I’m going to use these rankings as the order for my 2023 NFL Mock Draft during the early stages of the 2022 season. Follow @walterfootball.
I’ve gone from WORST to FIRST, so if you don’t see reverse numbering (via Javascript), don’t worry; the Jets and Texans aren’t my top teams.
NFL Power Rankings updated Nov. 1, 2022
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Houston Texans (1-5-1) – Previously: 32.
The Texans lost 17-10, but that was really a 17-3 result with a garbage-time touchdown at the last second. Houston was able to stack the box against Derrick Henry, and yet it didn’t matter with Henry eclipsing 200 yards again.
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Pittsburgh Steelers (2-6) – Previously: 26.
Mike Tomlin’s teams are often competitive as underdogs, but not when they’re battling elite opponents. Much like the loss in Buffalo, Pittsburgh had no chance in Philadelphia.
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Carolina Panthers (2-6) – Previously: 31.
Eddy Pineiro definitely shorted my net worth. I bet the Panthers to win the division back in the summer, and I bet them to beat Atlanta on the moneyline. All Pineiro needed to do was hit a kick at the end for both bets to look good, but instead, he broke my heart, or rather, my bank account.
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Chicago Bears (3-5) – Previously: 30.
The Bears lost 49-29, but they were down just 28-23 at the midway point of the third quarter. A scoop-and-score on a David Montgomery fumble ruined things for the Bears, which begs the question, why wasn’t Khalil Herbert touching the ball on that play?
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Jacksonville Jaguars (2-6) – Previously: 16.
I think I’m done calling the Jaguars underrated. They’ve lost games they could have won, but they’re so poorly coached. It’s not nearly as bad as it was under Urban Meyer, but Doug Pederson sucks.
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Indianapolis Colts (3-4-1) – Previously: 28.
I’m sick and tired of Frank Reich’s terrible coaching. Why did he have his quarterback in shotgun on a third-and-goal at the 1-yard line? Just sneak it into the end zone! And nice quarterback change, by the way. Sam Ehlinger was so much better than Matt Ryan.
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Washington Redskins (4-4) – Previously: 29.
It feels like the Redskins are 1-7 as opposed to 4-4, but they’ve crawled back to a .500 record somehow. I have to wonder where they’d be if they had started Taylor Heinicke this entire time instead of Carson Wentz. I have to believe they would have prevailed in at least one of the games they lost, primarily the battle against the Titans. The sharps have been betting the Redskins every week, to their credit.
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Atlanta Falcons (4-4) – Previously: 27.
Overrated NFL Team: See why the Falcons are an overrated NFL team in our Overrated-Underrated page.
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Detroit Lions (1-6) – Previously: 25.
Underrated NFL Team: See why the Lions are an underrated NFL team in our Overrated-Underrated page.
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Cleveland Browns (3-5) – Previously: 23.
The Browns would have been 5-0 heading into Week 6 if Nick Chubb had not scored his third touchdown against the Jets, and the entire team didn’t implode in Atlanta with countless mistakes, and Cade York hit a field goal in the final seconds. Those losses are painful now, as the Browns needed a better record to counter some of their tougher games versus the Patriots and Ravens. Crushing the Bengals was a nice start. Deshain Watson is due back in about a month.
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Green Bay Packers (3-5) – Previously: 22.
Aaron Rodgers looked healthier than he’s been in recent weeks, while Romeo Doubs was able to bounce back from his multi-drop performance. These are positives the Packers can take away from their loss to Buffalo.
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Los Angeles Rams (3-4) – Previously: 18.
The Rams once again couldn’t pass protect against the 49ers. They’re a mess, but they could still sneak into the playoffs as long as Cooper Kupp is healthy. If not, it’ll be difficult for them to win anything.
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Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3-5) – Previously: 15.
The Buccaneers look like absolute trash right now, but they have plenty of talent and might be able to turn things around in the second half of the season. Perhaps a mini-bye will help. If not, they have a real bye coming up soon.
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Denver Broncos (3-5) – Previously: 20.
Underrated NFL Team: See why the Broncos are an underrated NFL team in our Overrated-Underrated page.
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Las Vegas Raiders (2-5) – Previously: 8.
What the hell was that from the Raiders? I listed them as underrated heading into Week 8, but that performance at New Orleans was something else. How did they score no points on a New Orleans defense that had been struggling all year? I’ve been thinking those questions, and it might be the illness that ripped through the locker room during the week. Apparently, 15 Raider players were sick with this illness, so that might explain why they were so sluggish in New Orleans.
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New York Jets (5-3) – Previously: 13.
Overrated NFL Team: See why the Jets are an overrated NFL team in our Overrated-Underrated page.
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New York Giants (6-2) – Previously: 12.
I’m not sure many people will be calling the Giants overrated anymore after losing by 14 to the Seahawks, a game that would’ve been much uglier had Tyler Lockett not dropped an easy touchdown. The Giants should trade for a receiver because they have no explosive, downfield play-makers.
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San Angeles Chargers (4-3) – Previously: 9.
Overrated NFL Team: See why the Chargers are an overrated NFL team in our Overrated-Underrated page.
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Miami Dolphins (5-3) – Previously: 10.
The Dolphins are pretty close to being 3-5 right now after barely squeaking by the Steelers and Lions. Their pass defense has been abysmal, though they somehow held the Lions off the scoreboard in the second half after being torched before intermission.
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Tennessee Titans (5-2) – Previously: 24.
If you remove the first two weeks of the season, the Titans are fifth in defensive EPA, and they’re mediocre offensively. I was too down on them, though I will say that it’s puzzling that they’ve been outgained in all but one game this year. They’re extremely well coached, so that’s something I missed.
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Arizona Cardinals (3-5) – Previously: 17.
The Cardinals killed themselves with mistakes throughout the second half, as two turnovers led to 13 Minnesota points. Otherwise, they played an even game with Minnesota, which was impressive, given that four offensive linemen were sidelined.
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Minnesota Vikings (6-1) – Previously: 14.
Overrated NFL Team: See why the Vikings are an overrated NFL team in our Overrated-Underrated page.
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New Orleans Saints (3-5) – Previously: 21.
Underrated NFL Team: See why the Saints are an underrated NFL team in our Overrated-Underrated page.
I should address why the Saints are ahead of the Vikings when Minnesota beat them on a neutral field. Alvin Kamara didn’t play in that game, so I believe the Saints would have prevailed in that matchup with Kamara, given that it came down to a field goal at the very end.
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New England Patriots (4-4) – Previously: 11.
The Patriots crawled back to 4-4 after their ugly Monday night loss, but they got no help from Mac Jones, who was awful. I don’t understand why Bill Belichick started him over Bailey Zappe, who has been playing so well. It’s like he forgot that he went with Tom Brady over Drew Bledsoe in 2001 when Bledsoe was healthy to return. I’m not saying Zappe is what Brady became, but Brady in 2001 was just an inexperienced game manager who didn’t make mistakes. Bledsoe, conversely, was a turnover machine. I wonder if Belichick is becoming forgetful in his old age.
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Seattle Seahawks (5-3) – Previously: 19.
I can’t believe the Seahawks are 5-3, but I can’t exactly call them a fraud because they were 10th in net EPA heading into Week 8, and now they are fifth from Weeks 3-8. Are they really a top-10 team in the NFL? It doesn’t seem like it, but perhaps they are. They have explosive offensive players, they’re blocking well, and their defense has improved markedly in recent weeks.
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Baltimore Ravens (5-3) – Previously: 6.
The Ravens could be 8-0 right now. They lost fourth-quarter leads against the Dolphins and Bills, and they should have defeated the Giants. They outgained New York, 406-238, and averaged almost four more yards per play! That said, Baltimore’s defense has allowed some big plays and rank 23rd in EPA heading into Week 9.
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Dallas Cowboys (6-2) – Previously: 7.
The Cowboys were lucky to beat the Lions, but they bounced back with a dominating performance against the Bears. Who would’ve thought their offense would be so explosive if they just gave the ball to Tony Pollard and not the plodding Ezekiel Elliott?
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San Francisco 49ers (4-4) – Previously: 5.
Christian McCaffrey was insane with Kyle Shanahan having a week to prepare a game plan for him. It makes me wonder what the hell Matt Rhule was doing all these years. How ridiculous is it how Rhule was able to waste McCaffrey’s best seasons?
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Cincinnati Bengals (4-4) – Previously: 4.
The Bengals were debacled Monday night, but I’m going to dismiss this result. The Browns dominate te Bengals for some reason, and Cincinnati sometimes has stinkers like these. They were crushed by the Jets last year, for example.
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Philadelphia Eagles (7-0) – Previously: 3.
The Eagles could have easily looked past the Steelers with a game coming up on Thursday night, but they were so far ahead that they sat their starters in the final quarter. Jalen Hurts threw just six passes in the second half!
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Kansas City Chiefs (5-2) – Previously: 2.
Patrick Mahomes now has another weapon. The Chiefs traded for Kadarius Toney, which will make their offense even more explosive. Check out my NFL Trade Grades for more.
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Buffalo Bills (6-1) – Previously: 1.
The Bills probably could have named the score against the Packers if they tried hard for 60 minutes. That said, they were gashed on the ground, so teams will be looking to exploit this liability.
2022 NFL MVP Race:
1. Josh Allen, QB, Bills
2. Jalen Hurts, QB, Eagles
3. Patrick Mahomes, QB, Chiefs
4. Justin Jefferson, WR, Vikings
5. Micah Parsons, DE/LB, Cowboys
2024 NFL Mock Draft - April 23
NFL Power Rankings - Feb. 22
Fantasy Football Rankings - Feb. 19
NFL Picks - Feb. 12
2022 NFL Power Rankings. Week: Post-Super Bowl Power Rankings | Post-Free Agency Power Rankings | Post-NFL Draft Power Rankings | Post-Preseason Power Rankings | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17
2021 NFL Power Rankings. Week: Post-Super Bowl Power Rankings | Preseason Power Rankings | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | Playoffs |
2020 NFL Power Rankings. Week: Post-Super Bowl Power Rankings 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | Playoffs |
