Week 15 (2023) NFL Power Rankings
The playoff scenarios are setting us up for a wild finish
I can’t believe that it’s already been 15 weeks into the regular season in the NFL. The time is flying by so fast. I’m in the playoffs in my fantasy football league and leading in the matchup before the championship round so I’m crossing my fingers there. Enough about me though. Let’s take a look first at the picks from last week and then on to the power rankings going into Week 16.
Raiders over Chargers was my pick. That hit in a big way. Bengals over Vikings also hit but that took a comeback and overtime to be realized. The Colts over the Steelers also hit and was easily a good pick. The next pick was a bad pick on my part as the Lions easily defeated the Broncos. Good for Detroit though.
The Ravens did beat the Jaguars. But I’m surprised most by one of my two missed picks. The Seahawks, behind backup quarterback Drew Lock, defeated the Eagles on Monday Night Football. I was 4–2 in last week’s picks which is still good but not as good as I’d have liked.
Elite (1–10)
1. San Francisco 49ers (11–3): The 49ers easily took care of the Cardinals in Week 15 and retained the top spot in the rankings yet again. Brock Purdy is a clear frontrunner for MVP right now and the 49ers easily look like the best team in the league. Christian McCaffrey leads the NFL in rushing yards with 1292 and is also tied for the total touchdown lead with 20. This team is the NFC’s clear Super Bowl favorite at this point.
2. Baltimore Ravens (11–3): The Ravens soundly defeated the Jaguars on Sunday Night Football 23–7. The defense recovered two fumbles. The offense outgained the Jaguars 396–333. The only downside in this game is that Keaton Mitchell, the electric rookie, was injured in this game and will be out for the season. Gus Edwards will now have more of the workload in the run but this team can still compete with any team in the league.
3. Detroit Lions (10–4): After the beating they gave to the Denver Broncos, I don’t know why I was so low on them at all this season. This team looks to be back on track at this point. They look like the clear NFC North division winners and Jared Goff threw for 5 TDs in the 42–17 win in Week 15. They also added 185 rushing yards in the attack and outgained Denver 448–287.
4. Miami Dolphins (10–4): The story of this game against the Jets was the Dolphins’ defense. They shut the Jets out 30–0 in Miami. They forced four turnovers and sacked Trevor Siemian and Zach Wilson a total of six times. Their offense didn’t need to be as potent when they only allowed 103 total offensive yards to the Jets. They look like the clear favorites to win the AFC East despite Buffalo’s recent surge in the standings.
5. Dallas Cowboys (10–4): Speaking of Buffalo’s recent surge in the standings, Dallas came out on the wrong end of that. The Cowboys looked awful in a 31–10 loss in Orchard Park. On both offense and defense, the Cowboys just looked off. Dak Prescott had under 200 yards and an interception. The only touchdown scored in the game was a run by CeeDee Lamb. Their vaunted defense was thrashed on the ground for 266 yards.
6. Philadelphia Eagles (10–4): Despite the Eagles' recent three-game losing streak that has knocked them into a tie for the division lead in the NFC East, they are still in the conversation. The recent 20–17 loss to the Seahawks on Monday Night Football though didn’t help. Hopefully, the Eagles’ lighter schedule down the road helps them finish strong but they no longer look like a team defending an NFC crown from last year. Especially with the turnovers.
7. Kansas City Chiefs (9–5): The Chiefs went on the road and did what they needed to do against the lowly New England Patriots in a 27–17 win this week. Patrick Mahomes had 305 yards and two touchdowns. The two interceptions he threw didn’t ultimately matter but he needs to cut down on those going forward to make me feel more confident to move them back up in the rankings.
8. Cleveland Browns (9–5): Despite three interceptions by Joe Flacco, the defense helped them out in a home win 20–17 over the Chicago Bears by getting three turnovers of their own. They pretty much abandoned the running game since Joe Flacco threw for 374 yards in the win along with two touchdowns. I’m still in awe that he’s able to lead this team to victory after all the time he’s been away from the field and at his age.
9. Cincinnati Bengals (8–6): The Bengals were down to the Vikings 17–3 going into the fourth quarter and then some Browning magic happened. Jake Browning led a comeback on his way to 324 yards passing to lead the Bengals to a 27–24 overtime win over the Minnesota Vikings. They were outgained 424–378 but still found a way to win. This keeps them in the elite tier at this point. They found a way to win and ultimately that is all that matters in the NFL.
10. Buffalo Bills (8–6): The Bills didn’t get much out of Josh Allen in the 31–10 win over the Dallas Cowboys but they did get plenty out of electric running back, James Cook. James Cook went off in the win. He had 221 total yards and two touchdowns in the victory. The defense also only allowed Dallas’ offense to gain 195 yards in the win.
Mid-Tier (11–20)
11. Jacksonville Jaguars (8–6): Despite the three-game losing streak, I resisted the urge this week to knock them any lower since they still technically lead the division with a tiebreaker over both the Colts and Texans. It’s just a matter of time, though. I feel that they’ll play themselves out of the AFC South division lead in no time. They looked lifeless in the Sunday Night loss to the Ravens and I have no hope for an end to the slide.
12. Indianapolis Colts (8–6): The Colts looked good in a 30–13 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers this week. Trey Sermon led the rushing attack with 88 yards in the win. Gardner Minshew threw for 215 yards and three touchdowns. The defense forced three turnovers and the offense outgained the Steelers 372–216.
13. Houston Texans (8–6): The Texans won a tight road divisional game in overtime against the Tennessee Titans 19–16. Case Keenum led the Texans to the win in place of the injured CJ Stroud. More notable to mention here, they held Derrick Henry to 9 yards on 16 carries. Yeah, you read that right, I didn’t reverse the numbers. They also sacked Will Levis seven times.
14. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7–7): The Buccaneers once again lead the topsy-turvy NFC South. This week, they defeated the Green Bay Packers 34–20 and have now won three games in a row. Mike Evans has had a good year with over 1000 receiving yards and 11 touchdowns. In the win, Chris Godwin led the team with 155 receiving yards along with 10 catches. Baker Mayfield had 381 passing yards and four touchdowns. Each team turned the ball over once on a fumble but the important part is that Baker didn’t fumble the game away.
15. Los Angeles Rams (7–7): The Rams defeated the Commanders 28–20 in a game in which the final score is a lot closer than the actual game played out. The Rams dominated for most of the game, minus when the Commanders took Sam Howell out. Cooper Kupp and Kyren Williams both had solid offensive games through the air and on the ground. Matthew Stafford threw for over 250 yards and two touchdowns.
16. New Orleans Saints (7–7): The Saints leaned heavily on Alvin Kamara in the win over the New York Giants. In the 24–6 win, he led the team in both receiving and rushing. They also outgained the Giants 296–193. They ended the Giants' winning streak and at least for one week derailed the Tommy “Cutlets” DeVito talk. Derek Carr had three touchdown passes with over 200 yards passing.
17. Seattle Seahawks (7–7): The Seahawks got a clutch performance from backup Drew Lock in place of starter Geno Smith on Monday Night. Despite Geno being active for the game, they went with Drew Lock and he delivered. He threw for 208 yards and a touchdown. Kenneth Walker III had 112 total yards and a touchdown. That throw to Jaxon Smith-Njigba was spectacular and the defense also played a huge part in the win. They forced two Jalen Hurts interceptions.
18. Minnesota Vikings (7–7): The Vikings almost had the road win over the Bengals. Alas, they outgained the Bengals and still lost in overtime 27–24. Nick Mullens has been named the starter for Week 16 already as he put up an electric performance. He threw for over 300 yards and two touchdowns. Even though he threw two interceptions, they also got help from their running game. Ty Chandler had 132 yards and a touchdown on the ground.
19. Denver Broncos (7–7): The Broncos were embarrassed in Detroit 42–17. They gave up 448 yards in the loss. Russell Wilson did have 223 passing yards, a touchdown, and no interceptions in the loss but he couldn’t do enough to overcome a great day by the Lions’ offense. That says a lot about either the Denver defense right now or the quality of the opponent’s offense. Either way, a troubling sign.
20. Pittsburgh Steelers (7–7): The Steelers have lost three straight games now as they finally fall to the bottom of the AFC North. The team is a mess right now with Mitch Trubisky at quarterback. A statement I only sarcastically say that is a surprise. He threw for 169 yards and one touchdown but he had two interceptions. Jaylen Warren “led” the rushing attack with 40 yards. This team is falling apart at the seams but I saw it coming.
The Caboose (21–32)
21. Las Vegas Raiders (6–8): The Raiders dropped a franchise-record 63 points on a team a week after scoring 0 points at home against the Vikings. If you’d told me to bet the over on this game against the Chargers, I would’ve laughed in your face. In the blowout 63–21 win against the Los Angeles Chargers, they scored seven offensive touchdowns and two defensive touchdowns. Davante Adams had 101 receiving yards and a touchdown. Aidan O’Connell had 248 yards passing and four touchdowns. Jakobi Meyers, a wide receiver, even threw a passing touchdown in the win. The Raiders led by as much as 49–0 in the win. Celebrate this, Raiders fans. This is a fleeting moment.
22. Green Bay Packers (6–8): The Packers’ season looked promising before this recent losing streak. They are still technically in the playoff hunt but they will need a lot of help to get there. The recent loss to the Buccaneers can be blamed on the defense. Jordan Love had another game in which he didn’t throw an interception. He threw for 284 yards and two touchdowns. The ground game didn’t do much and because the defense didn’t help except for the five sacks on Baker Mayfield, they just couldn’t come out on the correct end of the 34–20 home loss.
23. Atlanta Falcons (6–8): Another team with a recent losing streak that is essentially killing their playoff hopes. I’m only a little more optimistic for the Falcons given the fact that they are in the weak NFC South and still even have a shot to win the division outright. Do I think that they will be there? Highly doubtful but the chance is still there. This recent 9–7 loss to the worst team in the NFL definitely gave me little hope that they could. Against the Panthers, they committed two turnovers and only could gain 204 yards.
24. Chicago Bears (5–9): In the 20–17 loss to the Browns, they turned the ball over three times and were sacked three times to go along with 10 punts. The offense gained 236 yards in the game and Justin Fields was stifled a bit against an elite Browns’ defense. They did lead 17–7 going into the fourth but the metrics are showing that Justin Fields does not perform well in the fourth quarter right now. That is something to consider going into the 2024 NFL Draft but not the only consideration that they should make.
25. Tennessee Titans (5–9): Tennessee led the game 13–0 and again by a touchdown before the game-tying drive in the loss to the Texans in overtime. They have a lot to build on for the future. Will Levis could be their guy going forward as he’s shown some signs of greatness in the rookie run. He didn’t dazzle this week as he had just under 200 yards and an interception but he did run in for the team’s only offensive touchdown. They have been officially eliminated from playoff contention with the loss but the emergence of Tyjae Spears is also promising as an aging Derrick Henry is showing signs of slowing down. I can’t believe I’m writing that 884 yards and 10 touchdowns is a down year for anyone but we know what he’s capable of.
26. New York Jets (5–9): Zach Wilson suffered a concussion in the game and tried to hide the severity before he came out completely. The offense under Trevor Siemian looked hopeless and this team’s slim hopes of the postseason are gone. It looks like Aaron Rodgers’ decision to come back or not this season has probably been made. It’s an obvious no at this point. This team is completely hopeless and will likely lose out the year.
27. New York Giants (5–9): The Tommy DeVito train has been stopped for one week although seven sacks from the Saints' defense may have played a role. I have a feeling that this kid will still get a gig in the league next year. It could be with the Giants as he got their hopes up after a terrible start under Daniel Jones at quarterback. A 2/16 third down efficiency in the loss isn’t a great look. Neither is five punts. They only gained 193 yards in the loss.
28. Los Angeles Chargers (5–9): I could’ve kept them higher but there are a ton of factors into knocking them down this low. No more Justin Herbert as of the week prior so they’re actually putting Easton Stick out there under center. Secondly, they just gave up 63 points to the struggling Raiders. That is not a great look. It cost their head coach his job, deservedly so. Nothing in the 63–21 loss that I want to highlight as good for the team right now. They got outplayed and outmatched. Sure you could point to Easton Stick throwing for 257 yards, three touchdowns to only one interception. But your defense gave up 63 points on Thursday Night Football. Enough said.
29. Washington Commanders (4–10): First of all, I would’ve had a heart attack if the Commanders had actually completed the comeback on the road against the Los Angeles Rams. In the 28–20 loss to the Rams, we learned that Jacoby Brissett can still ball out. He had two touchdown passes in relief of a benched Sam Howell. Sam Howell will continue to start going forward, but should he at this point?
30. Arizona Cardinals (3–11): The Cardinals lost to the best team in the NFL, the San Francisco 49ers 45–29. In the loss, the Cardinals actually outgained the 49ers 436–406 behind the strength of their running game (234 yards) but allowed three sacks on Kyler Murray and Murray also threw for two interceptions. James Conner and Emeri Demercado each rushed for a touchdown. It’s hard to win when a team drops 45 on you though.
31. New England Patriots (3–11): A week after the Patriots tried to shed their bad reputation this year, they reverted to what we expect from them in the 27–17 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. Bailey Zappe only had about 180 yards and a touchdown to go with an interception. Also, Ezekiel Elliott couldn’t repeat the performance from the week before as he was held to 25 rushing yards in the loss. The defense forced two turnovers but it didn’t make much of a difference.
32. Carolina Panthers (2–12): The worst team in the league just won and broke their second six-game losing streak of the season in the 9–7 win over the Atlanta Falcons. They gained 283 yards in the win and Chuba Hubbard had 103 yards of total offense in the win. Bryce Young didn’t turn the ball over which was a surprise but they also couldn’t score an offensive touchdown against Atlanta. A win is a win, though, I guess.
The Sturg’s Picks for Week 16: TNF: Rams over the Saints, Saturday: Bengals over the Steelers, Bills over the Chargers, Christmas: Chiefs over the Raiders, Eagles over the Giants, 49ers over the Ravens in the game of the week and possibly the year. Six picks again this week as I’d done last week, hopefully I can finish better than 4–2 this week.
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Source: NFL Standings
Compare My Rankings: NFL.com, ESPN.com, Sporting News
