As we approach Week 18 of the 2023 NFL Season, the push for the playoffs is getting more and more intense. Teams like the San Francisco 49ers and Baltimore Ravens clinched the No. 1 seed in their respective conferences, while the Denver Broncos officially got eliminated from playoff contention.
We only have one more week of the 2023 regular season left until Wild Card weekend begins. In the latest edition of NFL Power Rankings, there might be a new No. 1 team present!
Latest NFL Power Rankings see Ravens rise to the top, Bears make a late push
32. Carolina Panthers (2-14)
The Carolina Panthers losing in Week 17 was not nearly as bad as cameras capturing their owner, David Tepper, purposely throwing a drink at a Jaguars’ fan. Simply inexcusable.
31. Washington Commanders (4-12)
Ron Rivera should have never been hired in the first place and the Commanders wasted years of their franchise employing him as their head coach. Sam Howell also is not the answer, either.
30. New England Patriots (4-12)
Eh, we’re on to 2024. The Patriots need to come out of the 2024 NFL Draft with a franchise QB. Neither Mac Jones nor Bailey Zappe are the long-term answers. I do think the Patriots have played their opponents pretty close in recent weeks, which isn’t nothing.
29. Los Angeles Chargers (5-11)
The Chargers need to get rid of some of their bloated contracts and need to build around QB Justin Herbert and get their next head coach right. If they can do that, this team can be dangerous in 2024 and beyond. However, do we really trust the Chargers?
28. Tennessee Titans (5-11)
I think the Tennessee Titans might be the most irrelevant team in the NFL. What do they have going for them? Even some of the worst teams in the NFL have something going for them.
27. New York Giants (5-11)
The New York Giants need to get a long-term QB in the building in 2024. Daniel Jones tore his ACL earlier this year and was never going to be the guy. The Giants have a ton of work to do this coming offseason. A notable move they could start with is letting Saquon Barkley leave in free agency.
26. New York Jets (6-10)
The New York Jets got their butts handed to them in Week 17 versus the Cleveland Browns and have put all their eggs in the Aaron Rodgers’ basket, so they better make it work with him in 2024, and in 2025 if he’d return for a third year in New York.
25. Arizona Cardinals (4-12)
The Arizona Cardinals are going to be much better in win column in 2024. They beat the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 17, and I’m not sure it was an upset. The Cards would be wise to stick with Kyler Murray as their QB.
24. Atlanta Falcons (7-9)
Someone please get the Atlanta Falcons a viable quarterback.
23. Las Vegas Raiders (7-9)
Antonio Pierce has done a nice job as the team’s interim HC, and I do think he’s got a chance to keep the job in 2024. The huge issue with the Raiders is getting the QB situation figured out.
22. Minnesota Vikings (7-9)
One of the 582 other teams in the NFL to start backup QBs this year, the Vikings also hung around until the end but did not get enough from their QB in the end. We’ll see if Kirk Cousins re-signs with the team in 2024.
21. Cincinnati Bengals (8-8)
The Bengals needed to win to keep their season alive and could not do it. They weren’t going to make any noise with QB Jake Browning, but they did hang around until the second to last week of the season, which is a testament to the coaching job that Zac Taylor did.
20. New Orleans Saints (8-8)
The Saints got a nice win in Week 17, but I don’t think this is a playoff team. The Saints are going to yet again be in a huge cap crunch this offseason and I think the best thing for them is to blow it up.
19. Chicago Bears (7-9)
The Chicago Bears are a legitimate football team and have really had a nice late-season turnaround, which was sparked by the Montez Sweat trade. I don’t think the team should hold onto Justin Fields, but Fields is certainly making the decision tough.
18. Seattle Seahawks (8-8)
Can we stop with the Geno Smith nonsense, please? The Seahawks have not at all progressed at all from 2022 and feel like the same exact team, and Smith hasn’t exactly been all that great this year.
17. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (8-8)
The magical turnaround by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers was stifled a bit in Week 17. However, the Bucs are still in the lead in the NFC South and have the best QB in the division in Baker Mayfield.
16. Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers dismantled the Minnesota Vikings in Week 17 on Sunday Night Football, and QB Jordan Love has really improved from the start of the 2023 NFL Season. The Packers are surely one of the seven best teams in the NFC and could make some noise if they got into the playoffs.
15. Denver Broncos (8-8)
The Denver Broncos won their first game with Jarrett Stidham in the lineup in Week 17 and have a chance to finish with a winning record for the first time since 2016 if they can beat the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 18.
14. Pittsburgh Steelers (9-7)
The Pittsburgh Steelers are annoying and I hope they do not get in the playoffs. I get that Mike Tomlin has never had a losing season, but what exactly does that do? This team is flawed and would not be competitive if they got into the playoffs.
13. Houston Texans (9-7)
A commanding win for the Houston Texans in Week 17 still puts them on the outside looking in with the AFC playoff picture. They’ll need to win in Week 18 and get some help if they want to clinch a playoff spot.
12. Jacksonville Jaguars (9-7)
The Jaguars have to be careful, as they don’t have much of a lead in the AFC South. We’ll see which team comes out victorious. The Jags did not have Trevor Lawrence for their Week 17 contest.
11. Indianapolis Colts (9-7)
The Indianapolis Colts are still… good? Gardner Minshew and Shane Steichen might end up with 10 wins in 2023. I think this is one team we do not talk about enough.
10. Kansas City Chiefs (10-6)
The Kansas City Chiefs won in Week 17, but it did not look pretty. This team had to get by with six field goals by Harrison Butker, so it’s not like they scored many touchdowns. I don’t think this year is going to amount to anything for the Chiefs when the postseason rolls around.
9. Philadelphia Eagles (11-5)
Yeah, I think you could rank the Eagles even lower. This team isn’t that good, at all. I mean, losing to the Arizona Cardinals in Week 17? C’mon, man.
8. Miami Dolphins (11-5)
The Miami Dolphins appeared to have lost Bradley Chubb for the rest of the season with a torn ACL. This is a back-breaking injury that might just put the finishing touches on an early playoff exit for the Fins.
7. Los Angeles Rams (9-7)
How about the Los Angeles Rams? They have clinched a playoff spot and could make some noise when the postseason begins. Remember, this team won a Super Bowl two years ago, so they can make some serious noise.
6. Detroit Lions (11-5)
One of the best teams in the NFL, the Detroit Lions have already clinched the NFC North title, so they will host a playoff game, but I think they are still a year away from being a legitimate Super Bowl contender.
5. Buffalo Bills (10-6)
Winners of four games in a row, the Buffalo Bills are now all of a sudden in a good spot to win the AFC East this year. The Miami Dolphins are just falling apart before our eyes.
4. Cleveland Browns (11-5)
Joe Flacco owns a 10-5 playoff record and will get to play in the postseason in 2023. Not only is Flacco deadly in the playoffs, but they have one of he best defenses in the NFL, so this team is dangerous.
3. Dallas Cowboys (11-5)
The Dallas Cowboys earned a one-point win versus the Detroit Lions. It was a strong win for Dallas and they have put themselves in the driver’s seat to win the NFC East this year.
2. San Francisco 49ers (12-4)
A nice rebound win for the San Francisco 49ers helped them earn the No. 1 seed in the NFC in the 2023 NFL Playoffs. I think the 49ers represent the NFC in the Super Bowl this year.
1. Baltimore Ravens (13-3)
Man are the Baltimore Ravens good. They dismantled the San Francisco 49ers and Miami Dolphins in back-to-back weeks. They are the best team in the NFL and have the MVP winner in Lamar Jackson. How does Jackson not win his second MVP award?