Brock’s 2023 NFL Power Rankings – Week 16
1. SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS (11-3)
The Niners put on another great offensive showcase, which helped them put a thumping on Arizona, as well as clinch the NFC West championship.
2. BALTIMORE RAVENS (11-3)
The game was closer than the score indicated, but the Ravens left Jacksonville with a 23-7 win. The offense is missing Mark Andrews, but they still managed to put some points on the board. The defense was what looked worrisome. Despite conceding only 7 points, the Jags were able to move the ball well, putting up 333 yards. They just couldn’t finish their drives.
3. DALLAS COWBOYS (10-4)
The Cowboys found themselves in a major letdown spot, as they traveled to Orchard Park to face the Bills after putting up a huge home win over Philly. They lost to Buffalo by 21, but the good news is that they have clinched a playoff spot, which is the first step in the ultimate goal.
4. PHILADELPHIA EAGLES (10-4)
The Eagles become the latest elite team to hit a rough patch, as they have now dropped 3 straight after losing to the Seahawks on Monday Night Football. This was loss was particularly bad, as a win would have allowed Philly to leap frog the Cowboys to re-take the division lead.
5. KANSAS CITY CHIEFS (9-5)
It took a meeting with the lowly Patriots for it to happen, but the Chiefs got back in the win column on Sunday. They still hold their division lead, and after Denver’s loss to Detroit, they should be able to coast to the AFC West crown.
6. MIAMI DOLPHINS (10-4)
The Dolphins beat up on the Jets this weekend, moving them to 10-4. This keeps them 2 games up on Buffalo for the division title, but Miami has a bigger goal in mind. They are hoping that they can wrap up the #1 seed in the AFC when they travel to Baltimore in 2 weeks. Before that, however, they will have to get past Dallas when they host the Cowboys this week.
7. DETROIT LIONS (10-4)
The Lions took their frustrations out against Denver on Saturday, beating the Broncos 42-17. The offense looked great, but I’m sure Lions fans would appreciate seeing that kind of performance on the road, as Jared Goff is known for struggling when the weather gets harsh.
8. BUFFALO BILLS (8-6)
The Bills frustrations are looking more and more like a thing of the past. After thoroughly defeating Dallas on Sunday, the Bills improved to 8-6, currently hold a playoff spot, and once again appear to be a real contender – they have certainly conquered adversity like one. Based on the 31-10 final score, you would assume that Josh Allen had a field day, but that wasn’t the case. There was no need. He only threw 15 passes, completing only 9 for a measly 94 yards, but that was fine because the Bills were dominating on the ground. Buffalo racked up 266 rushing yards, with James Cook earning the lion’s share of them, with 179, along with a touchdown.
9. HOUSTON TEXANS (8-6)
Despite missing the services of CJ Stroud, the Titans were able to sneak out of Tennessee with a 3-point OT victory. This was a big win for Houston, as it keeps them just outside of the final wild card spot, as they wait for their sensational rookie QB to return.
10. CINCINNATI BENGALS (8-6)
Jake Browning has been a savior for this team. He isn’t filling Burrow’s shoes, per se, but he’s getting clutch wins, two of which have come in overtime. With another QB at the helm, things could have gone much worse.
11. CLEVELAND BROWNS (9-5)
The Browns once again got the job done on Sunday, defeating the Bears 20-17. Their 9-5 record is really something to behold given the amount of money they handed to Deshaun Watson, and the considerable amount of time he has missed since then.
12. JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS (8-6)
Doug Pederson, Trevor Lawrence, and Brandon McManus put on a masterclass of how to leave points on the field. From missed field goals, to poor clock management, and to literally “dropping the ball”, the Jaguars made life extremely easy on Baltimore. There’s no guarantee that the Jags would have won had these mistakes not occurred, but these errors made it impossible to win.
13. DENVER BRONCOS (7-7)
The Broncos got gashed on the ground against Detroit, and they fell to 7-7 as a result. They are still firmly in the playoff mix, but they will need to perform better than they did on Saturday to make those postseason dreams a reality.
14. LOS ANGELES RAMS (7-7)
The Rams took care of business at home, beating the Commanders 28-20. This win keeps Los Angeles in the playoff mix, a goal that seemed improbable prior to the season, as not a lot was expected from this team.
15. SEATTLE SEAHAWKS (7-7)
The Seahawks ended their losing streak with an impressive victory over the Eagles. Drew Lock got the ball on his own 8-yard-line, down 4, with 1:52 remaining and was able to take the team down the field and throw a TD pass with 30 seconds remaining. This was monumental for the team’s postseason hopes, as the win put them in a 4-way tie for the final two wild card berths – and the Seahawks have a very favorable remaining schedule.
16. INDIANAPOLIS COLTS (8-6)
Prior to the season, if you had told me that the Colts would be holding a playoff spot entering Week 16, I would have assumed that Anthony Richardson was a slam dunk pick at #4. But the rookie has been injured for most of this season, and Gardner Minshew is the QB recording wins. He had an impressive one on Saturday where he threw 3 TD’s to help defeat the Steelers, 30-13.
17. TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS (7-7)
Baker Mayfield had an excellent performance on Sunday, as he led the Bucs to a 34-20 win at Green Bay. He became the first visiting QB to post a perfect passer rating at Lambeau Field, in a game that held a lot of sway regarding Tampa’s playoff hopes. He accomplished this feat by going 22 for 28, accumulating 381 yards, and tossing 4 TD’s, with no interceptions.
18. NEW ORLEANS SAINTS (7-7)
The Saints clamped down on Tommy DeVito & the Giants to cruise to a 24-6 victory. They are tied atop the division with Tampa, who they will meet in two weeks.
19. LAS VEGAS RAIDERS (6-8)
Sheeeeeeeesh. Who knew the Raiders had that in them? I didn’t. They trounced the Chargers 63-21. With 14 minutes to go in the 4th quarter, Las Vegas was leading 63-7. Talk about a beating. Also, they supplied the final nail in the coffin of Brandon Staley. I’m going to make sure to watch their first meeting next season, as I’m sure the Chargers will have this beat down on their minds. Get the popcorn ready for that one, as I have to assume it won’t exactly be a friendly meeting.
20. GREEN BAY PACKERS (6-8)
The Packers let Baker Mayfield come into Lambeau and carve them up. This was a deflating loss for a team that had been playing excellent football just two weeks ago, as it makes the playoffs a longshot.
21. MINNESOTA VIKINGS (7-7)
The Vikings got in on the “Tush Push” action on a pivotal 4th down, and it failed. It resulted in a turnover on downs near midfield in overtime, giving the Bengals great field position, which they would capitalize on, eventually winning the game by a field goal. This was costly for the Vikes, as a win would have had them in sole possession of the 2nd wild card spot.
22. PITTSBURGH STEELERS (7-7)
It’s been a great 3 weeks for Mike Tomlin’s detractors. The Steelers followed up their consecutive losses to 2-win teams, with a 30-13 loss to the Colts, after jumping ahead 13-0 early. The losses to 2-win teams – inexcusable. Blowing a double-digit lead when you’re in a playoff race – inexcusable. As if it weren’t bad enough that the Steelers are losing to inferior teams, their division rivals have been putting up W’s with backup QB’s. Tomlin needs to right the ship – fast. But let’s not pretend this team wasn’t incredibly fortunate to have a 7-4 record before this 3 game skid.
23. ATLANTA FALCONS (6-8)
The Falcons falling to Carolina was just an abysmal loss that they cannot take. This puts a major dent in their playoff plans, as they fall a game behind both the Saints & Buccaneers, who won on Sunday. There really isn’t much of an excuse for only putting up 7 points on this Panthers team.
24. NEW YORK JETS (5-9)
Zach Wilson left the game against Miami with a concussion in the 2nd quarter. It’s a shame that happened, because he was well on his way to getting benched again anyway. The Jets got rolled by Miami, 30-0, and have been eliminated from playoff contention.
25. LOS ANGELES CHARGERS (5-9)
The Brandon Staley era has finally, mercifully come to an end. All it took was a 63-21 beatdown at the hands of a Raiders team who, to be frank, just isn’t that good. If you ask me, Staley should have been canned sooner. The important thing is that this team is finally moving on, and with the right hire we may see the progression to that “next level” by young star QB Justin Herbert – which is something we were told to expect, and have been waiting on since his outstanding rookie season.
26. NEW YORK GIANTS (5-9)
Welp, it was back to reality for DeVito & his Giants. DeVito was sacked 7 times, and the Giants only picked up 193 yards during their 24-6 loss to New Orleans.
27. CHICAGO BEARS (5-9)
It wasn’t a great day for Justin Fields, as the Browns’ defense gave him a lot of problems. He completed only 19 of 40 passes, for just 166 yards, and threw 2 interceptions. In a game that the Bears only lost by 3, you have to think just an average “game manager” type of performance could have gotten the job done.
28. TENNESSEE TITANS (5-9)
The Titans lost another home game by 3 in overtime; this time to the Texans. At this point, I’m sure they just want to keep an eye on Will Levis’ development and try to sort out whether he can be the QB of the future.
29. ARIZONA CARDINALS (3-11)
The Cardinals got rolled by the Niners this Sunday. It wasn’t too hard to see that coming.
30. WASHINGTON COMMANDERS (4-10)
Sam Howell has been falling off a cliff these past few weeks. The good news is that his fall has stopped. The bad news is that he landed on the bench. This is disappointing for a QB that has shown promising flashes, but the play of late has been abysmal
31. NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS (3-11)
The Patriots were unable to get a win streak going, as they fell to Patrick Mahomes’ chiefs in Foxborough. This drops the team to 3-11. With speculation that Bill Belichick will not be the Pats’ head coach next season, this season would be a disappointing way for his tenure in New England to end.
32. CAROLINA PANTHERS (2-12)
The Panthers found win #2 on Sunday in a low-scoring affair against the Falcons. They still have the worst record in football, but this game could serve as a confidence builder for rookie QB Bryce Young.
