quarterback. Philly is 14-8 since its Super Bowl trip, and Sirianni could still get fired because no one's quite sure how to coax 2022 back out of Jalen Hurts' arm. -- CD

15. Los Angeles Chargers

Last week's rank: 19

The Chargers used the bye week to get healthy and strategize a way to get Bo Nix out of his comfort zone. To get back over .500, they also leaned on their bread and butter -- J.K. Dobbins, who is now sixth in the NFL in rushing while averaging over five yards per carry. This was always the most obvious outcome for a Jim Harbaugh-led team. -- RZ

14. Seattle Seahawks

Last week's rank: 12

Geno Smith's accuracy remains a boon, but new head coach Mike Macdonald is having a more difficult time turning Seattle's defense into a cohesive unit than he may have hoped. The Seahawks have given up at least 29 points in each of their last three games. That means three straight losses for a team that's suddenly 3-3. -- CD

13. Pittsburgh Steelers

Last week's rank: 18

T.J. Watt is playing like a man possessed. That or he's just incensed about missing out on the 2023 Defensive Player of the Year award. The perennial All-Pro is on pace for over 12 sacks, almost 10 forced fumbles, and another 20-plus tackles-for-loss, 30-plus quarterback-hit season. Pittsburgh is a playoff factor, first and foremost, because of its defensive talisman. -- RZ

12. Washington Commanders

Last week's rank: 8

Washington lost in Week 6 and its defense looks, well, very much like it was dismantled for draft picks last fall. But Jayden Daniels continues to sling the ball around and remains at the forefront of the MVP discussion a third of the way through the 2024 season. The hardest part of the Commanders' rebuild is over. -- CD

11. Chicago Bears

Last week's rank: 14

Watching Caleb Williams over the last month is like watching a Terminator slowly assimilate into its surroundings before turning its phasers to "destroy." After a sparkling four-touchdown pass effort in London, Williams is now at the forefront of the Offensive Rookie of the Year race. More importantly, Williams' suddenly elite Bears offense complements a top-five Bears defense. Phew. Don't sleep on the Bears. This might be the worst they'll be all year. -- RZ

10. Buffalo Bills

Last week's rank: 10

Josh Allen got his MVP campaign back on track in a 23-20 win over the Jets on Monday night. More importantly, he gave the Bills and their rolling rebuild a two-game advantage over the rest of the AFC East and just beat what appears to be Buffalo's biggest divisional threat on the road. -- CD

9. Green Bay Packers

Last week's rank: 11

When in doubt, trust Matt LaFleur to come up with a perfect game plan. Oh, the Cardinals' defenders have zero eye discipline and minimal patience? OK, that means it's time to screen them into oblivion, just like the Packers did on Sunday. We're watching Green Bay reach its high, expected preseason potential in recent weeks. And it still feels like the green and gold are nowhere near their ceiling. -- RZ

8. San Francisco 49ers

Last week's rank: 9

San Francisco handled the Seahawks to get back to .500. Next comes a Super Bowl 58 rematch that'll let us know just how viable the Niners' NFC title hopes are. With a good, not great, defense, they may need Brock Purdy to elevate his game and earn a measure of revenge over the team that denied the Bay Area a championship parade last winter. -- CD

7. Atlanta Falcons

Last week's rank: 6

For the first time in years, the Falcons are a viable offensive chameleon. Just 10 days after watching Kirk Cousins throw for over 500 yards, Atlanta doled out over 30 combined carries to Bijan Robinson and Tyler Allgeier against the Panthers, amassing nearly 200 team rushing yards in the process. That is the sort of offensive balance Super Bowl contenders are built on. That's right. The Falcons, ladies and gentlemen, are contenders. -- RZ

6. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Last week's rank: 7

Baker Mayfield threw three interceptions and still cruised to a 21-point victory. Granted, that came against Spencer Rattler, but Tampa Bay responded when faced with a potential catastrophe. Week 6 was a minor test, but one the Bucs passed with flying colors. -- CD

5. Houston Texans

Last week's rank: 5

Joe Mixon's return from an ankle injury couldn't come soon enough. The veteran came back in Week 6 and produced over 130 scrimmage yards with two touchdowns in a laugher over the Patriots. As it stands, Mixon is the missing element to a Texans offense that still probably leans too much on C.J. Stroud's individual brilliance. However, if Mixon can keep playing like this, Houston becomes dangerous in a much more sustainable fashion. -- RZ

4. Minnesota Vikings

Last week's rank: 4

A week off gave Minnesota another chance to bask in its undefeated start. It may be essential to keeping Sam Darnold flying. Cracks began to show in the veteran's game in Week 5's victory over the Jets. Was that 14-for-31 performance the product of jet lag and a rainy London afternoon? Or is regression looming for a player who was supposed to be a backup in 2024? -- CD

3. Baltimore Ravens

Last week's rank: 2

How soon is too soon to talk about the Ravens having not one but two MVP candidates? That's how great Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry have been together. But Sunday's win over the Commanders was much more about Baltimore's defense. After struggling through the early part of the season, the Ravens took away Jayden Daniels' rushing attack, effectively constricting the most dynamic part of Washington's offense. That's an excellent development for an AFC heavyweight finally rounding into form. -- RZ

2. Kansas City Chiefs

Last week's rank: 3

The Chiefs didn't get to 5-0 easily, but they got there. The schedule gods gave Andy Reid a full two weeks to prep for the 49ers, which feels unfair. On top of that, Week 5 was the first time the Kansas City offense truly seemed to cook, even without Rashee Rice or Isiah Pacheco. If there's a way to get to 6-0 (and thoroughly discourage San Francisco), Reid and Mahomes will find it. -- CD

1. Detroit Lions

Last week's rank: 1

Aidan Hutchinson's loss will hurt. You don't just replace a Defensive Player of the Year-caliber player in the middle of the season. But Hutchinson's absence won't change who the Lions are. They're still going to punk you in the trenches with football's premier offensive line. They're still going to confound you with impeccable play design from Ben Johnson. And they'll still bring the wood any time you dare challenge them on either side of the ball. The Lions punch first and ask questions later in an NFC conference where they should remain a heavy favorite. -- RZ

This article originally appeared on For The Win: NFL Power Rankings Week 7: Jerry Jones’ expensive and bloated Cowboys are once again going nowhere