Hard as it is to believe, folks, we are now officially halfway through the 18-week marathon that is the 2023 NFL regular season.
Postseason races are tightening up. The Caleb Williams’ sweepstakes are getting hot with no clear front-runner — and several teams below .500 still have a realistic shot at punching their ticket into January football.
Buckle down for another week of chaos as we dive into the Week 10 edition of the 2023 NFL power rankings.
32. Arizona Cardinals (32)
Sunday afternoon in Cleveland was a new low for the Cardinals. Three turnovers. Seven sacks allowed. 58 yards of offense on 48 plays. Zero points. Final result? A miserable 27-0 loss to the Browns.
Kyler Murray may finally return against Atlanta this Sunday. If he does, can Murray do enough to prove himself as the long-term answer at QB whilst taking Arizona out of the Caleb Williams sweepstakes? Hmm…
31. Carolina Panthers (31)
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The Panthers put up little effort against a Colts team that entered Sunday with three straight losses. Indy had allowed 37-plus points in each of those losses, and yet Bryce Young and the Carolina offense couldn’t take advantage.
Bryce Young’s arrival was supposed to inspire new life into this franchise, but at this rate, most Panthers fans probably just can’t wait for the season to end.
30. Chicago Bears (30)
The Bears gave the Saints a scare in the Superdome — in a game they had absolutely no business winning. So that counts for something.
With Bagent looking just as good — if not better than — Justin Fields, it just feels like Chicago’s poised to draft a new QB in 2024, right?
29. New England Patriots (29)
At this rate, it’s impossible to put any positive spin on the Patriots. Having lost to Washington at home on Sunday, they’re now 2-and-7 and already just one loss away from matching last season’s “L” total.
We know fans of the bottom-feeders are sick of hearing this…but at least every loss for New England puts them one step closer to Caleb Williams? Mac Jones clearly isn’t it.
28. New York Giants (28)
Hard to hate on the Giants for losing to a re-energized and motivated Raiders’ team after losing starting QB Daniel Jones in the first quarter with what turned out to be a season-ending ACL tear.
New York stood almost no chance with third-stringer Tommy DeVito under center – and the result was a 30-6 loss.
27. Los Angeles Rams (22)
Yes, they were missing Matthew Stafford for Sunday’s contest at Lambeau Field…but excuses don’t help the win-loss column.
The Rams got nothing going offensively in Green Bay, and now they head into the bye week as losers of three straight. Now at 3-6, the postseason is clearly a pipe dream for Sean McVay and company.
26. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (23)
What a letdown by the Tampa Bay defense. Baker Mayfield puts together the drive of his career and hits Cade Otton for the go-ahead TD with 46 ticks remaining.
Then the Bucs let rookie CJ Stroud march down field and hit Tank Dell for the game-winning score with six seconds remaining. Ball game over. Texans win 39-27. That marked a fourth straight loss for the Bucs, who are quickly falling out of the running for the NFC South.
25. Tennessee Titans (20)
The Titans nearly pulled off a thrilling last-second comeback in Steel City, but Kwon Alexander’s goal line interception put a halt to more Will Levis magic.
A tough loss to stomach, sure, but it’s also hard not to love what we’ve seen from Levis so far. 500 yards passing, four touchdowns and one pick? Yeah, Ryan Tannehill isn’t seeing the field again as a Titan.
24. Green Bay Packers (27)
With no Matt Stafford on the field, the Packers took advantage of the opportunity and squeezed out a 20-23 victory to finally end a four-game losing skid.
Nice to see Jordan Love and Aaron Jones provide new sparks for the offense. But with a daunting schedule ahead, Packers fans shouldn’t hold their breath about a second-half surge and postseason push.
23. Atlanta Falcons (17)
ESPN’s Matt Miller summed it up perfectly on Sunday:
Arthur Smith once again baffled everyone with his minimal usage of Bijan Robinson, who only saw 11 carries on the day. Oh, and the Falcons dropped another coulda-shoulda-woulda game 31-28, losing to Josh Dobbs’ Vikings in a last-second heartbreaker.
Losers of five of their last seven, Atlanta looks like they’ll just gladly hand the NFC South to the Saints on a silver platter.
22. Washington Commanders (26)
The agents of chaos were at it again on Sunday. No more Chase Young and no more Montez Sweat somehow led to a fine defensive outing in Foxborough, paving the way to a 20-17 win that snapped a two-game losing skid.
Sam Howell had his second straight 300-yard outing, albeit with an interception and three sacks. If he can somehow and somewhat find some consistency — BIG IF, we know — these Commanders could make a run at the wide-open final wild card spot in the NFC…
21. Indianapolis Colts (25)
The Colts got the last laugh on old friend Frank Reich, handing his Panthers another disheartening loss.
Indy won’t be a playoff team this year, but the fact they’ve already matched last year’s win total with eight games to go speaks volume of first-year head coach Shane Steichen. The future is awfully bright in Indy with Steichen and Anthony Richardson steering the ship together…
20. Las Vegas Raiders (24)
Hey look! The Raiders made a much-needed coaching change and won a game! Who saw that coming?!
Vintage Josh Jacobs returned under new interim head coach Antonio Pierce, racking up 98 yards and two rushing scores. Vegas made easy work of the hapless Giants to improve to 4-5, keeping their awfully slim postseason hopes alive.
19. Denver Broncos (19)
The Broncos entered their bye week after stunning Patrick Mahomes’ Chiefs in Mile High City.
Perfect time for the bye, because the Broncos will have needed all the time possible to prepare for Buffalo and a boisterous Bills Mafia crowd on Monday night football.
Be warned, Broncos Country. Coming off a miserable loss in Cincinnati — the Bills will be coming out in full force behind their raucous fan base.
18. New York Jets (12)
The Jets’ defense had few answers for Justin Herbert. Zach Wilson had zero answers against a mediocre Chargers defense, and the result was a humiliating blowout loss at home that ended the club’s win streak at three.
Now at 4-4, the Jets playoff hopes are back on thin ice. Too bad they didn’t trade for a veteran QB at the deadline when they had the chance.
17. Houston Texans (21)
All CJ Stroud did was throw for 470 passing yards — a single-game rookie QB record — and five touchdowns — capping the day off with a last-second TD strike to Tank Dell.
Houston’s improbable comeback win over Tampa moved them back to .500 and just one game out of a playoff spot. With a super-manageable schedule the rest of the way, the playoffs certainly aren’t out of reach.
16. Los Angeles Chargers (18)
The Bolts made easy work of Zach Wilson’s Jets, erasing an ugly 2-and-4 start to get back to 500. So the #FireBrandonStaley crowd will have to stay quiet for the time being!
With that W, the Bolts are now just one game out of the playoffs. Let’s see if they can build off this momentum, beginning with Sunday’s pivotal home tilt against Detroit.
15. Pittsburgh Steelers (16)
The Steelers just keep pulling rabbits out of their hats and squeaking out ugly wins. On one hand, it’s a testament to Mike Tomlin’s incredible coaching job.
On the other hand, it’d be nice to see this offense put together a full performance for once. Kenny Pickett isn’t showing much improvement from last year. George Pickens’ Jekyll-and-Hyde season continues, and the rushing game remains hit-or-miss behind a leaky offensive line.
Pittsburgh may be in a playoff spot for now, but the offense has gotta find a rhythm — and quickly.
14. Minnesota Vikings (15)
So uhh…does Josh Dobbs get Comeback Player of the Year honors if he somehow leads his new team to the postseason?
I mean, this guy had like no time to learn the Vikings’ offensive playbook nor the names of his teammates. Yet he replaced an injured Jaren Hall and led Minny to a dramatic last-second win over the Falcons! On the road, no less.
Dobbs’ two TDs led Minnesota to a fourth straight win — and just like that, they’re proud owners of the final wild card spot in the NFC. And to think Justin Jefferson hasn’t returned yet…
13. New Orleans Saints (14)
It was closer than it should have been, but the Saints’ D powered the club to a tight home win over the Bears.
Hey, you don’t get style points for how you win in football — and losses by the Bucs, Falcons and Panthers were extra cherries on top of a delicious Sunday for the Saints. See what we did there? New Orleans is in the driver’s seat for the NFC South. Finally, Dennis Allen’s group is coming together.
12. Buffalo Bills (9)
The banged-up Bills looked like they’d be blown out again by Joe Burrow’s Bengals. To their credit, the Bills finally showed up in the fourth quarter — but it was too little, too late, in a maddening 24-18 loss.
So Buffalo is now 5-and-4 and outside of the playoff race…with games against Philly, KC, Dallas and Miami still on their schedule. It’s “put up or shut up time” for Sean McDermott and company.
11. Seattle Seahawks (7)
Ugh. A chance to widen their lead on the 49ers for the NFC West division crown…and the Seahawks instead just slept through the entire game?
Geno Smith looked like the pre-Seahawks version of Geno Smith against the Ravens and their top-ranked defense. And the improving defense gave up a jaw-dropping 298 rushing yards to Baltimore in a 37-3 loss.
Seriously, Pete Carroll needs to consider giving Drew Lock a look. Smith’s maddening and inconsistent play isn’t acceptable with all that star power surrounding him on offense.
10. San Francisco 49ers (10)
The bye week came at the perfect time for a slumping 49ers team that has dropped three in a row. Additionally, the bye gave Deebo Samuel and Trent Williams extra time to rest up and get healthy.
With Trevor Lawrence surging Jaguars next on the schedule in Duval County, it’s go-time for the 49ers now.
9. Cleveland Browns (13)
The Browns D flexed their muscles once again and downright humiliated the helpless Cardinals in a much-needed win that brought them back to two games above .500.
The Deshaun Watson-Amari Cooper connection had its best outing yet of 2023, with the latter hauling in five catches for 139 yards and a touchdown. If the Cleveland offense can build off this win, there’s no telling how dangerous they’ll be in the AFC.
Two massive games are next on the schedule: at Baltimore and then a home game against Pittsburgh. Buckle up.
8. Dallas Cowboys (6)
Honestly, did you expect anything else? When was the last time the Cowboys won a big road game against an elite opponent?
At 5-3, the Cowboys could be in a much worse spot. But their road loss to Philly essentially ended any remaining hopes of claiming the NFC East division crown. That means needing to win at least two road playoff games to get to the Super Bowl. Again.
If there’s one bright note for Dallas fans, it’s their upcoming 3-game slate: Giants, Panthers and Commanders.
7. Miami Dolphins (5)
Well, that was disappointing. Tyreek Hill had a lackluster outing against his old team, and Miami’s offense once again folded against a team with a winning record.
It’s going to be tough to take these guys seriously as a contender until/unless they beat an actual playoff contender. Miami has been held to 20 points or less in each of their three losses — which game against Buffalo, Philly and now Kansas City.
‘Least the Bills lost to Cincy — keeping Miami in sole possession of first in the AFC East as they head into the bye week.
6. Detroit Lions (8)
The Lions jump up two spots during their bye week thanks to some awfully disappointing performances by other top-10 teams. And if you look at their cakewalk of a schedule, it’s not far-fetched to think they’ll be in the top-five before long.
Over the next six weeks, Detroit will face just one team that currently boasts a winning record: The 5-and-4 Saints in Week 13. Gotta rack up those wins while you can, Mr. Campbell.
5. Cincinnati Bengals (11)
Oh yeah, these guys are definitely back.
One week after embarrassing the 49ers on their own turf, the Bengals flew back home and handed Josh Allen’s Bills another loss in primetime. The final score says 24-18, but trust us, it wasn’t really that close.
Joe Burrow picked apart Buffalo’s stingy defense with relative ease, while Lou Anarumo crafted another master plan that kept Allen, Stefon Diggs and Gabe Davis in check. Winners of four straight, Cincy is now 5-and-3 and very much in the running for the AFC’s top seed.
4. Jacksonville Jaguars (4)
No move for the Jaguars, who enjoyed a Week 9 bye following a statement road win in Pittsburgh. Now grab your popcorn and saddle up for a can’t-miss Week 10 afternoon game against the 49ers in the Trent Baalke Bowl!
Or, as we like to call it, a potential Super Bowl 58 preview.
3. Kansas City Chiefs (3)
The Chiefs once again pushed aside another AFC Heavyweight trying to stake their claim as the team to beat. The more that stays the same.
The KC defense willed the way to victory over Tyreek Hill and an out-of-sync Miami offense in Frankfurt.
The Chiefs now head into the bye week before the granddaddy regular season showdown of them all: A Week 11 home contest against the Eagles in a Super Bowl 57 rematch!
2. Baltimore Ravens (2)
Does anyone know how to stop these guys? The Ravens just soundly defeated a dangerous Seattle team 37-3 even though Lamar Jackson didn’t THROW or RUN FOR a single touchdown.
Good luck stopping Todd Monken’s offense whilst also trying to solve a D that’s allowing a league-low 13.8 points per game.
1. Philadelphia Eagles (1)
The Eagles asserted themselves as the team to beat once again by dominating Dallas in a 28-23 win. Don’t let the score fool you — Nick Sirianni’s squad was in control of this game from start to finish.
A true team effort propelled the Eagles to the 8-win mark, making them the first team to hit that feat. Now they head into a bye with football’s best record…and with the Chiefs, Bills, 49ers, Cowboys and Seahawks making up their next five games.
But if there’s one team that’s built to withstand that horrific five-game gauntlet, it’s Jalen Hurts and company.
What changes would you make to our Week 10 power rankings?
