Brock’s 2023 NFL Power Rankings – Week 7
1. KANSAS CITY CHIEFS (5-1)
The Chiefs rise up to #1 in the rankings after taking care of Denver. The Chiefs were able to flex their defensive muscles, as they put Russell Wilson through the wringer for 60 minutes.
2. PHILADELPHIA EAGLES (5-1)
Down go the Eagles! It was a very ugly game from Philly, especially from Hurts, which we aren’t used to seeing.
3. SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS (5-1)
Purdy was going to drop one eventually, but this one was a bit surprising. You would expect a but of a comedown after walloping Dallas, but you can’t drop a game to PJ Walker. A lot of people will point the blame at Jake Moody for missing a very make-able kick, but the 49ers shouldn’t be trailing in the final minute against Cleveland to begin with.
4. BUFFALO BILLS (4-2)
It appeared that the fatigue from the London trip played a factor in the Bills performance against the Giants. Buffalo was favored by 15.5 points, but were only able to score 14. That was enough, however, as the defense willed their way to a win, capping the game off by ending a would-be Giants game-winning drive.
5. MIAMI DOLPHINS (5-1)
The Dolphins offense continued their elite production in their victory over Carolina, posting 42 points. Will they be able to produce points like that against the Eagles this week?
6. DETROIT LIONS (5-1)
The Lions are 5-1 and are chopping down everything in front of them. Since their Week 2 loss to Seattle, they have rattled off 4 straight wins, with an average margin of victory of 15.
7. JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS (4-2)
The Jags look to be heating up. After dispatching Buffalo last week, the Jags returned home and handed the Colts a double-digit loss for the 2nd time this season.
8. BALTIMORE RAVENS (4-2)
I bet things become a lot easier when you have the greatest kicker in NFL history. That’s what the Ravens have in Justin Tucker, who went out and practically beat the Titans single footedly.
9. CLEVELAND BROWNS (3-2)
The Browns just took down San Francisco with PJ Walker at the helm. It was a big win for Walker, but the defense really stepped up on Sunday, as they clamped down on Kyle Shanahan’s elite offense.
10. CINCINNATI BENGALS (3-3)
The Bengals have won back-to-back games for the first time this season. It is questionable as to whether they deserved that win, but nevertheless they are now at .500 and can enter their bye week with some confidence.
11. DALLAS COWBOYS (4-2)
The offense didn’t look great, but they were miles better than they were against the Niners – and that was enough. Still though, putting up points on offense may prove to be an issue in Dallas.
12. SEATTLE SEAHAWKS (3-2)
The Seahawks came stumbling out of the bye into Cincinnati, and into a game where they outgained their opponent by 160+ yards, but only mustered up 13 points. This wasn’t enough, as turnovers and turnovers on downs cost the Seahawks a winnable game.
13. NEW YORK JETS (3-3)
Man, oh man. This defense is something else. I really hope we get to see what this offense looks like under Aaron Rodgers this year. This is too good of a roster to waste on Zach Wilson. Although, he seems to be settling in a little bit lately.
14. PITTSBURGH STEELERS (3-2)
The Steelers had their bye this past week. They will now travel across the country to try and shutdown the Rams’ elite receiving duo.
15. LOS ANGELES RAMS (3-3)
The Rams were able to climb back up to .500. It was a great day for fantasy teams with Cooper Kupp, as the WR racked up 148 yards and a TD on 7 catches.
16. LOS ANGELES CHARGERS (2-3)
Brandon Staley is about as “high-risk, high-reward” as a coach can be in the NFL. That can be a great thing when you make the right decisions and execute – but that’s not the case with Staley. It seems like these bold decisions rarely pay off. It’s not all on him, though. It feels like Justin Herbert should be performing better than he is – especially considering all the hype he got in his first two seasons.
17. TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS (3-2)
The Buccaneers got a first-hand look at how dangerous the Detroit Lions are. Detroit flew south and handed the Bucs a 14-point home loss. They will host the Falcons this week in a very important game for the NFC South.
18. NEW ORLEANS SAINTS (3-3)
The Saints were coming off a huge win against the Patriots and it looks like they fell victim to the “letdown effect”. Ideally, that Pats win would have served as the foundation for a nice little winning streak. Instead, New Orleans turned around and dropped a game to Houston.
19. WASHINGTON COMMANDERS (3-3)
The Commanders were able to get back on track. The big takeaway from this game was the defense. This unit has been getting torched week after week, but were able to force 3 turnovers and limit the Falcons to just 16 points. Although it’s worth mentioning that they did allow Atlanta to pick up over 400 yards.
20. ATLANTA FALCONS (3-3)
Surely Desmond Ridder’s time is counting down, right? This was the 3rd game in 4 weeks that this offense failed to score 17 points.
21. LAS VEGAS RAIDERS (3-3)
The Raiders were able to pick up their 3rd win of the season on Sunday, as they beat the Patriots 17-13. They were able to shut the Mac Jones led offense, but then again it isn’t like that is a huge accomplishment.
22. HOUSTON TEXANS (3-3)
CJ Stroud has done a remarkable job at QB in his rookie year. He joined one of the worst rosters in football, and has the team at .500 entering Week 8. Who knows, they might find themselves in the playoff mix down the road.
23. GREEN BAY PACKERS (2-3)
The Packers need a win this week. The Lions are looking very formidable, and the Vikings luck is bound to improve. It’s going to be very hard to compete with those teams for a playoff spot if you can’t beat the Broncos after your bye week.
24. MINNESOTA VIKINGS (2-4)
The Vikings got back in the win column with a road win over Chicago, doing so without the services of Justin Jefferson. They weren’t about to do a lot on offense but a defensive touchdown helped pave the way to victory.
25. INDIANAPOLIS COLTS (3-3)
It was a very rough day for Gardner Minshew. The backup QB tossed 3 INT’s as the Colts failed to contain the Jaguars’ offense.
26. TENNESSEE TITANS (2-4)
Things are falling apart in Tennessee. They dropped their London game to Baltimore, and now there is some finger-pointing going on in the locker room, with players questioning the commitment of others on the roster.
27. NEW YORK GIANTS (1-5)
The Giants fell to 1-5 at the hands of Buffalo, but you could say it was a moral victory for New York. They were expected to get blown out of the water, but were actually leading when the 4th quarter started – and with Tyrod Taylor at QB. That is definitely a step in the right direction for a team who is just having a woeful season.
28. ARIZONA CARDINALS (1-5)
I know that it’s a different dynamic without Kyler Murray at QB, but it’s hard to believe this was a playoff team a couple years ago.
29. CHICAGO BEARS (1-5)
Justin Fields left the game with an injury, which may have cost the Bears a win here. Tyson Bagent came in for Fields and had a fumble that resulted in a scoop & score for the Vikings, who ultimately won by 6.
30. NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS (1-5)
I’m sure things could get worse in New England… but I’m not sure how.
31. CAROLINA PANTHERS (0-6)
The Panthers lost to Miami, but that’s no surprise. The rookie QB Bryce Young is nowhere near ready to put up the type of offense needed to keep up with the Dolphins.
32. DENVER BRONCOS (1-5)
The Broncos were handed a TNF loss to their division rival Chiefs. Things are just off the rails in Denver, but they will try to get things going in the right direction this week against a very beatable Packers team.
