Even with just three weeks to go in the regular season, the chaotic NFC and AFC playoff pictures are still nowhere close to being resolved.
More than half the teams still have a shot at qualifying for the 14-team dance in January heading into Christmas weekend. We fans wouldn’t have it any other way.
With that, let’s dive right into the Week 16 edition of our 2023 NFL power rankings!
32. Carolina Panthers (32)
Good on the Panthers for finally winning again — even if it was an ugly 9-7 finish…with almost nobody in attendance.
It had to feel a little nicer coming against an NFC South rival in the Atlanta Falcons, whose playoff hopes took a mega blow with the defeat. With Green Bay, Jacksonville and Tampa Bay rounding out their final three games, the Panthers can relish the opportunity to play spoiler..
31. New England Patriots (31)
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To be perfectly blunt, everybody knew the Patriots stood little chance against a furious Patrick Mahomes-led Kansas City Chiefs squad.
So losing by 10 doesn’t seem so bad, and credit to the D for picking off Mahomes twice. The bar is low, we know, but losing to the defending champs in non-blowout-fashion counts as something.
Oh, and the Panthers won this week — so the Pats still have a realistic shot at the first overall pick! Smile, Patriots fans! This wasn’t your worst week by any means!
30. Washington Commanders (30)
On 16 less pass attempts, Jacoby Brissett finished with 22 more passing yards and two more touchdown passes than Sam Howell.
Despite Brissett’s efforts, the Commanders fell 28-20 to the Los Angeles Rams thanks again to a defense that couldn’t make a darn stop. If you ask us, there’s no doubt Brissett should start the rest of the way…unless the Rams wanna keep Howell and his turnover-free habits in there as a way to tank?
29. Arizona Cardinals (29)
Well, things are getting interesting now. The Panthers won and the Cardinals lost. Thanks to their blowout loss at home to the 49ers, Arizona faces a legitimate possibility of owning a top-two pick.
That means needing to choose between Kyler Murray OR one of Caleb Williams or Drake Maye. Can Murray fight off the tank job and retain his starting duties? Buckle up – it’s gonna be a fun storyline to follow in this lost season for the Cards.
28. Los Angeles Chargers (26)
We’re out of words for football’s greatest annual underachievers. We know Justin Herbert and Keenan Allen were out, but allowing a franchise-record 63 points to a team with a rookie backup QB in? We don’t even know what to say.
So Brandon Staley and Tom Telesco were mercilessly let go. Long overdue. Now that those two are gone…we suppose Bolts fans should just keep cheering for losses and hope for a higher draft pick?
27. New York Jets (27)
As expected, the Jets were no match for Tua Tagovailoa and the explosive Miami Dolphins’ offense…even without Tyreek Hill.
Such is life when you don’t have a quarterback. Trevor Siemian and Zach Wilson combined for two interceptions and six sacks taken in the 30-0 blowout. That defeat clinches the Jets’ seventh straight losing season — so what’s the point of Aaron Rodgers returning at this point?
26. Tennessee Titans (25)
These Titans are a strange bunch. They pull off a miraculous comeback against a powerhouse Dolphins team on the road…then follow it up by losing to a banged-up Houston team without CJ Stroud? Okay then.
Sunday’s 19-16 loss in OT clinched a second straight losing year for Mike Vrabel’s squad. The one silver lining in another lost season? Tennessee can still play spoiler with three playoff hopefuls in Seattle, Houston and Jacksonville making up their final three games.
25. Chicago Bears (24)
ESPN’s Bill Barnwell may have summed it up best for Justin Fields:
Yep, the Bears were THAT CLOSE to a big-time upset in Cleveland that would have kept their slim playoff hopes alive. Alas, Darnell Mooney’s coulda-been-shoulda-been-woulda-been moment clinched a third straight losing season for the Bears.
Hey, at least it helps with their draft positioning? It’s now a bitter race for a top-three pick that would guarantee the Bears Caleb Williams, Drake Maye or Marvin Harrison Jr…
24. New York Giants (23)
Tommy DeVito was a fun story for three weeks, but the G-Men were bound to be exposed against a tough opponent. Sure enough, the New Orleans Saints gave the Giants a tough dose of reality with a 24-6 blowout win.
With two games against the Eagles over the final three weeks, the Giants are in prime position to at least land a top-five pick. And boy do they need it more than ever.
23. Las Vegas Raiders (28)
Well, that’s one way of taking out all of your season-long frustrations!
The Raiders welcomed the Justin Herbert-less Chargers into the Death Star on Sunday and humiliated them with Dark Vader-like super control — as if the force was with them. Hey Chargers, the Raiders “are your father!”.
Star Wars references aside, that was quite the shellacking of their archrivals on prime time. A franchise record 63 points that forced the Bolts to fire their coach and GM? Hey, it’s something to bask in.
22. Pittsburgh Steelers (18)
The good vibes in Steel City have evaporated in the blink of an eye. Three straight losses now — two of which came to the lowly Cardinals and Patriots at home. Suddenly, the Steelers’ playoff hopes are on thin ice — and the organization is in danger of its first losing season since 2003.
Next Saturday’s road game in Cincy is basically Pittsburgh’s season. A loss there is basically the dagger…unless Mike Tomlin wants to wake his group up and remind them that the season is still going on?
21. Atlanta Falcons (19)
Sunday’s inexcusable road loss in Carolina asserts the Falcons as frauds and non-playoff contenders.
Even though they reside in the wide-open NFC South, it just feels like Atlanta’s postseason
hopes are over with these weekly disastrous QB performances.
Makes you wonder if Arthur Smith is on the hot seat. No excuse for an offense with this much talent to be near the bottom five in scoring.
20. Green Bay Packers (16)
No disrespect to Baker Mayfield…but letting him come in and toss a perfect passer rating is…something.
Just when the Pack looked like playoff contenders, they lost to the Giants with a third-string QB and then get embarrassed at home by Baker’s Bucs. Now the Pack HAVE to win out to make the postseason — but that at least isn’t impossible with the Panthers, Vikings and Bears making up their final three games.
19. Seattle Seahawks (22)
Just as we all predicted, Drew freaking Lock saved the Seahawks’ season by delivering a Tom Brady-like game-winning drive over the powerhouse Eagles in the final seconds. Take a bow, Pete Carroll and company.
With Seattle finally snapping a four-game losing skid, they’re still very much alive in the playoff race — with a damn easy schedule to finish out the year, too.
18. Minnesota Vikings (15)
No team should be more frustrated with an L this week than the Vikings. They had Jake Browning on the ropes with a 14-point lead in the fourth quarter…only to be outscored 21-7 in the final frame before losing in OT.
Brian Flores’ defense picked a bad week to have an awful game — and it was a giant blow to Minny’s playoff hopes.
17. New Orleans Saints (21)
A soft schedule helps, yes. But Back-to-back blowout wins at home over the Panthers and Giants moved the Saints back to .500.
With the Falcons, Packers and Vikings also losing — New Orleans might be able to claim a wild card spot if they can’t beat out the Buccaneers for the NFC South crown.
16. Denver Broncos (9)
What a letdown that was by the Broncos. They’re surging with momentum, in a playoff race and then no-show on both sides of the ball in Saturday’s 42-17 blowout loss to the Lions.
Let’s just say the Broncos looked, ahem, kinda like the guys that gave up a 70-burger to Miami in Week 3.
An admirable fight by Sean Payton’s group in the second half of 2023 here, but the loss in Motown essentially ends their playoff hopes.
15. Jacksonville Jaguars (12)
It’s officially panic time in Jacksonville now. Three straight uninspiring defeats — two of which came to back QBs. They are now in a three-way tie for the AFC South with the surging Colts and Texans, who both won on Sunday.
This once-promising season could be flushed down the toilet quickly. It’s up to Trevor Lawrence and the other stars to answer the bell.
14. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (20)
Baker Mayfield is playing lights-out, and the Bucs are reaping the rewards with it: A three-game winning streak and first place in the NFC South with three weeks to go.
Baker absolutely demolished the Packers at Lambeau Field with surgical-like precision. Three more W’s, and the NFC South is theirs. No pressure, Baker.
13. Los Angeles Rams (17)
It was closer than it should have been, but Sean McVay’s Rams saved their season for the time being with a crucial eight-point home win over the Commanders.
LA is positioned as the No. 7 seed in the NFC, with New Orleans right behind them. And those very Saints are coming to SoFi Stadium this Thursday in a game with massive postseason implications.
12. Houston Texans (14)
With CJ Stroud out, Case Keenum stepped in and saved the day for Houston — leading the Texans to a season-saving 19-16 victory over Tennessee.
That, coupled with the Jaguars’ loss, has Houston in a three-way tie for tops in the AFC South. Up next, another clash with a playoff-hopeful squad in the Cleveland Browns, who are coming to Houston this Sunday.
11. Indianapolis Colts (13)
It wasn’t pretty for the first half, but the Colts regained their composure and blew the doors off the Steelers in a 30-13 win on Saturday. Awfully impressive considering that they lost both Zack Moss and Michael Pittman Jr. during the game with injuries.
Indy has two manageable games here with the Falcons and Raiders next on the schedule, followed by the Week 18 finale against Houston. Win out, and you’re in. Simple as that.
10. Philadelphia Eagles (4)
Now it’s panic time in Philadelphia. It was one thing to lose to football’s best team at home…and another to lose to a Dallas team that’s practically unstoppable at Jerry World.
But losing to a slumping Seahawks team with backup Drew Lock on a last-minute game-winning drive? Oof, that one stings. Say goodbye to getting the NFC’s top seed again — and good luck stealing the division from Dallas.
9. Cincinnati Bengals (11)
Zac Taylor oughta get some Coach of the Year votes if this keeps up. Jake Browning — the engineer of the Bengals’ three-game winning streak — is looking more and more like Joe Burrow each week. What a gutsy effort that was in Saturday’s thrilling comeback win over the Vikings.
Make no mistake, this is an awesome story thus far. But with the Steelers, Chiefs and Browns rounding out their schedule, Cincy still has a long way to go in clinching a playoff berth.
8. Buffalo Bills (10)
Mike Tirico and Cris Collinsworth said it best on Sunday Night Football: Nobody will want to play these Bills come January.
Sean McDermott’s group is suddenly looking like a Super Bowl contender again. First they take down KC at Arrowhead, then wallop a red-hot Dallas Cowboys team. With the Chargers and Pats next on the schedule, Buffalo will be 10-6 heading into Week 18 against Miami.
And with a little bit of help, Buffalo might be playing for the division title that day — not just a wild card spot.
7. Cleveland Browns (8)
If it weren’t for Darnell Mooney dropping a game-winning Hail Mary pass, the mood would be a lot different in Cleveland right now.
But the bounces went the Browns’ way, and Sunday’s W over Chicago clinched a winning season while putting Kevin Stefanski’s group one step closer to locking down a playoff berth. Joe Flacco is gonna have to cut back on those turnovers down the stretch, though. Hard to think the Browns will escape Houston with a win on Sunday if Flacco throws multiple picks again
6. Miami Dolphins (7)
No Tyreek Hill, no problem. Miami made the punchless New York Jets look like a peewee team out there in a 30-0 shutout win. Honestly, it could have been even worse if Miami wanted to run up the score more — but Mike McDaniel’s just too nice of a guy.
Miami’s victory clinches the franchise’s first 10-plus-win season in three years. But bigger things are at stake: The AFC’s top seed, and at the very least, the AFC East. Time to buckle down and get ready for the Cowboys this Sunday.
5. Kansas City Chiefs (6)
It wasn’t pretty on offense against a lowly Patriots team, but the Chiefs got it done and escaped Foxborough with a 10-point win.
Nothing has come easy for KC this year, so Patrick Mahomes and company just gotta take every win they can get. The Broncos’ loss to Detroit has the Chiefs one step closer to locking down its eighth straight division title.
4. Dallas Cowboys (2)
What did we say? Regular season darlings who always choke in big games.
Can’t take the Cowboys seriously as contenders. They no-showed Sunday’s loss to the Bills and kissed any hopes of winning the NFC’s top seed goodbye.
3. Detroit Lions (5)
Dan Campbell’s group finally regained its grade-A form following a sloppy four-game stretch — having dismantled Russell Wilson’s Broncos. With the Vikings and Packers also losing, the Lions oughta just start the party now.
First season of 10-plus wins in nine years. First division title in 30 years. Been a LONG time since Lions fans felt such good vibes. They deserve this.
2. Baltimore Ravens (3)
Lamar Jackson put on a highlight-reel clinic, and the NFL’s No. 1 defense made Trevor Lawrence look like the 2021 version of T-Law. The result was a fourth straight win for Baltimore, who still controls its own destiny for the AFC’s top seed.
Thanks to the good folks who make the NFL schedule, we get a potential Super Bowl preview on Christmas Day with the Ravens visiting the 49ers. Buckle up and enjoy what should be true holiday classic!
1. San Francisco 49ers (1)
Another day, another blowout win for the 49ers. They made easy work of Kyler Murray’s hapless Cardinals, and the Cowboys’ loss on Sunday pushes San Fran that much closer to locking up the NFC’s top seed.
With Prescott putting up a stinker on Sunday, is it fair to say the MVP Race is down to Brock Purdy and Lamar Jackson?
MVP talk aside, it’s clear that the 49ers are far-and-away the NFL’s most complete team at full strength. At this rate, we’d be shocked if they didn’t at least reach the Super Bowl.
What changes would you make to our Week 15 power rankings?
