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 Oct. 4, 2022
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Houston Texans (0-3-1) – Previously: 31.
The Texans are 22 combined points away from being 4-0 right now! That said, they were getting smoked by the Chargers before scoring some garbage-time points.
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Chicago Bears (2-2) – Previously: 29.
Overrated NFL Team: See why the Bears are an overrated NFL team in our Overrated-Underrated page.
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Washington Redskins (1-3) – Previously: 28.
The Redskins could easily be 0-4 right now if the Jaguars didn’t shoot themselves in the foot repeatedly in Week 1. I think the case can be made that they’re the worst team in the NFL. Losing by 15 points to Cooper Rush is ridiculous. They can’t block or cover anyone, and their play-calling is so predictable. However, I think they have more talent than Houston and Chicago overall.
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Carolina Panthers (1-3) – Previously: 26.
Baker Mayfield sucked against the Cardinals, but at least Christian McCaffrey was worked into the passing game. The Panthers should begin thinking about tanking for C.J. Stroud or Bryce Young.
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Seattle Seahawks (2-2) – Previously: 32.
It’s amazing how great Geno Smith has been against the blitz this year. He was 22-of-25 for 204 yards and two touchdowns heading into the Detroit game, and we just saw what he did versus the Lions’ blitz-heavy defense. That said, the Seahawks were playing against a Lions squad down seven starters, so don’t get too excited.
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New York Jets (2-2) – Previously: 30.
It’s difficult to judge Zach Wilson right now because the Jets are missing their top three tackles, but his strong second half was impressive. Breece Hall also looked good after finally taking the reins from Michael Carter.
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Atlanta Falcons (2-2) – Previously: 27.
Overrated NFL Team: See why the Falcons are an overrated NFL team in our Overrated-Underrated page.
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New York Giants (3-1) – Previously: 24.
I almost wrote that the Giants were overrated as a result of being 3-1, but no one thinks they’re good, right? They’ve had such an easy schedule thus far and lost to Cooper Rush at home recently.
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Pittsburgh Steelers (1-3) – Previously: 22.
Box score observers might point to Kenny Pickett’s three interceptions, but only one was his fault. He played very well, which had me wondering why he didn’t start off a mini-bye in the first place.
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Indianapolis Colts (1-2-1) – Previously: 21.
The Colts are no longer overrated after losing to the Titans at home. They’re not a bad team, but they need to stop giving teams easy situations with their killer lost fumbles. Matt Ryan has allowed opponents to score three touchdowns off fumbles the past two weeks.
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Tennessee Titans (2-2) – Previously: 19.
Overrated NFL Team: See why the Titans are an overrated NFL team in our Overrated-Underrated page.
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Arizona Cardinals (2-2) – Previously: 23.
Since halftime of the Raiders game in Week 2, the Cardinals have allowed just 43 points. All I heard all week was people criticizing their defense, but the overall seasonal stats include the blowout loss to the Chiefs when Arizona was missing half of its roster.
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New England Patriots (1-3) – Previously: 25.
The Patriots are 1-3, but they have some difficult losses. They battled the Dolphins tough in Week 1; they may have beaten the Ravens in Week 3 had Nelson Agholor not fumbled; and they took the Packers into overtime with Bailey Zappe at quarterback.
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Detroit Lions (1-3) – Previously: 15.
Underrated NFL Team: See why the Lions are an underrated NFL team in our Overrated-Underrated page.
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Dallas Cowboys (3-1) – Previously: 18.
I’d call the Cowboys overrated because they’ve beaten the exhausted Bengals, pedestrian Giants and miserable Redskins, but they’ve gotten some reinforcements back lately, and Dak Prescott will return to the field soon.
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New Orleans Saints (1-3) – Previously: 17.
Underrated NFL Team: See why the Saints are an underrated NFL team in our Overrated-Underrated page.
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Las Vegas Raiders (1-3) – Previously: 20.
The Raiders absolutely had to win coming off an 0-3 start. They sent the kitchen sink against the Broncos, who were a bit flat after beating San Francisco. I’m not sold on the Raiders yet, but they weren’t as bad as their 0-3 record indicated. They’re also better than they were against the Titans because they’ve gotten much healthier since.
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Minnesota Vikings (3-1) – Previously: 14.
Overrated NFL Team: See why the Vikings are an overrated NFL team in our Overrated-Underrated page.
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Cleveland Browns (2-2) – Previously: 16.
The Browns would be 4-0 right now if Nick Chubb had not scored his third touchdown against the Jets, and the entire team didn’t implode in Atlanta with countless mistakes. The Browns outgained the Falcons by a wide margin despite missing Myles Garrett and Jadeveon Clowney.
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Jacksonville Jaguars (2-2) – Previously: 13.
The Jaguars looked like they would pull the upset in Philadelphia when they went up 14-0, but they didn’t even cover the 6.5-point spread. Trevor Lawrence looked like his rookie self again with three turnovers. That said, there’s no shame in losing to the Eagles, who have an elite team.
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Denver Broncos (2-2) – Previously: 10.
It’s not surprising that the Broncos disappointed off their win versus San Francisco, especially given that the Raiders were in a must-win. Still, the game was close despite Melvin Gordon committing a fumble returned for a touchdown. I don’t understand how Gordon has fumbled four times already this year.
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Miami Dolphins (3-1) – Previously: 11.
Overrated NFL Team: See why the Dolphins are an overrated NFL team in our Overrated-Underrated page.
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Los Angeles Rams (2-2) – Previously: 9.
The Rams haven’t been able to deal with elite pass rushes, as both the Bills and 49ers clobbered them. They have Micah Parsons and DeMarcus Lawrence next week…
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Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2-2) – Previously: 12.
The Buccaneers were considered an overrated team before losing to the Chiefs. The sentiment on them is extremely down even though they’ve gotten most of their players back from injury.
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Baltimore Ravens (2-2) – Previously: 8.
The Ravens have lost twice so far, but both came at the very end to two talented teams, the Bills and Dolphins. I support Baltimore’s decision to go for it on fourth down, but Lamar Jackson couldn’t throw that interception because it allowed Buffalo to start at the 20-yard line.
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Green Bay Packers (3-1) – Previously: 7.
The Packers barely beat the Patriots, but this was a flat spot for them. They were coming off a big win at Tampa Bay and had a trip to London on the horizon, so it’s not a surprise that we didn’t seem at their best versus the Patriots.
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San Francisco 49ers (2-2) – Previously: 6.
I had the 49ers slotted as an underrated team last week, but that’s no longer applicable in the wake of their dominant victory over the Rams on national TV. San Francisco’s defense is incredible, but I still worry about Jimmy Garoppolo being able to win deep in the playoffs.
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San Angeles Chargers (2-2) – Previously: 5.
I guess Justin Herbert is healthy. He didn’t exactly face much competition against the Texans, but the important thing is that he looked 100 percent as his team improved to 2-2.
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Cincinnati Bengals (2-2) – Previously: 4.
The Bengals prevailed Thursday night to climb back to 2-2, but they were outgained, both in total yards and yards per play. The offensive line continues to be a big disappointment.
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Philadelphia Eagles (4-0) – Previously: 3.
The Eagles finally faced some adversity after demolishing their first three opponents. They were down 14-0, and yet they still covered the 6.5-point spread. Jalen Hurts finally didn’t have a great passing performance, but that was a difficult feat in the heavy rain.
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Kansas City Chiefs (3-1) – Previously: 2.
The Chiefs should be 4-0 right now. That loss to the Colts was bogus, as 10 different things had to happen for Indianapolis to prevail, and they all occurred. And I say this as someone who bet the Colts in that game!
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Buffalo Bills (3-1) – Previously: 1.
The Bills didn’t cover in Baltimore, but credit them for charging back from a 20-3 deficit while coming off an exhausting game in Miami. Also, the Bills did a great job of adjusting to Lamar Jackson by blitzing him more often.
2022 NFL MVP Race:
1. Patrick Mahomes, QB, Chiefs
2. Josh Allen, QB, Bills
3. Jalen Hurts, QB, Eagles
4. Lamar Jackson, QB, Ravens
5. Aaron Rodgers, QB, Packers
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 |
