Welcome to the final week 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’ve combined rankings from yours truly, Chief Content Officer David Bearman, Dolphins Reporter Adam Beasley, Betting Editor Brian Blewis, NFL Editor 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 now that the 2023 regular season is over?
Pro Football Network’s Final NFL Power Rankings
Week 18 rank listed in parentheses.
32) Carolina Panthers (32)
31) Washington Commanders (30)
30) New England Patriots (29)
29) Los Angeles Chargers (28)
28) Arizona Cardinals (29)
27) New York Giants (27)
26) New York Jets (28)
25) Tennessee Titans (25)
24) Atlanta Falcons (24)
Five teams in this lowly tier have fired their head coaches, and the Patriots could become the sixth if they don’t hang onto Bill Belichick. The Raiders, Panthers, and Chargers canned their HCs during the season, while the Commanders’ Ron Rivera and the Falcons’ Arthur Smith were Black Monday victims.
But the most surprising departure came on Tuesday, when the Titans — depending on who you ask — either fired or agreed to part ways with Mike Vrabel after six seasons. Owner Amy Adams Strunk said Tennessee said there were too many obstacles to trading Vrabel to another team, but the Titans should have tried. Vrabel was the NFL’s Coach of the Year as recently as 2021 and will be snatched up quickly.
23) Minnesota Vikings (23)
22) Denver Broncos (23)
21) Las Vegas Raiders (21)
20) Chicago Bears (20)
19) New Orleans Saints (19)
18) Cincinnati Bengals (18)
17) Seattle Seahawks (16)
16) Indianapolis Colts (13)
15) Jacksonville Jaguars (11)
This tier is littered with the league’s most disappointing teams. The Saints pulled every salary cap maneuver in the book to remain competitive in 2023, only to lose the NFC South title to a Bucs team that barely added any pieces over the offseason.
The Seahawks re-signed Geno Smith, brought in veterans like Dre’Mont Jones and Bobby Wagner, and traded a second-round pick for Leonard Williams at the deadline. And the Jaguars were 10th in cash spending and were the overwhelming favorites to win the AFC South.
Conversely, the Bears are positioned as well as any team in the league to solidify their roster this offseason. Holding the No. 1 and No. 9 overall picks, Chicago can draft the quarterback of its choice while picking up additional capital in exchange for Justin Fields.
With a bevy of draft selections and $61 million in cap space, general manager Ryan Poles can add new options at WR, OL, and EDGE, potentially turning the Bears into overnight contenders.
The Colts aren’t overflowing with 2024 NFL Draft picks like the Bears, but Indy overachieved in Shane Steichen’s first year as a head coach and will enter the offseason with $58 million in cap space. Decisions on free agents like WR Michael Pittman Jr., CB Kenny Moore, and S Julian Blackmon loom, but QB Anthony Richardson’s return should excite every Colts fan.
14) Green Bay Packers (17)
13) Tampa Bay Buccaneers (13)
12) Pittsburgh Steelers (14)
11) Houston Texans (12)
T-9) Los Angeles Rams (10)
T-9) Philadelphia Eagles (9)
8) Miami Dolphins (5)
We’ve reached the 2023-24 NFL playoff field. It’s almost hard to believe that the Eagles and Dolphins — both of whom held the No. 1 spot in our slot in our power rankings this season — have lumped in with the Packers, Bucs, Steelers, and other teams considered outside the league’s elite.
But Philadelphia and Miami limped into the postseason, both figuratively and literally. The Eagles’ Jalen Hurts, A.J. Brown, and DeVonta Smith are dealing with injuries as they prepare to face the Buccaneers in Round 1. And no team has been as devastated by injury issues as the Dolphins, who are getting ready to play the Chiefs in 5-degree weather.
Meanwhile, Los Angeles got hot at the right time and will enter the playoffs on a four-game win streak. If there’s a Wild Card team prepared to make a deep run in 2023, it might be the Rams, who feature a lethal offensive combination of QB Matthew Stafford, RB Kyren Williams, and WRs Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua plus an underrated defense.
Getting past the Lions won’t be easy, and the Rams’ reward would be to play either the 49ers or the Cowboys in the Divisional Round. But Sean McVay’s squad remains our favorite pick to upset its way into the NFC title game.
7) Kansas City Chiefs (8)
6) Cleveland Browns (6)
5) Detroit Lions (7)
4) Dallas Cowboys (4)
3) Buffalo Bills (3)
2) San Francisco 49ers (2)
1) Baltimore Ravens (1)
The winner of Super Bowl 58 will likely come from this tier. That the Browns are even listed here is a testament to Kevin Stefanski, whom PFN named Coach of the Year after he worked through four starting QBs (technically five after Jeff Driskel started a meaningless Week 18) en route to a 12-win campaign.
The Lions’ first-round playoff game against the Rams is the stuff dreams are made of. Matthew Stafford returns to Detroit, while Jared Goff faces the team and the head coach that traded him and promptly won a Super Bowl — what more could you ask for?
We’ll get a similar story in the NFC, where Mike McCarthy and the Cowboys will face the Packers, the team McCarthy coached for 13 years. Dallas will have to get through a gauntlet of NFC opponents to reach the Championship Game, but they could get another chance at the 49ers in the title tilt.
Meanwhile, the Bills and Chiefs will play a rematch in the Divisional Round if both win this weekend. Buffalo feels like a team of destiny after closing the season on a five-game win streak, but Patrick Mahomes lurks. Even if Josh Allen can get past Mahomes, Lamar Jackson and the Ravens might be waiting in the AFC Championship Game.
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!