Welcome to Week 17 of the Pro Football Network company-wide NFL Power Rankings. While Dalton Miller ably provides his own power rankings following the conclusion of each Sunday’s action, we’ll be polling each of PFN’s NFL contributors to assemble our list.
Each week, we’ll combine rankings from yours truly, Chief Content Officer David Bearman, NFL Deputy Editor Adam Beasley, Betting Editor Brian Blewis, Audience Engagement Director Mike Gambardella, COO Matt Infante, NFL Analyst Dalton Miller, Bengals Reporter Jay Morrison, Cowboys Reporter Jess Nevarez, and Fantasy Editor Kyle Yates.
Which teams are too high or too low as we enter Week 17 of the 2023 NFL season?
Pro Football Network’s Week 17 NFL Power Rankings
Week 16 rank listed in parentheses.
32) Carolina Panthers (32)
31) Arizona Cardinals (29)
30) Washington Commanders (30)
29) New England Patriots (31)
T-27) Los Angeles Chargers (26)
T-27) New York Giants (27)
26) New York Jets (28)
25) Tennessee Titans (25)
The Jets had a relatively good week. Not only were they one of only two clubs in this tier (along with the Patriots) to post a Week 16 win, but team owner Woody Johnson announced that head coach Robert Saleh and general manager Joe Douglas will return in 2024.
While it’s difficult to blame New York’s decision-makers for a season lost when Aaron Rodgers went down in Week 1, Saleh and Douglas could have built better contingency plans instead of pinning every hope on a 40-year-old quarterback.
Elsewhere in New York, the Giants are staring down one of the more intriguing offseasons in the NFL. Daniel Jones has $36 million guaranteed next year, giving him negative trade value as he recovers from a torn ACL. He’ll still be on NY’s roster, but Big Blue will likely secure a top-five pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.
Selecting a new franchise quarterback while using their $35+ million in projected 2024 cap space to bolster their offensive line, pass-catching weapons, and secondary seems like the best course of action for the Giants, and general manager Joe Schoen has suggested the club’s ownership group is prepared for a rebuild.
24) Atlanta Falcons (24)
23) Chicago Bears (22)
22) Green Bay Packers (20)
21) New Orleans Saints (18)
20) Las Vegas Raiders (23)
T-18) Minnesota Vikings (19)
T-18) Denver Broncos (17)
How many head coaches should be concerned about losing their job on Black Monday? Sean Payton (Broncos), Kevin O’Connell (Vikings), and Matt LaFleur (Packers) will return in 2024, regardless of how their teams perform over the final two weeks of the regular season.
Dennis Allen seems likely to be canned if the Saints don’t make the playoffs. New Orleans needs to win out and get help to get into the postseason, and Allen seems to be on his last legs as he concludes his second season in charge. Arthur Smith’s personnel preferences leave much to be desired, and Falcons owner Arthur Blank hasn’t definitively said his head coach will be back next year.
Bears HC Matt Eberflus deserves credit for turning his team’s defense into a legitimate unit in 2023. Chicago has won four of its last six games and has a chance to finish 8-9. But the Bears will likely select a new QB with the 2024 No. 1 overall pick they acquired from the Panthers earlier this year. Placing a head coach and a quarterback on the same timetable might prove too enticing to Chicago’s ownership group.
And then there’s Antonio Pierce, who’s guided Las Vegas to a 4-3 record during his interim head coach stint. Over the past two weeks, Pierce’s Raiders have put up 63 points against the Chargers and taken down Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs. He’s clearly earned the respect of Vegas’ locker room and might force owner Mark Davis’ hand if the Raiders keep playing well.
17) Pittsburgh Steelers (21)
16) Cincinnati Bengals (10)
15) Indianapolis Colts (14)
14) Jacksonville Jaguars (11)
13) Houston Texans (11)
12) Tampa Bay Buccaneers (16)
11) Seattle Seahawks (15)
10) Los Angeles Rams (13)
Two or three clubs in this tier won’t make the playoffs, and few teams’ chances took a more significant hit in Week 17 than the Bengals. Cincinnati had won three straight games with backup quarterback Jake Browning under center, forcing themselves back into the Wild Card conversation.
But a 34-11 loss to the Steelers — in which Browning threw three interceptions — gave the Bengals an 0-5 record in the AFC North and decreased their postseason odds to 15-20%. A win against the Chiefs in Arrowhead in Week 17 is non-negotiable if Cincinnati wants to make the postseason.
The Rams, Seahawks, and Buccaneers aren’t part of the NFC’s elite, but all three clubs could make noise in January, provided they get in. L.A., Seattle, and Tampa Bay succeed with the same equation: two (at least) high-quality wide receivers + a quarterback willing to sling it.
MORE: NFL Playoff Bracket 2023
If Matthew Stafford, Geno Smith, or (gasp) Baker Mayfield can get hot during the playoffs, each one’s respective team could become a threat. No one expects the Rams, Seahawks, or Bucs to emerge as the NFC’s Super Bowl representative, but could one sneak into the conference title game?
9) Kansas City Chiefs (6)
8) Cleveland Browns (9)
T-6) Dallas Cowboys (4)
T-6) Detroit Lions (8)
5) Philadelphia Eagles (7)
4) Buffalo Bills (5)
3) Miami Dolphins (5)
2) San Francisco 49ers (1)
1) Baltimore Ravens (2)
Raise your hand if you thought the Joe Flacco-led Browns would rank ahead of the Mahomes-led Chiefs entering Week 17. While Kansas City’s offense still can’t get anything going, Flacco’s high-variance playing style has emerged as a perfect complement to Cleveland’s dominant defense.
The Browns are 10-5 while starting four different quarterbacks and deploying second and third-string offensive tackles — give Kevin Stefanski the Coach of the Year award now.
Meanwhile, Monday night’s nominal Super Bowl preview proved to be something of a letdown, as four Brock Purdy interceptions helped the Ravens to a 33-19 victory. Lamar Jackson solidified his MVP case against San Francisco, proving how irreplaceable he is inside Baltimore’s offense, while the Ravens’ defense slowed down the NFL’s most unstoppable offensive attack.
John Harbaugh’s team reigns supreme for now. But a Week 17 matchup against the Dolphins could decide which team earns the AFC’s No. 1 seed and emerges as the top club in our power rankings.
Want to predict the rest of the 2023 season with our FREE NFL Playoff Predictor? Looking for the most up-to-date NFL standings? What about a breakdown of team depth charts or the NFL schedule? Pro Football Network has you covered with that and more!