2023 NFL Power Rankings, Week 8: A Massive Win Propels the Vikings Up the List, Multiple Super Bowl Contenders Fall
Josh Frey
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Week 7 of the NFL season has come and gone, and what an eventful week it was.
Vikings fans closed out the week on top of the world with a huge victory over the San Francisco 49ers, and multiple top teams in the league saw losses added to their records.
As we now turn towards Week 8, here is a look at the updated NFL power rankings.
The Super Bowl Contenders
1. Kansas City Chiefs
- Last Week: 31-17 win vs. LAC
- Trending: +2
- This Week: 10/29 @ DEN
The Chiefs continue to dominate their matchups against the Chargers, cruising their way to a double-digit victory. After a few weeks of inconsistent play on offense, Kansas City was clicking on all cylinders against their division rivals, reminding everyone why they are the defending champs.
2. Philadelphia Eagles
- Last Week: 31-17 win vs. MIA
- Trending: +4
- This Week: 10/29 @ WSH
The Eagles weren’t able to generate much production in the ground game this weekend, but it really didn’t matter. Jalen Hurts put on the cape and saved the day with 279 passing yards and 3 total touchdowns. Their defense did an excellent job of stifling Miami’s high-flying offense down the stretch as well.
3. Miami Dolphins
- Last Week: 17-31 loss @ PHI
- Trending: -2
- This Week: 10/29 vs. NE
This was the worry that I had about Miami coming into the 2023 season. When they’re at home, they can outscore just about anyone. That being said, the road version of the Dolphins has been less than stellar. They are now 2-2 on the road and have averaged just 18.5 points per game in their two recent losses. They are still a Super Bowl contender, especially considering they could still snag the No. 1 seed in the AFC. If they have to go on the road and play in the cold, though, there is little proof that they can beat any of the other teams in this grouping.
4. San Francisco 49ers
- Last Week: 17-22 loss @ MIN
- Trending: -2
- This Week: 10/29 vs. CIN
We have to keep in mind that the deck was stacked against San Francisco going into Monday night. They went in without Deebo Samuel or Trent Williams, and they were coming off a tough road game against the Cleveland Browns. Still, it’s tough to overlook a game where they were absolutely dominated in the trenches by Minnesota.
5. Baltimore Ravens
- Last Week: 38-6 vs. DET
- Trending: +4
- This Week: 10/29 @ ARI
Ask and ye shall receive. The Baltimore Ravens had back-to-back weeks where they didn’t look like their usual dominant selves, thus prompting a move out of the Super Bowl tier. However, Week 7 brought the Ravens team that I expected them to be coming into the season, so they get rewarded with a top-five ranking.
6. Buffalo Bills
- Last Week: 25-29 loss @ NE
- Trending: -2
- This Week: 10/26 vs. TB
I strongly considered moving Buffalo out of the Super Bowl tier this week. Their offense was a mess throughout much of the loss to New England, and they let Patriots QB Mac Jones put together the strongest game of his season. Josh Allen has a few too many of these gunslinger games where he just throws the ball and hopes for the best. Another loss on Thursday would put them at 4-4 this season, and Buffalo has many questions to answer between now and then.
Strong Playoff Teams
7. Jacksonville Jaguars
- Last Week: 31-24 win @ NO
- Trending: —
- This Week: 10/29 @ PIT
This was a tricky one too. On one hand, Jacksonville’s offense was cruising throughout the first half against the Saints, jumping out to a 17-6 lead in the first half. However, they went completely silent for much of the final 30 minutes, and that coincided with the Saints stringing together a few drives on offense. Had it not been for a Foster Moreau drop in the end zone at the end of regulation, this game could have looked very different. As a result, we’re keeping Jacksonville right where they are for another week.
8. Dallas Cowboys
- Last Week: Bye
- Trending: —
- This Week: 10/29 vs. LAR
Week 7 allowed Dallas to rest up following their victory over the Los Angeles Chargers a week before on Monday Night Football. Now, they play host to the Los Angeles Rams for their first game back in action.
9. Cleveland Browns
- Last Week: 39-38 win @ IND
- Trending: +1
- This Week: 10/29 @ SEA
Was Cleveland the beneficiary of a few controversial calls? Sure. Either way, though, this was a pretty impressive performance for a team that once again played the majority of the game without Deshaun Watson. Jerome Ford continues to carry the offense in the ground game, and their defense did an excellent job of limiting Jonathan Taylor. Myles Garrett continues to play like an absolute stud, too.
10. Detroit Lions
- Last Week: 6-38 loss @ BAL
- Trending: -5
- This Week: 10/30 vs. LV
Lions fans have nobody to blame but me for this loss. I drank the Kool-Aid and put them in the Super Bowl tier for the first time since beginning these power rankings, and they promptly fell flat on their faces. Now that the expectations have been lowered, perhaps they can get back to their winning ways against the Raiders.
The “Swing” Teams
11. Cincinnati Bengals
- Last Week: Bye
- Trending: +1
- This Week: 10/29 @ SF
After a rough start, the Bengals have begun looking like themselves over the past couple weeks. They are well-rested after their bye and go into a Week 8 matchup against the 49ers who have lost two straight and are coming off a short week.
12. Seattle Seahawks
- Last Week: 20-10 win vs. ARI
- Trending: +2
- This Week: 10/29 vs. CLE
Seattle’s offense hasn’t been great as of late with five turnovers in the past two weeks. However, they are buoyed by the fact that their defense is giving up just 19.7 points per game this season. They have a huge matchup this weekend against the Browns which could go a long way towards proving this team is legit.
13. Houston Texans
- Last Week: Bye
- Trending: +2
- This Week: 10/29 @ CAR
Houston has been putting the pieces together over the past few weeks, and coming off their bye, they now get a chance to jump over .500 against the Carolina Panthers in Week 8.
14. Pittsburgh Steelers
- Last Week: 24-17 win @ LAR
- Trending: +4
- This Week: 10/29 vs. JAX
This was a statement win for the Steelers. They played some big-time bully ball against the Rams, particularly in the fourth quarter, and earned every bit of this road win. George Pickens keeps making big plays when they’re needed most, and the defense remains one of the best groups in the NFL.
15. Los Angeles Chargers
- Last Week: 17-31 loss @ KC
- Trending: -2
- This Week: 10/29 vs. CHI
The Patrick Mahomes-Travis Kelce connection carved up LA’s secondary all afternoon, and Justin Herbert had too many bad throws to keep the Chargers in this one. They have a chance to get back on track against Chicago, but the past couple weeks have certainly shown the cracks in the armor.
16. Los Angeles Rams
- Last Week: 17-24 loss vs. PIT
- Trending: -5
- This Week: 10/29 @ DAL
This was worst game of the season for Matthew Stafford when LA needed a good game against the tough Steelers defense. It’s tough to win games in the NFL when the QB completes fewer than 50% of his passes, and the defense gave up one-too-many big plays at the end.
17. Minnesota Vikings
- Last Week: 22-17 win vs. SF
- Trending: +6
- This Week: 10/29 @ GB
What a win for the Vikings. This was a team that just a few days ago was being discussed as one that could be sellers at the trade deadline. Now, they could be looking to add a couple contributors to help them make a push for the playoffs. Minnesota played their most complete game across the board of the year, and Jordan Addison had his big breakout game. Reminder: the Vikings pulled this off without names like Justin Jefferson, Marcus Davenport, and Ezra Cleveland.
18. Indianapolis Colts
- Last Week: 38-39 loss vs. CLE
- Trending: +3
- This Week: 10/29 vs. NO
This was a valiant effort from the Colts. Gardner Minshew stood his ground against the fearsome Browns pass-rush, and had they gotten a PI call at the end of the game, this could have been a very different result. They get to slide up a few spots despite the loss.
19. New Orleans Saints
- Last Week: 24-31 loss vs. JAX
- Trending: —
- This Week: 10/29 @ IND
This was discussed at length during the Jaguars’ section, but this was truly a game of two different halves. The Saints remain in the same spot for now, but the inconsistencies with this team could be the difference between them making the playoffs and just missing out once again.
20. New York Jets
- Last Week: Bye
- Trending: —
- This Week: 10/29 @ NYG
This may have been a bad time for the Jets to have a bye, considering they were finally putting a few things together offensively in the weeks prior. Regardless, we’ll have a chance to see if their good fortunes continue against the Giants this week.
21. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Last Week: 13-16 loss vs. ATL
- Trending: -5
- This Week: 10/26 @ BUF
There is no reason for the Buccaneers to have lost. They won the turnover battle, the time of possession battle was darn-near even, and they converted their third downs. This was a blown opportunity at home, and now, things don’t get any easier with a road matchup against the Bills.
22. Green Bay Packers
- Last Week: 17-19 loss @ DEN
- Trending: -5
- This Week: 10/29 vs. MIN
Jordan Love has now thrown 7 interceptions in his last four games, and the final one officially put the nail in the coffin for Green Bay in Week 7. Their offense is hapless without Aaron Jones in the lineup, and they need to turn things around in a hurry if they have any hopes of revitalizing their playoff hopes.
23. Atlanta Falcons
- Last Week: 16-13 win @ TB
- Trending: +3
- This Week: 10/29 @ TEN
This is about an ugly as a win as it comes. Desmond Ridder didn’t throw any interceptions, but he did have three red zone turnovers in this game. It’s tough to have a ton of confidence, but hey, they have stumbled their way into first-place in the NFC South.
On the Outside Looking In
24. New York Giants
- Last Week: 14-7 win vs. WSH
- Trending: +1
- This Week: 10/29 vs. NYJ
The New York Giants are starting to show some of the positives that carried them to the playoffs last year. Their defense has allowed just 16 points over the past two weeks, and while the offense remains a bit of a problem, the team is moving in the right direction.
25. New England Patriots
- Last Week: 29-25 win vs. BUF
- Trending: +6
- This Week: 10/29 @ MIA
The Patriots had plenty of bulletin board material going into this game. After a 1-5 start, just about everyone had written them off as a team trending towards a rebuild. They answered with a great defensive performance against the Bills, and Mac Jones had a terrific game. Now, they try to keep the momentum going against the Miami Dolphins.
26. Chicago Bears
- Last Week: 30-12 win vs. LV
- Trending: +3
- This Week: 10/29 @ LAC
No Justin Fields, no problem for the Chicago Bears. Tyson Bagent went into the weekend emphasizing that he was ready for the moment, and the undrafted QB delivered with a very solid game in his first NFL start. It didn’t hurt that D’Onta Foreman stepped into the backfield and scored three TDs in relief of Khalil Herbert and Roschon Johnson.
27. Tennessee Titans
- Last Week: Bye
- Trending: —
- This Week: 10/29 vs. ATL
Tennessee went into their bye week licking some wounds after their loss to the Ravens in Week 6. After getting a chance to regroup, they now get a chance to get back into the playoff hunt as they play host to the Atlanta Falcons.
28. Washington Commanders
- Last Week: 7-14 loss @ NYG
- Trending: -1
- This Week: 10/29 vs. PHI
The Commanders have completely fallen off a cliff after their 2-0 start. Jonathan Allen fiery comments are all that needs to be said after this most recent loss.
29. Las Vegas Raiders
- Last Week: 12-30 loss @ CHI
- Trending: -6
- This Week: 10/30 @ DET
Things couldn’t have gone much worse for the Raiders on Sunday. Josh Jacobs has completely lost the burst that he showcased throughout 2022, and their QB situation is dire without Jimmy Garoppolo around.
30. Denver Broncos
- Last Week: 19-17 win vs. GB
- Trending: +2
- This Week: 10/29 vs. KC
It’s hard to have too much confidence in Denver after this win, but it was still a positive sign to see Russell Wilson come through with some big plays down the stretch. They have a much tougher matchup this weekend against the reigning champs.
31. Arizona Cardinals
- Last Week: 10-20 loss @ SEA
- Trending: -2
- This Week: 10/29 vs. BAL
Arizona is the perfect blend of competitive enough to keep games interesting, but they are just bad enough to consistently lose them. James Conner’s absence is apparent in the offense as well, and with no return in sight, the Cardinals will likely continue their losing ways this weekend.
32. Carolina Panthers
- Last Week: Bye
- Trending: -1
- This Week: 10/29 vs. HOU
The good news for Carolina is that they didn’t lose. They spent the week resting up, and now, they have a home game against the Houston Texans.
Josh Frey is a Class of 2020 graduate of The College of Idaho and managing editor of PurplePTSD.com. When he’s not writing about the NFL, Josh enjoys running, gaming, or rooting for the Milwaukee Brewers and Bucks. Check out his Twitter account: @Freyed_Chicken.