Welcome to Week 10 of the 2023 NFL season. It’s finally midseason! There were three games over the weekend featuring six teams that ranked in the top 11 of last week’s NFL Power Rankings. The results of those games heavily impacted our top 10 this week – and one team was kicked out.
Plus, since it’s midseason, our NFL Nation reporters name a non-QB MVP on every team. Whether it’s the receivers who are on pace to break the receiving record, the No. 1 defender on the NFL’s No. 1 defense, a running back who has scored a touchdown in 17 straight games or a reliable center on a struggling team who is just really polite – we list an MVP who is not the quarterback for every team.
Here are the updated rankings, starting with last week’s (and this week’s) No. 1 – the Philadelphia Eagles.
Our power panel of more than 80 writers, editors and TV personalities evaluates how NFL teams stack up against one another, ranking them from 1 to 32.
Jump to a team:ARI | ATL | BAL | BUF | CAR | CHI | CINCLE | DAL | DEN | DET | GB | HOU | INDJAX | KC | LAC | LAR | LV | MIA | MINNE | NO | NYG | NYJ | PHI | PIT | SFSEA | TB | TEN | WSH
1. Philadelphia Eagles (8-1)
Week 9 ranking: 1
Non-QB MVP: WR A.J. Brown
Brown has been one of the league’s most impactful players over the first half. He made history by becoming the first to go for 125-plus receiving yards in six consecutive games. He also set a new team mark for quickest player to 1,000 yards receiving (nine games). “He’s on an unbelievable historic tear right now,” said offensive coordinator Brian Johnson, “and it’s a testament to him, who he is as a person, to how serious he is about perfecting his craft and making the most of his opportunities.” – Tim McManus
2. Kansas City Chiefs (7-2)
Week 9 ranking: 3
Non-QB MVP: TE Travis Kelce
The Chiefs have several defenders playing well, but Kelce to a large extent has carried the passing game with the other receivers struggling. He has 25% of the Chiefs’ catches (57) and 24% of their receiving yards (597). He returned from an ankle injury to be a key player in a Week 5 win over the Vikings. – Adam Teicher
3. Baltimore Ravens (7-2)
Week 9 ranking: 4
Non-QB MVP: MLB Roquan Smith
He’s the quarterback and leading tackler on a defense that has allowed the fewest points in the NFL this season at 13.8 – an average of two points less per game than any other team. Smith is all over the field, recording 87 tackles, 1.5 sacks and 5 passes defensed. What can’t be measured is his impact as a vocal and emotional leader. Just like Ray Lewis years ago, Smith talks to the team in the final pregame huddle on the field. He’s the unquestioned tone-setter for the team. “His energy is infectious,” Ravens safety Kyle Hamilton said. “You don’t want to be the guy that isn’t matching his energy when you’re out there. We go as he goes.” – Jamison Hensley
Hill could be the MVP of the entire league, regardless of position. The league’s leading receiver is on pace to break 2,000 receiving yards for the first time in NFL history and remains its premier downfield threat. While he has commanded a higher target share in 2023 than his previous season with the Dolphins, he has shown that he can handle the extra workload. The Dolphins’ offense has slowed a bit from its pace to start the season, but Hill remains on track for yet another first-team All-Pro nomination. – Marcel Louis-Jacques
Editor’s Picks
Let’s overreact to NFL Week 9: Judging expectations for the Ravens, Dolphins, Eagles, Giants and C.J. Stroud
Best, worst of NFL Week 9: Burrow leads Bengals, Eagles win thriller, Lamar and Stroud go off
Ranking NFL award front-runners at midseason: Barnwell makes picks in six categories
5. Detroit Lions (6-2)
Week 9 ranking: 8
Non-QB MVP: WR Amon-Ra St. Brown
The Pro Bowl receiver was named one of six team captains for the 2023 season and has continued to build on a great start to his NFL career. St. Brown might not be the most vocal person in the locker room, but his work ethic and production speaks for itself. He has five 100-yard receiving games this season, helping Detroit to a 6-2 start for the first time since 2014. He pushed through an illness to help the Lions beat the Raiders on “Monday Night Football” on Oct. 30 – finishing with six receptions for 108 yards. Performances like that one have inspired his teammates and the coaching staff. “That was not the best he’s felt, but like a true warrior he just sucked it up and he went,” coach Dan Campbell said after the game. – Eric Woodyard
Running back Travis Etienne Jr. (583 yards rushing, 8 total TDs) might deserve it, too, but Allen gets the nod because the defense has surprisingly carried an offense that hasn’t operated at a consistently high level in the first half. Allen is having the best year of his career (9 sacks) and has pretty much been the Jaguars’ entire pass rush. His 48 QB pressures are more than twice the number of the next-closest teammate (Travon Walker with 22), according to NFL Next Gen Stats. He also has helped the run defense rank third in the NFL (79.3 yards per game). – Michael DiRocco
7. Cincinnati Bengals (5-3)
Week 9 ranking: 11
Non-QB MVP: DE Trey Hendrickson
Hendrickson is one of the league’s most disruptive defensive linemen. He ranks 11th in pass rush win rate as an edge rusher (ESPN/NFL Next Gen Stats). According to ESPN tracking data, Hendrickson has created 9 sacks (fifth most among defenders), 19 incompletions (third most) and 2 interceptions this season. When he gets a first pressure, opponents are completing just 18.2% of their pass attempts. – Ben Baby
8. San Francisco 49ers (5-3)
Week 9 ranking: 7
Non-QB MVP: RB Christian McCaffrey
McCaffrey staked an early spot in the league MVP race, but an oblique injury in Week 6 has slowed that momentum a bit. Still, McCaffrey ranks in the top three in the league in scrimmage yards per game (118), total touchdowns (13) and rushing yards (652). He also has scored a touchdown in 17 straight games (including playoffs), tying him with Lenny Moore for the longest streak in NFL history. – Nick Wagoner
9. Dallas Cowboys (5-3)
Week 9 ranking: 5
Non-QB MVP: WR CeeDee Lamb
Lamb is on pace to set Cowboys records for catches (121) and yards (1,751) in a single season, surpassing Hall of Famer Michael Irvin. He has put up back-to-back 150-receiving-yard games, the first Dallas receiver to do that since Miles Austin in 2009. He has 14 100-yard receiving games in his career, trailing only Hall of Famer Bob Hayes (15). Despite the extra attention from defenses, Lamb is still making a ton of plays whether lining up outside or in the slot. – Todd Archer
10. Cleveland Browns (5-3)
Week 9 ranking: 12
Non-QB MVP: DE Myles Garrett
Garrett has gone from perennial All-Pro to front-runner for NFL Defensive Player of the Year. He is tied for second in the league with 9.5 sacks, spearheading one of the NFL’s top defenses. Last month, Garrett became the first player this millennium to finish a game with two sacks, two forced fumbles and a blocked field goal, as he almost single-handedly carried the Browns to a win over the Colts. Despite several injuries to its offense, Cleveland is in the thick of the playoff picture. Garrett is the biggest reason. – Jake Trotter
For all of the inconsistencies that have plagued the Bills’ offense this season, it’s hard to imagine where the unit would be without Diggs. He is consistently making splash plays, such as a 34-yard gain on the opening drive against the Bengals that got the Bills moving downfield, and is arguably the most reliable performer on an offense that is dealing with its share of issues. Diggs leads the team in almost every receiving category (70 receptions for 834 yards and seven touchdowns), and getting Diggs the ball is a recipe for success. – Alaina Getzenberg
12. Seattle Seahawks (5-3)
Week 9 ranking: 10
Non-QB MVP: OLB Boye Mafe
Mafe would be the choice even if quarterbacks were included. He has taken the biggest second-year leap of anyone from the Seahawks’ stellar 2022 draft class, recording a full sack in six straight games to tie the longest streak in franchise history. In seven games, he already has doubled his sack total from his rookie season. Mafe’s sack Sunday against Baltimore forced a fumble that Seattle recovered. He ranks third in PRWR among edge players this season, behind only Micah Parsons and Myles Garrett, according to ESPN Analytics/NFL Next Gen Stats. – Brady Henderson
13. Pittsburgh Steelers (5-3)
Week 9 ranking: 14
Non-QB MVP: EDGE T.J. Watt
This is a no-brainer. No one is having a bigger game-changing impact for the Steelers than Watt. Through eight games, Watt has 9.5 sacks – tied for second most in the NFL with Garrett and Maxx Crosby – 2 forced fumbles, 3 fumble recoveries and 1 interception. And one of those fumble recoveries was a game-winning scoop-and-score in the fourth quarter of Pittsburgh’s Week 2 win against the Browns. Without Watt, the Steelers aren’t 5-3 or in the thick of the AFC playoff hunt. – Brooke Pryor