NFL Power Rankings, Week 18: The Dolphins are untrustable and everyone else kinda stinks (not you, Ravens)
The Baltimore Ravens have separated themselves from the pack heading into the final week of the 2023 NFL regular season. Behind them is a flawed peloton of erstwhile contenders and legitimate threats.
Parity remains alive in well in a league that’s been the backdrop to a handful of stunning upsets in the midst of a playoff race. The Philadelphia Eagles relinquished their hold on the NFC East in Week 17 by losing to the Arizona Cardinals. The Pittsburgh Steelers have ridden Mason Rudolph to two straight wins, another non-losing season for head coach Mike Tomlin and devastating blows to the postseason hopes of the Cincinnati Bengals and Seattle Seahawks. The AFC and NFC Souths have emerged as the divisions no one quite wants to win thanks to frustrating losses and waves of mediocrity.
That makes this week’s power rankings a tricky enterprise. The AFC and NFC have each crowned their regular season winners. The Baltimore Ravens and San Francisco 49ers have each locked up home field advantage through the playoffs. After that? Well, it’s tough to have confidence in teams like the Eagles (spiraling to their doom), Kansas City Chiefs (host to a suddenly pedestrian offense), Dallas Cowboys (can’t win big games on the road) or Miami Dolphins (can’t win big games unless they’re against the Cowboys).
That leaves a ranking system with a lush second tier of untrustable teams. Here’s how they shook out after 2023’s penultimate week.