Hello knuckleheads. After a lengthy negotiation and numerous concessions, I have successfully coaxed everyone's favorite Packers fan out of journalistic retirement to author his weekly NFL Power Rankings for us here at icouldbewrongsports.com. Enjoy...
I know what you’re thinking; this guy is the Brett Favre of NFL Power Rankings – he just keeps coming out of retirement. And while I appreciate the comparison to one of the all-time NFL greats, let’s be clear on two things: I have never sent unsolicited below-the-belt photos nor have I ever stolen millions of dollars from the poor and given it to the rich (allegedly). With all of that said, yes it is true; I have come out of journalistic retirement for the second time to author another season’s worth of Power Rankings.
I began this run from my dorm room as a sophomore in college for the 2009 NFL season and retired the first time after a full decade, following the 2018 season. After a 2-year hiatus, I returned in 2021 for what I anticipated would be my farewell tour, but alas after another season on the sideline, I am back once again, this time in partnership with the “I Could Be Wrong Sports” website, owned and operated by longtime friend Brad O’Dell. The best part about this is I anticipate my audience will more than triple from the usual three weekly readers to at least 10! All joking aside, the 2023 NFL season should be as riveting as ever.
For those that are new to the program, I will provide not only my rankings on a weekly basis, but also my predictions for the Thursday, Sunday and Monday night games for the upcoming week. And since this will be the only edition I write prior to Week 1 – I’ll end the suspense and tell you now that I like Kansas City over Detroit (barely) in the opening game of the season. I’ll take the Giants over the Cowboys in the Sunday night opener and the Jets to start the Aaron Rodgers era with a win over the Bills to kick off Monday Night Football. In 2021, I finished the season with an astounding Prime Time Pick’em record of 45-19, far and away the best season I’ve ever had, so there’s nowhere to go but down this season.
One final piece of business before we get to the rankings, and that is my 10 BOLD predictions for the 2023 season. We will check back in on these during the seasons’ final week to see how many (if any) came to fruition.
1. The Detroit Lions will win a playoff game
2. The Buffalo Bills will miss the playoffs
3. Aaron Rodgers throws for 50+ TDs
4. Jordan Love receives an MVP vote
5. Trevor Lawrence wins MVP
6. Bijon Robinson leads the NFL in rushing
7. The Vikings finish last in the NFC North
8. The 49ers finish with as many wins as the rest of the division combined
9. Baker Mayfield finishes as a Top 10 QB
10. The Steelers win the AFC North
Ranking all 32 teams is never an easy task, especially before any games have been played. I’ve questioned myself as to why I have certain teams ranked where I do (Seattle at 22, Detroit at 6?!), so I am sure many of you will have raised eyebrows as you take a peek at the Pre-Season rankings. What I will say is the level of parity in the NFL feels as if it is at an all-time high and there are at least 12 teams that I think have a legitimate chance to win the Super Bowl and a handful more that could make it to the big game. So, without any further delay, here are the 2023 NFL Pre-Season Power Rankings.
1. Kansas City Chiefs – They lost arguably the best WR in football during the 2022 off-season and still wound up as Super Bowl Champions. While they are not yet the New England Patriots, make no mistake about it, this is a Dynasty-in-the-making.
2. Philadelphia Eagles – Can this team be the first NFC East team to win back-to-back division titles since 2003-2004 (coincidentally, also the Eagles)? They absolutely can – but in all honesty I see this team taking a small step backwards this year. They’ll be a playoff team but I think it will be as a wildcard.
3. San Francisco 49ers – I’m not sure we know who their quarterback is going to be yet – nor do I particularly think it matters. With the weapons they have on both offense and defense, this team will win 10 games with their eyes closed.
4. Cincinnati Bengals – The Joe Burrow calf injury scare is certainly something to keep an eye on, but assuming he remains in good health, the Bengals are still one of the heavy favorites in the AFC.
5. Buffalo Bills – My initial rankings had the Bills outside the Top 10, but I finally came to my senses and here they are at No. 5. I can’t put my finger on it, but much like the Eagles, I see this team taking a step backward this year.
6. Detroit Lions – If the Jaguars weren’t the feel-good story of last season, then it was certainly the Detroit Lions. Despite missing the playoffs, the Lions finished the season as perhaps the hottest team in football and look to carry that momentum into 2023.
7. Miami Dolphins – Their season, like most teams, hinges on the health of their quarterback. But assuming Tua can stay upright, I really like Miami this year (in fairness, I have really liked Miami the last three years or so).
8. Los Angeles Chargers – Justin Herbert just got paid as he absolutely deserved, but it sure feels like this is the year that the Chargers need to put up or shut up. If they don’t take a big step forward this year, you have to believe their head coach will pay the price.
9. Jacksonville Jaguars – Perhaps the surprise team of 2022, the Jags aren’t slowing down this year and might just run away with the AFC South by Thanksgiving.
10. Dallas Cowboys – Is this the year the Cowboys finally put it all together? Probably not, but they certainly have the talent to make a deep run. As always, the question will be what will Mike McCarthy do to hold this team back?
11. New York Jets – No team will have more eyes on them this year than the New York Jets. Will Aaron Rodgers lead them to the promised land for the first time in over 50 years, or will he come up just short as he did so many times during his tenure in Green Bay?
12. Green Bay Packers – Most NFL fans expect the Packers to struggle this year, and for many months I was included in that group. And frankly, if the defense struggles, it could be a long season on the frozen tundra. However, if the defense plays to its potential, I believe Jordan Love could lead this team to the playoffs in his first year as a starter.
13. Baltimore Ravens – The Ravens have the talent to win the whole thing, but I’m still not a believer in Lamar Jackson being the guy. He’s supremely talented and athletic, but I’m just not a believer in him being a guy that can win you a Super Bowl. Maybe I’m just a hater.
14. Pittsburgh Steelers – I really like this team – or maybe I just really like Mike Tomlin. Either way, I expect them to compete for a playoff spot in a loaded AFC.
15. New York Giants – The G-men were a feel-good story last year and Danny Dimes was rewarded with a hefty contract. They’ve added Darren Waller to the offense and should once again be very competitive in the NFC.
16. Minnesota Vikings – The Vikings defied all odds last year by winning nearly every game by one possession. The term “regression to the mean” exists for a reason and Minnesota is a prime candidate to do just that this season.
17. Cleveland Browns – I believe Deshaun Watson will revert to his old self this year (ON the field, that is) and put the Browns in prime contention for a wild card spot.
18. Denver Broncos – Sean Payton was the sexy hire of the off-season, but the Broncos’ season will come down to which Russell Wilson shows up, the Seattle version or the 2022 Denver version.
19. New England Patriots – Betting against Bill Belichick is the last thing I ever do, and while I absolutely think he could lead the team to 10 wins this year, I just can’t see them making the playoffs strictly because of how tough their own division is.
20. New Orleans Saints – A fresh start for Derek Carr could be exactly what he needs, and in a weak division – there’s no reason to believe he couldn’t take the Saints to the playoffs in his first season with the team.
21. Washington Commanders – Speaking of fresh starts, that is exactly what the entire Washington organization will have this season, as the sale of the team was recently completed and all involved can move forward under much improved leadership (to be fair, the bar was set about as low as it could be under the previous regime).
22. Seattle Seahawks – I was not a believer in Seattle last year, despite the impressive season they had. Once again, I am not a believer this year (primarily in Geno Smith) – but in a mediocre NFC, they certainly have as good of a shot as anyone to make the playoffs.
23. Tennessee Titans – The Titans were one of the most difficult teams to rank. I had them near the top 10 on my initial rundown – and my gut tells me they’re likely to finish closer to that spot then where they ultimately begin the season, at No. 23.
24. Tampa Bay Buccaneers – One has to assume this is the final chance for Baker Mayfield, at least as a starting quarterback. He’s got pretty good weapons around him, so while I don’t think Tampa will necessarily be a major threat, I also wouldn’t be surprised if they finished with 10 wins.
25. Las Vegas Raiders – The Raiders have talent up and down the roster but if Jimmy G. can’t stay healthy for a full season, they don’t have a chance of doing much of anything. Frankly, even if he does stay healthy, I’m not sure their ceiling is more than 9-8.
26. Atlanta Falcons – There’s no doubt the Falcons have some really good young pieces on offense – the question will be what can they get out of the quarterback position, and of course the defense.
27. Carolina Panthers – Safe to say there will be some bumps in the road for Bryce Young during his first NFL season, but the biggest question in my mind is simply is he big enough to be the franchise quarterback of the future?
28. Chicago Bears – While I think the Bears will win more than three games this year, I’m not sure how many more. Justin Fields is electrifying and they gave him a new weapon in DJ Moore, but I’m not sure they did enough to take a big step forward.
29. Los Angeles Rams – They still some of their best players from their Super Bowl run, but there’s no denying the lack of talent overall from top to bottom on the roster. Will this be Matt Stafford’s last season?
30. Indianapolis Colts – The Texans and Jags have been the biggest dumpster fire in the NFL in recent years, and the Colts may very well be the next. AFC South fans deserve better.
31. Houston Texans – They took a step in the right direction with their first two picks in this year’s draft. I don’t expect it to pay dividends in 2023, but they’re building the right way and if they can continue to do so, they could be back in contention sooner rather than later.
32. Arizona Cardinals – It’s entirely possible the Cardinals cut Kyler Murray during or after this upcoming season – who the heck thought that was a possibility just one year ago? This team is in for a very challenging season.
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