Green Bay Shot Up 9 Spots to No. 14, But Their Front Seven Is Falling Apart

Green Bay absolutely annihilated the Chicago Bears, shutting them out 31-7 in a statement win. That dominating performance vaulted them an incredible nine spots up in ESPN’s latest NFL power rankings, landing them at No. 14 after Week 5 games.

The Climb to No. 14

Talk about a jump, right? Just last week, Green Bay was chilling at No. 23. But after handing the Bears that beatdown, they shot all the way up to No. 14. They stomped Chicago, making it clear who’s boss in that specific game. Yeah, the Vikings and Lions probably have their own thoughts on who’s actually “king of the NFC North,” but you can’t deny that 31-7 score. This kind of momentum is huge as they head into a Week 6 showdown against the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday.

A Front Seven Nightmare

Here’s where it gets dicey, though. Even with that big win and rankings boost, ESPN’s Rob Demovsky hit us with a dose of reality: injuries to their front seven are a massive concern. We’re not talking bumps and bruises here, folks. In back-to-back weeks, linebacker Edgerrin Cooper and defensive tackle Javon Hargrave both suffered season-ending Achilles injuries. Cooper was their absolute best linebacker. Hargrave? Their most experienced defensive lineman. That’s a gut punch, twice over.

And let’s not forget edge rusher Micah Parsons. He hasn’t seen the field since tearing his ACL back in Week 15 last year. So, while Green Bay is clearly a talented team and looking good on paper after smashing the Bears, they’re going to be without some crucial pieces going forward. That’s a troubling development that could seriously bite them.

Despite these brutal injury blows, they’re still in a good spot coming off that huge victory over Chicago. Their next test comes Sunday against the Dallas Cowboys. We’ll see how they adapt without those key players, because the stakes are getting higher every week in this league.

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Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.