On to Week 15 we go in the 2023 NFL season, and plenty of teams are working towards solidifying their playoff standing. With our NFL Power Rankings for Week 16 having seen quite a few changes at the top lately, it feels as though most matchups went according to plan this week. Many of the best teams in the league, like the San Francisco 49ers, Baltimore Ravens, and Philadelphia Eagles saw no movement in our NFL Power Rankings for Week 16.
The Kansas City Chiefs, Miami Dolphins, Detroit Lions, and Cleveland Browns all earned key wins in their playoff hunt, while the Green Bay Packers, Minnesota Vikings, Pittsburgh Steelers, and Denver Broncos all dropped their Week 15 games as they fight for Wild Card seeding. There is plenty still on the line as we head into Week 16, as lots of teams are still jostling for their playoff seeding.
So, let's jump right in and see where teams like the
Previous NFL Power Rankings: Week 15 | Week 14 | Week 13 | Week 12 | Week 11 | Week 10 | Week 9 | Week 8 | Week 7 | Week 6 | Week 5 | Week 4 | Week 3 | Week 2| Week 1
1. San Francisco 49ers (no change)
Another week of taking care of business for the 49ers, as they were able to easily defeat the Arizona Cardinals in Week 15. A superb performance from Christian McCaffrey saw him find the end zone multiple times yet again, and Deebo Samuel found paydirt twice himself.
The 49ers became the first team to clinch a divisional crown with their win over Arizona, which puts them at the top of our NFL Power Rankings.
2. Baltimore Ravens (no change)
Having clinched a spot in the AFC playoffs with their Week 15 win, the Ravens flexed their muscles over the Jacksonville Jaguars, who are also trying to figure out their spot in the AFC postseason race. While it wasn't an overly powerful showing from the offense, the defense forced Trevor Lawrence into two fumbles and a lot of non-scoring drives that ended in Baltimore territory.
While it, unfortunately, looks like the Ravens have lost rookie speedster Keaton Mitchell for the rest of the season with a knee injury, the Ravens were able to rely on Justice Hill and Gus Edwards again, going back to the former structure of the backfield.
3. Miami Dolphins (+2)
A shutout win over the Jets, without Tyreek Hill, speaks to just how dangerous the Dolphins can be. Tua Tagovailoa connected with Jaylen Waddle eight times, including once for a touchdown, and the defense forced four turnovers and sacked both Zach Wilson and Trevor Siemian a combined six times in their victory.
4. Detroit Lions (+2)
An easy win for the Lions over the Broncos helped wrap up the Saturday slate of Week 15 games, as they used a 21-point second quarter to never look back. Jared Goff was a man on a mission, throwing for five touchdowns, as he found Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jahmyr Gibbs, and Sam LaPorta (x3) for pay dirt.
While they endured a brief mini-skid, it looks as though the Lions may have righted their ship, coming at a great time as they look to wrap up the NFC North division for the first time in their entire existence.
5. Dallas Cowboys (-2)
This game was never close for the Dallas Cowboys, as they came into Buffalo and were completely shellacked. The offense, which was likely held down by the elements, was never able to get going, as Dak Prescott struggled to connect with CeeDee Lamb in the rainy conditions.
Things don’t get any easier for the Cowboys either, as they face the Dolphins next week in a game that will have serious divisional implications on both sides.
6. Philadelphia Eagles (-2)
The Philadelphia Eagles never looked on track against the Seahawks in their MNF matchup, allowing Drew Lock to lead a late-game comeback against them. The offense struggled to string together multiple scoring drives, and the defense allowed 17 of Seattle's 20 points in the second half, contributing to their fourth loss of the year.
7. Cleveland Browns (no change)
Things were looking quite bleak for the Browns on Sunday, as they struggled to put up points against a below-average Chicago Bears defense. But Joe Flacco helped orchestrate some late-game magic, connecting with Amari Cooper for a long score in the fourth quarter.
A late field goal helped push the Browns out in front, and a dropped Hail Mary helped Cleveland pull out their seventh home win of the year.
8. Kansas City Chiefs (no change)
It was a struggle of a first half, but the Chiefs were eventually able to put the New England Patriots away and earn their ninth win of the year. It was far from a typical performance from Patrick Mahomes, as his two interceptions helped keep New England in the game, but a solid showing from Rashee Rice (9/91/1) and the defense (154 total yards allowed) held the Patriots in check for most of the contest.
9. Buffalo Bills (+4)
Can we say the Buffalo Bills are back? After struggling through the first half of the NFL season, the Bills took it to the Cowboys at home in the pouring rain, and they didn’t even need to rely on Josh Allen to do it.
James Cook has looked like a stud running back ever since Buffalo changed offensive coordinators, and his 200+ total yards and 2 TDs (on 27 carries) speaks to just how much this coaching staff trusts Cook moving forward.
10. Cincinnati Bengals (+2)
Jake Browning was able to exact some revenge on a former team of his in Cincinnati’s Week 15 win, and they find themselves climbing back up the ladder in our Week 16 NFL Power Rankings. Needing a win to help keep pace in the AFC North division, the Bengals relied on another strong performance from Browning, who threw both of his touchdowns to Tee Higgins.
Ja’Marr Chase suffered an AC joint sprain in his shoulder, forcing him to leave Sunday’s contest early. All eyes will be on whether he will be able to suit up for Week 16, a matchup against the Steelers with big-time playoff implications.
11. Jacksonville Jaguars (-2)
Things never seemed good for the Jaguars in their Week 15 matchup with the Ravens, as the offense was frequently stopped in plus territory. Combine that with Trevor Lawrence's uneven game and being placed into concussion protocol after Sunday's loss, and the future of their playoff chances look quite murky in Jacksonville.
With their loss, the Jaguars are now tied with both the Colts and Texans record-wise in the AFC South, but Jacksonville still holds the tie-breaker over both. While the Jaguars do not play either of those teams to end the year, all eyes will be on this divisional race as the season draws to a close, as Jacksonville now finds itself outside of the top 10 of our Week 16 NFL Power Rankings.
12. Indianapolis Colts (+2)
Gardner Minshew has looked the part for the Indianapolis Colts, having stepped in for the injured Anthony Richardson at quarterback. A three-TD performance helped lead Indy to their eighth win of the year, a crucial W for a team that not many expected to be fighting for the playoffs after Richardson’s season-ending injury.
13. Houston Texans (+2)
With C.J. Stroud forced to miss Houston’s Week 15 game against the Titans as he remains in concussion protocol, it was journeyman Case Keenum who stepped in and not Davis Mills. Keenum helped orchestrate a second-half comeback for the Texans, culminating in an overtime win, which helped keep Houston alive and well in the AFC playoff race.
14. Seattle Seahawks (+7)
Drew Lock stepped in and stepped up big-time for the Seattle Seahawks, who upset the Eagles at home on MNF. It wasn't a barn burner by any means offensively, but Seattle relied on a big game from Kenneth Walker III (114 total yards, 1 rushing TD) to get back to .500 and keep pace in the NFC Wild Card race.
15. Denver Broncos (-5)
A 25-point road loss to the Lions is likely not how the Broncos thought their Week 15 matchup was going to go, but they failed to put up much of a fight all game. The biggest takeaway from this game may end up being the animated conversation that Sean Payton had with Russell Wilson on the sideline, which would be a great microcosm of how their loss went.
16. Minnesota Vikings (-5)
An overtime loss to the Bengals throws a real wrench into the postseason plans for the Vikings, and allowing three touchdowns in the fourth quarter could be seen as a turning point if they miss the playoffs.
Turning to Nick Mullens for the first time this year, Minnesota had a solid offensive showing. But too many costly interceptions buried their chances of winning this game, even though Ty Chandler (157 yards, 1 TD) and Jordan Addison (6/111/2) led the way on offense.
17. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (no change)
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers' hopes for winning the NFC South division got a lot stronger in Week 15, and it came via an unexpected source — Baker Mayfield. In what will likely be his best performance of the season, Mayfield connected with Chris Godwin (10 receptions) often and found Mike Evans for one of his four passing touchdowns.
Combined with a Falcons loss, the Buccaneers really had an all-around solid Week 15 — but it remains to be seen if this was just a blip in the radar or if they are ready to try to clinch the division.
18. Los Angeles Rams (+2)
Another outstanding performance from RB Kyren Williams helped elevate the Los Angeles Rams into a playoff spot. 152 rushing yards and a score helped lead the Rams offense, which also received 258 yards and two touchdowns from Matthew Stafford in the win.
Some late-game magic helped the Washington Commanders get back into this game against the Rams, but it was too little, too late, as the Rams got back to .500 with their seventh win of the year, and their climb up our NFL Power Rankings now puts them near the middle of the pack.
19. Pittsburgh Steelers (-3)
Thirteen points in the first half turned into zero points in the second half for the Steelers, as they dropped their Week 15 matchup against the Colts. It was a pretty dreadful performance all around for the offense, as 74 rushing yards and 172 receiving yards are far from enough to get it done.
As the Steelers have relied on their defense to win games, it now seems to be falling on their offense to pick up the slack a bit, something that this unit has repeatedly failed to do this season.
20. New Orleans Saints (-1)
Keeping pace in the NFC South division was made possible by New Orleans’ Week 15 win over the New York Giants. Seven sacks of Tommy DeVito, combined with only allowing 193 total yards of offense, helped propel the Saints to their seventh win of the year.
Alvin Kamara racked up 21 touches in the win, one of the highest totals all season, and it came at a good time since New Orleans was missing Chris Olave and Michael Thomas.
21. Green Bay Packers (-3)
Another week, another reason that the Packers need to move on from Joe Barry, this time at the hands of the Buccaneers. Allowing Baker Mayfield to produce four touchdowns and a perfect passer rating doomed the Packers from the start, and even though Jordan Love had another strong game, he was never able to avoid the Week 15 loss, dropping them even further in our NFL Power Rankings for Week 16.
22. Las Vegas Raiders (+5)
Over the past few seasons, the Thursday Night Football slate of games has gotten a bad rap for the unfortunate team pairings that end up playing on these primetime games. But this week’s Las Vegas Raiders-Los Angeles Chargers matchup turned out to be quite an interesting one.
For the Raiders, their Week 14 3-0 loss to the Vikings was quite appalling, which makes their 63-point outburst over the Chargers even funnier. Their defense harassed backup QB Easton Stick all night, as a fumble return and an interception return both found the end zone on consecutive drives for the Chargers.
23. Chicago Bears (+1)
A tough offensive performance from the Bears, combined with a Hail Mary attempt that was this close to coming true, contributed to their Week 15 loss to the Browns. Justin Fields played pretty poorly in the loss, and both the running and receiving games were unable to put anything together, contributing to their ninth loss of the year, and keeping them near the bottom of our NFL Power Rankings for Week 16.
24. Atlanta Falcons (-2)
Another offensive disservice was committed by Arthur Smith on Sunday for the Atlanta Falcons, as they failed to put the ball in the hands of any of their playmakers. Bijan Robinson, Drake London, and Kyle Pitts failed to make impacts on the box score for the Falcons, a big reason why they allowed the Panthers to somehow march 90 yards late in the fourth quarter, kick a field goal, and earn only their second win all year.
25. Tennessee Titans (-2)
An overtime loss to the Texans was an avoidable one, especially after the Tennessee Titans held a 13-3 lead going into halftime. But the defense allowed Case Keenum and the Houston offense to get back into the game, ultimately resulting in a game-winning field goal.
Will Levis struggled in the loss, but a lot of that falls on his offensive line, as they allowed seven sacks in the loss. It looks like Levis should be the starting QB of the future for the Titans, but their offense definitely needs some resources invested into it.
26. New York Giants (-1)
After a surprising Week 14 win in primetime MNF, the Giants fell back to Earth in their Week 15 loss to the Saints. It was quite a struggle for the offense to get anything going, as Saquon Barkley (37 yards on 11 touches) and Tommy DeVito (177 passing yards) were held in check by the Saints.
27. New York Jets (-1)
It was a quick-lived respite from the struggles for the New York Jets, as they failed to tally a single point in their blowout loss to the Dolphins. Losing Zach Wilson to a concussion put Trevor Siemian into the game, but it didn’t matter all that much since the offense was in shambles for all four quarters.
28. Los Angeles Chargers (no change)
All of the air seems to have been taken out of the Chargers when Justin Herbert was knocked out for the rest of the year, and that was on full display in their drubbing at the hands of the Raiders.
Easton Stick actually didn’t have too bad of a game, but it was obvious that not having Keenan Allen was a roadblock this team was not going to overcome. After their 42-point blowout loss concluded, both head coach Brandon Stanley and general manager Tom Telesco were fired, resetting the clock for this franchise.
29. Arizona Cardinals (no change)
Putting up 29 points was an impressive feat for the Cardinals, which marks their highest-scoring output of the year. But allowing 45 points led to Arizona earning their 11th loss of the year, this time at the hands of the 49ers.
Kyler Murray relied on his connection with rookie tight end Trey McBride (10/102 on 11 targets) to keep the offense moving along, but losing Marquise Brown for the second half as his heel injury resurfaced removed a dynamic element from this offense.
30. Washington Commanders (no change)
There might be another quarterback controversy brewing for the Commanders, as Jacoby Brissett helped get the team back into the game after stepping in for Sam Howell. While the Commanders did still lose their Week 15 matchup to the Rams, it was noticeable how the offense looked with Brissett versus Howell.
While at this point in the year, it would not make much sense to go away from Howell, head coach Ron Rivera could see this as his last chance to hold onto his job if the team experiences some success to wrap up the season.
31. New England Patriots (no change)
It was another curious game for the Patriots, as they stuck with the Chiefs in the first half before their offense wasn’t able to keep up. Their 11th loss on the year keeps them near the basement of both the league and our Week 16 NFL Power Rankings, and the end of the Bill Belichick era in New England could very well be on its last legs.
32. Carolina Panthers (no change)
It speaks to how bad the Carolina Panthers are, that a win still does not move them out of the bottom spot in our NFL Power Rankings for Week 16. An absolute snoozer of a game between the Panthers and the Falcons saw Bryce Young lead a 90-yard drive at the end of the game, resulting in the game-winning field goal.
It is tough to find something positive to say about this team, but a turnover-free outing from Young, albeit he did only throw for 167 yards, is a step in the right direction for a top NFL Draft prospect who has had his rookie season run amok with the firing of his now ex-head coach.
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