NFL POWER RANKINGS
Week 13 (2023) NFL Power Rankings From The Sturg
Including a surprise number one this week and some major shakeups in the order
I’m about to break my normal convention for ordering these teams so stay tuned for that. Another week, another exciting slate of games. A big story this week in the NFL world is that Trevor Lawrence got injured. That’ll impact where I put Jacksonville this week and going forward until he can return.
Another thing to note is that the elite in this case aren’t all going to be truly elite teams. The top 10 is going to have a few new entries who only got in by having a better record than some up-and-coming average teams that could be elite. Without any more delay, here are the power rankings for Week 13 going into Week 14.
Elite (1–10)
1. San Francisco 49ers (9–3): Here’s why I broke convention here. After beating the team with the best regular season record this week. And not just by a little, but by a wide margin, the 49ers prove that they are the best team in the NFL when they are fully healthy. Having Deebo Samuel has helped their defense get back to form and also helped my fantasy team a ton this week. They soundly defeated the Eagles and have earned this spot despite being one game back in the standings.
2. Baltimore Ravens (9–3): This team didn’t even play this week but they’re here because they have had a stellar run as of late and their running game is humming. They’ll have an interestingly tough matchup at home against a potent Rams offense this coming week.
3. Philadelphia Eagles (10–2): They only fall to right here after the loss to the 49ers. They are still a very good team but having to face that fierce defensive front and playing well is tough. Despite all of that, Jalen Hurts still didn’t throw an interception and had two total touchdowns with over 300 yards combined on the ground and through the air.
4. Miami Dolphins (9–3): The Dolphins soundly beat the Commanders, which isn’t hard to do. Raheem Mostert is silently having a great year on the ground, which I always believed he could. De’Von Achane led the rushing attack with 73 yards and two touchdowns. And I mean Tyreek Hill is a freak of nature and is playing out of his mind. This team’s offense is great.
5. Dallas Cowboys (9–3): Dallas has won four games in a row and only trails the Eagles in the NFC East by one game. The rematch for the division lead is Sunday. The game against the Seahawks this week was a thriller. It came down to converting on third down. There was also a key turnover in the game. Dallas’ offense is picking it up and looking great against a winning team. This team could be for real.
6. Detroit Lions (9–3): I struggle to put the Lions any higher this week for beating the Saints on the road. Following a loss on Thanksgiving, they just haven’t looked as good as they did early on. Ranking them sixth just felt right in the context of these standings. On a positive note, their running game continues to look good even if Goff doesn’t post outrageous passing numbers. Their defense forced two turnovers and they didn’t make any silly mistakes on offense.
7. Kansas City Chiefs (8–4): Now I’m justified in knocking the Chiefs down a peg or two. They lost this week 27–19 to the surprising Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field. Mahomes had an okay game but had an interception and couldn’t take advantage of a great rushing game from Isiah Pacheco.
8. Jacksonville Jaguars (8–4): Trevor Lawrence went down with an injury in the fourth quarter. If he’s out for a long time, this team could see their division lead and their current ranking dip quite a bit especially since their two main division rivals and teams that are only one game back are just right behind them in the standings and this power rankings. CJ Beathard is not the answer at quarterback despite all of that talent. They lost on a last-minute field goal to the Cincinnati Bengals this week.
9. Indianapolis Colts (7–5): Four wins in a row. This team’s season is a far cry from a month ago. They look like they could compete for the AFC South. They beat the Titans 31–28 in overtime this week. Gardner Minshew had over 300 yards and two touchdowns in the win. I’m trying to figure out if Michael Pittman Jr or Alec Pierce’s 100-yard game is more impressive.
10. Houston Texans (7–5): The Texans defense stepped up in a 22–17 over the Denver Broncos this week. The Denver Broncos were riding a five-game winning streak going into the game and were playing better than a lot of teams going into the matchup. They forced Russell Wilson into 3 interceptions while CJ Stroud had a clean game with no interceptions. Nico Collins had 191 receiving yards and a touchdown. The bad news is Tank Dell went down with a serious injury and is unlikely to return this season.
Mid-Tier (11–20)
11. Pittsburgh Steelers (7–5): I should’ve knocked this team lower for this loss. They lost to the lowly Cardinals. Granted, this isn’t the same Cardinals team from earlier in the year but still. Kenny Pickett got hurt in the loss and Mitch Trubisky came in to relieve him. The running game did decently despite splitting the game with two quarterbacks.
12. Cleveland Browns (7–5): The story of the week. 40-year-old Joe Flacco started for the Browns this week due to all of their injuries at quarterback. They still lost but it was nice to see him out there in the 36–19 loss to the Rams. He threw two touchdowns and had an interception as well on his way to over 250 yards.
13. Los Angeles Rams (6–6): On the flip side of this win, the Rams played very well offensively. Once these teams are at even record-wise, the Rams will be ahead of the Browns at this point. The Rams are currently holding the top 6–6 position at this point since they are now in the playoff race and are looking good offensively. Puka Nacua is blossoming into an elite threat in his rookie season and seems to be a great complement to Cooper Kupp.
14. Atlanta Falcons (6–6): The Falcons are leading the NFC South and are the only team without a losing record in the division. I read a comment on social media that said, “We should just throw out all these teams for teams that can win.” I don’t know if I’d go that far. The Falcons have now beaten the Saints and Jets in consecutive weeks. Although that’s not much of a brag, a win is a win in the NFL and they deserve to be in a position to take the division and a playoff spot. Their defense forced three turnovers in the 13–8 win over the Jets on the road.
15. Green Bay Packers (6–6): Green Bay has now won three games in a row. Despite losing to the Vikings earlier in the season, this is a different team than that one and they deserve to be ranked ahead of the Vikings at this point given the latter’s current quarterback situation. Plus, the Packers just beat the Chiefs and they are showing that they might have the firepower to be in the playoffs this year. The 27–19 win also included a game in which Jordan Love threw three touchdowns and no interceptions. Their running game isn’t bad either.
16. Cincinnati Bengals (6–6): The Bengals are in the cellar of the AFC North but they won a surprising game against the AFC South-leading Jaguars on Monday Night. They might not need Joe Burrow this season, after all. Jake Browning led them with a very efficient passing performance. He was 32–37 for 354 yards and a touchdown in the 34–31 overtime win.
17. Denver Broncos (6–6): The loss to the Texans 22–17 might just be a momentary lapse for this team. They had a five-game winning streak going before the loss and still managed to look good on the ground. Three interceptions by Russell Wilson make it look like Russ is starting to cook…some of the rotten meat he threw up last season. Let’s just hope this is a one-game hiccup in a great rise for this team.
18. Buffalo Bills (6–6): The Bills didn’t even play this week and they still lost…positions in the power rankings. They go into action in Week 14 against the Kansas City Chiefs in a game that is a must-win for both teams. We better hope that this game doesn’t go into overtime as Josh Allen has proven so far at this point in his career that he just can’t win in the extra period.
19. Minnesota Vikings (6–6): The Vikings didn’t play this week but they’re still thinking about that four-interception game from Joshua Dobbs. They have three options at this point at quarterback. They can stick with Dobbs or they can go with Nick Mullens or Jaren Hall. None of these options sound too exciting but they need to figure it out before this is a lost season.
20. Seattle Seahawks (6–6): Three losses in a row have slammed the Seahawks back down to earth. Granted that these losses have come against winning teams but that shows that they wouldn’t be ready for a deep playoff run at this point. The Thursday Night game against the Cowboys was the most-streamed game in NFL history so there’s that at least and they did have plenty of opportunity to win that game against the Cowboys. I still see them coming back up and making a run for a playoff spot.
The Caboose (21–32)
21. Los Angeles Chargers (5–7): It wasn’t pretty at all, but the Chargers went into Foxboro and beat the Patriots 6–0. What much is there to say about this game? Justin Herbert and the Chargers just couldn’t score any offensive touchdowns against one of the worst teams of 2023 in the NFL. At least they won. And a win is a win in the NFL. The Chargers sacked Bailey Zappe five times. Also, Khalil Mack leads the NFL with 15 sacks this year.
22. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (5–7): Another case of a win is a win. The Bucs beat the Panthers 21–18 in Tampa. Mike Evans had 162 yards and a touchdown in the win and Rachaad White had 84 yards rushing and a touchdown. Baker did enough to not squander the win.
23. New Orleans Saints (5–7): I mean the Saints are potent in the running game and they’re using Taysom Hill the way they should be. Something still feels off about this team but they did give a good Lions team a run for their money in this game.
24. Las Vegas Raiders (5–7): The Raiders didn’t play this week after losing to the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 12. They face a Vikings team that had seen a surprising rise despite losing Kirk Cousins for the season and getting a new starting quarterback. This should be a game that the Raiders will want to win in Las Vegas in Week 14 as it will help them come back up from their recent two-game losing streak. The question is, do they have enough firepower to do it? And the short answer is, maybe?
25. New York Giants (4–8): The Giants got the week off but they are on a two-game winning streak. They face a tough test against a surging Green Bay Packers team. This week will be a tough week for them to continue surging. I see them getting knocked back down to earth even more this week.
26. Chicago Bears (4–8): The Bears got the week off also but are coming back to play a Lions team that just won on the road. This will be another tough test for both of these teams. One for the Bears since they will be at home and will want the division win. One for the Lions because they don’t want to lose to another sub-.500 division rival. This is an interesting matchup coming up.
27. Tennessee Titans (4–8): The Titans are in the cellar of what’s suddenly become a very competitive division at the top of the standings in the AFC South. They lost to the Colts and are looking to rebound next week against the Dolphins but that will be a tough task. This team is likely out of any conversation for playoff or division races. The good news is Derrick Henry is playing well again.
28. New York Jets (4–8): The slide continues. They have now lost five games in a row. It’s really hard to win when you’re offensive line is garbage and your defense is trying to save you from falling to the very bottom of the league. It’s still too early to know if Boyle is better in this offense than Zach Wilson was and the eye test is also inconclusive at this point. Dalvin Cook led the rushing attack with 35 yards. I wouldn’t call that a rushing “attack” though.
29. Washington Commanders (4–9): The Commanders have lost four in a row. This recent loss was a 30-point home loss to the Dolphins. They are in the cellar of the division and things are looking hopeless at this point. Sam Howell couldn’t get it going against the Dolphins, and the offense looked listless. They get a bye in Week 14 and play the Rams when they come back. I’d say the fall is set to continue.
30. Arizona Cardinals (3–10): They took care of the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 13. What a great way to go into a bye week for a lost season. In good news, James Conner had a great game against his former “hometown” team. He had 105 yards rushing and two touchdowns. Trey McBride also showed out with 89 yards and a touchdown.
31. New England Patriots (2–10): The Patriots lost a fumble in the home loss to the Chargers. Bailey Zappe started in the place of Mac Jones. Rhamondre Stevenson got injured on a tackle so that depletes their offense further. I am trying to find a positive here for the Patriots but I’m at a loss. Belichick might not have a job next year, as surprising as that might sound.
32. Carolina Panthers (1–11): And now to the most pathetic team in the NFL this season (also my favorite team since 1995). What to say after yet another loss? There are some positives to come out of that game. Chuba Hubbard had over 100 yards and two touchdowns on the ground, showing that they should’ve started him at running back for the whole season. Bryce Young is still learning but isn’t quite there. The 21–18 loss to the Buccaneers was merciful. It’s crazy to think that even with the worst record in the NFL, because of the Bears trade to get the number one pick, they lost DJ Moore in the process and this coming year’s 1st overall pick. At this point, I’m convinced David Tepper is the NFL’s worst owner, even over Jerry Jones.
So, there it is. My power rankings this week. I will make some picks right now and see how many I get right in the next one. For the Patriots-Steelers game on Thursday, I’m going with the Steelers despite my waning confidence in them.
For the Eagles-Cowboys game, I think it’ll be close but the Cowboys will eke that game out to make the division race more interesting. Those are the only two games I will predict this coming week.
Let’s see how this all goes. Let me know what you think of my rankings and how you would do it differently. I actually took the advice of a fellow sports fan this last week and adjusted my rankings after their suggestion. For more power rankings, join us every week (either Tuesday, Wednesday, or even sometimes Thursday) at The Press Box on Medium. I’m the Sturg, and I’ll see you next time, sports fans.
Source: NFL Standings
I imagine that I’ve beaten the major sports networks again this week. You can check out ESPN, Sports Illustrated, Sporting News, and nfl.com in the middle of the week to see how my rankings compare.
