The latest entry into the NFL Power Rankings are finally here as the contenders start to seaprate themselves from the pretenders. With nine weeks of action in the books, some teams are on the rise while others are already looking forward to the 2024 NFL Draft.
NFL Power Rankings: It’s A Good Week For Bird Teams
Tier 1: Elite Super Bowl Contenders
1. Baltimore Ravens
There is a case to be made that the Baltimore Ravens belong in a tier of their own in these NFL Power Rankings. After a relatively slow start to the season, this team has steamrolled over any and all competition over the past four weeks of action. While the Arizona Cardinals put up a fight in Week 8, Baltimore beat the Detroit Lions and Seattle Seahawks by a combined score of 75-9. The defense is elite, the offense is on fire, and Lamar Jackson is playing at an MVP level. Until further notice, this is the team to beat.
2. Philadelphia Eagles
Historically speaking, the team that loses the Super Bowl has a hard time getting back in the following year. While a lot can happen between now and February, the Philadelphia Eagles look ready to break that trend. Jalen Hurts isn’t as good as Lamar Jackson and the defense isn’t quite as legitimate as Baltimore’s, but this team doesn’t have a single weakness on the roster. Howie Roseman did a phenomenal job in the offseason and now he’s reaping the rewards.
3. Kansas City Chiefs
Patrick Mahomes has a top-10 defense. If that thought doesn’t terrify you, then you’re probably a Chiefs fan. The reigning Super Bowl champions are poised for another deep playoff run, but the only thing potentially holding them back is a lack of offensive weaponry. Travis Kelce hasn’t been as consistent as usual, and nobody else on the depth chart has stepped up. This team won’t have to win too many shootouts, but they might be in trouble if and when they go up against another elite offense.
This is WILD!
Chiefs force a Tyreek Hill fumble and then lateral the ball for a touchdown!
(Via: NFL)pic.twitter.com/bUUbbekb43
— Sunday Night Football on NBC (@SNFonNBC) November 5, 2023
4. Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys came THIS close to pulling off the upset against the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 9. While the loss all but ensures they won’t win the NFC East crown, the fact of the matter is that this team is loaded with talent and can beat any other team in the league when everything is clicking, and their spot in the NFL Power Rankings reflects that.
5. San Francisco 49ers
Week 9 provided a much-needed bye week for the San Francisco 49ers. After coming out of the gate hot, the team slugged through a three-game losing streak while Brock Purdy’s turnover luck ran out. Hopefully, Purdy is fully recovered from his concussion and go back to looking like the guy from September for the rest of the season.
Tier 2: Deep Playoff Runs Incoming
6. Cincinnati Bengals
Joe Burrow is healthy, which means the Cincinnati Bengals are back! As of this posting, we do not know the severity of the supposed Ja’Marr Chase injury, so that will not be taken into account for these NFL Power Rankings. However, assuming Chase isn’t done for the season, this offense should remain one of the best in football. The defense, while not superb, is easily good enough to hold opposing teams in check while this high-powered aerial attack works its way down the field.
7. Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills will go exactly as far as Josh Allen can bring them. At his best, Allen is the most unstoppable force in the league, capable of doing anything and everything on any given down. However, this style also leads to turnovers and erratic swings in play, and the Bills don’t have the talent to consistently make up for Bad Josh Allen. When Allen is at his best, this team can beat anyone. However, if Allen isn’t playing like a demigod, then the aging roster simply doesn’t have what it takes to hold its own with the rest of the elite teams.
8. Detroit Lions
Are the Detroit Lions for real? So far, the answer is yes. While they did suffer a massive loss to the Baltimore Ravens, everything else about this team suggests they have what it takes for a deep playoff run. Jared Goff is playing some of his best football while Detroit’s young defense is starting to put it all together. This team is probably one more year away from serious contention, but they should hold on to the NFC North lead and make it to the divisional round, at the very least.
9. Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are one of the hardest teams to place in the NFL Power Rankings. When the offense is on schedule, they’re the single most dangerous unit in the league. However, if you can mess up the timing, everything starts to fall apart. Tua Tagovailoa isn’t as good as his numbers suggest, and the fact that Miami hasn’t beaten a winning team in a full calendar year is a little concerning. That said, this team is still one of the best in the business with an elite coaching staff and wide receiver talent.
10. Jacksonville Jaguars
Trevor Lawrence might not have made a jump to MVP-caliber play, but he’s still the best quarterback to set foot in Jacksonville in the 21st century. Armed with an impressive defense and a talented collection of complementary weapons, this team could make a deep postseason run if everything clicks at the right time.
11. Los Angeles Chargers
Justin Herbert hasn’t played up to his usual elite standards this year. However, he’s still good enough to get this team to a .500 record after eight games. Keenan Allen refuses to give into age, and the defense looks notably better without J.C. Jackson on the field. If Herbert can recapture his 2020-2021 form, then the sky is the limit.
Tier 3: Playoff Hopefuls.
12. Cleveland Browns
The Browns have the best defense in football by a comfortable margin, a great wide receiver in Amari Cooper, and a solid offensive line. If they had a quarterback like Baker Mayfield, they’d probably be a top 5-10 team in the NFL Power Rankings. Instead, they have Deshaun Watson, a quarterback that was supposed to bring them over the hump but is instead holding them back from reaching their true potential.
13. Seattle Seahawks
Nobody had a worse Week 9 than the Seattle Seahawks. Entering the game with the division lead, the team had their teeth kicked in by the Baltimore Ravens. This was an ugly affair, but it was only one game. While the San Francisco 49ers deserve to be divisional favorites, this team can still make the Wild Card.
14. New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints are going to win the NFC South by default, but this team is starting to show some signs of life. Derek Carr is starting to look more comfortable and Taysom Hill is developing into a legitimate weapon in the offense. However, unless Carr and Chris Olave figure out their connection, this team will always have a limited ceiling.
How many players this season can say they threw and caught a TD in the same game?
Taysom Hill can.@T_Hill4 | @Saints pic.twitter.com/5vbL8Symvv
— NFL (@NFL) November 6, 2023
15. Houston Texans
Don’t look now, but the Houston Texans are only one game out from a wild card spot. C.J. Stroud looks like the real deal, and General Manager Nick Caserio has done a remarkable job at surrounding his quarterback with reliable young talent. This team probably lacks the experience for a deep playoff run, but the future is bright.
16. Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are probably the worst 5-3 team in the history of the NFL. The Steelers have a -30 point differential, have been outgained in every game of the season, and are 5-0 in one-score games. Winning games in this manner is wildly unsustainable and it’s only a matter of time before regression catches up to them.
17. Minnesota Vikings
Who needs Kirk Cousins and Justin Jefferson when you have Joshua Dobbs and Brandon Powell? Seeing as he was with the team for less than a week, Dobbs deserves all the credit in the world for his wild win over the Atlanta Falcons. This team clearly has some fight in them, and while Cousins isn’t coming back, Jefferson should return before long. Dobbs is a serviceable bridge quarterback, and that might be enough for this team to make some noise down the stretch.
18. New York Jets
The New York Jets would be a lot higher on the NFL Power Rankings if they had any other quarterback. Zach Wilson just isn’t the answer, and for the second straight year, he’s wasting an incredibly talented roster littered with game-changing talent. Aaron Rodgers is off the cart, so if Wilson can keep the ship afloat, perhaps the four-time NFL MVP can defy the odds and make it back on the football field before the Jets are out of the playoff hunt.
19. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Baker Mayfield is playing like his 2020 self, but every other aspect of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers is a disaster. Todd Bowles is showing that his disastrous stint with the New York Jets wasn’t a fluke, and this aging roster is showing signs of slowing down. Ultimately, this is the price you pay for (wisely) going all-in on the final years of Tom Brady’s career.
Tier 4: Some Signs of Life
20. Washington Commanders
The Washington Commanders sold at the trade deadline, signaling that they know 2023 is not their year. There is some good news though, as Sam Howell looks to be their quarterback of the future. He might not be a future Hall of Famer, but the former fifth-round pick is clearly a starting-caliber quarterback and should give the team something to build around in 2024.
21. Denver Broncos
Sean Payton brought back the good Russell Wilson, but at what cost? This defense is the worst in the league by just about every metric, and none of the wide receivers are playing up to their ability. This version of Wilson is a starting-caliber quarterback, but is he good enough to keep Denver from drafting an heir to the throne in April?
22. Atlanta Falcons
The consequences of Arthur Smith’s unjustified arrogance are starting to show up in the standings. Taylor Heinicke has stolen the starting job from Desmond Ridder, and a series of questionable personnel choices are keeping this team from reaching its ceiling. If the Falcons continue on their downward trajectory, it could spell the end of Smith’s time in Atlanta.
23. Indianapolis Colts
Any time you draft a quarterback with a top-five pick, you know that the upcoming season is going to be more about building for the future than competing for a title. That’s especially true when that quarterback ends up on the injured reserve. Gardner Minshew has done a fine job in relief of Anthony Richardson, but there’s a reason he’s a backup quarterback. There’s also a reason this team had a top-five pick last year. There simply isn’t a lot of talent here, although the Colts appear to have struck gold with Josh Downs.
24. Green Bay Packers
The Jordan Love Era might be over after just one year. The quarterback has not played well, and this incredibly young roster has not done enough to support him. It’s never easy moving on from a quarterback like Aaron Rodgers, and this offseason could be a long one for the Packers.
25. Las Vegas Raiders
The Las Vegas Raiders hated Josh McDaniels so much that simply removing him from the locker room resulted in the team’s best performance of the season. While it was a good morale booster, it’s hard to see this team keeping it up with so many holes on defense and a rookie quarterback in Aidan O’Connell running the offense.
26. Tennessee Titans
The good news is that Will Levis looks really good. The bad news is that the rest of the team doesn’t. If Tennessee knows what they’re doing, they’ll devote the rest of the season to seeing what they have in the youngster.
27. Los Angeles Rams
This portion of the NFL Power Rankings assumes that Matthew Stafford isn’t going to suit up for a bit. The quarterback suffered a UCL sprain in his right thumb, and that sort of injury takes time to heal. Even if he comes back after the bye week, he probably won’t look like his old self. Without Stafford, this is a flawed roster with question marks at just about every position. After all, there is a reason most analysts projected the Rams to finish the season with a top-five pick.
28. Chicago Bears
Justin Fields is better than Tyson Bagent, but neither player is good enough to fix this terrible roster. The D.J. Moore trade has paid dividends, but all the offseason investments in the defense failed to make a meaningful difference. Combine this with some bad coaching and you have the perfect formula for a top-five pick.
Tier 5: Try Again Next Year
29. New England Patriots
The New England Patriots just lost to a Washington Commanders team that sold all their good pass rushers at the trade deadline, despite having three points gifted to them on one of the worst roughing the passer penalties you’ll ever see. Bill Belichick’s rebuild has completely failed, as every single part of this team needs to be torn down over the offseason.
30. Carolina Panthers
It can’t be fun for Carolina Panthers fans to watch Bryce Young throw two pick-sixes on the same day that C.J. Stroud throws for five touchdowns. Young was improving on a weekly basis, but Week 9’s performance is a big step in the wrong direction.
31. Arizona Cardinals
Clayton Tune had his chance, and he did not make the most of it. While the Cleveland Browns defense can make anyone look bad, it’s safe to say that he’s a clear downgrade on Josh Dobbs. Maybe Kyler Murray can squeeze out a win or two when he returns next week, but the complete lack of talent on this roster will even make that an uphill battle.
32. New York Giants
The walking MASH unit known as the New York Giants took another hit in Week 9 when Daniel Jones went down for the season. Now, this team has no quarterback, no receivers, no defense, and no hope for 2023.
Main Photo: Jason Rapfogel – USA Today Sports
