NFL Power Rankings

Before we get to the ten best teams in the NFL, let's first acknowledge the teams that have fallen off the list. The Bills flamed out against another AFC East opponent, and the Cowboys just missed being the 10th spot on the list.

10. 49ers

It's gut-check time for the 49ers. The 49ers play physical football and have tremendous talent on their roster. However, the 49ers have fallen back from being at the top of the list to the bottom of the list because they need to look more mentally strong as a team. The 49ers are used to other teams not being able to hang with them and just winning that way. But now that they have faced a little adversity, all of a sudden, the defense doesn't look so good, and the offense isn't as inspired. The kicker struggling definitely isn't helping, but the 49ers still have all the tools to be the best in the league. The 49ers will have to hunker down and play a more relentless brand of football.

9. Lions

The Lions fell off hard. They were the top team in the league last week, and now they are near the bottom of the power rankings. They looked horrible against the Ravens. None of the Lion's strengths were on display, and that's on them. Anybody can lose one game, but to get blown out like that shows the Lions did not execute like they were supposed to, and that's on the Lions. The Lions are still contenders, but being that the NFL is a copycat league, the road ahead of the Lions just got tougher.

8 Seahawks

The Seahawks are a solid team, and in the NFC, they look like one of the best teams in the conference. Right now, it appears the Seahawks have the ability to hang with anyone. Pete Caroll's Seahawks always seem so steady, no matter what. Right now, the Seahawks seem on track to at least win a playoff game, but seeing how this team progresses will be interesting. Will they dip, grow, or remain the same in the coming weeks?

7. Dolphins

The Dolphins got some bad breaks from the refs and had some injury trouble, but they still had a disappointing performance against the Eagles. I hate to say it, but the Dolphins don't look like a threat to the top teams right now. Their defense is alright, but certainly not a unit to be feared, and their offense just isn't as deadly against the top teams. The coach relies a lot on being more clever than the other coaches and out-scheming other teams.

However, in the NFL, you are playing against the best players and coaches every week. It's unlikely that you can outwit these players and coaches every week. So what's the Dolphin's answer, then? How will they respond when it is more about the Joes than the X's and O's? That's what they need to figure out if they want to win at the highest level.

6. Browns

The Browns haven't put it all together all season. The offense has had some moments, but they lost Nick Chubb, and Deshaun Watson went from playing well to being unavailable and or bad. Yet, the Browns continue to win even in their weakened state. If they are winning ugly with PJ Walker and busting undefeated streaks now, imagine what will happen if the Browns put it all together and play to their full potential. There are worse problems to have. I'd rather be the team waiting for Watson to get it together than a team that doesn't even have access to the possibility of Watson's ceiling.

5. Steelers

The Steelers went into this week leading the division, and they have only gotten more impressive. They went out to LA and outplayed the Rams. The defense showed up as always, but the offense looked much improved. The Steelers looked like a team that could actually contend, and if the offense can build on this, the Steelers can be a dangerous team in the AFC. You know you are in for a rough day if you are playing that Steeler defense, but if the offense can actually put up points and not just depend on the defense to carry them, watch out!

4. Jaguars

Jaguars beat the Saints on Thursday Night Football in front of the world, and they made it look easy. The Saints were falling apart, and the Jaguars easily put together drives and suffocated the offense. The only thing they did wrong was to allow the Saints to hang around too long, and that kind of mistake can come back to bite them eventually, but I have no reason to believe that they won't continue to grow and correct that. They started the season rough but are putting it all together now and playing better as the season progresses. This is closer to the Jaguars we expected to see, which is why they are in the top five in the league and climbing.

3. Ravens

The Ravens had a statement game against the formerly best team in the league, the Lions. If the Rankings were just based on week seven, the Ravens would be number one, but they have some ground to make up overall. However, they got off to a great start this week. We finally got a glimpse of the receiving core we expected to see at the beginning of the season. The team has adjusted to the new offensive coordinator, and the defense has proved they are for real by shutting down a top-flight team. If this is who the Ravens truly are, and I believe it is, then they have a Super Bowl ceiling.

2. Eagles

The Eagles responded to the adversity of losing to the Jets well by going out, executing, and taking down the Dolphins. We still haven't seen the best version of the Eagles, but it is starting to get a lot better. Since missing the power rankings in week one, the Eagles have been 5th at worst and second at best on the list, but never one. The Eagles are turning a corner and will be challenging for that one spot real soon.

1. Chiefs

The Chiefs are making their 2023 debut as the number-one team in the NFL. They started out rough, and even though it wasn't always pretty, they kept grinding out wins after week one. Well, now there are no undefeated teams left, and in week seven, the Chiefs stand tall as the best team in the league. Their defense has been holding them up, and their offense has been getting the job done, growing a little each week.

It's the middle of the season, and team weaknesses are beginning to be exposed. The Chiefs' weakness is obvious, and that's that after Travis Kelce, there isn't much on the Chief's offense. If you can stop Kelce, you have a very good chance to beat the Chiefs. The only problem is nothing other than injury has been able to stop Kelce and Mahomes. So good luck with that.

So far, the 49ers and Cowboys are tied for the longest time on top of the Power Rankings at two weeks, but the 49ers destroyed the Cowboys, who have since fallen off the Power Rankings completely. The 49ers are currently at the bottom of the ranking on a two-game losing streak after losing their undefeated streak to PJ Walker's Browns and, most recently, losing to the Vikings. The Dolphins and the Lions each held it for one week before getting beat soundly by the Bills and Ravens, respectively. It's been a very competitive season. If anybody can stabilize the top of the Power Rankings and remain on top, then maybe it's the Chiefs who have remained on top of the league for the last few years.