Welcome to Gridiron’s final power ranking of the 2024 NFL regular season, featuring — for the first time — all 32 teams. Who comes out on top after 18 weeks of competition? Is the worst team in the league the one that will be picking first in April’s Draft? And how are the 14 playoff teams stacking up?

 

GRIDIRON POWER RANKINGS: 2024 REGULAR SEASON

 

1. Buffalo Bills (14-3) =

All four of the Bills’ regular-season losses were on the road and, ignoring the Week 18 aberation against New England, were against teams that made the playoffs. If the Chiefs slip up in the Divisional Round, it will be very difficult to look past Buffalo being the team that finally ends its long wait for a Lombardi Trophy come February.

 

 

2. Detroit Lions (15-2) +1

The Lions have done an outstanding job of overcoming significant injury adversity on defense to put themselves in the box seat to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl. Continuing to do so in the postseason will be a substantially more difficult challenge, even with key players set to return at various stages.

 

 

3. Kansas City Chiefs (15-2) +1

We’re at the point in the calendar where the Chiefs ‘usually’ start to turn it on. Patrick Mahomes and Co. will have no excuse not to do so after an extra week’s rest, but still need to find the cohesion that exmplified previous runs to Lombardi glory. ‘Hollywood’ Brown adds something extra to the offense, but will it enough when it comes to the crunch?

 

 

4. Minnesota Vikings (14-3) -2

The Vikings would be the one seed in the NFC if not for their own red-zone failings against the Lions and an excellent gameplan from Detroit defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn. Still, the Vikings stand as one of the most complete teams in football and may well have the chance to make it third time lucky against Detroit if they can avenge their regular-season loss to the Rams.

 

 

5. Philadelphia Eagles (14-3) =

Nothing across the final five games of the season for the Eagles provided compelling evidence for Philadelphia as a team that could go all the way. They’ll deserve to be taken more seriously if they can claim a second win over the Packers having already beaten them in their season opener in Brazil.

 

 

6. Baltimore Ravens (12-5) +2

Baltimore ended the year with four straight wins and, on Friday, saw Lamar Jackson named first-team All-Pro, indicating he may win another MVP award. Of more immediate concern, however, is the task of ensuring the Steelers do not pull off a massive Wild Card round shock. The formbook says ‘no’, but this is the league of ‘any given Sunday’ (or Saturday in this case!).

 

 

7. Washington Commanders (12-5) +1

Along with the Bengals, the Commanders ended the regular season as the hottest team in football. After reeling off five straight wins, Jayden Daniels has the chance to further illustrate his development by engineering a road win over a Buccaneers team that beat them 37-20 in Week 1. Can Daniels go toe-to-toe in a shootout with Baker Mayfield?

 

 

8. Los Angeles Chargers (11-6) +2

It hasn’t always been pretty in the first season under Jim Harbaugh, but Justin Herbert now has another chance to thrive on the playoff stage after the meltdown of two seasons ago in Jacksonville. Given Harbaugh’s record in the playoffs, you would be brave to bet against the Bolts.

 

 

9. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (10-7) +2

The Buccaneers snuck in by the skin of their teeth but, at home with Baker Mayfield in red-hot form and Jalen McMillan easing the burden on Mike Evans, Tampa Bay has shown that they are very, very dangerous and able to take the game to anybody. The Commanders won’t be an easy out but Mayfield is often at his best in a gunfight.

 

 

10. Green Bay Packers (11-6) -3

Jordan Love survived an injury scare in Week 18 but, with wideout Christian Watson done for the year and their defense unable to stop the Bears authoring a game-winning drive, there are plenty of problems for the Packers ahead of a trip to Philly. Would it be an upset to beat the Eagles? Maybe not if Green Bay can reprise their São Paulo form.

 

 

11. Los Angeles Rams (10-7)

The Rams must deal with the added difficulty of having their playoff game moved from Los Angeles to Arizona amid the devastating fires in California, making the task of toppling the Vikings that much harder. But they’ve done it once before this year, remember?

 

 

12. Denver Broncos (10-7)

After ending their playoff drought with the help of a Chiefs teams resting a host of players, the Broncos head to Buffalo with nothing to lose, making them a dangerous proposition for the Bills. With rookie QB Bo Nix seemingly improving with every game, can Sean Payton’s be postseason dark horses?

 

 

13. Houston Texans (10-7)

Winners of the AFC South by default, the Texans will need to find some of their 2023 inspiration to avoid an unceremonious first-round exit at the hands of the Chargers. With injuries at key positions and QB C.J. Stroud off colour, the prospects look tough, especially as results this season have suggested that playing at home isn’t always the advantage it’s cracked up to be.

 

 

14. Pittsburgh Steelers (10-7) 

Another winning season and another playoff berth for Mike Tomlin but, barring a huge upturn in form after a four-game losing streak, expect there to be that hollow feeling of having under-performed if the Steelers’ season ends at the Wild Card round. It would take an upset to quell the questions over QB Russell Wilson, but the vet needs the stars in his orbit to shine too.

 

 

15. Seattle Seahawks (10-7)

Only a strength of schedule tiebreaker kept the Seahawks out of the playoffs and, if they can find a coordinator to get more consistency out of the offense, they could be a significant threat under Mike MacDonald as the head coach heads into his second season at the helm.

 

 

16. Cincinnati Bengals (9-8)

Cincinnati’s late-season surge that kept them in the playoff hunt right until the end was evidence of just how high the ceiling can be with a quarterback like Joe Burrow and receiving Triple Crown winner Ja’Marr Chase, but the defense must be fixed for the Bengals to end their damaging habit of slow starts.

 

 

17. Arizona Cardinals (8-9)

The Cardinals eventually fell away in the race for the NFC West, but Arizona are clearly heading in the right direction. With Kyler Murray at quarterback and a top-half defense, they have the potential to make another step forward in year three under head coach Jonathan Gannon.

 

 

18. San Francisco 49ers (6-11)

The 49ers’ first losing season since 2020 mirrored that campaign, which also followed a Super Bowl defeat, and in which San Francisco was beset by injuries. There were deeper issues, especially on defense and special teams, but the level of talent they have to return in 2025 suggests they will be back at the sharp end of the playoff hunt in a hurry.

 

 

19. Atlanta Falcons (8-9)

Yes, the Falcons were one win away from the playoffs. Yes, they appear to have something in Michael Penix Jr and, yes, there’s no doubting the young offensive talent at their disposal, but have you seen their defense? Even with Jessie Bates continuing to be a turnover machine at safety, it’s one of the worst in the league.

 

 

20. Dallas Cowboys (7-10)

After Jerry Jones’ claim of an ‘all-in’ offseason last year proved misleading at best, he is now spending the start of this one dithering over whether to retain head coach Mike McCarthy. His indecision is a nice tone-setter for what will likely be another year of ill-deserved hype and attention for Dallas.

 

 

21. Carolina Panthers (6-11)

Few players created more optimism about their future during the second half of the season than Bryce Young, who went from eyesore to compelling viewing for a Panthers team that competed week after week. If that upward trajectory continues under second year head coach Dave Canales, the Panthers could find themselves in the playoff mix in 2025.

 

 

22. Miami Dolphins (8-9)

Tyreek Hill may have overreacted in indicating he’d played his last game for Miami after their Week 18 loss, but his frustrations are understandable. Three years in to the Mike McDaniel experience and they are no closer to being serious contenders. On top of that, the same roster issues, namely problems on the O-Line, persist.

 

 

23. Indianapolis Colts (8-9)

Four straight seasons without a playoff berth for the Colts, who still don’t truly know if Anthony Richardson is the answer. They have one playoff win in GM Chris Ballard’s eight seasons as GM, and yet he remains in his job. Head coach Shane Steichen also got the owner’s blessing as Black Monday came and went, but the pressure to perform will ramp up in 2025.

 

 

24. Chicago Bears (5-12)

The Bears ended a 10-game losing streak with a long-awaited win at Lambeau Field to round out another disappointing season on a minor high. There’s a semblance of a foundation there, but any tangible progress is contingent on the Bears finding a head coach who can get the best out of Caleb Williams — and the front office’s recent form isn’t good.

 

 

25. New York Jets (5-12)

Will Aaron Rodgers retire? Or will he hamstring the Jets for another season by insisting he can turn things around in pursuit of a Brady-esque swansong? With or without a youthful backup/replacement, it will be worth staying tuned for that and much more from everyone’s favourite dysfunctional mess.

 

 

26. New Orleans Saints (5-12)

After years of cap gymnastics that have taken them precisely nowhere, and a roster that is ageing at key positions, it’s finally time for the Saints to embrace a rebuild. Whether that comes with interim HC Darren Rizzi being handed the reins on a more permanent basis or not, it may take more than one offseason to return to winning ways.

 

 

27. New England Patriots (4-13)

The Patriots cost themselves the #1 pick in the year’s Draft by winning what proved to be first-year head coach Jerod Mayo’s final game. Still, Drake Maye looks very promising and, with another top-five selection at their disposal, there’s a decent amount with which a new head coach can work. Will Mike Vrabel be handed the keys, or is failing with one former player too much?

 

 

28. Jacksonville Jaguars (4-13)

Trent Baalke has somehow won another power struggle to remain as GM, leaving Jags fans rightly concerned and annoyed. It’s tough to trust them to get the head coach hire right after even Doug Pederson failed to keep Jacksonville out of the mire, while Trevor Lawrence’s performances under center raised more questions than answers.

 

 

29. Las Vegas Raiders (4-13)

A full tear down is required in Vegas after the Antonio Pierce era reached an abrupt, if somewhat predictable, end. The Raiders desperately need an actual functioning quarterback, and a lot more on top but with GM Tom Telesco also biting the dust, who takes charge? Step forward Thomas Edward Patrick Brady Jr, minority owner, whose input is likely to be massive.

 

 

30. Cleveland Browns (3-14)

A miserable year for Cleveland served as the most glaring example yet of the folly of signing Deshaun Watson to a fully guaranteed contract. They can’t win with him, and also proved they can’t win without him. With Watson now in doubt for 2025 after carelessly reinjuring his ruptured Achilles, they’ll have to find a more compelling solution at quarterback.

 

 

31. New York Giants (3-14)

The Giants are sticking with Brian Daboll and Joe Schoen despite owner John Mara conceding patience is wearing thin. With little to recommend a partnership that arrived with such great hope and ambition, that will likely mean at least one more wasted Malik Nabers season.

 

 

32. Tennessee Titans (3-14)

Not quite a full tear down for the Titans, who are keeping head coach Brian Callahan but have moved on from GM Ran Carthon. A strange decision that seems like it will prolong the misery for Tennessee, unless they nail the choice between quarterbacks Cam Ward and Shedeur Sanders with the #1 overall pick in April’s Draft.