It was a fascinating ending to the NFL’s 104th regular season. Both of the conference’s top seeds, the Ravens and 49ers, rested their starters and each came up short on the scoreboard.
A year ago, the Houston Texans finished with the second-worst record in the league. Thanks to an assist from the Tennessee Titans, DeMeco Ryans’s club won the AFC South. The Buffalo Bills were just 6-6 after 12 games, and are now the AFC East champions for the fourth consecutive season.
Of course, Baltimore and San Francisco weren’t the only teams to understandably give some of their best players a day off. That was certainly been taken into consideration, hence not a lot of big changes near the top from a week ago. So here is the final regular-season edition of the 2023 NFL Power Rankings.
The good news for interim head coach Chris Tabor was that the Carolina defense limited the first-place Buccaneers to three field goals and 228 total yards. The bad news was that his team managed a mere 199 yards of offense on 50 plays. Bryce Young threw for only 94 yards, was sacked three times and had one of the club’s two turnovers.
The Panthers were shut out for the second straight week. The only previous time this franchise lost 15 games in a season was back in 2001 when the Panthers won their opener and dropped the remainder of their contests.
The 2023 season has mercifully come to an end for the troubled Commanders, and it may have proven to be the final season for head coach Ron Rivera in old D.C. Washington dropped its eighth consecutive game and once again, the defense was non-existent. Dallas rolled up 440 total yards and scored the final 31 points of the game.
The Commanders finished the season allowing 518 points, the third-highest single-season total in NFL annals (and yes, with an extra game). Meanwhile, this was a team that gave up 175 more points (343) than it did a year ago.
Was this the final chapter of an amazing run for a coaching legend? It’s been a long year for the Patriots and Bill Belichick. One of the constants has been their dominance of the rival Jets. Even that came to an end on Sunday as the Pats saw their 15-game winning streak over the Green and White end in snowy conditions in chilly Foxborough.
The conditions were rough for both clubs, but New England’s defense gave up 185 yards rushing. Bailey Zappe threw for 88 yards, was sacked seven times and picked off twice. The Pats were 1-of-14 on third down. Yikes!
This team’s performance this season was among the most disappointing in the league, and it ended with a huge thud on Sunday at home against the AFC West champions. The Chiefs sat numerous starters and the Bolts kept Andy Reid’s offense out of the end zone. The Chargers gained 353 total yards and settled for four field goals.
As it stands at the moment, the team will have the fifth overall selection in April’s draft. Of course, there’s the business of hiring a new general manager and head coach. The club’s dozen losses are the most since 2015.
Despite a second straight 4-13 campaign, these Cardinals were much feistier than the 2022 edition. First-time NFL head coach Jonathan Gannon changed the mindset in the desert and this proved to be a very physical football team. Still, the Cards hoped to avoid a 0-6 finish vs. their division rivals when they hosted the Seattle Seahawks.
James Conner had another monster game, running 27 times for 150 yards and one score. However, Gannon’s defense could not protect a six-point lead. Matt Prater missed a 51-yard field goal in the closing seconds.
It’s been a long year for a team that was the talk of the NFL offseason. However, it wasn’t meant to be this year for the club with the longest active playoff drought in the league. For the second straight season, the Jets finished with a 7-10 record. The only difference in 2023 was the fact that the New England Patriots (4-13) were far worse.
On Sunday at New England, Jets’ running back Breece Hall finished with 190 total yards, 71 more yards than the New England offense (119). Meanwhile, snapping a 15-game losing streak to the Patriots has to mean something.
The Falcons were in New Orleans and still had a shot to win their first division title since 2016. It was a back-and-forth affair at the Superdome and these longtime rivals were knotted at 17-all at halftime. It all came apart for Arthur Smith and company after that and a late New Orleans touchdown rankled Atlanta’s sideline leader.
The Falcons gave up the final 31 points of the game and were blanked after intermission. The defense gave up 400 total yards. The club finished 7-10 for the third straight year under Smith, who was fired early Monday morning.
The team was staring at a fourth straight loss and entered Sunday’s clash with the Jaguars having lost eight straight divisional contests. The Titans wound up saving one of their best performances of 2023 until last. In the process, Mike Vrabel’s club went out on a winning note and knocked out the reigning AFC South champs out of the playoffs.
It was a big afternoon for Derrick Henry. While Ryan Tannehill threw for 168 yards and two scores (1 interception), the veteran runner racked up 153 yards and a touchdown. The Titans picked off Trevor Lawrence twice in the win.
For the second time in three weeks, the Giants took on the playoff-bound Eagles. In the 33-25 Christmas Day loss at Philadelphia, the club nearly rallied from a 20-3 halftime deficit to win. This time around, Big Blue jumped out to a 24-0 lead at intermission and was never really threatened. Tyrod Taylor led an attack that gained 415 yards.
It was nice to go out with a win, but Brian Daboll’s club could not build on last season’s 9-7-1 playoff showing. There were problems throughout. One positive was the fact that the Giants played better vs. divisional foes.
What a fall from grace for the Purple Gang. The reigning NFC North champions saw quarterback Kirk Cousins go down after eight games and Kevin O’Connell wound up starting four different signal-callers this season. However, one of the biggest reversals of fortunes for this year’s Vikings, 13-4 in 2022, was the failure to win the close games.
At Ford Field, Nick Mullens threw for plenty of yards (396) and two scores but served up a pair of interceptions. Minnesota finished with 34 turnovers, 11 more miscues than a year ago (23) when they won the NFC North.
Make it seven consecutive losing seasons for a franchise that hasn’t been to the playoffs since winning Super Bowl 50 in 2015. Sean Payton’s debut in the Mile High City has to rank as a disappointment, although there was some progress made from a year ago. Sunday’s loss at Las Vegas made it eight straight setbacks to the rival Raiders.
What does the future hold for veteran quarterback Russell Wilson, benched these last two weeks? On Sunday, backup Jarrett Stidham was sacked five times, and the Denver defense surrendered 359 total yards in the loss.
Back in 2021, the last playoff appearance for the Silver and Black, Jon Gruden resigned and was replaced by interim head coach Rich Bissacia. The Raiders bypassed him and hired Josh McDaniels. The latter didn’t make it through his second season and linebackers coach Antonio Pierce took over. This looked like a different team under his watch.
All told, the Raiders began the season with a win at Denver and ended it by sweeping the Broncos for the fourth straight year. Will Pierce be considered for the full-time job? It will be another offseason of change for the Raiders.
The Bengals could help the AFC North make a little history and on the other hand avoid a dubious statistic when they hosted the playoff-bound Browns. Joe Mixon ran for one score, caught a TD pass and totaled 111 of the team’s 183 yards on the ground. Jake Browning threw for 156 yards and three scores (1 interception) in the win.
Cincinnati finished 9-8, meaning every team in their division owned a winning record this season. A loss would have also made some news. A year after winning the AFC North, the Bengals would have been 0-6 vs. the division.
The Bears have been one of the league’s most improved teams from a year ago. They had hoped to play spoiler on Sunday at Lambeau Field when it came to the Packers’ playoff hopes. However, Justin Fields threw for only 148 yards and was sacked five times. Chicago was limited to 192 total yards and never found its way to the end zone.
Matt Eberflus’ team more than doubled its win total from a year ago. The defense made big-time strides as well. However, the Bears could not avoid finishing dead last in the NFC North for the second consecutive season.
Following their lopsided win on Sunday, Dennis Allen’s club was forced to do some scoreboard-watching. Would a 9-8 season be good enough to grab a wild card berth? The Saints’ offense exploded for 400 yards and six offensive touchdowns against the visiting Falcons. Derek Carr hit on 22-of-28 throws for 264 yards and four touchdowns.
New Orleans’ defense limited Atlanta to 78 yards on the ground and came up with three takeaways in the lopsided victory. Despite a strong finish and a 9-8 record, the Saints will miss the playoffs for the third consecutive season.
This is a team that backed itself into a corner after a promising start this season. With five losses in their previous seven games, the Seahawks needed a win at Arizona and some help from the Bears at Lambeau Field. Seattle held up its end of the bargain, despite the fact that the team gave up a whopping 466 total yards on the afternoon.
For the second straight year, Pete Carroll’s club finished 9-8. A year ago, a Green Bay loss put the Seahawks in the playoffs. It needed another Packers’ loss on Sunday to get back to the postseason, but it wasn’t meant to be.
Last week, Doug Pederson’s team snapped a four-game losing streak with a win over Carolina. All the Jaguars had to do was beat the Titans to repeat as AFC South champions. It proved to be too much for a club that a year ago won its final five games to finish 9-8 in winning a division title. Sunday’s loss knocked this team out of the playoffs.
Jacksonville’s defense was gashed by Derrick Henry for 153 yards and a score. Trevor Lawrence threw for 280 yards and two scores but was picked off twice. Pederson’s club wound up turning over the football 30 times in 17 games.
A victory at home by Shane Steichen’s club would put the Colts in the playoffs for the first time since 2020. A win and a Jacksonville loss would give the franchise its first division title since 2014. Despite 188 yards rushing and a score by one-time NFL rushing leader Jonathan Taylor, the Colts will be home for the postseason once again.
The opportunity was there and the Colts failed to seize the moment. Down 23-17 with 1:06 to play, Steichen’s club had a fourth-and-one on the Houston 15-yard-line, Tyrone Goodson dropped a Gardner Minshew pass.
Last week, Todd Bowles’ team looked flat and disinterested in a home loss to the Saints. With another opportunity to wrap up a third straight NFC South title, the Buccaneers were in Carolina looking to complete a sweep of the Panthers. Baker Mayfield limped his way to just 137 yards through the air and his team did not reach the end zone.
The Bucs’ defense rose to the occasion, which was not the case a week ago. Bowles’ squad is the No. 4 seed and will host the slumping Philadelphia Eagles next Monday. The clubs met in the playoffs two years ago at Tampa.
It is a team that appears to have lost its confidence. The Eagles were at MetLife Stadium looking to extend their overall five-game winning streak vs. the Giants. Nick Sirianni’s club looked lifeless on both sides of the ball. The defense surrendered 272 total yards and trailed 24-0 at intermission. There were three first-half turnovers.
The Birds continue to slide in the NFL Power Rankings. This was a 14-3 team a year ago and its lost twice as many games this season. Sirianni’s disappointing team faces the Buccaneers in Tampa for the second time this year.
It wasn’t long ago that Mike Tomlin’s team was mired in a three-game slump, with home losses to the Cardinals and Patriots and a lopsided setback at Indianapolis. Quarterback Mason Rudolph was inserted into the lineup and it jump-started the offense. The Steelers’ 17-10 win on Saturday in rainy Baltimore was their third victory in a row.
The victory was costly as T.J. Watt went down. The latest, via CBS Sports' J.J. Watt, is that his brother is dealing with a Grade 2 MCL sprain. The good news is that the playoff-bound Steelers will battle the Bills on Sunday afternoon.
There weren’t a ton of points, but the Green Bay Packers got the job done at home against the rival Bears. A victory would mean a wild card berth and Matt LaFleur’s club did just enough to make it 10 straight victories in this series. Jordan Love threw for 316 yards and two touchdowns, and Aaron Jones added 111 yards on the ground.
Green Bay won its third straight game, and the Packers are a playoff team for the fourth time in five seasons. They will battle the Cowboys at AT&T Stadium this Sunday looking to end Dallas’ 16-game home winning streak.
It’s been an amazing year for a team that over the previous three seasons managed a 11-38-1 record. With a win at Indianapolis on Saturday, DeMeco Ryans’s Texans could grab a playoff berth one season after finishing 3-13-1.
On Houston’s first offensive play, quarterback C.J. Stroud hit Nico Collins with a 75-yard TD pass just nine seconds after the Colts took a 3-0 lead. The Texans opened up a 14-3 second-quarter lead and never trailed. Collins finished with nine catches for 195 yards. When the Jaguars lost at Tennessee on Sunday, Houston won the AFC South.
In control of the AFC East for the vast majority of the season, the Miami Dolphins needed to hold off the visiting Bills on Sunday night in order for the franchise to win its first division title since 2008. Mike McDaniel’s team was missing the likes of Raheem Mostert and Jaylen Waddle. They also ran out of steam in the fourth quarter.
Buffalo continued its dominance of this series, abusing the Miami defense for 473 total yards. This, despite the fact that Bills’ quarterback Josh Allen turned over the ball three times. Next up is a wild card battle at Kansas City.
The Rams were already playoff-bound and would play on wild card weekend. Head coach Sean McVay opted to sit veterans such as Matthew Stafford, Cooper Kupp and Aaron Donald. The team was in San Francisco was not only looking to close out 2023 with a fourth straight victory, a 10th win would double what the team managed in 2022.
McVay turned to Carson Wentz. What a stat line. He finished with 17 completions for 163 yards, good for two TDs. He totaled 56 yards rushing and a score on 17 attempts, and his two-point pass to Tutu Atwell was the difference.
It’s been a disappointing season in some regards for the defending Super Bowl champions. However, this is simply a different football team than the Chiefs of recent vintage. A year ago, Andy Reid’s team led the NFL in scoring with 496 points. This season, Kansas City was far off that total (371), but Steve Spagnuolo’s defense made great strides.
On Sunday at SoFi Stadium, Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce sat and quarterback Blaine Gabbert got the start. The Chiefs’ offense failed to score a touchdown, but Spagnuolo’s defense limited the Chargers to four field goals.
Off that wacky one-point win over the Lions last Saturday night, Mike McCarthy’s team was in Washington looking to wrap up the NFC East. Incredibly, the Cowboys found themselves trailing the Commanders, 10-7, in the second quarter. Dallas would close the game on a 31-0 run. Dak Prescott and the offense rolled up 440 total yards.
The 28-point triumph meant a fifth division title in the last 10 seasons for the franchise. It also kept an interesting streak alive. No team has repeated as the NFC East champion since the Eagles turned the trick from 2001-04.
Thanks to Jacksonville’s loss to the Titans on Sunday afternoon, the surging Bills were guaranteed a playoff spot. With a prime-time victory at Miami, Sean McDermott’s club would be AFC East champions for the fourth straight year. Josh Allen and company struggled early and were down 14-7 entering the final 15 minutes of this showdown.
Allen overcame a pair of early interceptions and three total turnovers by throwing for 359 yards and two scores. Still, it was Deonte Harty’s 96-yard punt return for a TD early in the fourth quarter that changed the momentum.
Off last week’s bizarre loss at Dallas, the NFC North champion Lions arguably needed to go into the postseason with a victory. They clashed with the rival Vikings for the second time in three weeks, and once again gave up plenty of yards (448) but still found a way to win its 12th game of the season, Detroit’s highest total since 1991.
Dan Campbell’s offense made its presence felt as well. The team was limited to just 70 yards rushing but David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs both ran for scores. Jared Goff threw for 320 yards and a pair of touchdowns.
Kevin Stefanski’s club had already locked up the No. 5 seed in this year’s playoffs. With a win on Sunday at Cincinnati, the Browns would win 12 games for the first time since 1986. The team would trot out a fifth different starting quarterback in Jeff Driskel. The team also rested some starters, and the results were highly predictable.
Cleveland trailed 31-0 entering the fourth quarter before tacking on a couple of meaningless touchdowns. Driskel finished with 166 yards through the air and two scores with a pair of picks. It’s back to Joe Flacco this weekend.
No Christian McCaffrey and no Brock Purdy for the NFC West champions as they took on the Rams in a battle of playoff-bound clubs. Sam Darnold got the start for Kyle Shanahan’s top-seeded club, and the 49ers owned a 20-7 lead at intermission. San Francisco amassed an impressive 274 yards of offense in just two quarters of action.
The remainder of the game belonged to Sean McVay’s club, which totaled the final 14 points of the afternoon. Incredibly, Darnold and the offense managed a mere 26 total yards in the second half in this meaningless game.
The top seed in the AFC playoffs opted to rest numerous starters, including quarterback Lamar Jackson, as the Ravens hosted the rival Steelers on Saturday afternoon. John Harbaugh’s club still played tough, but Pittsburgh had more on the line. Tyrone Huntley got the start, and threw for one TD but was sacked four times in rainy Baltimore.
Harbaugh’s club was in this position as a No. 1 seed back in 2019 during Jackson’s MVP campaign but then lost at home to the Titans in the divisional round. The six-year veteran has had his issues with turnovers in the playoffs.