The Eagles continue to fly high in the first 2023 NFL power rankings after Thanksgiving.
1. Philadelphia Eagles (10-1) | Last week: 1
The Eagles simply find a way to win games, and Jalen Hurts took off for five total touchdowns after a slow start with Lane Johnson (groin) out of the lineup versus the Bills. Philly will look to continue to pass every leg of the gauntlet when hosting San Fran this Sunday afternoon.
2. Kansas City Chiefs (8-3) | Last week: 2
A slow start at Vegas was eventually erased by a 31-3 run by Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs. It was promising to see rookie receiver Rashee Rice involved with eight receptions for 107 yards and a touchdown, and he remains someone to watch while getting more trust from his quarterback.
3. Baltimore Ravens (9-3) | Last week: 3
The Baltimore defense forced four turnovers—including three fumbles of the top three players for the Chargers—and the offense took care of the ball while making enough plays (highlighted by two touchdowns by rookie receiver Zay Flowers) to get to 9-3 and in position for the AFC’s top seed as they enter their late bye week.
4. San Francisco 49ers (8-3) | Last week: 5 (+1)
The 49ers have been totally dominant since acquiring defensive end Chase Young from the Commanders and getting left tackle Trent Williams back into the lineup. Brock Purdy simply has an exceptional feel for the game and plays at a high level, and everyone has had the Eagles-49ers matchup circled on their calendar with all the talk that went on both sides in the aftermath of last season’s NFC title game.
5. Dallas Cowboys (8-3) | Last week: 6 (+1)
The Cowboys are absolutely drubbing teams at home this season, and that continued with the 45-10 Thanksgiving win over the Commanders—capped by a record-breaking fifth pick-six of the season by cornerback DaRon Bland. Dallas plays at home again tomorrow night, but the Seahawks should present more of a challenge after Dak Prescott has looked like he’s playing 7-on-7 the past few games.
6. Miami Dolphins (8-3) | Last week: 7 (+1)
Losing pass rusher Jaelan Phillips is a very big and unfortunate loss for a Dolphins defense that’s been playing well under Vic Fangio this year, but the effort in the NFL’s first Black Friday by that unit was fun to watch. Safety Jevon Holland’s Hail Mary pick-six was one of the plays of the season.
THE DOLPHINS JUST RETURNED A HAIL MARY FOR A 99-YARD TOUCHDOWN. #MIAvsNYJ on Prime Video
Also available on #NFLPlus https://t.co/PL1eCJzDjs pic.twitter.com/AZhCtVgRNd— NFL (@NFL) November 24, 2023
7. Detroit Lions (8-3) | Last week: 4 (-3)
As I always say, off games just happen sometimes. But it was surprising that the Lions struggled at home on Thanksgiving. The Detroit defense must bounce back facing a New Orleans offense that’s struggled to get into the end zone.
8. Jacksonville Jaguars (8-3) | Last week: 8
The Jaguars took a two-game lead in the AFC South with their tight win over the Texans, and they remain in the mix for the best record in the AFC. The offense has shown progress the past two weeks, and I like how Doug Pederson committed to Travis Etienne (20 carries) despite not having a ton of success on the ground versus Houston. Look for similar balance, with Etienne breaking a long one at some point, moving forward.
9. Buffalo Bills (6-6) | Last week: 9
No doubt, the Bills are in a fight to even get into the postseason at 6-6 in a crowded conference. However, I am very encouraged by the way Josh Allen and the offense have performed in the two games since Joe Brady took over as the offensive coordinator. Allen has looked unstoppable, and it’s a shame that the Buffalo defense couldn’t contain the Philadelphia offense down the stretch and in overtime.
10. Pittsburgh Steelers (7-4) | Last week: 11 (+1)
The Steelers put up over 400 yards of offense for the first time in 58 games, so it looks like their offensive coordinator change might have at least provided some type of spark as well—though they did only put up 16 points in the win over the Bengals. Tight end Pat Freiermuth was heavily involved down the seam, and I believe Pittsburgh should now give George Pickens more consistent opportunities.
11. Denver Broncos (6-5) | Last week: 15 (+4)
The hottest team in the AFC, the Broncos have won five consecutive games with the victories all coming over teams at least in the hunt for the postseason: Green Bay, Kansas City, Buffalo, Minnesota, and Cleveland. Again, for all the criticism he got early, Sean Payton has obviously done a fantastic job in Year 1.
12. Cleveland Browns (7-4) | Last week: 10 (-2)
The Cleveland offense just couldn’t do enough to keep them in the game, with Denver separating in the fourth quarter. The Browns were 4/18 combined on third and fourth downs, and Dorian Thompson-Robinson was banged up and knocked out of the game after a big hit to the head. Hopefully the rookie quarterback is feeling better soon, but I think we might see veteran Joe Flacco under center soon.
13. Seattle Seahawks (6-5) | Last week: 12 (-1)
Aside from the second half explosion earlier this month against the poor Commanders defense, the Seahawks haven’t done much at all offensively the past four games. The Niners were a challenging opponent with Geno Smith (elbow) not at 100% and without running back Ken Walker III in the lineup, and the tough stretch continues with a trip to Dallas tomorrow night. I’d like to see the Seahawks connect with DK Metcalf down the field.
14. Houston Texans (6-5) | Last week: 13 (-1)
The Texans put up a great fight in the loss to the Jags, with kicker Matt Amendola giving a heck of an effort on the 58-yard field goal attempt that hit the cross bar to end the game. Unfortunately, the loss came at an extra cost, with offensive lineman Tytus Howard out for the year due to a knee injury. Protecting C.J. Stroud has led to a ton of success through the air this season, so we’ll see how the Texans battle through the loss.
15. Indianapolis Colts (6-5) | Last week: 18 (+3)
The Colts defense—six sacks and an interception versus the Bucs in Week 12—has been making plays the past three games, bouncing back from the previous three-game stretch during which they were torched. The offense will be without superstar running back Jonathan Taylor (thumb) for at least a couple of games, but thankfully Zack Moss has run the ball at a high level this season.
16. Green Bay Packers (5-6) | Last week: 21 (+5)
The growth of Jordan Love has been fun to watch, as he’s clearly getting more comfortable and confident by the week while showcasing his arm talent and distributing the ball to a deep receiving group. It’s a real shame he didn’t get a turkey leg from FOX to celebrate the Thanksgiving win, which was mind-blowing. The Packers defense is an underrated unit, and I’m looking forward to seeing how they play against the Chiefs this Sunday night.
17. Los Angeles Rams (5-6) | Last week: 22 (+5)
They aren’t getting big numbers from a less-than-100% Cooper Kupp, but Matthew Stafford threw four touchdowns in a blowout win at Arizona, and Kyren Williams (ankle) made a triumphant return to the lineup with over 200 total yards and two touchdowns. The LA defense has been solid all year aside from the San Francisco and Dallas games, and they host the Browns next.
18. Minnesota Vikings (6-6) | Last week: 14 (-4)
Joshua Dobbs threw four interceptions in the Monday night loss to the Bears, but I’m a bit surprised there’s talk of moving away from Dobbs as the starter following the Week 13 bye. They just need to get Dobbs to play a little more freely like when he first arrived with the team. Either way, getting Justin Jefferson (hamstring) back will be a huge boost.
19. Atlanta Falcons (5-6) | Last week: 25 (+6)
Bijan Robinson scored one on the ground and once as a receiver, and he looks to be getting unleashed down the stretch with the Falcons currently in control of the NFC South. After the win over New Orleans, Atlanta is now 4-2 at home this season. Safety Jessie Bates III made game-changing plays last week, with a pick-six and forced fumble.
20. Cincinnati Bengals (5-6) | Last week: 16 (-4)
I thought the run game would be critical to keep the Bengals in contention for a playoff spot, so to get just eight carries (for 16 yards) from Joe Mixon in the 16-10 loss to the Steelers is not going to cut it. Cincy knows that, but the Jaguars won’t be an easy team to run on this Monday night.
21. Los Angeles Chargers (4-7) | Last week: 17 (-4)
Inconsistency and the inability to put together a full game is plaguing the Chargers this season, and losing fumbles from Justin Herbert, Austin Ekeler, and Keenan Allen is tough to overcome while facing a team like the Ravens.
22. New Orleans Saints (5-6) | Last week: 19 (-3)
Moving the ball wasn’t a problem for the Saints, but they were unable to score a touchdown despite 444 yards of offense in the loss to the Falcons. Dennis Allen’s club now has three consecutive home games starting this Sunday against the Lions, so this is a critical stretch.
23. Las Vegas Raiders (5-7) | Last week: 20 (-3)
The Raiders came out like gangbusters against the Chiefs, but the wheels eventually fell off in the 31-17 loss. However, they were able to move the ball on an excellent defense, and all of Josh Jacobs, Davante Adams, and Jakobi Meyers got going in the defeat. Antonio Pierce and company will now take their bye week before the stretch run.
24. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-7) | Last week: 24
Baker Mayfield is sometimes holding the ball too long and locking onto receivers, and he’s not alone among quarterbacks that should probably take the checkdown to running backs more this year. It’s not a must-win at this stage, but Tampa will be in bad shape if they cannot find a way to beat the Panthers at home this weekend.
25. New York Jets (4-7) | Last week: 23 (-2)
So, Zach Wilson wasn’t the problem with the Jets offense? It was just one game, but it’s painfully obvious that the issues with the New York offense run much deeper than the former No. 2 pick. Jets head coach Robert Saleh said his star running back Breece Hall needs to pick up more “grimy” yards, so we’ll see how Hall responds.
26. Chicago Bears (4-8) | Last week: 26
As I’ve stated the past couple of weeks, I like the way the Bears have been playing as of late, hovering at around .500 ball since the 0-4 start. The defense is the biggest stand out, as Matt Eberflus has his guys playing tough against both the run and pass.
27. New York Giants (4-8) | Last week: 28 (+1)
The Giants have had a nice bounce back from two consecutive blowout losses, winning two in a row versus the Commanders and Patriots, with the defense forcing nine turnovers in those games. Head coach Brian Daboll had a comical comment on his relationship with defensive coordinator Wink Martindale:
"The biggest argument Wink and I have had is who has the last piece of pizza."
– Brian Daboll pic.twitter.com/7mu90ux8yV
— Giants Videos (@SNYGiants) November 26, 2023
28. Tennessee Titans (4-7) | Last week: 31 (+3)
The Titans were able to beat the Panthers behind two Derrick Henry touchdowns and strong outing from the defense to end their losing streak at three games. They rise a few spots but need a win over the Colts this week to remain somewhat in the playoff discussion.
29. Arizona Cardinals (2-10) | Last week: 27 (-2)
I think the disparity in the Cardinals’ talent compared to most teams in the league is starting to catch up to them, as they might be running out of gas a bit with how hard (and arguably above their talent level) they played in the first half of the season. The schedule includes five more games against teams currently with a winning record.
30. Washington Commanders (4-8) | Last week: 29 (-1)
The Commanders fired defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio and defensive backs coach Brent Visselmeyer in the aftermath of another ugly performance versus the Cowboys on Thanksgiving, but the entire team is having issues and a lot of it comes back to roster construction and personnel decisions. Ron Rivera will take more of a hands-on approach with his defense, and we’ll see if that helps at all.
31. New England Patriots (2-9) | Last week: 30 (-1)
I am flabbergasted by how far Mac Jones has fallen since his ultra-promising rookie season, as he looks like a totally different player now. The confidence doesn’t seem to be there, and part of it certainly stems from struggles on the offensive line. The Patriots are the only team in the league to allow ten points or fewer and lose this season, and they’ve done it the past two games.
32. Carolina Panthers (1-10) | Last week: 32
It was clearly a matter of when not if the Panthers were going to move on from Frank Reich, so it made sense for team owner David Tepper to fire him now and see if they can get something positive out of Bryce Young’s final six games of his rookie year. The media is piling on Carolina, but there’s appeal for the spot long-term given Young’s presence as a potential franchise quarterback.