NFL power rankings Week 17: Another close battle for No. 1 spot

Posted by Admin December 24, 2024 NFL

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NFL power rankings entering Week 17 of the 2024 season (previous rank in parentheses):

1. Buffalo Bills (1): Yes, they struggled to beat last-place New England on Sunday, failed to score at least 30 points for the first time since Week 6 and were lucky that QB Josh Allen avoided a more significant injury to his throwing arm. Yet the Bills also remained perfect at Highmark Stadium this season – warning enough to the rest of the AFC if Buffalo is able to bring the road to Super Bowl 59 through Western New York. And, don’t forget, this remains the only team to beat Kansas City and Detroit.

2. Detroit Lions (3): The first team in franchise history to win 13 games, they’re trying to pave the NFC pathway to the Super Bowl directly to Ford Field. Plenty of work yet to do on that front, even for a team that’s almost certainly the franchise’s best of the Super Bowl era (since 1966) – the Lions’ 493 points and 7-0 road record are club bests – much as that’s also indicative of their checkered-at-best history over that period. Regardless, give Dan Campbell and Co. credit for continuing to play at a high level no matter how many injuries and other obstacles they must navigate. Detroit is the only team this season with a 1,000-yard rusher with 10 TDs (Jahmyr Gibbs) and a 1,000-yard receiver with 10 TDs (Amon-Ra St. Brown).

3. Kansas City Chiefs (6): Per the NFL’s Next Gen Stats, they have a 90% shot at securing home-field advantage and – all due respect to Buffalo – that seems conservative. For as long as the two-time-defending champs have been under the microscope despite a 14-1 record, let’s not forget these Chiefs have certainly shown the ability to find an extra gear (or two) when the postseason starts. And it certainly won’t hurt to have another weapon, recently activated WR Marquise “Hollywood” Brown now at the disposal of QB Patrick Mahomes and HC Andy Reid.

4. Green Bay Packers (4): QB Jordan Love and this team are very much mimicking their 2023 arc – meaning a very strong second half of the season leading to a wild-card berth … and maybe a lot of damage done in the playoffs? Should be interesting to see over the next two weeks how important seeding is to HC Matt LaFleur versus how much he wants to rest his best players.

5. Minnesota Vikings (5): Kevin O’Connell has been on the job for three seasons and is already the only coach in the franchise’s 63-year history to win 13 regular-season games twice. Seems like an achievement worthy of one of those signature Vikes on-field celebrations …

6. Philadelphia Eagles (2): This dip is less the result of dropping a game on the road to a quality Commanders team and more a function of the uncertainty currently clouding QB Jalen Hurts’ (concussion) availability – similar to what the Chiefs were dealing with a week ago when Mahomes injured his ankle. Regardless, Philly is a near lock for the No. 2 seed and, assuming Hurts is back soon, could very much be vying for a second Super Bowl berth in three seasons.

7. Baltimore Ravens (8): QB Lamar Jackson’s immediate priority might be Queen Bey. Otherwise, he and his teammates very much seem to be rounding into championship form at the right time … and 12 years after they won the last Super Bowl staged in New Orleans.

8. Pittsburgh Steelers (7): Given how poorly this offense has performed without him the past three weeks, is injured WR George Pickens actually this club’s MVP?

9. Los Angeles Rams (9): If you think West Coast teams are soft, then you clearly didn’t watch the shirtless Rams warming up in 23-degree weather Sunday in New Jersey before taking it to the Jets. (Note: This team is currently on track to face the Packers in the wild-card round … though in LA.)

10. Washington Commanders (12): Sunday’s win was exciting, dramatic and puts them on the verge of a playoff berth and their first regular season with at least 11 wins since 1991. But let’s not forget it came despite five turnovers and against a Philly team forced to field an injured backup quarterback.

11. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (11): They no longer control their route to another NFC South crown but do have things working in their favor that Atlanta doesn’t – namely two home games against seemingly weak opponents (Panthers, Saints) and a veteran quarterback who’s already been battle tested in the NFL playoff crucible.

12. Los Angeles Chargers (16): It took a 48-year stretch, but the Bolts have now converted the NFL’s last two successful fair catch kicks. Bummer that Bill Belichick, who enjoys an arcane football rule as much as anyone, won’t be on the sideline at Foxborough on Saturday when the Chargers visit.

13. Houston Texans (13): Apparently, they think it’s wise to be WR Diontae Johnson’s fourth employer in less than a year … though claiming him is also a referendum on the state of their receiving corps behind WR1 Nico Collins.

14. Cincinnati Bengals (17): Winners of three in a row, QB Joe Burrow and Co. have just about everything going in their favor – save sufficient time to overcome their perennial early season lapses …

15. Denver Broncos (10): … However if they lapse at Cincinnati on Saturday – and Denver’s résumé overfloweth with victories against lightweights – then, with no wild-card berth yet secured, the pucker factor will go up significantly heading into Week 18.

16. Seattle Seahawks (14): DT Byron Murphy II made a huge rookie mistake Sunday, committing a pivotal facemask penalty on Sam Darnold one snap before the Minnesota quarterback threw the game-winning TD. Did we mention Murphy is a rookie?

17. Atlanta Falcons (18): The switch to QB Michael Penix Jr. is the obvious change for a team that’s reclaimed the NFC South lead. But the more important one might be a revitalized pass rush averaging four sacks per game over the past four weeks … after getting 10 total in the first 11 games.

18. Dallas Cowboys (20): Is anyone doing more to preserve HC Mike McCarthy’s employment than All-Pro K Brandon Aubrey, whose 14 field goals beyond 50 yards are already a single-season NFL record?

19. Arizona Cardinals (15): They went for it on fourth-and-2 last Sunday … from their own 18-yard line … in overtime … and converted. The Cards ultimately lost and were eliminated from playoff contention, but that snapshot is probably a good indication of the type of club this will be in future years.

20. Indianapolis Colts (21): Sunday is what they were supposed to be all along offensively with QB Anthony Richardson and RB Jonathan Taylor in the backfield – an attack that can unleash an unstoppable running game able to cover up most any other flaw. Maybe it’s what they will be in 2025.

21. Miami Dolphins (22): The last time WR Tyreek Hill played a full season and didn’t reach 1,000 receiving yards was 2016 – when he was a rookie who started one game.

22. San Francisco 49ers (19): Though he’s hardly playing like “Mr. Irrelevant,” QB Brock Purdy has had easily his least impressive season in 2024. Should be fascinating to see how that impacts his pending window to negotiate a deserved contract extension.

23. Carolina Panthers (25): His progress has been modest, but QB Bryce Young posted his first game of the season Sunday with a passer rating in excess of 100.0. His accuracy, decision-making and ability to make plays outside the pocket are all improving.

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24. New England Patriots (23): Rookie QB Drake Maye has thrown at least one interception in seven straight games, the longest active streak in the league and one that hasn’t been seen in these parts since the pre-Brady years.

25. Chicago Bears (24): Meanwhile, No. 1 pick Caleb Williams hasn’t served up an INT in his past 326 passes, a rookie record. He’s also the first quarterback in the Super Bowl era to go winless over a nine-game stretch during which he wasn’t picked off.

26. New York Jets (28): Did Aaron Rodgers ever think he’d throw his 500th regular-season TD pass in a meaningless late-season game at Buffalo? (Then again, maybe he won’t …)

27. Las Vegas Raiders (30): Amazingly, Sunday was the first game all season in which they didn’t face a double-digit deficit.

28. New Orleans Saints (26): You can only lose so many core players before the bottom falls out completely, the Saints becoming the first team all season to get shut out in Monday night’s implosion at Green Bay.

29. Cleveland Browns (27): Is DE Myles Garrett’s greatness – he just joined Hall of Famer Lawrence Taylor as the only players with five consecutive seasons registering at least 12 sacks – being wasted here? Garrett isn’t complaining (yet), but it’s apparent he’s not willing to wait long for this team to get better … which surely won’t happen until QB Deshaun Watson comes off the books.

30. Jacksonville Jaguars (29): No team has allowed more yards or generated fewer takeaways (8) than this one. If only DEs Josh Hines-Allen and Travon Walker were as deadly a combo.

31. Tennessee Titans (31): (Mason) Rudolph gifted three Christmas presents (INTs) to Indianapolis on Sunday, propagating a new team tradition – the Titans’ 32 turnovers leading the league now that they’ve coughed up the ball 14 times in their past five games alone.

32. New York Giants (32): Welp. With the No. 1 pick of the 2025 draft nearly in hand, perhaps their second century of existence will begin much better than the way the first one is ending.

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Follow USA TODAY Sports’ Nate Davis on X, formerly Twitter, @ByNateDavis.