1. Patriots (6-1; last week No. 2): They may be here for a while, especially if they can avenge their only loss of the season to date.
2. Cowboys (5-1; No. 4): A return to glory is entirely possible.
3. Vikings (5-1; No. 1): They weren’t going to win them all. On Sunday, they wouldn’t have won against anyone.
4. Seahawks (4-1-1; No. 3): There’s a sense that the wheels could come off at any point for this team. There’s also a sense they’ll eventually mash on the gas pedal. It remains to be seen which one happens first.
5. Packers (4-2; No. 7): As long as they play inferior opponents, the offense will look just fine.
6. Broncos (5-2; No. 9): “This one’s for Brock.”
7. Falcons (4-3; No. 5): The Second Annual Collapse has begun. How long will it last?
8. Steelers (4-3; No. 8): Linebacker Ryan Shazier says the team is “garbage” right now. Plenty of teams would love to smell that bad.
9. Chiefs (4-2; No. 12): This may be the one team no one wants to play in January.
10. Raiders (5-2; No. 13): Maybe they should start their home games at 10:00 a.m. PT, too.
11. Lions (4-3; No. 18): Maybe Matthew Stafford will start getting the credit he deserves.
12. Washington (4-3; No. 6): The closest this team will come to No. 1 happened on the sideline of Sunday’s game in Detroit.
13. Eagles (4-2; No. 15): Shrugging off a couple of losses and three first-quarter turnovers from Carson Wentz, the Eagles have re-established themselves as an unlikely postseason contender.
14. Giants (4-3; No. 17): Based on his interception return for a touchdown against the Rams, maybe Landon Collins should play running back.
15. Bills (4-3; No. 10): The Bills last swept the Patriots in the same year the Bills last went to the playoffs. Ending one streak on Sunday would go a long way toward ending the other one.
16. Texans (4-3; No. 11): They could have won the division and made a quick exit from the playoffs by spending a lot less than $18 million per year on a quarterback.
17. Cardinals (3-3-1; No. 14): They get a chance to exorcise their lingering 2015 demons with a trip back to Charlotte. And if the Cardinals lose this one, it could be over.
18. Buccaneers (3-3; No. 20): The next two games will tell us plenty about whether this team is ready to contend.
19. Bengals (3-4; No. 21): They’ll fly a long way to try to extend the winning streak against former Bengals offensive coordinators to two.
20. Dolphins (3-4; No. 25): At a time when plenty of NFL players are the last ones to realize it’s over, Arian Foster deserves credit for being quick to admit it.
21. Chargers (3-4; No. 26): Could this be the best team in the division?
22. Colts (3-4; No. 28): Could this be the best team in the division?
23. Titans (3-4; No. 16): This could have been the best team in the division.
24. Ravens (3-4; No. 19): This could be a problem for John Harbaugh, eventually.
25. Rams (3-4; No. 22): This could be the formula for 7-9.
26. Saints (2-4; No. 23): This could be a little awkward when Jimmy Graham returns to New Orleans on Sunday.
27. Panthers (1-5; No. 27): This could be the first step in a slow climb out of the basement.
28. Jaguars (2-4; No. 24): If they don’t win in the Star Trek uniforms, Gus Bradley could be teleported to a new job.
29. Jets (2-5; No. 29): “How dare you react to the fact that I wasn’t good at my job.”
30. 49ers (1-6; No. 30): Those “traffic problems” in Santa Clara that made the stadium seem sparsely attended for a Thursday night game are here to stay.
31. Bears (1-6; No. 31): The Cubs are providing the Bears with the cover they need to keep stinking.
32. Browns (0-7; No. 32): The Indians are providing the Browns with the cover they need to keep stinking.