As the New York Jets and Los Angeles Chargers closed out their Monday night matchup to end Week 9 of the 2023 season, it marked the midway point for the NFL this year.
Not too much has changed since the end of Super Bowl LVII. The Philadelphia Eagles and the Kansas City Chiefs are still the best teams in the NFL through the first nine weeks of the season. The two teams will have a Super Bowl redo – and possible preview – on Nov. 20 in one of the bigger matchups of the year.
Aside from those teams, there is a lot of flux. There are several teams who really need to buckle down and close out the season to make the playoffs. There are a few teams who could surprise fans and sneak into the postseason once Week 18 comes to a close.
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On the flip side, there are a few teams who have disappointed this year. Some of it is not a surprise, but a team like the New York Giants came in with a tremendous amount of hope but have fallen to the wayside once again. Injuries have a lot to do with how their season has unfolded.
Through the midway point of the year, here’s the half-season power rankings.
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1). Philadelphia Eagles (8-1)
The Eagles have shown they are the best team in the league as they continually come under fire for the use of the tush push. Eight wins along with an offense ranked No. 2 in points scored and No. 3 in yards gained, Philadelphia is set up for another Super Bowl run. It will be up to the defense to lock that in.
2). Kansas City Chiefs (7-2)
The Chiefs have had their struggles on offense, but Patrick Mahomes sees their defense as being the best in the league. Mahomes does not have the wide receiver targets he is used to having but has made it work with what he has. Do not doubt the Chiefs – remember what happened last season?
3). Baltimore Ravens (7-2)
Don’t look now, but the Ravens are beginning to gel. Lamar Jackson, Gus Edwards and Keaton Mitchell have elevated the running game, while Mark Andrews and Zay Flowers have become prime targets for the quarterback. The Ravens hit halfway mark on a four-game winning streak.
4). Detroit Lions (6-2)
The Lions hit the halfway mark just one game up on the Vikings but have put together a solid season so far. It is not expected that Detroit will falter over the course of the next nine weeks, but anything could happen. The team still has two games against the Vikings this season, two against the Bears and one more against the Packers. It could be their division to lose.
5). Jacksonville Jaguars (6-2)
Trevor Lawrence has stepped up, and the addition of Calvin Ridley has been great for Jacksonville. The team is on a five-game winning streak and in control of the AFC South. Another few wins and the Jaguars could be playoff bound once again.
6). Miami Dolphins (6-3)
The Dolphins’ high-speed offense has been the talk of the NFL this season, but Miami has to beat the teams over .500 to have success in the deeper part of the season. There are a lot of games they have on the docket that could hurt them if they are not careful coming out of the Week 10 bye.
7). San Francisco 49ers (5-3)
Which 49ers team will show up in the second half? Will it be the team clicking on offense behind Brock Purdy and a solid defense, or will it be a team that cannot find its footing without some of its key players? San Francisco cannot blink with several key matchups against NFC West opponents ahead.
8). Cincinnati Bengals (5-3)
Joe Burrow and the Bengals got off to a slow start, but the quarterback is fully healthy and back to slinging the pill like the MVP contender he is. Cincinnati defeated the Bills in Week 9 on Sunday night and are now riding a four-game winning streak.
9). Dallas Cowboys (5-3)
Consistency will be key for the Cowboys moving forward – as it will be with a lot of teams who have five wins. Dallas came close to knocking off Philadelphia on Sunday, but no cigar. The Cowboys need to put away the bad teams left on their schedule to bolster the wins and secure a playoff spot.
10). New Orleans Saints (5-4)
The Saints are in a bit of a holding pattern like a lot of the five-win teams, except they have an edge on a few of them – they lead their division. The Saints enter Week 10 as the NFC South leaders and are on a two-game winning streak. Should Derek Carr stay consistent and the defense keeps holding teams at bay, New Orleans will be in the playoffs.
11). Seattle Seahawks (5-3)
The Seahawks are in it, and that may have come as a surprise to a lot of NFL fans at this point. Geno Smith and the offense has clicked at times, but the defense, especially Sunday against the Ravens, has been lackluster in their losses. There is a lot that still has to happen, but Seattle has the ability to capitalize on any more poor play from San Francisco.
12). Buffalo Bills (5-4)
What is wrong with the Bills? Josh Allen is tied for the NFL lead in interceptions with nine, as the offense looks out of sorts. The Bills have not scored 30 or more points since their win over the Dolphins. With the injuries on defense, the offense has to get back. That could begin with the Broncos on Sunday.
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13). Cleveland Browns (5-3)
Cleveland has a real good defense. It showed Sunday against the Cardinals in their 27-0 victory. The Browns got to Clayton Thune seven times and forced two interceptions. It will be the Browns defense that carries them into a potential playoff spot. Now, if Deshaun Watson and Amari Cooper get on the same page – then, watch out.
14). Pittsburgh Steelers (5-3)
The Steelers needed a win against the Titans, but the offense still does not look right. The goal for Pittsburgh should be to try and get targets to more receivers – not just Diontae Johnson. The defense also needs to step up and allow fewer yards to their opponents. They are 30th in the league in that category. Could we see four teams from the AFC North make the playoffs? Probably not, but at least Pittsburgh is in the mix.
15). Los Angeles Chargers (4-4)
The Chargers took care of the Jets on the road on Sunday and got back to .500 at the halfway point of the season. Los Angeles relied heavily on special teams, but it will be the offense that will guide them to the playoffs. There is a rough road ahead for Los Angeles.
16). Houston Texans (4-4)
C.J. Stroud made himself at home in the NFL record books on Sunday when he threw for 470 passing yards and five touchdowns in a comeback win over the Buccaneers. Stroud has the Texans at least in a position to contend for the division. He has been the best rookie QB so far this season.
17). Minnesota Vikings (5-4)
Can Joshua Dobbs engineer magic for the Vikings? That will be the big question for Minnesota moving forward. It is unclear when Justin Jefferson will return. It will be up to Dobbs to make do with what he has and somehow guide this team to the playoffs.
18). New York Jets 4-4
The Jets’ dreams of making the playoffs under Zach Wilson took a hit with a loss against the Chargers. It is not exactly out of the question, but the team did not look great against Los Angeles, and it does not really set them up great for the rest of the season.
19). Washington Commanders (4-5)
The Commanders have their chips in with Sam Howell, and now the rest of the team will have to step up and focus in a tough NFC East. Washington still has tough matchups on the schedule with Seattle and the Giants next on the docket, but they are not too far off the wild-card pace yet. There is still time.
20). Las Vegas Raiders (4-5)
The Raiders looked great against the Giants and the 30-6 win, and the postgame celebration in Antonio Pierce’s first game at the helm could be the wake-up call they need to get back on track. It is unclear whether Aidan O’Connell is the answer for the offense, but there are no expectations moving forward. With no distractions, can Las Vegas succeed?
21). Atlanta Falcons (4-5)
The Falcons are another team that are in flux at the quarterback position. It will be Taylor Heinicke or Desmond Ridder moving forward. The team should get Bijan Robinson back in the mix to make a run for a division title or at least a playoff spot. The team needs to put the Cardinals away Sunday.
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22). Indianapolis Colts (4-5)
Anthony Richardson’s season-ending injury definitely made the Colts less of a sure thing in the AFC South. If Gardner Minshew II could hold it down for another half of the season, Indianapolis could at least be a playoff team. The division is getting tougher, and it will come down to the defense to really get it together.
23). Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3-5)
Baker Mayfield has shown promise at times during the Bucs’ season, but a few close losses has the team on a downturn. Tampa Bay has looked great at times but blowing a lead to the Texans and then allowing C.J. Stroud’s drive late is not a good omen on how the rest of the season is going to go. There is still hope.
24). Green Bay Packers (3-5)
Jordan Love will have to rise to the occasion to help the Packers make the playoffs. His resiliency will be huge. A lot has to happen for Green Bay to get there, but there is still some hope. The team is 20th in points scored and 24th in yards gained. On defense, the team is 10th in points and yards allowed.
25). Tennessee Titans (3-5)
Will Levis showed some promise over the last few weeks, but the Titans are in a tough AFC South division with the Jaguars, Texans and Colts are playing decently. Tennessee is only -12 in point differential but have some games coming up where they could potentially turn things around. It is not over for the Titans.
26). Denver Broncos (3-5)
On a two-game winning streak with half of a season left, what will it take for the Broncos to get out of the doldrums, ignore the critics and make a case for the playoffs? Denver has a primetime game against the Bills. A win changes the entire narrative around Russell Wilson and Sean Payton, and then it could snowball into a few more.
27). Los Angeles Rams (3-6)
The Rams might be hurting on offense, but with Aaron Donald on defense, anything can happen. Donald has more sacks (5.5) through nine games than he did in 11 games last season. The emergence of Puka Nacua has helped the team as well. The team is only a few games back in the NFC West behind the 49ers. A healthy quarterback situation will be beneficial.
28). Chicago Bears (2-7)
Justin Fields has been out with a thumb injury and could return soon. Tyson Bagent has played well in spurts but not enough for Chicago to stay afloat in the NFC. Chicago is the only team that has a negative point differential in the NFC North. It will be interesting to see how the team develops over the course of the next nine weeks.
29). New England Patriots (2-7)
There are a lot of questions surrounding one of the worst Patriots teams in the Bill Belichick era. Belichick needs to have a strong end to the season to maybe even keep his job as head coach. Time will tell about that. For one, Mac Jones needs to start playing better and become a compliment to the defense rather than a negative.
30). Arizona Cardinals (1-8)
The Cardinals have not looked good during the season, but they do have a signature win over the Cowboys earlier this season. Kyler Murray will be back on Sunday, and maybe Arizona can disrupt a team’s playoff hopes. Arizona will be disruptors for the rest of the year.
31). New York Giants (2-7)
This iteration of the Giants are not good and a far cry from the playoff team last season. Injuries have piled up, and the team could never get back on track. Daniel Jones is out for the season as the offense is dead last in points scored and yards gained. It is probably a lost season in New York and the fight for the bottom begins in Week 10.
32). Carolina Panthers (1-7)
The Panthers have struggled under rookie quarterback Bryce Young. The team has shown flashes of what it could be, but aside from the win over the Texans, games have gotten away from them. Carolina should focus on continued development of Young and its other young players.
