We’re two weeks into the 2023 NFL season, and the Dallas Cowboys look like they’re prepared to steamroll the professional football landscape. As fun as it is to deride the Cowboys, let’s give credit where credit’s due.
Dallas has the league’s best defense (by far) — a suffocating unit that’s surrendered just 10 points in two games while seemingly making a field-tilting play every possession. That defense has already created seven turnovers, which complements a Dak Prescott-Mike McCarthy offensive medley that has yet to give the ball away and continues to play perfectly within itself. And by virtue of its own dominance, Dallas hasn’t really had to unleash its full offensive arsenal yet. But between usual flashes from CeeDee Lamb and Tony Pollard, it’s terrifying to consider what happens when Brandin Cooks re-enters this mix.
None of what the Cowboys are achieving right now should be surprising to anyone who saw their understated offseason. This is essentially the same exact team that won 12 games and advanced to last year’s Divisional Round. Except now it has Cooks and another lockdown corner in Stephon Gilmore taking snaps. These Cowboys were flat-out built to cruise through this regular season and bully everyone.
All of this makes the Cowboys seem like they’re prepared for a casual 13-14-win campaign, the NFC’s No. 1 seed, and, of course, the conference’s only playoff bye. So … when does the other shoe drop?
While these Cowboys are starting to resemble the best team in Big D in decades, no one in North Texas will remember their regular-season success if Dallas steps on countless rakes again come the postseason. It simply pales in comparison to the importance of the playoffs — especially in a football-crazed Texas town. The pressure’s on for the Cowboys. Let’s see if they predictably fall flat on their face or actually rise to the occasion this time.
Here are For The Win’s power rankings for Week 3 of the 2023 NFL season, featuring the Cowboys and some other top NFC juggernauts starting to settle in.
32
Chicago Bears
Last week’s rank: 27
Two games into a year of hopeful progress, Justin Fields looks irreparably broken. The Bears’ offense itself is beyond predictable. And a defense the Bears invested so many resources in is basically unplayable on third down against the pass. It’s still so, so early, but the “tank for Caleb Williams/Drake Maye” talk may reach a fever pitch soon. The NFL’s charter organization might need a clean slate. Again. — RZ
31
Arizona Cardinals
Last week’s rank: 32
The Cardinals are losing games, but that’s what they’re supposed to do in 2023. They’ve found a way to be both entertaining and fantasy-relevant in the middle of a tank job, which is a combination of factors that aren’t meant to go together. For that, I salute them. — CD
30
Houston Texans
Last week’s rank: 30
How about C.J. Stroud? In a game where Stroud was without most of his starting offensive line against a vicious Colts’ front, the rookie starter resembled something special. Beyond the 384 passing yards, the Colts were ready to tee off on Stroud in a blowout, and he just wouldn’t let them. Houston may have hit a home run with its next face of the franchise. — RZ
29
Carolina Panthers
Last week’s rank: 31
Bryce Young has potential. He also has no one capable of creating separation in his passing game, which means all but five of his 22 completions Monday night came within five yards of the line of scrimmage. This is a redshirt year; as long as he’s making the right reads and not crafting bad habits, he’ll be fine. — CD
28
Denver Broncos
Last week’s rank: 26
Back-to-back come-from-ahead home losses suggest this team is just as flawed under Sean Payton as it was under Nathaniel Hackett, only in less obviously stupid ways. The offense disappears in stretches, and the defense allowed Sam Howell and the Commanders to rack up 32 points in the game’s final 32 minutes to prove you can’t trust either side of the ball in Denver. — CD
27
Indianapolis Colts
Last week’s rank: 28
It’s a real shame Anthony Richardson couldn’t finish a promising outing against Houston. At any rate, the top pick is starting to show preternatural instincts as a passer and rusher many thought he still needed to develop. Provided Richardson is healthy moving forward, the Colts themselves are becoming a worthy upside pick in a rebuilding year for the franchise. — RZ
26
New England Patriots
Last week’s rank: 23
The Patriots have surged to put themselves in a position to win games with late comeback efforts each week this season. That’s the silver lining to a 0-2 record and a troubling trend of falling behind by double digits early. At least Mac Jones looks presentable in 2023. — CD
25
Tennessee Titans
Last week’s rank: 29
Mike Vrabel’s team will never go down without a fight. With their backs up against the wall, the Titans rallied from a late 21-17 deficit Sunday and never looked back. They also did it without a 100-yard Derrick Henry rushing performance and lost in almost every relevant metric aside from the final score. Tennessee is thoroughly mediocre and uninspiring, but it’ll still be a challenging out every week. — RZ
24
Cleveland Browns
Last week’s rank: 17
The Browns traded three first-round picks for Deshaun Watson despite more than 20 accusations of sexual misconduct and what the NFL itself described as “predatory behavior.” Then they gave him $230 million fully guaranteed via contract extension. On Monday night, he repaid that faith with three turnovers, two of which became immediate touchdowns for the Pittsburgh Steelers, along with multiple 15-yard penalties in a four-point loss. Things are great! — CD
23
Pittsburgh Steelers
Last week’s rank: 25
Kenny Pickett isn’t trustworthy, and neither is offensive coordinator Matt Canada. That defense, though? Oh yeah, that defense is gonna be a problem for the rest of the AFC. — CD
22
Minnesota Vikings
Last week’s rank: 18
Thursday night was the backdrop to a vintage Kirk Cousins performance: a bunch of yards, a beautiful stat line, and a loss. Fortunately for the Vikings, there was improvement from Week 1. His turnovers weren’t as damaging this time around — no interceptions, though a strip-sack led to a short field and Eagles touchdown — and his three second-half touchdown passes kept Philly from running away with this game. The defense is a mess, but the NFC North is winnable. — CD
21
Las Vegas Raiders
Last week’s rank: 19
Jimmy Garoppolo, when targeting Davante Adams Sunday: 10.5 yards per attempt, a 147.9 passer rating. Garoppolo, when targeting anyone else: 6.3 yards per attempt and a 40.9 passer rating. Yep, that’s the Handsome James we’ve come to know and begrudgingly love over the past decade. — CD
20
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Last week’s rank: 24
I’m not buying stock in the “Baker Mayfield Redemption Tour” just yet, but I’m starting to believe. Tampa Bay has the perfect makings for this year’s top surprise playoff team. A still-vicious defense. Great playmakers on offense, from Mike Evans to Chris Godwin. A caretaker quarterback in Mayfield who playing within himself. And a weak NFC South division on paper that is ripe for the taking. Sound the alarm bells; the Buccaneers are coming. — RZ
19
New York Giants
Last week’s rank: 22
Well, hey, if we just focus on the 31 second-half points and fourth-quarter defensive shutout, the Giants looked pretty good in Week 2. Please don’t mention the first half or Saquon Barkley’s ankle injury. That’s rude. — CD
18
Washington Commanders
Last week’s rank: 21
Sam Howell might be here to stay. After a low-key performance in the season opener, the second-year quarterback matched up with a potent Broncos defense and threw for 299 yards, a pair of touchdowns, and committed zero turnovers in a 35-33 win. While he didn’t do much downfield — his average pass traveled just 4.8 yards beyond the line of scrimmage — that composure is something Ron Rivera can mold into a playoff appearance. — CD
17
Los Angeles Chargers
Last week’s rank: 14
Imagine telling a Chargers fan in, say, 2018 that they’d have another star quarterback right after Phillip Rivers. His offense in Year 4 would look sublime, doing whatever it wants to opposing defenses at a highly efficient level. Then imagine telling this person the Chargers still started 0-2 in a season with championship expectations. They wouldn’t even blink. — RZ
16
Cincinnati Bengals
Last week’s rank: 10
Joe Burrow’s calf injury is a problem. A secondary replacing veteran talent is as well. This stands to leave Cincinnati’s hopes of contending in the hands of Zac Taylor, who is capable of guiding the ship when he’s got a generational talent at quarterback but now has to navigate through choppy water. This might be a rough one for the Bengals. — CD
15
New York Jets
Last week’s rank: 9
It appears adjacency to Aaron Rodgers in practice has changed positively nothing about Zach Wilson as a starting quarterback. Who could have possibly predicted this? Far be it from me to question the process of a Football Guy, but general manager Joe Douglas better start looking at outside options under center before it’s too late. — RZ
14
Los Angeles Rams
Last week’s rank: 20
Matthew Stafford’s actual completion rate is lower than his expected completion rate. Still, it’s tough to nitpick when he’s making Puka Nacua a fantasy juggernaut and throwing for 300-plus yards per game without Cooper Kupp anywhere near the lineup. The Rams are competitive with a rebuilt roster; 2023 could be one of Sean McVay’s most impressive seasons as a head coach, even if he merely hovers around .500. — CD
13
New Orleans Saints
Last week’s rank: 16
The Saints float here based on a 2-0 record and a very creamy filling between the NFC’s best teams and its worst. Derek Carr wasn’t especially good in Week 2, but Chris Olave and some timely runs from Taysom Hill (of course) bailed him out on what felt like a very Thursday night Monday Night Football game. — CD
12
Green Bay Packers
Last week’s rank: 11
Jordan Love can operate when his offense is on schedule, but his inability to lead the Packers back against the Falcons — or even sustain enough fourth-quarter momentum to protect a 12-point lead — proves he’s not quite ready for the big stage yet. That’s fine, it’s still early, and he managed to play (mostly) mistake-free football again despite the loss. — CD
11
Atlanta Falcons
Last week’s rank: 13
Sunday was a demonstration that the offensively-loaded Falcons can simply overwhelm their opponents. Arthur Smith’s bunch nearly doubled the Packers in total yards and had almost 13 minutes more in time of possession. Meanwhile, Jordan Love struggled to pass for 150 yards against a revamped Atlanta defense. If Desmond Ridder takes the next step over the course of the season, this team is a sleeping giant. — RZ
10
Jacksonville Jaguars
Last week’s rank: 7
This offense needs to get on track or risk trashing all the goodwill of 2022’s playoff rally. Yes, it’s that bad. — CD
Through two weeks, the Jaguars have a league-low -35.9 EPA on offense.
The next closest team (the Jets) is at -22.0.
Jaguars are a league-worst 6-of-24 (25%) on 3rd downs to open the year with 1.6 yards per play on 3rd down.
— Rich Hribar (@LordReebs) September 18, 2023
9
Seattle Seahawks
Last week’s rank: 15
Geno Smith is still not writing the haters back. One week after murmurs about him being a one-year wonder started to simmer, Smith cut the Lions up like a skilled surgeon in a “blue ski mask” game for the home team. The veteran signal-caller was so good that he completed passes to nine different receivers and averaged eight yards per pass attempt. This looked far more like the explosive Seahawks offense we expected in the preseason — which is a great sign for Seattle’s 2023 prospects. — RZ
8
Detroit Lions
Last week’s rank: 4
A Detroit attack that is at the top of most relevant categories in yards, points, and advanced metrics won’t be what sinks the Lions this year. It’ll be a still-growing Detroit defense that had no answer for a locked-in Geno Smith and the Seahawks. What’ll happen on a regular basis against better teams and better quarterbacks? (The barren Chiefs without Travis Kelce do not count.) Gulp. — RZ
7
Buffalo Bills
Last week’s rank: 12
Buffalo got right after being shut down by the Jets’ defense in Week 1. While Josh Allen still plays football like a weirdo — see his failed red zone hurdle for more — he proved he’s capable of overwhelming bad secondaries by calmly slicing up the Raiders in a rout. — CD
6
Kansas City Chiefs
Last week’s rank: 8
The offense was still janky even after Travis Kelce’s return, though Kadarius Toney’s bounceback could portend a brighter future (or merely be window dressing on his next hamstring injury). The good news is the running game finally began clicking behind Isiah Pacheco, and the defense came together to keep a dangerous but confused Jacksonville team out of the end zone. It’s tough to complain about a road win over a division champion. — CD
5
Philadelphia Eagles
Last week’s rank: 6
Philadelphia took concerns about a sputtering offense in Week 1 and used them to blast the Vikings with 34 points. Predictably, a ground game led by Jalen Hurts did most of the damage (259 yards!). So, for one week, the reigning NFC champs played like the reigning NFC champs. Now they just have to hope A.J. Brown’s sideline temper tantrum about not getting the ball enough doesn’t snowball into anything troublesome. — RZ
4
Baltimore Ravens
Last week’s rank: 5
Lamar Jackson is completing 57 percent of his deep throws through two games, and every one that’s been caught has come from a few wideouts (Zay Flowers, Odell Beckham Jr.).
LAMAR LAUNCHES IT DEEEEEP TO ZAY FLOWERS
📺: #BALvsCIN on CBS
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus https://t.co/FhXtx7w3wW pic.twitter.com/CQK54UE8La— NFL (@NFL) September 17, 2023
The Ravens may have unleashed the missing element of Jackson’s game — he completed just 35 percent of those passes even in his 2019 MVP campaign — by finally investing in the right wideouts for his offense. — CD
3
Miami Dolphins
Last week’s rank: 3
At this point, we should probably anoint Mike McDaniel as The Next Big thing. Thanks to Miami’s coach, Tua Tagovailoa is, once again, playing like an MVP candidate. Miami’s offense has been so good, in fact, that they’ve barely needed the other side of the ball to catch up. The issue for the Dolphins last year was sustainability. Something tells me they won’t fade down the stretch this fall. — RZ
2
San Francisco 49ers
Last week’s rank: 1
Getting outgained by an offense led by Puka Nacua and Kyren Williams, albeit on the road in a divisional rivalry, is enough to sew at least a tiny seed of doubt. Even so, Brock Purdy sewed up a comeback win with a quiet, efficient evening, keeping the Niners feeling inevitable. — CD
1
Dallas Cowboys
Last week’s rank: 2
The Dallas defense is playing at a historic pace, having surrendered just 10 points in two games. And in Week 2, we saw a balanced vertical attack centered around CeeDee Lamb bullying the Jets’ stacked defense. All this to say: the Cowboys are clearly prepared for a Super Bowl run. It’s just a matter of luck and not pulling a classic Cowboys choke job in January. — RZ
