Top 10 NFL teams remain mostly unchanged

Rams remain in No. 1 spot at the end of week seven

Each week, national NFL writer Mark Maske ranks the league's 32 teams. This week, there is consistency at the top with Nos. 1 to 7 maintaining their spots. At the bottom, the Giants drop a spot to No. 31 but the 49ers retain the distinction of being the NFL'S worst team. 1. Los Angeles Rams (7-0) |

Last Week's Rank: 1 The Rams, after their noworries victory Sunday at San Francisco, return to the competitive portion of their season this weekend when they host Aaron Rodgers and the Packers. 2. New Orleans Saints (5-1) |

Last Week's Rank: 2 The Saints won in Baltimore on Justin Tucker's missed extra point for the Ravens. It's beginning to feel like one of those seasons when everything just might fall into place for the Saints. 3. New England Patriots (5-2)

| Last Week's Rank: 3 The victory in Chicago came at a cost, with the knee injury suffered by rookie RB Sony Michel. The injury is not considered serious. But for now, it leaves James White and Kenjon Barner as the only healthy running backs on the roster, so the Patriots will have to address that need. 4. Kansas City Chiefs (6-1) |

Last Week's Rank: 4 QB Patrick Mahomes and the offense kept doing their thing Sunday night against the Bengals. And the defense, for a change, was quite good. That was probably the most encouraging development of all on a good night for the Chiefs. 5. Minnesota Vikings (4-2-1)

| Last Week's Rank: 5 The Vikings have three straight wins and are beginning to resemble the team that everyone expected them to be when they added QB Kirk Cousins. Things will get interesting when they host the Saints this Sunday night. Can they supplant the Saints as the primary challenger to the Rams in the NFC? 6. Los Angeles Chargers (5-2)

| Last Week's Rank: 6 Anyone who dismisses the Chargers as a viable Super Bowl threat in the AFC isn't paying attention. They're only a game behind the Chiefs in the AFC West. And they're doing this, remember, without their standout pass rusher, Joey Bosa. 7. Pittsburgh Steelers (3-2-1)

| Last Week's Rank: 7 The wait for Le'veon San Francisco 49ers starting quarterback C.J. Beathard is sacked by Los Angeles Rams’ Michael Brockers and Los Angeles Rams’ Aaron Donald in the fourth quarter on Sunday at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara.

Bell's return continues, after the star running back did not report to the team Monday. It had been reported that he would rejoin the Steelers and sign his franchise-player deal by this week. But if he waits until after next Tuesday to show up, the NFL'S trading deadline will have come and gone. 8. Green Bay Packers (3-2-1)

| Last Week's Rank: 10 Hope that bye was restful, Aaron Rodgers. The Packers return from it to play consecutive road games against the Rams this Sunday and the Patriots a week later. 9. Washington Redskins (4-2)

| Last Week's Rank: 11 The Redskins had some good fortune Sunday against the Cowboys, particularly

with the controversial snap-infraction penalty against Dallas before its missed a wouldbe tying FG. But give the Redskins credit for playing well on defense and avoiding turnovers while doing just enough on offense. They certainly can win a less-than-fearsome NFC East, especially given their favorable schedule

the rest of the way. 10. Carolina Panthers (4-2) |

Last Week's Rank: 14 The uplifting triumph via the fourth-quarter comeback in Philly keeps the Panthers above .500 and on the heels of the Saints in the NFC South. They face another difficult test this weekend when they host the Ravens.