There are seven weeks of the regular season remaining and one clear leader in these Power Rankings. But while the Detroit Lions are in top spot with some breathing room, there are some in-form teams such as Buffalo, Philadelphia and Pittsburgh worthy of our attention. At the bottom, we have a new cellar-dweller in the Jacksonville Jaguars.
- Detroit Lions --
Things can change quickly in the NFL, but 9-1 Lions currently have the look of a team that cannot be stopped. Will this be the year they appear in a first Super Bowl? The free-scoring Lions have topped 30 points on five occasions, gone over 40 twice and twice over 50. Prolific!
- Buffalo Bills +2
Josh Allen showed his worth to the Bills on a big stage last weekend, knocking Kansas City from the realm of the undefeated. After an offseason wondering about the weapons around 17, make no mistake… the Super Bowl window is definitely still open for this 9-2 squad.
- Kansas City Chiefs -1
The Chiefs know all too well that Sunday’s loss in Buffalo, while disappointing, is not going to define their season. They’ve lost four regular season games in a row to the Bills, but Buffalo would love to trade places with the Chiefs come January and February. KC are not going away.
- Philadelphia Eagles +1
The Eagles have won six in a row to take the lead in the NFC East. And while there is much to celebrate on both sides of the ball, their driving force and game-changer is Saquon Barkley; who has posted 100-yard rushing days on six occasions in 2024. He is an NFL MVP candidate.
- Pittsburgh Steelers +2
We keep waiting for this team to fall away, but they are 8-2 and top of the AFC North following last week’s huge win over Baltimore. In that game, Pittsburgh flexed their defensive muscle and Mike Tomlin displayed his coaching prowess. The offense should get back on track.
- Baltimore Ravens -3
There are so many things I love about the Ravens that make me think they are a genuine Super Bowl contender in the AFC. They were my Super Bowl pick, after all. But Lamar Jackson has failed on a couple of big stages already and all four Baltimore losses have come in the AFC.
- Minnesota Vikings -1
The Vikings got their offense rolling again last week and while it was not an explosive masterclass against Tennessee, it was enough to build some confidence. Moving forward, Sam Darnold will need a little more help from a rushing attack that gained just 82 yards on Sunday.
- Green Bay Packers +1
The Packers messed around far too much last week, but it turned out that they still own the Chicago Bears after an 11th win in a row. But Jordan Love threw another interception which means he has tossed a pick in all eight of the games he has played in 2024. That is a worry.
- Los Angeles Chargers +3
It’s nothing but tough football and positive vibes as the Chargers continue to grow under head coach Jim Harbaugh. Even when the Cincinnati Bengals fought back to tie the scores last Sunday, LA didn’t flinch and drove downfield for a winning touchdown late in the game.
- Washington Commanders -2
We don’t know how much the ribs are hurting Jayden Daniels right now, but there is no doubt the shine has come off his game ever so slightly in the past two or three weeks. There will be no panic from a 7-4 team that is punching above its weight, but it is something to monitor.
- Arizona Cardinals -1
The Cardinals are coming off their bye hoping to re-discover their pre-break momentum. Arizona won four straight contests to improve to 6-4 before taking their week off – good enough for first place in the wide-open NFC West. They have a genuine playoff shot.
- Houston Texans +1
When there are concerns over the protection in front of C.J. Stroud and worries about the form of the second-year quarterback, performances like the one Joe Mixon unveiled on Monday are huge. The former Bengal rushed for 109 yards and three touchdowns in Dallas.
- San Francisco 49ers -2
San Francisco’s injury problems are legit and have featured some of the NFL’s biggest names. But the woes that have them sitting at 5-5 feel as if they run a lot deeper than that. It feels like this team is deflated and low on energy after missing recent shots at Super Bowl glory.
- Denver Broncos +1
The Sean Payton-Box Nix partnership – backed by one of the better defenses in the NFL – has the Broncos ahead of schedule. Rather than being in the early stages of a rebuild that would require patience and perseverance, the Broncos are in the middle of the AFC playoff race.
- Miami Dolphins +3
The Dolphins have won two in a row and that leaves them two victories behind Denver in the final AFC playoff spot with seven to play. And Miami can take advantage of a softening of their schedule. Upcoming games feature New England, the New York Jets (twice) and Cleveland.
- Los Angeles Rams +3
The Rams have won four of their last five and their formula for victory is often repeated here but that’s because it never changes. Other areas of this team can blow hot or cold, but the biggest factor in the Rams’ success is the form of strong-armed quarterback Matthew Stafford.
- Atlanta Falcons -3
As the leading team in the NFC South, the Falcons are a perfect example of that division. One week they can look fun, entertaining and competitive, the next they are struggling to pick up a first down, turning the ball over and losing games that should be won. It’s very inconsistent.
- Seattle Seahawks +2
One week after defeating the 49ers, the Seahawks feature in another big division matchup against the Cardinals. It’s time for Seattle to turn Lumen Field into a fortress once again. The 12’s have seen their beloved team go 2-4 at home this season. Times have certainly changed.
- Cincinnati Bengals -2
Joe Burrow leads the NFL in passing yards, icy stares and sympathetic thoughts aimed in his direction as QB of the Bengals. At 4-7, Cincinnati has six regular season games remaining. And they likely have to win all of those to have a playoff shot at 10-7. It’s almost over in Cincy.
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers -4
Brace yourself for a post-bye week surge from the 4-6 Buccaneers. Star wide receiver Mike Evans is set to return from a hamstring injury and their next three games are against the New York Giants, Carolina and the Raiders. Atlanta could soon be looking over their shoulder.
- Indianapolis Colts +1
The Colts dug deep to snap their three-game losing streak with an Anthony Richardson-inspired victory over the New York Jets. Their reward? A daunting home game against the juggernaut that is the Detroit Lions. Indy’s poor run defense could be in real trouble here.
- Chicago Bears -1
The offensive output was slightly better in Week 11, but we’re only talking slightly. The Bears still only scored 19 points in their loss to Green Bay. That said, there were further signs to suggest Caleb Williams is the real deal at QB. That is the most important thing this season.
- New Orleans Saints +3
The Saints head into their bye week with back-to-back wins under their belts and they appear to be having more fun under interim head coach Darren Rizzi, which can often be the case. The usage of Taysom Hill last week – throwing, running and catching – was a perfect example.
- Dallas Cowboys -1
It’s not only the sky that is falling down on the Dallas Cowboys’ season – parts of the roof at AT&T Stadium have also had enough and begun hurtling themselves to the ground on gamedays. You could write a book about how disastrous this season has become in Texas.
- New England Patriots +2
Like many neutrals, I was ready for change after two decades of Patriots’ dominance; so, I say this carefully and knowing I should be careful what I wish for. I think Drake Maye is showing some very encouraging signs and I look forward to seeing him work with better weapons.
- New York Jets -2
Of New York’s big three – general manager Joe Douglas, coach Robert Saleh and quarterback Aaron Rodgers – only the future Hall of Fame passer remains. And will Rodgers be a Jet in 2025? You have to wonder if Woody Johnson wants a complete clean sweep… yet again!
- Cleveland Browns -2
The up-and-down nature of Cleveland’s attack is well-documented and exacerbated when Jameis Winston is at the helm. But there is enough blame to go around in this 2-8 season. The Browns’ defense gave up close to 500 yards and 35 points in New Orleans last weekend.
- Carolina Panthers --
The Panthers are coming off a bye week in which they revelled in the warm afterglow of back-to-back victories. Both went down to the wire and Dave Canales’ team found a way to win. The priority the rest of this season is to find out how much QB Bryce Young can offer in 2025.
- New York Giants --
The Giants are playing to the crowd to save ticket sales, if not their season. The benching of Daniel Jones is not a surprise at all. The QB was poor in Germany in Week 10. But NY have bypassed number two passer Drew Lock and gone back to the Tommy DeVito experience.
- Tennessee Titans +1
The Titans may occasionally catch our attention on plays like Will Levis’ 98-yard scoring strike to Nick Westbrook-Ikhine on Sunday. But such highlights are rare. Tune in to a Tennessee game (I wouldn’t advise it) and you’re more likely to see a turnover or a bunch of silly penalties.
- Las Vegas Raiders +1
The Raiders have lost six in a row and their season has gone south so badly that it does appear they are finally going to get a good look at the quarterbacks coming out at the top of the 2025 NFL Draft. Time for Tom Brady to earn that owner’s money and pick them a new passer?
- Jacksonville Jaguars -2
The Jaguars have been bad, but at least you could point to them giving it a good go with six one-score losses. I don’t know what to say in defence of this team any more after their 52-6 surrender in Detroit. Even if Doug Pederson lasts until the end of the regular season, changes are coming at the end of another lost campaign.