The 10 strongest ratings for Week 13 of the NFL in 2023 in America
How all 32 teams stack up
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Welcome to Week 13 of the 2023 NFL season. Three months are in the books, and that means teams are gearing up for the playoff push -- and others are looking to the offseason.
This past week we had several matchups that impacted division races and other matchups between some of the top 10 teams in the league. So how did those games impact this week's rankings? And where do the Denver Broncos -- who've won five in a row -- rank?
In addition to the updated rankings, our NFL Nation reporters look at ESPN Analytics' Football Power Index (FPI) rankings for offense, defense and special teams. What is every team the best at? Where can they improve? And what story do the rankings tell? More on that below. Let's start with the team with the best record in the NFL -- the Philadelphia Eagles.
Our power panel of more than 80 writers, editors and TV personalities evaluates how NFL teams stack up against one another, ranking them from 1 to 32.
1. Philadelphia Eagles (10-1)Week 12 ranking: 1
The Eagles have gotten off to slow starts offensively of late, but they know how to close -- averaging a league-high 14.6 points per game in the second half. The defense ranks third against the run (allowing 85.3 yards per game) compared to 29th versus the pass (255.7 YPG). Philadelphia has yielded the second-most passing touchdowns in the NFL (23) and is in the bottom half of the league in takeaways (14). Special teams have turned from a liability in 2022 to a strength this season. Kicker Jake Elliott (19-of-21 on field goal attempts) is rock solid, and Britain Covey ranks fourth in punt return average
2. San Francisco 49ers (8-3)
Week 12 ranking: 2
Aside from struggling in an injury-prone, rain-plagued game against a great defense in Cleveland, the 49ers' offense has been the most rounded and efficient group in the league. Running back Christian McCaffrey is leading the league in rushing yards (939) but quarterback Brock Purdy also leads the league in Total QBR (75.6) and completion percentage (70.2%). Defensively, the Niners struggled during their three-game losing streak but have righted the ship lately behind a pass rush that's racked up 15 sacks in the past three games after posting just 18 in the first eight. Punter Mitch Wischnewsky has been excellent and kicker Jake Moody has been solid aside from one significant miss against the Browns, but the kick coverage and return games have been lacking.
3. Baltimore Ravens (9-3)
Week 12 ranking: 5
The Ravens are the only team to rank in the top 10 in all three phases, which explains why this could be the most complete team in the NFL. Baltimore is averaging 27.6 points per game, which are the most for this franchise through 12 weeks since Lamar Jackson's 2019 NFL MVP season. The Ravens' defense has been even more dominant, holding teams to an NFL-best 15.5 points per game. That's the fewest through 12 games for Baltimore since 2006, which was the first season that the Ravens finished No. 1 in defense. -- Jamison Hensley
Week 12 ranking: 3
The Chiefs haven't been as dynamic offensively as they were last season -- averaging 5.9 offensive points less per game in 2023 (23.27). But the team showed in Sunday's win over the Raiders that they can be effective when they avoid turnovers (they have 19 this season) and dropped passes (6.8% of passes have been dropped). The defense has carried the Chiefs when the offense struggled, allowing the third-fewest points per game (16.5). They have multiple defenders playing well at all three levels. The special teams ranking is a disappointment since the Chiefs expected to be better than middle of the pack. -- Adam Teicher
5. Dallas Cowboys (8-3)
Week 12 ranking: 6
When the season began, the Cowboys were going to be a defense-led team, but that has started to change with how the offense has come alive with Dak Prescott's high level of play and Mike McCarthy's play calling. The defense is still top-notch, but the Cowboys have been able to put up points -- the most total points per game in the league (31.55). It's strange that special teams is ranked just 11th when Brandon Aubrey has not missed a field goal attempt and Bryan Anger is averaging 45 yards per punt. They have also returned a blocked field goal for a touchdown and blocked a punt. But these rankings have them among the NFL's elite. -- Todd Archer
6. Miami Dolphins (8-3)
Week 12 ranking: 7
With skill players like Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle and Raheem Mostert, you'd expect the Dolphins' offensive ranking -- but their defensive ranking is a testament to how well they've played over the last month. Since the return of Jalen Ramsey in Week 8, Miami has forced nine turnovers and recorded 14 sacks, although the season-ending Achilles injury to Jaelan Phillips could impact the pass rush moving forward. Kicker Jason Sanders has been accurate within 49 yards but has struggled over the past three seasons from distance. Since 2021, Sanders has connected on just 6 of 16 kicks from 50 or more yards out; he has hit on consecutive such attempts over the past two weeks, however, so his struggles may be behind him. -- Marcel Louis-Jacques
7. Detroit Lions (8-3)
Week 12 ranking: 4
The numbers tell a tale of two teams. For the second year in a row, the Lions' offense is among the best in the league, averaging the second-most yards per game (405.5), while the defense ranks among the bottom -- despite showing flashes of their potential. The Lions excel offensively with a plethora of options to score from rushing to passing, while the defense lacks in the secondary and pass rush, notably against mobile quarterbacks. The Lions are allowing their opponents to score a touchdown in the red zone 68.6% of the time -- the third-worst mark in the league. Special team's coordinator Dave Fipps has the Lions performing among the best in that department with his coaching creativity. The Lions, who sit atop the NFC North, can still get better. -- Eric Woodyard
Week 12 ranking: 9
The expected improvement on offense in the second season in coach Doug Pederson's scheme has not materialized, and two of the biggest issues are the offensive line and third downs. The offensive line has played well in pass protection the past two games -- just one sack and four QB hits allowed -- but still rank 29th in the NFL in pass block win rate (47.9%), per NFL Next Gen Stats. The Jaguars rank 22nd in third-down conversion rate (36.8%) and have been especially bad on third-and-3 or less (51.2%, 29th). The defense has thrived on forcing turnovers (20) and LB Josh Allen is having the best year of his career (12 sacks). Kicker Brandon McManus, signed during OTAs after he was released by Denver, is 23-for-26 on field goal attempts and perfect on PATs (23-for-23). -- Michael Dirocco
9. Pittsburgh Steelers (7-4)
Week 12 ranking: 15
The biggest surprises of the Steelers' rankings are that their special teams is a bottom-half unit and the offense is a middle-of-the-road bunch. Though the offense put up just 16 points -- even below its season average mark entering Sunday's win against the Bengals -- it finally crested 400 yards of offense in the first game without Matt Canada, proving that this group is capable of moving the ball and supporting a top-10 defense. Kicker Chris Boswell has missed just one field goal this season -- his best to date -- but special teams is more than an automatic kicker. Punter Pressley Harvin III has a net average of 39.8, one of the worst marks in the NFL. -- Brooke Pryor
10. Buffalo Bills (6-6)
Week 12 ranking: 10
This is largely a reflection of the team's issues closing out wins, with the Bills holding a 2-6 record in one-score games. The team holds a plus-101-point differential through 12 games, the 268th team to be plus-100 or better through 12 games but the second team to not have a winning record (1950 Eagles). Buffalo's many injuries on defense have hurt some of the unit's production, and some of the offense's inconsistencies over the course of the season aren't reflected here. Overall, the Bills' FPI rankings reflect the team's inability to close out games. -- Alaina Gettenberg