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NFL Nation, ESPN
Welcome to Week 10 of the 2023 NFL season. It’s finally midseason! There were three games over the weekend featuring six teams that ranked in the top 11 of last week’s NFL Power Rankings. The results of those games heavily impacted our top 10 this week — and one team was kicked out.
Plus, since it’s midseason, our NFL Nation reporters name a non-QB MVP on every team. Whether it’s the receivers who are on pace to break the receiving record, the No. 1 defender on the NFL’s No. 1 defense, a running back who has scored a touchdown in 17 straight games or a reliable center on a struggling team who is just really polite — we list an MVP who is not the quarterback for every team.
Here are the updated rankings, starting with last week’s (and this week’s) No. 1 — 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.
Previous rankings: Preseason | Week 2 | Week 3 | Week 4 | Week 5 | Week 6 | Week 7 | Week 8 | Week 9
Jump to a team:
ARI | ATL | BAL | BUF | CAR | CHI | CIN
CLE | DAL | DEN | DET | GB | HOU | IND
JAX | KC | LAC | LAR | LV | MIA | MIN
NE | NO | NYG | NYJ | PHI | PIT | SF
SEA | TB | TEN | WSH
Week 9 ranking: 1
Non-QB MVP: WR A.J. Brown
Brown has been one of the league’s most impactful players over the first half. He made history by becoming the first to go for 125-plus receiving yards in six consecutive games. He also set a new team mark for quickest player to 1,000 yards receiving (nine games). “He’s on an unbelievable historic tear right now,” said offensive coordinator Brian Johnson, “and it’s a testament to him, who he is as a person, to how serious he is about perfecting his craft and making the most of his opportunities.” — Tim McManus
Week 9 ranking: 3
Non-QB MVP: TE Travis Kelce
The Chiefs have several defenders playing well, but Kelce to a large extent has carried the passing game with the other receivers struggling. He has 25% of the Chiefs’ catches (57) and 24% of their receiving yards (597). He returned from an ankle injury to be a key player in a Week 5 win over the Vikings. — Adam Teicher
0:44
Spears: Chiefs have a real problem on offense
Marcus Spears expresses his concern over the Chiefs’ offensive struggles so far this season.
Week 9 ranking: 4
Non-QB MVP: MLB Roquan Smith
He’s the quarterback and leading tackler on a defense that has allowed the fewest points in the NFL this season at 13.8 — an average of two points less per game than any other team. Smith is all over the field, recording 87 tackles, 1.5 sacks and 5 passes defensed. What can’t be measured is his impact as a vocal and emotional leader. Just like Ray Lewis years ago, Smith talks to the team in the final pregame huddle on the field. He’s the unquestioned tone-setter for the team. “His energy is infectious,” Ravens safety Kyle Hamilton said. “You don’t want to be the guy that isn’t matching his energy when you’re out there. We go as he goes.” — Jamison Hensley
Week 9 ranking: 2
Non-QB MVP: WR Tyreek Hill
Hill could be the MVP of the entire league, regardless of position. The league’s leading receiver is on pace to break 2,000 receiving yards for the first time in NFL history and remains its premier downfield threat. While he has commanded a higher target share in 2023 than his previous season with the Dolphins, he has shown that he can handle the extra workload. The Dolphins’ offense has slowed a bit from its pace to start the season, but Hill remains on track for yet another first-team All-Pro nomination. — Marcel Louis-Jacques
Week 9 ranking: 8
Non-QB MVP: WR Amon-Ra St. Brown
The Pro Bowl receiver was named one of six team captains for the 2023 season and has continued to build on a great start to his NFL career. St. Brown might not be the most vocal person in the locker room, but his work ethic and production speaks for itself. He has five 100-yard receiving games this season, helping Detroit to a 6-2 start for the first time since 2014. He pushed through an illness to help the Lions beat the Raiders on “Monday Night Football” on Oct. 30 — finishing with six receptions for 108 yards. Performances like that one have inspired his teammates and the coaching staff. “That was not the best he’s felt, but like a true warrior he just sucked it up and he went,” coach Dan Campbell said after the game. — Eric Woodyard
Week 9 ranking: 6
Non-QB MVP: OLB Josh Allen
Running back Travis Etienne Jr. (583 yards rushing, 8 total TDs) might deserve it, too, but Allen gets the nod because the defense has surprisingly carried an offense that hasn’t operated at a consistently high level in the first half. Allen is having the best year of his career (9 sacks) and has pretty much been the Jaguars’ entire pass rush. His 48 QB pressures are more than twice the number of the next-closest teammate (Travon Walker with 22), according to NFL Next Gen Stats. He also has helped the run defense rank third in the NFL (79.3 yards per game). — Michael DiRocco
Week 9 ranking: 11
Non-QB MVP: DE Trey Hendrickson
Hendrickson is one of the league’s most disruptive defensive linemen. He ranks 11th in pass rush win rate as an edge rusher (ESPN/NFL Next Gen Stats). According to ESPN tracking data, Hendrickson has created 9 sacks (fifth most among defenders), 19 incompletions (third most) and 2 interceptions this season. When he gets a first pressure, opponents are completing just 18.2% of their pass attempts. — Ben Baby
1:58
McAfee: The Bengals are all the way back
Pat McAfee and Darius Butler discuss how much of a threat the Bengals are in the AFC after their win over the Bills.
Week 9 ranking: 7
Non-QB MVP: RB Christian McCaffrey
McCaffrey staked an early spot in the league MVP race, but an oblique injury in Week 6 has slowed that momentum a bit. Still, McCaffrey ranks in the top three in the league in scrimmage yards per game (118), total touchdowns (13) and rushing yards (652). He also has scored a touchdown in 17 straight games (including playoffs), tying him with Lenny Moore for the longest streak in NFL history. — Nick Wagoner
Week 9 ranking: 5
Non-QB MVP: WR CeeDee Lamb
Lamb is on pace to set Cowboys records for catches (121) and yards (1,751) in a single season, surpassing Hall of Famer Michael Irvin. He has put up back-to-back 150-receiving-yard games, the first Dallas receiver to do that since Miles Austin in 2009. He has 14 100-yard receiving games in his career, trailing only Hall of Famer Bob Hayes (15). Despite the extra attention from defenses, Lamb is still making a ton of plays whether lining up outside or in the slot. — Todd Archer
Week 9 ranking: 12
Non-QB MVP: DE Myles Garrett
Garrett has gone from perennial All-Pro to front-runner for NFL Defensive Player of the Year. He is tied for second in the league with 9.5 sacks, spearheading one of the NFL’s top defenses. Last month, Garrett became the first player this millennium to finish a game with two sacks, two forced fumbles and a blocked field goal, as he almost single-handedly carried the Browns to a win over the Colts. Despite several injuries to its offense, Cleveland is in the thick of the playoff picture. Garrett is the biggest reason. — Jake Trotter
Week 9 ranking: 9
Non-QB MVP: WR Stefon Diggs
For all of the inconsistencies that have plagued the Bills’ offense this season, it’s hard to imagine where the unit would be without Diggs. He is consistently making splash plays, such as a 34-yard gain on the opening drive against the Bengals that got the Bills moving downfield, and is arguably the most reliable performer on an offense that is dealing with its share of issues. Diggs leads the team in almost every receiving category (70 receptions for 834 yards and seven touchdowns), and getting Diggs the ball is a recipe for success. — Alaina Getzenberg
2:16
Has the Bills’ Super Bowl window closed?
Ryan Clark and Rex Ryan explain why the Bills are no longer Super Bowl contenders.
Week 9 ranking: 10
Non-QB MVP: OLB Boye Mafe
Mafe would be the choice even if quarterbacks were included. He has taken the biggest second-year leap of anyone from the Seahawks’ stellar 2022 draft class, recording a full sack in six straight games to tie the longest streak in franchise history. In seven games, he already has doubled his sack total from his rookie season. Mafe’s sack Sunday against Baltimore forced a fumble that Seattle recovered. He ranks third in PRWR among edge players this season, behind only Micah Parsons and Myles Garrett, according to ESPN Analytics/NFL Next Gen Stats. — Brady Henderson
Week 9 ranking: 14
Non-QB MVP: EDGE T.J. Watt
This is a no-brainer. No one is having a bigger game-changing impact for the Steelers than Watt. Through eight games, Watt has 9.5 sacks — tied for second most in the NFL with Garrett and Maxx Crosby — 2 forced fumbles, 3 fumble recoveries and 1 interception. And one of those fumble recoveries was a game-winning scoop-and-score in the fourth quarter of Pittsburgh’s Week 2 win against the Browns. Without Watt, the Steelers aren’t 5-3 or in the thick of the AFC playoff hunt. — Brooke Pryor
Week 9 ranking: 15
Non-QB MVP: WR Keenan Allen
Nearly every player on the Chargers has fluctuated from bad to good this year, but Allen, in his 11th season, has been one of the team’s most consistent players. He is on pace for 1,530 yards this season, which would be the most in his career. He currently has 62 receptions, 720 yards and 4 touchdowns. In a win over the Vikings, Allen threw a 49-yard touchdown pass and caught 18 passes for 215 yards. Coach Brandon Staley said Allen plays the position “as an art form.” “He has some stuff that’s intangible,” Staley said, “that’s hard to find.” — Kris Rhim
Week 9 ranking: 16
Non-QB MVP: TE/QB Taysom Hill
Hill started the season listed as a TE, and is a quarterback sometimes — but not enough for him to be disqualified here. He has been the best thing going the past three games as the Saints have started to come together on offense. Hill has helped fix the Saints’ red zone issues with three rushing touchdowns, a receiving touchdown and a passing touchdown in the past three games. — Katherine Terrell
Week 9 ranking: 17
Non-QB MVP: RT Brian O’Neill
This is difficult given the Vikings’ injury-based roster churn on offense and their weekly personnel shifts on defense. But after spending training camp in the final stages of recovery from an Achilles injury he suffered Jan. 1, O’Neill returned to the lineup in Week 1, has played every offensive snap and leads the NFL in pass block win rate at 94.7% (ESPN/NFL Next Gen Stats). His presence has been especially valuable given injuries that have forced left tackle Christian Darrisaw to miss a pair of games. It’s always tough to predict voting for postseason awards among offensive linemen, but O’Neill deserves strong consideration for All-Pro honors. — Kevin Seifert
1:43
What does Joshua Dobbs’ strong debut mean for Vikings pass catchers?
Field Yates analyzes what Josh Dobbs’ terrific debut means for Jordan Addison and T.J. Hockenson.
Week 9 ranking: 23
Non-QB MVP: LT Laremy Tunsil
Tunsil continues to show the world he deserves to be in the conversation for the best left tackle in the NFL. He’s third among tackles in PBWR (94.1%) and is one of the biggest reasons rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud has performed so well. Tunsil has anchored the protection around Stroud, who has been sacked only seven times in the past six games. — DJ Bien-Aime
Week 9 ranking: 13
Non-QB MVP: RB Breece Hall
It’s simple math: The Jets are 4-0 when Hall scores a touchdown. Going back to last season, it’s 8-0. Running as if last year’s ACL surgery never happened, Hall was leading the NFL in yards per carry (5.7) at the start of Week 9. The Jets’ offense is out of balance because of a subpar passing game, causing opponents to overplay the run, but that hasn’t stopped Hall from being the home run threat they haven’t had in more than a decade. — Rich Cimini
Week 9 ranking: 24
Non-QB MVP: WR Terry McLaurin
This was not an easy one to pick — no one is having a Pro Bowl season — but McLaurin has been one of the most consistent Commanders, with 47 catches for 568 yards and 2 touchdowns. In the past six games he has topped 70 yards receiving four times; he has averaged 73.7 yards per game in that stretch compared to 42 in the first three. McLaurin remains the heartbeat of the offense. When he’s involved early, the offense benefits. He’s on pace for 88 catches and 1,072 yards and would become the first player in franchise history to top 1,000 yards in four consecutive seasons. — John Keim
Week 9 ranking: 18
Non-QB MVP: S Jessie Bates III
Atlanta’s biggest splash free agent signing, Bates provides stability in the back end and leadership off the field. He’s leading the team in interceptions (3) and forced fumbles (2) and tied for third on the team in tackles (60). He has been a big part of an improved Falcons defense that has kept the team in games while the offense sorts things out week after week. — Michael Rothstein
Week 9 ranking: 21
Non-QB MVP: DT DeForest Buckner
You can portray Buckner’s impact with numbers — 5 sacks, 6 tackles for loss, 2 forced fumbles — but that doesn’t really reflect the true value of his presence. A better representation is the reality that Buckner easily commands more attention from offenses than any player on the Colts’ defense. He is among the most frequently double-teamed players in the NFL this season in run and passing situations. And his ability to collapse the quarterback pocket as a pass-rusher has fueled the production of players around him like Kwity Paye and Samson Ebukam. — Stephen Holder
Week 9 ranking: 25
Non-QB MVP: DE Maxx Crosby
The two-time Pro Bowler and burgeoning All-Pro is making snap count almost as attractive a statistic as sacks. Almost. Crosby rarely comes off the field — he has missed only two defensive snaps in the Raiders’ past six games — and he is coming off his third career three-sack game. In fact, he has 9.5 of the Raiders’ 24 sacks, and no one else on Las Vegas’ roster has more than two sacks. Not only is he the engine of the Raiders’ No. 15-ranked total defense, he is also quickly becoming the face of the entire franchise. — Paul Gutierrez
0:50
Maxx Crosby praises new Raiders coach Antonio Pierce to Pat McAfee
Maxx Crosby explains to Pat McAfee why he was so happy with Antonio Pierce as the Raiders head coach.
Week 9 ranking: 20
Non-QB MVP: S Antoine Winfield Jr.
The Buccaneers’ defense may be struggling, but Winfield Jr. has been exceptional. He has 2 sacks, 3 forced fumbles, 3 fumble recoveries and 4 pass breakups so far this season. — Jenna Laine
Week 9 ranking: 27
Non-QB MVP: OLB Rashan Gary
There haven’t been many individual standout performers, which helps explain why the Packers are 3-5 and even their wins weren’t overly impressive. But Gary came back from a torn ACL he suffered last season and has 4.5 sacks and a team-high 18 pressures despite being on a limited snap count early in the season. He has the eighth-best pressure percentage (13.1% according to ESPN Stats & Information) among all NFL defenders. And he recently signed a four-year extension. — Rob Demovsky
Week 9 ranking: 22
Non-QB MVP: RB Derrick Henry
Henry’s snaps this season (56.4% of all offensive snaps) are slightly down from last year (66.8%). But he remains the most important player on the Titans’ offense. Every week defenses dedicate most of their resources to slowing Henry down. The Titan’s winning formula remains the same: Give Henry touches and good things happen. Henry has 20 or more carries in three games this season. He gained at least 100 rushing yards in two of those instances and Tennessee won all three games. It’s not just the stats, though. The play-action passing game is more effective when Henry is running effectively. Henry leads the Titans in touchdowns scored (4) and has a passing touchdown on his résumé this season. — Turron Davenport
Week 9 ranking: 19
Non-QB MVP: DT Aaron Donald
The Rams have had to rely on their defense this season, and the young group has played better than expected. With a lot of new faces after the departures of veterans, including cornerback Jalen Ramsey and linebacker Bobby Wagner, the unit has been led by Donald. And the three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year has shown up on the stat sheet, too. Entering Week 10, he ranked third in the NFL in pass rush win rate for defensive tackles. Donald had a sack on Sunday against the Packers, giving him 5.5 on the season. — Sarah Barshop
2:00
Field Yates’ silver lining for Kupp and Nacua
Field Yates is optimistic for bounce-backs from Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua with Matthew Stafford likely to return after the Rams’ bye week.
Week 9 ranking: 26
Non-QB MVP: CB Pat Surtain II
Surtain consistently shows the impact he can have on a game. Other than a rare lapse when Surtain allowed the Jets’ Robbie Chosen to get behind him for a 68-yard touchdown in Week 5, he has been every bit the All-Pro he’s expected to be. The touchdown is the only completion longer than 20 yards that he has surrendered all season. — Jeff Legwold
Week 9 ranking: 28
Non-QB MVP: C David Andrews
Andrews hasn’t missed a snap and has been the one constant for an offensive line that has used seven different configurations in nine games. He’s also usually the first player at the postgame interview podium — usually in his game uniform — answering challenging questions after losses. — Mike Reiss
0:39
Is Rhamondre Stevenson a budding fantasy star?
Eric Karabell says RB Rhamondre Stevenson could be great in fantasy if the Patriots got him more touches.
Week 9 ranking: 29
Non-QB MVP: DT Dexter Lawrence II
Lawrence is tied for seventh in the NFL with 14 quarterback hits. That’s not supposed to happen from the nose tackle position. He has been the Giants’ best and most consistent player by a wide margin, in part because almost all of their other top players have been injured at some point early this season. — Jordan Raanan
Week 9 ranking: 30
Non-QB MVP: WR DJ Moore
Moore was the centerpiece of the trade that sent the 2023 No. 1 pick to Carolina this offseason and has been the definition of dependable for an offense trying to find its way. He is third on the team in offensive snaps (92.6%), has a team-high 735 receiving yards (15.6 yards per catch) and is tied for the lead with five touchdowns. There have been games where Moore hasn’t been targeted nearly enough, but he still manages to produce and give quarterbacks Justin Fields and Tyson Bagent a trusty deep-ball threat. — Courtney Cronin
Week 9 ranking: 31
Non-QB MVP: LB Frankie Luvu
Luvu has been a constant on a defense and team that have been mired in inconsistency. He leads Carolina in tackles with 62, having to play inside and outside because of injuries and an overall lack of a speed rusher opposite Brian Burns. He has a team-best 7 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks to rank second to Burns. Luvu is playing well enough to make his first Pro Bowl, although getting attention on a 1-7 team will make that tough. — David Newton
Week 9 ranking: 32
Non-QB MVP: WR Marquise Brown
Arizona is on its third quarterback and has had injuries to starters at tight end and running back, but Brown has been consistent. He leads the Cardinals with 42 receptions, 440 yards and 4 touchdowns while averaging 10.5 yards per catch. In the final year of his contract, Brown has also been responsible for 27 of Arizona’s 85 passing first downs this season, which comes to about 32%. — Josh Weinfuss