A look at the pecking order of the league’s 32 clubs, according to our experts, at the end of 18 weeks of the regular season.
The 2023 regular season is over, and with it comes the final edition of the NFL Power Rankings No ESPN, for now. It’s been a rollercoaster of emotions — for some teams, the falls have been more dramatic than the climbs — but all clubs have been through ups and downs.
As expected, playoff teams dominate the top of the table, and those already on vacation have placed themselves at the bottom. However, the order in which they appear does not necessarily follow the final league standings, as our weekly list is all about moments.
Without further ado, we present In the NFL Power Rankings ESPN At the end of the regular season:
Note: The number in the first parenthesis indicates the team’s position in last week’s rankings. In the second bracket, the team’s final mark appears.
The biggest test for Baltimore will be when the divisional round begins for them without signs of rust from the coming inactivity, something they were unable to do in 2019. — R.Z.
The 49ers decided to rest most of their starters last week, so they would play their first playoff game after a long layoff; We’ll see if it doesn’t cost them too much. — E.C.
The final stretch of the season allowed the Cowboys to claim the division crown when it looked like it was reserved for the Eagles, and their reward will be facing a team that has taken their measure in the playoffs in recent years. –LMV
Detroit fans have plenty of reasons to cheer for their Lions’ return to a postseason appearance and, most of all, the manner in which they returned. That said, we’ve yet to find an icon on the level of Barry Sanders or Calvin Johnson in this squad. — R.Z.
The Bills were the weekend’s big winners. Not only did they sweep the Dolphins to win the AFC East title, but they earned the right to host the lowest-ranked team in the American Conference in the wild card round. — E.C.
Cleveland is an upset team that won’t want to see in the playoffs because of the intensity of its defense and Joe Flacco’s experience at the controls. They definitely exceeded expectations. –LMV
If I were a Kansas City fan I would be very concerned about the lack of reliability in the hands of the receivers at the disposal of Patrick Mahomes, even if past postseason experience works in the Chiefs’ favor. — R.Z.
The Dolphins had the AFC East title in their hands and let it slip away. Aside from the multiple injuries Miami’s team has endured throughout the season, the one that casts the most doubt entering the playoffs is Tua Tagovaeloa’s ability to overcome adverse scoring. — E.C.
Philadelphia will enter the playoffs heavily depleted in terms of injuries and confidence, the way they closed the regular season, to the point of considering that even a loss to the Buccaneers in the wild card round doesn’t seem unreasonable. –LMV
The Rams seem to have come from nowhere to become a confident and dangerous team for Detroit, and anyone else they might meet along the way. — R.Z.
Regardless of what happens in the playoffs, Houston has a secure future with head coach DeMeco Ryans and quarterback C.J. Stroud. — E.C.
They swept the annual series against the Ravens — another heavily substituted game in Baltimore — but worked their way into the playoffs despite inconsistency at the quarterback position. –LMV
It’s good to head into the postseason on a positive note, but a disappointing win against Carolina should set off some alarm bells for Tampa Bay’s coach. — R.Z.
Jordan Love accomplished something Brett Favre and Aaron Rodgers couldn’t, leading the Packers to the playoffs in his first season as a starter. — E.C.
They improved a lot from last season on offense, but it wasn’t enough for them to make the playoffs and they haven’t made the postseason for three straight years, so the pressure is on for Dennis Allen. –LMV
The competition system is what it is, and no one here is asking to change it, but it’s okay if we accept that the Bengals are a better team than some of the teams that make the playoffs. — R.Z.
Tyler Goodson will long regret not catching a pass in the last series against the Texans, but the young running backs shouldn’t suffer, much less the elimination of the Colts; It was a collective effort. — E.C.
Pete Carroll made it clear he would return to the Seattle side for at least a year, and despite exceeding expectations, they took a step back by watching the playoffs from home on this occasion, so a change at the helm in the short term isn’t out of the question. –LMV
The Jaguares suffered the worst collapse of all those who fell during the season, mainly because their direct rivals in the AFC South did not look as scary as the clubs in other regions. — R.Z.
The Raiders have a chance to clean up a mistake they made in 2021, when they didn’t retain interim head coach Rich Bisaccia to go for Josh McDaniels. Antonio Pierce finished the year with a 5-4 record playing with a rookie quarterback and the entire time it looked like the locker room was on his side. — E.C.
With a chance in hand to eliminate their biggest rival, they once again delivered a version their fans could not be proud of and it will be very interesting to see how they do with the capital they have in the offseason. draft –LMV
If Jarrett Stidham has a legitimate chance to compete for Denver’s starting job, it will be, first and foremost, due to a lack of resources to bring in someone better, because after five years in the league, there’s no suggestion he can. Be something different from what it has been: a substitute. — R.Z.
It may sound cliche at the time, but the Vikings are one decent quarterback away from actually being a playoff team. Unfortunately, Minnesota appeared to have that quarterback on the roster with Joshua Dobbs, who inexplicably passed after a disappointing 3-0 win over the Raiders in Week 14. To put this into perspective, Dobbs went 2-2 in his four weeks. Starter and Nick Mullens closed the year with an 0-4 record. — E.C.
The Arthur Smith era is over and it’s undoubtedly going to be an attractive position due to the talent they have in the offense with elements like Kyle Pitts, Biggeon Robinson, Drake London and company. –LMV
It’s almost laughable to hear Aaron Rodgers talk about the need to throw away everything that has nothing to do with the Jets winning, when you consider everything he says in his many media appearances and how much it has to do with winning for New. Yorkers.. — R.Z.
Tennessee showed self-love with a victory that eliminated Jacksonville from the playoffs, now heading into an offseason filled with uncertainty, starting with Derrick Henry’s future. — E.C.
The story to follow this offseason will once again be to see how they fare with running back Saquon Barkley, but let’s not expect any major changes with Daniel Jones at the controls for 2024 either. –LMV
The Chargers’ general manager vacancy may be the most interesting of the upcoming recruiting cycle, both because of the caliber of names on the roster, but also because of the costs associated with those names. — R.Z.
The best example of how the Cardinals’ season has been is that a week after ringing the bell in Philadelphia, they were unable to beat the already eliminated Seahawks at home. — E.C.
New England continues to find ways to stay in the conversation even though the playoffs are never in the picture, but what happens to the best head coach in franchise history and one of the best in franchise history is no small matter. League. –LMV
I suggested last year that dropping Ron Rivera and Sam Howell in 2023 seemed to be part of a plan to put the Commanders at the top of the pick order in the 2024 draft, and now they’ll have another overall pick to look at for your quarterback. the future — R.Z.
The Panthers fired general manager Scott Fitterer, who hired fired coach Frank Reich, and orchestrated a trade to leave Carolina without a first-round draft pick — for quarterback Bryce Young. Given the way the franchise is being cleaned up after this disastrous season, it’s not unreasonable to think Young’s days are numbered in Carolina, too. — E.C.
The following people participated in the preparation of these Power Rankings: Eric Cervantes (EC), Luis Miguel Vasavilbasso (LMV) and Rafael Zamorano (RZ).
