Three teams rising falling after Week 7

sharonorn

Seven weeks into the NFL season is long enough to take a hard left turn. Teams like the who started off promising have swerved toward disaster. The opposite also remains true: The and have real hope Monday morning after suffering through brutal Septembers.Let's take a look at three teams that should be feeling good after Sunday's action, and teams that have taken a turn for the worse. We'll start with teams on the upswing: New Orleans SaintsThe division is all but out of reach with the second place by three games. But a potentially lost season feels reborn after succe sive convincing victories over Ethan Del Mastro Jersey  the and . The ' defense is never going to be dominant, but they are figuring out how to cover up their weakne ses better. is suddenly having his best season and the secondary has turned competent lately. The defense is young and has a chance to improve.The real hope here is the schedule. This week's "homecoming" for defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo is the toughest matchup the have until November. They also have games against Tampa, Detroit and Jacksonville in December. After some admittedly premature , it's very easy to imagine this team having a winning record entering the home stretch. That should be good enough to stay within striking distance of the . Oakland Raiders against San Diego was a fork in the road game for both teams. There is room for a second AFC West team to contend for a wild card spot, and the improbably have shown they will be that Michael Jordan Jersey  team. has been one of the steadier quarterbacks in the league. and form a terrific pa s rush duo. This might not be a playoff team yet, but they're only one spot out of a playoff spot through six weeks and should hover around .500 all season. Miami DolphinsDan Campbell is a leader and a philosopher. "You transferred energy without physically even touching them ... and things like that happen, guys," Campbell told his team in the locker room after their latest destruction of an AFC South opponent. The will have to get back to playing legitimate teams again starting Thursday night in Foxborough versus the , but there's no doubt that the talent in Miami is showing itself again. The e sentially added one of the league's best pa s rushers and one of the best left tackles during their bye week when and returned to health. Campbell smartly committed to as an every-down player at receiver, ignoring the pedigree of and . All jokes aside about the AFC South, the ability to blow out lackluster teams is a consistent sign of a playoff contender. But the schedule could be tricky to navigate because Miami already lost two home division games including a "home" game in London. The also look more like a legitimate top-shelf NFL team every week, so pa sing them for second place in the AFC East will be difficult.Unle s the can win in Foxborough on Thursday, they will be 3-4 and headed to Buffalo. That Week 9 game with the could feel like an elimination game for relevance in the AFC East. Speaking of which ... Teams on the Downswing:Buffalo BillsThey have plenty of legitimate excuses. The haven't been able to field their best team because of injuries to , , , and at various points in the season. was a huge step- Bob Probert Jersey down from , who should be back after the team's bye. With all that said, the have already lost three games at home. They haven't been particularly competitive with the league's best like Cincinnati and New England. Rex Ryan didn't even seem that angry after losing to the ; . Their defense hasn't been nearly as good as the sum of its parts. This was a team with playoff expectations, yet their first game back from the bye feels like a "must win." Last place in the AFC East at midseason is nearly a death sentence because they'll have almost no margin for error in the second half and a tricky schedule to navigate. San Diego ChargersThe schedule is forgiving. The don't play any team that currently has more than two wins until December. That gives a chance to go on one of his patented runs, and there is enough talent around him to pull off the improbable. The just have to come to terms with the reality that they look like an easy game on the schedule, too. Trailing 37-6 at home against the after three quarters should have been a humbling moment. We' Taylor Hall Jersey ve never seen Mike McCoy so angry after a lo s. Their big budget defensive players (, , Eri Weddle, , ) are not living up to their contracts. San Diego's home games are increasingly depre sing, and the po sible relocation to Los Angeles has infected the season. We've seen . We hope that doesn Glenn Hall Jersey 't happen here. Dallas Cowboys felt like an improvement on , yet he still threw three interceptions against New York. had his rejuvenation game and the still lost their fourth-straight contest. It's almost certain they will find a way to lose the fifth straight against Seattle, which would put them at 2-5. The defense certainly looks improved and healthier, but it's not going to mean much without getting some wins. Bonus Faller: Atlanta FalconsThe are coming off their sixth win Sunday in Tenne see, yet there are signs for concern. The pa sing game somehow looks worse than it did a year ago despite the great record. The pa s rush is also not any better. There are only three games left against teams with a winning record, but the look capable of losing to just about any team. (And beating any team.) That's just the kind of team this squad is, with very little separating them and a 3-4 squad. They were before the ugly game in Tenne see. In short: If the make the playoffs, expect a bumpy ride on the way there. Don't be surprised if they come back to the back.