Everyone loves rankings, even if they don't always matter to the grand scheme of the NFL, which uses a formulated playoff system for the postseason.
Still, it's always fun to see how the teams stack up. Each week, we'll scan a variety of Power Rankings from some of the biggest media outlets to see how the Cowboys stack up against the rest of the league.
Let's find out where the rankings have the Cowboys heading out of their bye week.
ESPN: 1.) Kansas City 2.) Philadelphia 3.) San Francisco 4.) Miami 5.) Baltimore 6.) Jacksonville 7.) Dallas Cowboys - "Let's not get it twisted: The Cowboys missTrevon Diggs, but Bland, 24, has done an excellent job in replacing the Pro Bowl cornerback. After leading the Cowboys in interceptions with five as a rookie last season, he leads them with three this season, including two he has returned for touchdowns. He nearly had two more takeaways against the Los Angeles Chargers. Bland has the size, speed and gift for finding the ball that can't be taught, a lot like Diggs. – Todd Archer
NFL.com: ESPN: 1.) Kansas City 2.) Philadelphia 3.) San Francisco 4.) Baltimore 5.) Miami 6.) Jacksonville 7.) Detroit 8.) Dallas Cowboys - Even with the defense showing some game-to-game inconsistency, the Cowboys can become a better team with Dak Prescott playing more like he did against the Chargers. Early this season, the Cowboys were lucky they didn't need more out of the offense, but in big moments against Arizona and San Fran, that unit came up short. You'd like to see more from Brandin Cooks, Michael Gallup and the tight ends in the pass game and more ground production overall. There's also the matter of Mike McCarthy trying to rediscover his play-caller vibe. Maybe the strides they took against the Chargers and a healthy Tyron Smith suggest more offensive flourish is coming. The good news is that they have more home games than road games remaining. – Eric Edholm
CBS Sports: 1.) Kansas City 2.) Philadelphia 3.) Baltimore 4.) Jacksonville 5.) San Francisco 6.) Cowboys - "They went on the bye after beating the Chargers on the road, which had to give this team life. Is this the point when they really start to play well?" – Pete Prisco
Fox Sports 1.) Philadelphia 2.) Kansas City 3.) San Francisco 4.) Baltimore 5.) Detroit 5.) Miami 6.) Jacksonville 7.) Detroit 8.) Dallas - "The vibes are always good coming out of a bye week, but now the Cowboys have to show us they can improve offensively. Dak Prescott played hero ball to get the win against the Chargers, but this team will be limited if it can't get more consistent production from the full offense." – David Helman
