The Power Rankings are back but given that there are just eight teams remaining on the road to Super Bowl 59, those are the only clubs I have rated in this article. The number one seeds are entering the fray this weekend and one of those teams remains in top spot. Here we go…
- Detroit Lions --
Earning the bye week was huge for a Detroit team that has been ravaged by injuries but still kept winning in 2024. Linebacker Alex Anzalone and wide receiver Kalif Raymond returned in Week 18 and will be another couple of weeks fitter. Injured in Week 18 were offensive lineman Kevin Zeitler and cornerback Terrion Arnold. Both could play against Washington on Saturday night. Running back David Montgomery will return so the offense should continue to play at a very high level. This remains a team that finds a way and one that appears to be on a mission. Dan Campbell will demand nothing less than Super Bowl glory for his history-chasers.
- Baltimore Ravens +3
It felt like every offseason NFL show was asking the same questions this spring and summer. What happens if you key on Derrick Henry and try to stop him? What happens if you load up to slow Lamar Jackson as a running threat? We found out that there is not much of an answer that will be comforting for defenses across the league. The pair averaged 167 combined rushing yards per game in the regular season and upped that to 267 in the first-round win over Pittsburgh. There are no guarantees that wide receiver Zay Flowers returns for this game in Buffalo, but what a boost if he does. This is a bullying and formidable team.
- Buffalo Bills -1
Buffalo hit the 30-point mark in a game for the 13th time this season and what was most impressive about their 31-7 win over the Denver Broncos was that they never seemed to hit top gear. They played a controlled game of football and marched to an easy win. Josh Allen got hot after a slow start and completed 20 of 26 passes, including one incredible touchdown strike on the move to Ty Johnson. And the running attack topped 200 yards with James Cook leading the way. The Bills are 9-0 at home this season as they head into the Divisional Round and now face a massive task to take down a team they lost 35-10 to on the road in September.
- Kansas City Chiefs -1
There are questions surrounding the Chiefs as they begin what could be an historic march to Super Bowl glory in New Orleans. Will 23 days of rest be a massive help or a hindrance for the likes of Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce and Chris Jones? I suspect they will be just fine. Are their close, one-score wins (11 of them in 2024) a sign of fragility or of their championship DNA? I feel that it is a bit of both and the pass protection issues, particularly, will get tested against Houston. And can Kansas City become the first team to win three straight Super Bowls in NFL history? Never bet against Andy Reid and Mahomes.
- Philadelphia Eagles -1
The Eagles don’t generate the same levels of excitement as the teams ahead of them on this list because, at times, their games are not all that pretty to watch. But pretty doesn’t win Super Bowls. Being strong across your offensive and defensive lines is a major factor in success, as is having the game’s most dominant running back in Saquon Barkley and a vastly-improved defense from a year ago. What makes the Eagles dangerous is that they tend to keep the training wheels on Jalen Hurts because of the commitment to the run and that affects his rhythm. But if this team ever needed to become pass-first, I think they can do that with A.J. Brown and Devonta Smith leading the way.
- Washington Commanders +1
The Washington Commanders went 4-13 a year ago and not long before that you would regularly see thousands of empty seats at their home games as a once-proud franchise hit rock bottom. The Commanders have now won 13 games this season and are 60 minutes away from reaching the NFC Championship Game for the first time since the 1991 campaign. That is the transformational power of rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels on full show. The Commanders are back in the big leagues, and they have a big-time leader who relishes elite competition.
- Los Angeles Rams +5
I thought long and hard about having the Rams all the way up at five. I don’t believe there is much between the Eagles, Commanders and Rams. This team has gone 10-3 since coming out of their bye week with a 1-4 record and their defense – led by rookie Jared Verse – has grown into a force at the exact right time of the year. The Rams are hot enough to be considered very dangerous in the NFC field and they have the DNA to win it all. A quarterback and head coach who have won it before in Matthew Stafford and Sean McVay and belief across the board.
- Houston Texans +5
The Texans are into the NFL’s final eight for the second year in a row and for the second time under the leadership of head coach DeMeco Ryans and quarterback C.J. Stroud. But, I don’t believe the second-year passer is the reason this team will be heading to Kansas City this weekend. Stroud has blown hot and cold all year long, including during last week’s Wild Card win over the Los Angeles CHagrers. Who can blame him? He has been sacked far too often (55 and counting now – second-most in the league). Defense has powered this team with a 38 percent pressure rate during the season (good for second in the NFL and best among this year’s playoff field) and four sacks and four interceptions of Justin Herbert in the playoffs. KC, be warned!