The midway point of the NFL season is here, which means it’s time for our NFL Week 10 power rankings in 2023. In a way, it still feels like the early days of the NFL season. But it’s November, and this is when the best teams start to separate themselves from the pack.
Week 10 NFL Power Rankings
At the end of the season, 14 teams will make the playoffs. Plus, there will probably be at least a couple who come painfully close. But the list of teams that are legitimate Super Bowl contenders is probably a little shorter. At the moment, who are the 10 teams that stand out from the pack as the top championship contenders? Let’s look at the NFL Week 10 power rankings in 2023.
10. Dallas Cowboys
Needless to say, the Cowboys lack consistency from one game to the next. One could say they lack it from one half to the next.
But when they play well, the Cowboys look like a team with a ton of potential. Dallas is surely frustrating to watch, but it’s also hard to deny that the Cowboys have a high ceiling and a chance to make some noise in the NFC.
9. Miami Dolphins
Admittedly, the Dolphins are good, but only when they play bad teams. They’ve fallen short against the Bills, Eagles, and Chiefs, blowing opportunities to earn statement wins. While Miami leads the NFL in points scored behind some dynamic playmakers, giving up 25 points per game is a concern.
Nobody Miami has beaten this year has a winning record. In fact, four of those six wins have come against teams with two wins or less, so we’re still skeptical of the Dolphins belonging anywhere near the top of the NFL hierarchy.
8. Buffalo Bills
Something is off with the Bills. They rank top-five league-wide in both points scored and points allowed. Yet, they struggle away from home and continue to puzzle us.
The Bills should be a playoff team, but they don’t look like they’re ready to hold their own against the top teams in the AFC. They just don’t have much margin for error, which is why they are surprisingly low in our power rankings.
7. San Francisco 49ers
It’s hard not to have second thoughts about the 49ers after three straight losses. It’s not just the losses, it’s also the fact that San Francisco scored just 17 points in each of those three losses.
The bye week came at a good time for the 49ers, who still have a stout defense they can lean on if necessary. However, San Francisco’s schedule over the next month is a little tricky, so we’ll soon know if they’re for real or if their losing streak is a sign of things to come.
6. Detroit Lions
If we can forgive that loss to the Ravens a few weeks back, what’s not to like about Detroit? Jared Goff still isn’t getting the credit he deserves, but he’s leading a balanced offense.
To be fair, the Lions have had a manageable schedule this season, so outside of their Week 1 victory in Kansas City, Detroit’s wins aren’t overly impressive. But going 6-2 isn’t easy regardless of the schedule, so we’re giving the Lions the benefit of the doubt.
5. Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jags may not be among the elite teams in the AFC just yet, but they’re close. They’ve rattled off five wins in a row before their bye week, including a couple of tricky road games.
That win over the Bills in London also says a lot about how good they are. Of course, Jacksonville’s schedule for the second half of the season is a lot more challenging than the one the Jags have faced thus far. But the Jags look balanced on offense and solid on defense, looking like a team that’s ready to play with the big boys.
4. Kansas City Chiefs
Other than blowing out the Bears in Week 2, we haven’t seen the Chiefs dominate a game for 60 minutes this year. Wins over the Jets, Vikings, and Broncos were too close for comfort.
Kansas City then lost 24-9 against that same hapless Denver team before barely holding on against the Dolphins in Germany. The good news is that Kansas City’s defense is for real. But outside of having Patrick Mahomes and one of the greatest tight ends in NFL history, things just aren’t clicking for the Chiefs right now.
3. Cincinnati Bengals
Frankly, we don’t care about the first month of the season. The Bengals we’re seeing right now are the team we expected to see all along. Joe Burrow looks healthy and Cincinnati seems to be getting better each week.
Of course, there are some flaws to overcome. But consecutive wins over the Seahawks, 49ers, and Bills are nothing to scoff at, so we can forgive that 1-3 start.
2. Baltimore Ravens
The Ravens have certainly been guilty of a couple of stinkers this year. But blow-out wins over the Lions and Seahawks showed what Baltimore can do on its best day.
Lamar Jackson is surely among the leading MVP candidates, as he’s helping to lead an elite rushing attack while completing 71.5% of his passes. If that weren’t enough, the Ravens also have the top-ranked defense in the NFL. As long as Jackson stays healthy, there’s no denying that Baltimore is a serious Super Bowl contender.
1. Philadelphia Eagles
While a few of their wins may have been too close for comfort, you have to respect Philly’s 7-1 record.
The Eagles have had some trouble with Dallas in past years, so pulling out a close win despite some adversity on the final drive was a big statement. Also, Jalen Hurts has been phenomenal over the last month while A.J. Brown might be the best wide receiver in the league right now. After a bye in Week 10, we’ll learn more about the Eagles when they play the Chiefs, Bills, 49ers, and Cowboys in consecutive weeks. But for now, they deserve the no. 1 spot in our power rankings.