The Dallas Cowboys are one of the best teams in the NFL.
Time is flying by at an unbelievably fast rate and we are now all the way at Week 6 of the 2021 NFL season. The Dallas Cowboys are 4-1 and just one game separates them from their bye. At present time many are starting to acknowledge them as one of the best teams in the NFL, but just where should they be ranked?
Every week here at BTB we put together our own power rankings of every team in the NFL and gather rankings from around the internet to see how people are in fact evaluating America’s Team.
You can visit our rankings from last week right here. Let’s begin.
1 – Buffalo Bills (LW: 6)
They are not the league’s last undefeated team, but the Buffalo Bills look like the NFL’s most unstoppable force through five weeks. The AFC goes through them.
2 – Tampa Bay Buccaneers (LW: 2)
It had been a while since we’d seen Tampa Bay just have their way with an opponent and that is exactly what happened on Sunday. Life is very different with Tom Brady.
A beautifully insane stat from @gregauman:
Sunday marked the sixth time in 25 games with Tom Brady that the Bucs have scored 44 points or more. The Bucs had scored 44 points just six times total in their 44 seasons before his arrival last year.
Stop.
— Dan Hanzus (@DanHanzus) October 11, 2021
The one and true GOAT.
3 – Arizona Cardinals (LW: 1)
Ultimately the Cardinals are the league’s only undefeated squad, but they hardly look like the best team. They outlasted the 49ers which is a credit to them (it was a divisional game after all), but let’s see how they fare against Cleveland this week.
4 – Dallas Cowboys (LW: 7)
Hello. The Dallas Cowboys are one of the very best teams in the NFL. Yes. That’s correct.
5 – Los Angeles Chargers (LW: 8)
Sweet potato pie what a game on Sunday afternoon. Justin Herbert looks every bit like the next great quarterback and someone who can challenge (and may actually surpass?!) Patrick Mahomes. They are in contention to win it all.
6 – Los Angeles Rams (LW: 4)
It feels like it has been forever since we’ve seen the Rams play and when we did they won to be fair, but the beginning of the season feels even further in the rearview mirror right now. The Rams look insane when all things are clicking, but when they aren’t they just look like an ordinary good team.
7 – Green Bay Packers (LW: 9)
Ultimately wins are wins and there are likely no Packers fans upset with victory in Cincinnati; however, Green Bay arguably should have lost to the Bengals. It feels like they have a bottoming-out on the way.
8 – Cleveland Browns (LW: 3)
They gave the Chargers all they had and that is certainly respect. Cleveland will be in the mix later on through the season, but they might be a notch below the AFC’s top units.
9 – Baltimore Ravens (LW: 11)
What an impressive win on Monday night. They have a thing for the dramatics, but they are a hard out. Lamar Jackson is a stud.
10 – Cincinnati Bengals (LW: 15)
It was a weird week across the league and so weird that the Bengals rose a few slots after losing. But what Cincinnati did on Sunday was impressive. They can clearly hang with some of the best groups in the NFL. Are they playoff-bound?
11 – Tennessee Titans (LW: 20)
I’m reluctant to buy all the way into Tennessee since they lost to the Jets last week, but as mentioned, it was a weird week. The Titans can roll over people when they’re on and that’s what happened in Jacksonville.
12 – Kansas City Chiefs (LW: 5)
How the mighty have fallen. Thankfully for Kansas City’s sake they drew Washington this week, but they are a shell of their former selves.
13 – Las Vegas Raiders (LW: 10)
Their loss on Sunday wasn’t great, but there is a lot going on with this organization that has nothing to do with football right now.
14 – Seattle Seahawks (LW: 12)
It is unfortunate that Russell Wilson is hurt because he is one of the best players in the NFL and one that is extremely fun to watch. As Cowboys fans we know how much a finger can derail a quarterback’s season. Without him it is difficult to see Seattle competing.
15 – New Orleans Saints (LW: 17)
The win in Washington was nice, but this team is so up and down. Who are they going to be when all of the waters stabilize?
16 – Carolina Panthers (LW: 13)
Perhaps the Cowboys exposed them a bit or perhaps they just really miss Christian McCaffrey. Either way, they played down to the Philadelphia Eagles and are a long ways removed from being undefeated.
17 – Chicago Bears (LW: 19)
Justin Fields didn’t exactly light up the box score in his first game as the unquestioned starter, but theoretically things should get better. Chicago has a chance to be a playoff team this season as long as he can help stabilize their offense.
18 – New England Patriots (LW: 18)
Weirdly enough I think people felt better about them (like the Cowboys) following their loss to the Buccaneers as opposed to this win. We still don’t entirely know who the Brady-less Patriots can totally be, but hopefully this week it isn’t anybody too good.
19 – San Francisco 49ers (LW: 14)
There is no reason for Kyle Shanahan to trot Jimmy Garoppolo out as his starting quarterback when they are back from bye. If he does, well, yikes.
20 – Washington Football Team (LW: 21)
Are they the second-best team in the NFC East? Would that even mean anything?
21 – Atlanta Falcons (LW: 30)
It is important to remember that they beat the Jets of all teams, but the Falcons looked somewhat competent across the pond over the weekend. Perhaps Arthur Smith’s philosophies are starting to take hold?
22 – Minnesota Vikings (LW: 22)
Early on I felt like the Vikings were an 0-2 team that had legitimate potential. They have gone 2-1 since then, but it’s hard to see how they can put it together for an entire game. Justin Jefferson remains special, but overall this team just can’t get out of their own way sometimes. At least they won.
23 – Philadelphia Eagles (LW: 26)
There were some ugly moments for the Eagles in this one, but they beat a Panthers team that impressed a lot of us last week. Jalen Hurts does not at all look like the guy moving forward. Up next for them is the world champions on a short week.
24 – Indianapolis Colts (LW: 23)
They built a nice lead against Baltimore, but they blew it! Not exactly an encouraging sign.
25 – Pittsburgh Steelers (LW: 24)
They won and finally scored in the first quarter which is notable, but it was the Broncos. Pittsburgh still remains trapped by their quarterback and likely to finish below .500 this season.
26 – Denver Broncos (LW: 16)
If there was ever a paper tiger team among those that were undefeated this season it was surely the Broncos.
27 – Detroit Lions (LW: 29)
Dan Campbell’s team definitely fights for him and that is commendable. Eventually the Lions are going to not be on the wrong side of miraculous field goals, but unfortunately that day was not on Sunday.
28 – New York Giants (LW: 27)
Injuries are going to see them look even worse for a little while, but ultimately the Giants just lack juice right now. Kadarius Toney is awesome, but what else is there to be excited about if you’re a fan of that team?
29 – Houston Texans (LW: 31)
They continue to have moments where many are surprised because they are better than we originally thought they would be, but it wasn’t enough in Week 5.
30 – Miami Dolphins (LW: 25)
Losing your starting quarterback makes life difficult and playing a team like the Buccaneers only exacerbates the problem. Unfortunately the Dolphins are in a bit of a rut right now and it’s hard to see them getting out of it.
31 – New York Jets (LW: 28)
It is still extremely early, but Zach Wilson does not look good at all. London, we are sorry for sending this team to you and acting like that was some sort of gift.
32 – Jacksonville Jaguars (LW: 32)
London, we are sorry that this is the next team that you have to watch along with the Dolphins. Thank you for the Premier League!
NFL.com: 4 (LW: 6)
Welcome to the top five.
The Cowboys swept their three-game homestand against the Eagles, Panthers and Giants by a combined score of 121-69 — a stretch of dominance that cements America’s Team as a force to be reckoned with in the NFC. On Sunday, the Cowboys rolled up 515 yards of total offense on a bruised-and-battered Giants team that — like the Eagles and Washington — knows the best-case scenario is scrambling for a wild-card spot come December. If Dallas keeps its health, the NFC East race is already over. The next question: How good can the Cowboys be? As we approach mid-October, they cut the profile of a legitimate Super Bowl contender.
ESPN: 6 (LW: 8)
Not quite as high here. But they did name a most-improved player for each team.
Most improved player: CB Trevon Diggs
How they’ve improved: How can it not be Diggs? The Cowboys have some other candidates, like young tackle Terence Steele, but Diggs has put himself in the running for the Defensive Player of the Year just five games in with six interceptions. In his last 10 games, dating back to his rookie season, he has nine interceptions. He is lining up against the opponents’ top receivers each week, and because of that, offenses will not have the chance to shy away from him. The question isn’t how much Diggs has improved. It’s how much more can he improve? — Todd Archer
USA Today: 4 (LW: 5)
More and more are starting to buy in.
Dallas has lost six in a row to teams coached by Bill Belichick, including an 0-5 record against his Patriots. In fact, the Cowboys haven’t beaten New England since 1996, when Bill Parcells was roaming the sideline at old Foxboro Stadium. Dak Prescott and Co. can put a lot of that negative history to bed Sunday afternoon at Gillette Stadium by improving to 5-1 for the first time since 2016, Prescott’s rookie year.
Yahoo: 6 (LW: 7)
Another improvement for the Cowboys.
Trevon Diggs’ sixth interception this season was a thing of beauty, trailing a post route and then using his speed to close the gap once the ball was in the air. The Cowboys’ defense is light years better than last season. New coordinator Dan Quinn is one big reason. Diggs is another. He’s a threat to win NFL defensive player of the year.
CBS Sports: 7 (LW: 8)
The lowest of the bunch.
The improvement on the defensive side of the ball has this team as a legitimate Super Bowl contender. Trevon Diggs has been outstanding at corner.
Sports Illustrated: 6 (LW: 10)
Another slight bump.
Maybe having them sixth is being slow to come around—since they’ve looked as impressive as anyone of late, without a real discernible weakness showing up. I just want to see how they handle success, and this week should be an indicator with a trip to New England to face a Patriots team they should handle on tap.
Sporting News: 6 (LW: 8)
Not quite in the top five.
How about them Cowboys? They’re not losing close games or squeaking them out, either. This is a relentless offensive team that can beat anyone in many ways and the defense has become the ultimate complementary closer with Dan Quinn and Trevon Diggs.
Updated to reflect Yahoo’s ranking.