By Marc Lawrence, PlaybookSports.com — The NFL power rankings entering the 2023 regular season (previous rank in parentheses) are in, per USA TODAY, and here are the top four teams:
1. Chiefs : Thursday night will provide the first glimpse of Kansas City’s title defense which could be bolstered by its young wide receivers. It will also (likely) give the first glimpse of Kansas City’s Chris Jones-less defense … and that could be a severe repeat hindrance.
2. Eagles : Can QB Jalen Hurts win the MVP he almost snagged in 2022? Can Philadelphia get off to another hot start despite two new coordinators? Could the Iggles be the first back-to-back NFC East champs in 19 years? Do they have the roster to take one step further than last season? Yes … on all counts.
3. Bengals : A new tandem of safeties probably trumps the offensive line as Cincinnati’s main concern … even if QB Joe Burrow’s calf is an early reason for trepidation.
4. 49ers : Even if QB Brock Purdy’s elbow is an early reason for trepidation, they should be fine … assuming DE Nick Bosa’s deal gets done and he doesn’t miss much of a beat whenever he shows up.
