NFL Week 15 Power Rankings: A new No. 1 team

• The Lions clinch a playoff spot: The Lions' 34-31 win over the Packers on Thursday night was enough to secure their spot in the postseason.

• The Buccaneers take the lead in the NFC South: Following their win and the Falcons' loss, the Buccaneers take over the top spot in the NFC South.

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Estimated Reading Time: 11 minutes

The power rankings below provide clear tiers on each NFL team's market assessment, offering a comprehensive view of team standings and future prospects. All of the information below and more can be found in PFF’s power rankings tool, which is available with a PFF+ subscription.

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ARZ | ATL | BLT | BUF | CAR | CIN | CHI | CLE | DEN | DAL | DET | GB | HOU | IND | JAX | KC| LVR | LAC | LAR | MIA | MIN | NE | NO | NYG | NYJ | PHI | PIT | SF | SEA | TB | TEN | WSH

1. Detroit Lions

Strength of schedule to date: 23
Strength of schedule remaining: 5
Projected win total: 14.6
% chance of making the playoffs: 100.0
% chance of winning the division: 88.0
% chance of winning the conference: 38.8
% chance of winning the Super Bowl: 21.8

Even as Jared Goff stumbled on the fourth-down handoff to David Montgomery, you just expected the Lions to get the job done against the Packers on Thursday night. Such is their will at the moment. The Lions won a back-and-forth shootout against their divisional rivals thanks to a walk-off field goal from Jake Bates to move to 12-1 on the season, clinching a playoff spot in the process. This battered and bruised team reminds us why it might just be the best in the NFL — and the Lions’ 93.4 team grade is the highest in the NFL.

2. Kansas City Chiefs

Strength of schedule to date: 20
Strength of schedule remaining: 10
Projected win total: 14.7
% chance of making the playoffs: 100.0
% chance of winning the division: 100.0
% chance of winning the conference: 40.0
% chance of winning the Super Bowl: 19.7

The Chiefs climbed out of the jaws of defeat once more, beating the Chargers 19-17 thanks to a walk-off field goal. The win pushes the Chiefs to 12-1 and seals the AFC West title for the ninth straight season. Even when the chips are down, the Chiefs always seem to find a way — will that chutzpah continue into the postseason? Probably. Creed Humphrey’s 93.6 overall grade is first among all centers.

3. Philadelphia Eagles

Strength of schedule to date: 29
Strength of schedule remaining: 24
Projected win total: 14.0
% chance of making the playoffs: 100.0
% chance of winning the division: 98.7
% chance of winning the conference: 28.0
% chance of winning the Super Bowl: 16.0

The Eagles survived a scare against the Panthers, hanging on to a 22-16 victory to move to 11-2 on the season and one step closer to winning the NFC East. Their winning streak has reached nine in a row now, the second-longest in the NFL, and while the offense still doesn’t feel all of the way there, the return of DeVonta Smith will only help the passing game. Jordan Mailata’s 95.0 overall grade is first among all tackles.

4. Buffalo Bills

Strength of schedule to date: 14
Strength of schedule remaining: 25
Projected win total: 12.8
% chance of making the playoffs: 100.0
% chance of winning the division: 100.0
% chance of winning the conference: 20.4
% chance of winning the Super Bowl: 9.0

The Bills lost an absolute shootout in the late afternoon Sunday slot, falling to the Los Angeles Rams, 44-42. That didn’t stop it from being a Game of the Year contender. However, they kept fighting back and didn’t lie down, with Josh Allen scoring six total touchdowns. The Bills have wrapped up the AFC East title already, but their slim hopes of a first-round bye became much slimmer. Allen is the likely MVP down the stretch, and his 89.3 overall grade is fourth among quarterbacks.

Highest-Graded Quarterbacks in Week 14

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5. Baltimore Ravens

Strength of schedule to date: 3
Strength of schedule remaining: 22
Projected win total: 10.8
% chance of making the playoffs: 96.1
% chance of winning the division: 22.0
% chance of winning the conference: 11.2
% chance of winning the Super Bowl: 5.6

The Ravens have lost two of their last three games before the Week 14 bye, and there might be some slight concerns about how the offense can truly stack up against the elite defenses in the NFL. A wild-card berth is almost locked in for the Ravens now, though a Week 16 win against the Steelers would offer a little more spice to the final run-in. Lamar Jackson’s 91.7 overall grade is second among qualified quarterbacks.

6. Pittsburgh Steelers

Strength of schedule to date: 30
Strength of schedule remaining: 1
Projected win total: 11.8
% chance of making the playoffs: 99.9
% chance of winning the division: 78.0
% chance of winning the conference: 12.4
% chance of winning the Super Bowl: 5.0

The Steelers extended their lead in the AFC North to two games and now have a 79% chance of winning the division thanks to a 27-14 win against the Browns. It wasn’t an all-time classic from Russell Wilson or the offense, but the unit held up its end of the bargain while the defense went to work, sacking Jameis Winston three times and forcing three turnovers. The Steelers are 10-3, and Cameron Heyward’s 90.3 overall grade is first among defensive tackles.

7. Minnesota Vikings

Strength of schedule to date: 27
Strength of schedule remaining: 7
Projected win total: 13.2
% chance of making the playoffs: 99.9
% chance of winning the division: 12.0
% chance of winning the conference: 10.9
% chance of winning the Super Bowl: 6.0

The Vikings battered the Falcons on Sunday to keep within just one game of the Lions, moving to 11-2 on the season. Sam Darnold tossed a casual five touchdown passes, while Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison combined for 263 receiving yards and five touchdowns. Week 14 proved to be a dominant display by one of the most surprising teams of 2024. Outings like this make it hard to figure out the Vikings' ceiling. What isn’t hard to figure out is the greatness of Justin Jefferson — his 88.6 overall grade is fourth among all receivers.

8. San Francisco 49ers

It seemed unlikely that this version of the 49ers had a real dominant display in them, but then the Bears showed up and the 49ers blew them out of the water, winning 38-10. The loss of Christian McCaffrey didn’t stop the ground game, with Issac Guerendo rushing for 78 yards and two touchdowns. The 49ers are 6-7 and the playoffs are still just a distant hope, but stranger things have happened. George Kittle’s 90.8 overall grade is first among tight ends.

9. Green Bay Packers

The 34-31 loss in Detroit will sting for the Packers. They went toe-to-toe with the Lions and held the lead multiple times, only to be denied by a late Lions field goal. The sky isn’t falling, and the loss still proves that the Packers can hang with the top dogs in the NFL, but it does drop them to 9-4 and creates a potentially tougher path in the playoffs. Josh Jacobs‘ 90.7 overall grade is third among all running backs.

10. Denver Broncos

At 8-5 and on their bye week, the Broncos leave Week 14 with a 78% chance of making the playoffs, even with the eighth-toughest remaining schedule. Bo Nix has been a pleasant surprise over the last six weeks, and his 83.3 passing grade since Week 8 is the seventh-highest in the NFL — while he’s also thrown 12 touchdowns against three interceptions. This has been the best-case scenario for a Broncos team that had low expectations surrounding it in the offseason. The Broncos' 82.6 pass-blocking grade is first in the NFL.

11. Houston Texans

The Texans’ bye week may have come at the right time. They’re more or less a lock for the AFC South crown, but something has to change, or the Texans are heading for a swift playoff exit. The offense has struggled for consistency, only to be propped up by Joe Mixon and the C.J. Stroud to Nico Collins connection; Collins’ 92.5 overall grade is the highest among all receivers. Regardless, something just doesn’t feel right in Houston, and maybe a week off will give the Texans the much-needed time to figure it out before the playoff crunch.

12. Los Angeles Chargers

The Chargers ran the Chiefs close and took them down to the final play of the game, but the loss dropped them to 8-5 on the season. While Los Angeles still has an 89% chance of making the playoffs — all but a certainty — might there be a little bit of nerves creeping in with the next two games against the Buccaneers and Broncos? Two losses could significantly change those odds, but the play of Justin Herbert and this defense might just be enough to see them through. Herbert’s 89.8 overall grade is third among quarterbacks.

Highest-Graded Defensive Rookies

13. Seattle Seahawks

Seattle’s offense might just be finding its feet at the right time. The Seahawks defeated the Cardinals 30-18 in a divisional matchup, further strengthening their hold on the NFC West as Geno Smith and the offense racked up over 400 yards on the ground and in the air. They’re now 8-5 and hold a one-game lead over the Rams, and their odds of winning the division now sit at a healthy 63%. Since Week 9, Jaxon Smith-Njigba has the highest receiving grade among all wide receivers at 92.5.

14. Washington Commanders

Has the Commanders’ bye week come at the wrong time? After three straight losses, the Commanders responded in Week 13 with an emphatic 42-19 win over the Titans. There could be a sense of lost momentum just when it looked like they had once again found their feet. However you spin it, the Commanders' offense can put up points, and Washington is on track for its playoff appearance since 2020 — and its first winning-season since 2016. Jayden Daniels’ 87.9 overall grade is fifth among quarterbacks.

15. Los Angeles Rams

The Rams showed their potential on offense, scoring 44 points against a good Bills defense, and they’re now 7-6 on the season. Matthew Stafford reminded us that he is just a phenomenal quarterback, and Puka Nacua caught 12 passes for 165 yards and a touchdown. The Rams might not make the playoffs — they have a 32% chance of doing so — but if they get in, they’ll make noise. Nacua’s 91.6 overall grade is second at the receiver position.

16. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

The Buccaneers have won three straight games and now lead the NFC South, something that seemed close to impossible four weeks ago. However, they cruised past the Raiders in Week 14 and now sit at 7-6, even if the performance was a little uneven. The Falcons’ loss is their gain, and the Buccaneers have the seventh-easiest remaining schedule. Bucky Irving’s 88.3 overall grade is fifth among running backs.

17. Cincinnati Bengals

The Bengals leaned on the talents of Ja’Marr Chase in a 27-20 win against the Cowboys on Monday night. Chase caught 14 of 18 targets for 177 yards and two touchdowns and is now up to 1,319 receiving yards on the season, leading the league in yards, catches and touchdowns. The big picture is the Bengals are 5-8, and the possibility of making the playoffs sits at just 1%. Even in a wasted season by all accounts, Joe Burrow’s 92.0 overall grade is first among quarterbacks.

18. Miami Dolphins

The Dolphins scored 11 points in the fourth quarter to come from behind and beat the Jets in overtime, keeping their slim playoff hopes alive in the process. Their playoff odds sit at 15%, and they’re now 6-7 on the season. Tua Tagovailoa went for over 300 passing yards for the third straight game, and the offense is starting to look and feel a little more like itself. However, it could all be in vain. Terron Armstead’s 91.2 overall grade is third among tackles.

19. Indianapolis Colts

The Colts' slim playoff hopes do remain slim at best: they have a 26% chance of making the playoffs after the events of Week 14 and enter the final stretch with the third-easiest remaining schedule in the NFL. There’s definitely a world where the Colts win out and the Texans falter, but a lot will need to go right for it to happen. Indianapolis will invariably take encouragement from the fact that Anthony Richardson is alive and well, for now at least. His 83.1 passing grade is eighth among quarterbacks since Week 11, even if his 52.4% completion rate is the lowest in the NFL in that time. Baby steps.

20. Dallas Cowboys

An inexplicable mistake from special teamer Amani Oruwariye late in the fourth quarter after the Cowboys blocked a punt was the catalyst for the 27-20 loss to the Bengals. Three plays later, Ja’Marr Chase was walking into the end zone untouched, and the Bengals went on to win the game. Plays like that are indicative of the Cowboys' season as a whole. What happens next in Jerry World? Who knows. Micah Parsons’ 90.1 overall grade is sixth among edge rushers.

21. Atlanta Falcons

Do the Falcons need to make a change at quarterback? Kirk Cousins has been awful over the last four weeks, and his play has been the driving force in knocking the Falcons off the top spot in the NFC South. Michael Penix Jr. is waiting in the wings, surely for these moments. The Falcons are still in the playoff picture, but they need more from their quarterback — whoever it may be. Bijan Robinson’s 91.4 grade is second in the running back position.

22. New Orleans Saints

The Saints won an ugly, “Let’s just forget this ever happened” sort of game against the Giants in Week 14. They’re now 5-8 and are, somehow, just two games back of the lead in the NFC South. Talking about their playoff odds, given how the season has played out, feels egregious — especially due to the fact we’re likely to see Jake Haener under center for the last month of the season. Derek Carr’s 85.6 overall grade is seventh among quarterbacks.

23. Arizona Cardinals

The vibes in Arizona are darkening. They’re still just about alive in the NFC West, but after the loss to the Seahawks, they’re now 6-7 and have dropped three straight games. The Cardinals were the favorites in the division over the last month, but their playoff odds now sit at 5%. The bag has been well and truly fumbled, but the breakout of Trey McBride has been fun: his 86.6 overall grade is second among tight ends.

24. New York Jets

The Jets have lost their last three games by a combined total of 12 points. There’s a positive spin in there somewhere, and the offense looked good in stretches against the Dolphins. However, the fact of the matter is they’re 3-10 and have lost four games in a row. The end is nigh for this era of the Jets, what comes next is anyone’s guess. The Jets are the third-most penalized team in the NFL with 117 penalties.

25. Chicago Bears

The Bears have lost seven straight games, and their first in a post-Matt Eberflus world arrived in Week 14. The offensive line struggled against the 49ers, and Caleb Williams was sacked seven times, but Williams showed some chemistry with fellow first-round pick Rome Odunze. That’s a silver lining in a game, and a season, where silver linings haven’t always been easy to fund.

26. Jacksonville Jaguars

The Jaguars snapped a five-game losing streak with an ugly 10-6 win against the Titans. The win is good for morale, sure, but the Jaguars are no longer projected for the top pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. They’ll be without Trevor Lawrence, who is now on IR, for the rest of the season. Brian Thomas Jr.’s 80.2 receiving grade is third among rookie receivers.

27. Cleveland Browns

The Browns aren’t good, but with Jameis Winston at quarterback, they’re going to be fun. Winston threw two touchdowns and two interceptions in the 27-14 loss to the Steelers, and he now has recorded six touchdowns and six interceptions in the last three games. The ultimate yin and yang of football. Complete balance.

28. Carolina Panthers

The Panthers have held their own against playoff-bound opponents in each of the last three weeks, but have lost all three games. Cutting out the mistakes would change a lot of the team's fortunes, but the silver lining is that Bryce Young was good once again. He’ll more than likely be the Panthers’ starter in 2025, and that’s fun. Young has the third-most big-time throws since Week 9.

Highest-Graded Passers Since Week 10

29. Tennessee Titans

Scoring six points against this Jaguars defense feels like a crime. Will Levis has been playing at an acceptable level over the last few weeks, and there’s maybe some optimism about him under center for one more season, but games like this won’t help his standing. Nick Westbrook-Ikhine is tied for the third-most receiving touchdowns in the NFL.

30. New England Patriots

The Patriots will ride the rest of the season out knowing that whatever happens, they have their franchise quarterback in Drake Maye. Unfortunately, the rest of the season will undoubtedly be a bumpy ride. The Patriots have the third-toughest remaining schedule, bad offensive line play and a real lack of receiving talent for Maye to target. That’s what the offseason is for. Positives: the Patriots’ 90.6 special teams grade leads the NFL.

31. Las Vegas Raiders

Las Vegas may have to roll with Desmond Ridder until the end of the season following a rough Aidan O’Connell injury against the Buccaneers. The Raiders played the Buccaneers close, even if the scoreline was never all that in doubt, and they’re on track for the top pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. The future isn’t far away for the Raiders. In fact, Brock Bowers is the present and the future, as his 86.2 overall grade is third among tight ends.

32. New York Giants

The Giants have lost eight games on the bounce, and their odds for the No. 1 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft will have increased. That’s great for the long-term future of this team, but one will wonder who will be on the Giants' radar at quarterback. More than that, who will be the Giants’ head coach? Decisions have to be made. Dexter Lawrence’s 89.9 overall grade is second among defensive tackles, although he’s sidelined for the rest of 2024.