2023 NFL Power Rankings, Week 8: Eagles rise to No. 1; Ravens vault into top 4

Throughout the offseason, it felt very boring to slot the two Super Bowl teams at the top of the NFL. In a league so unpredictable, how likely was it really that the reigning conference champs could repeat? 

There’s lots of season left, but the top of the power rankings look awfully familiar as we near the midpoint. Challengers abound, but the Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs sure do look capable of getting back to the final game. Let’s see how they stack up heading into Week 8.

1. Philadelphia Eagles (6-1) +3 

A decade from now, when this era of Eagles football has long been over, my lasting impression of these teams will be their ball control. Once again, as they’ve done so many times, the Eagles just rolled over the Dolphins with a 13-play drive to seal the game. In addition to being one of the most talented rosters in football, Philly has an extremely impressive ability to take the opponent’s will.

2. Kansas City Chiefs (6-1) +1 

As I said, the Chiefs will figure it out. Maybe it took seven weeks, but the offense finally broke out the way you’d expect. We know Travis Kelce will always be at the center of things, but you’ve got to be encouraged by how Patrick Mahomes got Rashee Rice and Marquez Valdes-Scantling involved en route to 31 points. It’s also worth pointing out that the defense pitched a second-half shutout. 

3. San Francisco 49ers (5-2) -1 

Maybe I should drop the 49ers further for losing their second game, but the loss in Minnesota simply puts them on par with the rest of the league. They’ve had a chance to win both of these games in the final seconds, and I think they’ll be fine when they get their stars back. I’m not worried about them just yet — although it is eye-opening to see Brock Purdy look mortal without his full supporting cast. 

4. Baltimore Ravens (5-2) +5 

We’ve been waiting for the Ravens to put up a complete performance all season, but the word “complete” doesn’t do justice to what we saw Sunday. The Ravens had 357 yards and a 28-0 lead at halftime, as the passing game sprang to life for the first time this season. We knew the defense was dominant, but if the offense is capable of even playing close to that level, the Ravens are easily among the league’s elite teams.

5. Miami Dolphins (5-2) -4 

This isn’t college football, where your strength of schedule matters. If the Dolphins continue their strong run of play, they’ve got a great shot at a division title and a home playoff game. But it does still raise your eyebrow to see that they’ve been soundly beaten by both of the playoff contenders they’ve played this season. Hopefully, they’ll be healthier for their next test against Kansas City in two weeks.

6. Jacksonville Jaguars (5-2) +1

I feel like I might’ve been too harsh on the Jags in the wake of the win against the Saints. It was definitely ugly, don’t get me wrong. But Trevor Lawrence fought through a knee sprain and went on the road in a short week to get a Thursday night win. The offense needs to be better, but maybe they will be once Lawrence has a chance to rest that knee. In the meantime, they’re one of just two teams in the NFL riding a win streak longer than two games. 

7. Detroit Lions (5-2) -2 

All the good things we’ve seen from the Lions still matter, but this was a moment they just weren’t ready for. Baltimore blew them off the field in less than a half. They’re still on top of the division, so there’s no need to panic. But definitely a time to take stock of how that got so out of hand, so quickly. 

8. Dallas Cowboys (4-2) no change

The vibes are always good coming out of a bye week, but now the Cowboys have to show us they can improve offensively. Dak Prescott played hero ball to get the win against the Chargers, but this team will be limited if it can’t get more consistent production from the full offense.

9. Seattle Seahawks (4-2) +1 

It didn’t bite the Seahawks this week, but Geno Smith put up two more turnovers in the win against Arizona. That’s four in the last two weeks. It’s going to cost you wins against teams that aren’t the Cardinals. 

10. Buffalo Bills (4-3) -4

The Bills’ offense struggled for far too long in this matchup, but it’s hard not to feel like the defensive injuries are showing up in a big way. The Patriots’ offense has been a wreck for the past month, but you wouldn’t know it from the way Mac Jones dissected Buffalo. There’s plenty of soul-searching to be done on both sides of the ball, but how does the defense overcome injuries to so many quality starters?

11. Cleveland Browns (4-2) no change

Deshaun Watson’s ongoing injury issues are officially a concern, but this defense is doing a lot to offset that problem. The Browns allowed plenty of yards to the Colts, but four takeaways, a touchdown and a blocked field goal from Myles Garrett & Co. do a lot to help.

12. Houston Texans (3-3) no change

I don’t know if C.J. Stroud is the type of guy who looks for reasons to have a chip on his shoulder, but he shouldn’t need the added motivation this week. Fresh off a bye week, he’s going to Charlotte with a chance to show the Panthers he should’ve been the No. 1 overall pick. It’d be a fun plane ride home if Houston gets the win.

13. Cincinnati Bengals (3-3) no change

The Bengals got a big win against Seattle and then disappeared into the ether of the bye week. We don’t have to wonder whether they’ve actually improved for much longer. Next up on the schedule: a trip to San Francisco. 

14. Atlanta Falcons (4-3) +3 

Desmond Ridder has been bouncing between good days and bad days throughout the season, so why not try it all in one game? Ridder was bound to be the scapegoat had the Falcons lost, having turned the ball over three times in the red zone. But with overtime looming, he got his guys downfield for the walk-off field goal. I have no idea what to make of this team, but they’re on top of the NFC South.

15. Pittsburgh Steelers (4-2) +5 

It’s too soon to say the offense is fixed, but that definitely qualifies as a sign of life. Kenny Pickett looked cool and confident guiding the Steelers’ offense to 14 fourth-quarter points, which has looked like such a hopeless proposition at times this year. There are plenty of valid criticisms you can make, but the Steelers find ways to win.

16. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3-3) -2 

It’s been a talking point all season that the Bucs’ offense leaves a lot to be desired. Very quietly, their defense struggled mightily with an Atlanta offense that didn’t even have Bijan Robinson. Yes, they forced three red zone turnovers, but is that a sustainable model for success? If not for some Herculean plays near the goal line, Tampa loses to Atlanta in a blowout. 

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17. L.A. Rams (3-4) -1

The Rams’ success is going to hinge on the ability to score points, and the Steelers just shut them down in the home stretch. Hindsight is 20/20, but they would’ve had one last shot at a game-tying touchdown if Sean McVay had held on to a timeout in the second half.

18. L.A. Chargers (2-4) -3 

Everything was pointed toward another fun finish — until it wasn’t. Justin Herbert’s red-zone interception in the third quarter changed the complexion of the game, and while it wasn’t all his fault, it just signals an ongoing struggle to finish drives. Maybe the playoffs are still possible, but the division feels out of the question already.

19. Minnesota Vikings (3-4) +4 

Don’t look now, but the Vikings are officially in the mix for a wild-card spot. And they got there by beating a member of the league’s elite. Not a bad place to be when all the talk about this team has centered around trading off assets before the deadline.

20. New York Jets (3-3) +1

The Jets had all the goodwill heading into their bye week after beating Philly. Now, they face the crosstown rival Giants, who just got a big win of their own. You don’t want to be the loser of a game with this much narrative power behind it. 

21. Green Bay Packers (3-3) -3 

I don’t know the answer to this problem, but surely the Packers can find a way to start games faster? They’ve scored just 26 points in the first half this season — and a grand total of six in their last three games. A young team and a young quarterback aren’t going to dig out of second-half holes on a consistent basis.

22. Indianapolis Colts (3-4) +2 

The Colts continue to tell us they do not care that we want to write them off. There’s not much on paper that makes you think this team should be so feisty, but there they were with 450 yards and 38 points against the best defense in the league. It didn’t translate to a win, but it’s still more than most would expect.

23. Washington Commanders (3-4) -3

The blowout loss to Chicago was bad enough, and now the Commanders score just 7 points against a paper-thin Giants team. Washington’s not going to be favored in too many more games, so these missed opportunities start to pile up.

[What We Learned: Frustration bubbles over with “same old” Commanders]

24. New Orleans Saints (3-4) -2

The Saints offense is an absolute mess. Yes, they rallied at the end. But a couple late touchdowns don’t negate how hard they struggled to even get on the same page, let alone move the ball. And if that wasn’t bad enough, the Jaguars’ game-winning touchdown was a shocking breakdown by a proud defense.

25. New England Patriots (2-5) +6

So much for the end of an era. Word leaked out Sunday morning that Bill Belichick signed a contract extension last offseason, and the Pats followed that up with a big upset of the hated Bills. This was the best Mac Jones has looked since Week 1. It makes you wonder: if he’s capable of playing this well, how does it go missing for so long? 

26. New York Giants (2-5) +2

It’d be easy to dismiss such a forgettable win, but it could be a season-saver. Sure, the Giants’ prospects still look bleak. But beating Washington at least brings them within shouting distance of .500, with Daniel Jones and Andrew Thomas expected back soon. If New York manages to put together some kind of run, no one’s going to care that this was a total snooze fest.

27. Denver Broncos (2-5) +2 

Sorry to rain on the Broncos’ parade, but it’s hard not to notice that the Packers were within shouting distance of a game-winning field goal attempt when Jordan Love inexplicably went for the deep shot that was ultimately intercepted. Still a win, but not one that inspires confidence Denver can flip the script in this week’s rematch with Kansas City. 

28. Tennessee Titans (2-4) -2

How do the Titans fall during a week off? Well, several teams below them scored big wins. And they’re faced with the very real prospect of starting an inexperienced quarterback against Atlanta next week, whether it’s Malik Willis or Will Levis.

29. Chicago Bears (2-5) +1

Every week Justin Fields can’t play hinders the Bears’ need to evaluate him for the long term. But that’s not Tyson Bagent’s problem. Shout out to the rookie for a wonderful performance, giving the Bears their first home win since Week 3 of 2022.

30. Las Vegas Raiders (3-4) -5

It was never likely to be an offensive explosion with Jimmy Garoppolo sidelined by injury. But for the Raiders’ defense, which had been pretty decent to this point, to completely collapse?

And for that collapse to come against the undrafted Bagent? Brutal.

31. Arizona Cardinals (1-6) -4 

We can keep giving the Cardinals credit for scrappiness, but after a certain point, you are what your record says you are. Arizona is getting outscored, 104-30, in the second half this season. Hopefully, Kyler Murray returns sooner rather than later.

32. Carolina Panthers (0-6) no change

My blistering hot take is that Bryce Young has shown a lot of promise despite the lack of wins. But it sure would be nice to show out this week with C.J. Stroud coming to town. Can new play caller Thomas Brown make any kind of difference?

David Helman covers the Dallas Cowboys for FOX Sports and hosts the NFL on FOX podcast. He previously spent nine seasons covering the Cowboys for the team’s official website. In 2018, he won a regional Emmy for his role in producing “Dak Prescott: A Family Reunion” about the quarterback’s time at Mississippi State. Follow him on Twitter at @davidhelman_.

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