RADIO
Ryan Kirksey ranks all 32 NFL teams after the first month of the 2023 season based on how well they have played through their first four games.
As we head into the second month of the NFL season, we are starting to get a better sense of who these 32 teams are. Injuries, inefficiencies, and mega pop-star distractions have impacted NFL teams in different ways through the league's first four weeks. On the other hand, there have been some major positive surprises and stellar play from unexpected sources.
Teams like the New York Jets, the Minnesota Vikings, and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have all moved drastically since our Preseason Power Rankings from early August. It's just further proof that the landscape of the NFL can change on a dime after any given Sunday.
So what do the NFL power rankings look like one-fourth of the way through the regular season? Here is our ranking of all 32 NFL teams.
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Super Bowl In Their Sights
1. San Francisco 49ers (4-0)
As one of just two 4-0 teams still remaining, the 49ers look to be dominant in just about every aspect of the game. They rank top-ten in yards per rush attempt, yards per pass attempt, fewest opponent's yards per rush attempt, and fewest opponent's yards per pass attempt. There is no aspect of their play that has obvious flaws right now, which is why they are the betting favorite across the board to win the Super Bowl going into Week 5 (between +500 and +550 in most sportsbooks).
2. Philadelphia Eagles (4-0)
The Eagles are also 4-0 but are showing one significant crack in their armor that could come back to bite them down the road. After allowing the fewest passing yards per game in 2022 (171.6), Philadelphia is now 27th in that category through four weeks (260.8 passing yards per game). It's a grain of salt stat as teams will frequently trail the Eagles, forcing them to throw, but something to monitor. The Eagles still are stout up front, allowing the second-fewest rushing yards per game this year (63 per game).
3. Buffalo Bills (3-1)
When their offense is humming like they were in Week 4 against the Dolphins (a 48-20 win), there is no team in the league that can stop the Bills. The Bills' upcoming schedule also looks mighty favorable with only one opponent with a winning record in their next seven weeks. In the three weeks since they lost to the Jets, the Bills rank sixth in yards per pass attempt (8.6 per pass).
4. Kansas City Chiefs (3-1)
If Dallas is America's team, the Chiefs are clearly now Earth's team after gaining a whole new swath of fans with the Travis Kelce-Taylor Swift mash-up you never knew you needed. The Chiefs destroyed Chicago in Week 3 but struggled to put the Zach Wilson-led Jets away in Week 4. Much of their offensive success this season is not tied to Travis Kelce or Patrick Mahomes, but to Isiah Pacheco who ranks eleventh in yards per touch among all running backs and has inspired legions of memes about his rugged running style.
Isiah Pacheco is that kid at the sleepover whose parents don’t let have soda.
— Jeff Bell (@4WhomJBellTolls) October 2, 2023
5. Miami Dolphins (3-1)
The record for most points scored in an NFL season is 606 by the 2013 Denver Broncos. The Dolphins are on pace to score 637 in 2023. (And for some cool symmetry, see the Denver Broncos entry below.)
6. Dallas Cowboys (3-1)
That confounding loss to the Arizona Cardinals now clearly looks like the outlier after demonstrative wins against the Jets, Patriots, and Giants. In those three games, the Cowboys have outscored their opponents 108-13 with about as balanced a scoring attack as you will ever find. The Cowboys have four passing touchdowns, four rushing touchdowns, and three defensive touchdowns this season. Micah Parsons limping off on Sunday is cause for concern especially after they lost cornerback Trevon Diggs.
Playoff Bound Or Their Fans Revolt
7. Detroit Lions (3-1)
The Lions get Jameson Williams back after the NFL realized that gambling is just fine and they actually benefit from it. Not really, but the one thing this dynamic offense lacked was a true game-breaker who can take the game vertically. Whether Williams can become that remains to be seen, but he has the pedigree.
8. Baltimore Ravens (3-1)
The Ravens have had decimating injuries on defense and lost running back J.K. Dobbins for the year, but continue to impress. With the emergence of Zay Flowers and Gus Edwards combined with elite performances from Lamar Jackson and Mark Andrews, this team looks like it will cruise to the division title.
3rd down conversion % inside FG range
71% - Baltimore Ravens
59% - Tampa Bay Buccaneers
58% - Denver Broncos
53% - Dallas Cowboys
48% - New Orleans Saints
47% - Kansas City Chiefs
46% - New York Giants
44% - San Francisco 49ers
43% - Cincinnati Bengals
42% - Chicago Bears
40% -…— Warren Sharp (@SharpFootball) October 3, 2023
9. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3-1)
No one and I mean absolutely no one, thought Baker Mayfield would be this good through four games (seventh in true passer rating through four weeks)...
10. Seattle Seahawks (3-1)
...and no one, and I mean absolutely no one, thought Geno Smith would end up regressing this much. At 211 yards passing per game, they are now 20 behind the pace of the 2022 Seahawks.
11. Los Angeles Chargers (2-2)
The Chargers are treading water even with Austin Ekeler and Mike Williams out with injuries, thanks to a more explosive, vertical offensive system installed by Kellen Moore. The Chargers rank fourth in yards per pass attempt this year and should continue to improve with Ekeler coming back after the Week 5 bye.
12. Cleveland Browns (2-2)
Say what you will about Deshaun Watson, but Browns fans and all NFL fans hope they don't have to be subjected to any more of Dorian Thompson-Robinson. With a 12% sack rate in their last three games, the Browns rank third in the NFL and have a formidable defense.
13. Green Bay Packers (2-2)
The Packers must have thought they were seeing vintage Barry Sanders last week against the Lions after he torched them all game. With the Lions entering the game as favorites in Lambeau for the first time in nearly 40 years and then coming away with the win, there has been a clear changing of the guard in this division. Jordan Love is improving, however, and may just be able to sneak them into a Wild Card spot.
The Unenviable Middle
14. Jacksonville Jaguars (2-2)
Much like U2 in Las Vegas, the Jacksonville Jaguars have apparently taken up residency in London. They will play their second straight game there on Sunday. Just keep an eye out for Calvin Ridley anytime he gets near the London betting shops that are on every corner.
15. New Orleans Saints (2-2)
With Alvin Kamara, Michael Thomas, and Chris Olave leading the offense, the Saints should be set up for scoring success. The problem is with Derek Carr who is 28th in yards per pass attempt and 29th in Red Zone completion percentage.
16. Houston Texans (2-2)
The Texans may mess around and win this division with C.J. Stroud leading the way. Their defense is still abominable most weeks, but Stroud is the only player in NFL history with 1,200 passing yards and no interceptions in his first four games. He now leads the field as the favorite for offensive rookie of the year (+175).
17. Los Angeles Rams (2-2)
Just as we all predicted going into the 2023 season, the top three duos in combined offensive touches per game are Christian McCaffrey/Deebo Samuel, Puka Nacua/Kyren Williams, and CeeDee Lamb/Tony Pollard. This team many thought would be abysmal might just make the playoffs.
18. Washington Commanders (2-2)
At 14.6%, Washington is tied with the New York Giants for the highest sack rate allowed to their quarterback. That's the bad news. The good news is they play the Chicago Bears on Thursday night, so they are almost assuredly moving up the power rankings next week!
19. Tennessee Titans (2-2)
Ryan Tannehill, ladies and gentlemen.
Adjusted completion percentage when under pressure -
17th Anthony Richardson - 64.3%
18th Patrick Mahomes - 64.1%
20th Justin Herbert - 63.6%
24th CJ Stroud - 61.9%
25th Joe Burrow - 61.5%
28th Trevor Lawrence - 58.1%
30th Ryan Tannehill - 57.7%#Colts #Fortheshoe— Ʊ Bring The Juice Ʊ (@BTJPod) October 4, 2023
20. Indianapolis Colts (2-2)
This AFC South battle will be fun to watch down the stretch with all four teams at 2-2. Well, it depends on your definition of fun. If you like young, dynamic quarterbacks you will like watching Indianapolis, Houston, and Jacksonville. If your idea of fun is watching a QB/RB tandem who is a combined 64-year-old, you are sure to be thrilled by The Titans. Anthony Richardson showed in a comeback against the Rams in Week 4 that he is NFL-ready as a rusher and developing quickly as a passer.
21. Atlanta Falcons (2-2)
You've noticed how supremely awful Daniel Jones and Zach Wilson have been this year, right? The Jets and Giants both have more passing yards per game than the Falcons (156.3). Atlanta's expected pass rate this year is more than 10 percentage points below their actual rate.
We Were Supposed To Have A Quarterback?
22. Cincinnati Bengals (1-3)
Who knew one little calf muscle could derail a whole team, Joe Burrow's injury has caused the Bengals to look quite horrific on offense this year.
23. New York Jets (1-3)
For those who believe maybe Zach Wilson turned a corner into a competent quarterback on Sunday night, just remember one thing. With all the free agent options available to them, the Jets chose to bring in Trevor Semien as someone who could potentially fill the role if needed. Trevor. Semien.
Already Starting to Check January Vacation Spots
24. Pittsburgh Steelers (2-2)
I'll let Stats Guy Daniel tell the tale. And then remember that Kenny Pickett is now hurt.
The Steelers have put together 48 drives this season:
- 46% ended in 3 plays or less
- 50% ended in a punt
- 67% ended in a punt, turnover, or turnover on downsThis offense isn’t just bad, it’s abysmal.
— Daniel Valente (@StatsGuyDaniel) October 3, 2023
25. Minnesota Vikings (1-3)
This offense with Kirk Cousins, Justin Jefferson, and Jordan Addison still slaps, but the problem is the defense refuses to hit anyone. They are a bottom-10 squad and show no signs of improving.
Who are the pass defenses to attack in fantasy?
These teams currently rank bottom 10 in pass defense DVOA AND adjusted fantasy pts allowed to QBs:#Broncos (32nd, 30th)#Chargers (27th, 32nd)#Giants (30th, 28th)#Seahawks (28th, 25th)#Titans (26th, 24th)#Vikings (23rd, 26th)
— Jared Smola (@SmolaDS) September 27, 2023
26. New England Patriots (1-3)
There is no way I can describe Mac Jones and this offense better than this.
The Patriots 35-point defeat to the Cowboys yesterday was the worst loss in Bill Belichick’s career 😳 pic.twitter.com/5BuYEeZK44
— Action Network (@ActionNetworkHQ) October 2, 2023
27. Arizona Cardinals (1-3)
The Cardinals have been competitive enough to stay in most games (even defeating the Cowboys), but still wither in crunch time. That likely delights the tanking-minded General Manager Monti Ossenfort, but they have work to do to be as non-competitive as the teams below.
We Fall Asleep To Tape Of Caleb Williams
28. Denver Broncos (1-3)
The record for most points allowed in a season is 533 by the 1981 Baltimore Colts. The Broncos are on pace to allow 637 points this season.
29. Las Vegas Raiders (1-3)
Not many quarterbacks can make teams long for the return of Jimmie Garoppolo, so congratulations go out to Aiden O'Connell.
30. New York Giants (1-3)
Daniel Jones has 29 touchdown passes and 37 fumbles + interceptions since the start of 2021. And New York is about to have to start paying him more than $30 million per year.
31. Carolina Panthers (0-4)
The Panthers are in the market for a top-end wide receiver, apparently. Yeah, that'll fix Bryce Young's problems. There is a very real chance they traded Caleb Williams (projected 2024 #1 pick), D.J. Moore, Jalen Carter, and two more draft picks for Bryce Young. Yikes.
32. Chicago Bears (0-4)
The Bears currently own the first and second pick in the 2024 NFL Draft (thanks Carolina!), so if I'm Head Coach Matt Eberflus or General Manager Ryan Poles, my message to my team is "You're doing great! Don't change one single thing!"
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