Fox News Digital Sports NFL power rankings after Week 16 of the 2024 season

12/25/2024 04:00 AM

It is a short week for some NFL teams looking to make their final push toward the postseason.

The Kansas City Chiefs, Pittsburgh Steelers, Houston Texans and Baltimore Ravens all play on Christmas Day, with the Seattle Seahawks and Chicago Bears playing on Thursday night.

Week 15 saw the standings for the playoffs get a bit tighter. The sixth and seventh seeds in the AFC still need to be determined, while the Green Bay Packers clinched a playoff berth in the NFC with the Washington Commanders hoping they could close things out and clinch a wild-card spot as well. The NFC South and West divisions still need to be determined as well.

The Bills are still the top team in the NFL, and two wins coupled with two Chiefs losses in the final two weeks of the season would give them home field advantage in the playoffs.

Read below to see how the rest of the power rankings shake out after Week 15.

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The Bills didn't play great against the Patriots on Sunday but still managed to find a way to win. Their regular season is going great, but this team will be judged solely on what happens in the postseason, so that's all that matters now.

Last week: 1

Jared Goff in the cold was a nightmare waiting to happen, yet he might have turned in his most impressive performance of the season. Goff is on the outside looking in, but he most definitely deserves to be probably third in the MVP rankings behind Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson. This team's offense is too scary.

Last week: 4

Kansas City is one win away from securing home-field advantage in the playoffs after another one-possession win, albeit one that felt a bit more comfortable than their other squeakers this year. By all accounts, the Chiefs look like they're peaking late just in time again after walking on water all year.

Last week: 3

Sam Darnold is over his brief slump and Justin Jefferson is looking like his OPOY self. They wrap up their season against the Packers and Lions, so we'll see where they truly stand. They are riding high after a huge win in a swamp in Seattle.

Last week: 5

The Eagles were one late DeVonta Smith catch away from sealing the game despite quarterback Jalen Hurts leaving the game in the first quarter with a concussion. Instead, the Eagles couldn't put the game away and became the second team to lose a game despite their defense forcing five turnovers. The Eagles' 20-game winning streak was snapped with the loss, and their hopes of getting the 1 seed in the NFC is now highly unlikely. The biggest story for the rest of the regular season in Philadelphia is the health of Hurts.

Last week: 2

Lamar Jackson remains in the NFL MVP conversation. The two-time MVP threw three touchdowns in the 34-17 victory over the Steelers to help Baltimore clinch a playoff berth. The Ravens now turn their focus to the Houston Texans for a Christmas Day game.

Last week: 7

Their defense posted the first shutout in the entire NFL on Monday night. It's not their fault they play in a stacked division, but Sunday afternoon in Minnesota could prove just where this team stands among their peers.

Last week: 6

Despite turning the ball over five times, the Washington Commanders still managed to win. Quarterback Jayden Daniels overcame two interceptions, including one late in the fourth quarter, and threw five touchdowns in the team's comeback win. If the Commanders win next week, they will have secured a playoff spot in head coach Dan Quinn's first season with the team. With the unexpected success the Commanders have had this season, Quinn is a front-runner for Coach of the Year and Daniels is the front-runner for Offensive Rookie of the Year.

Last week: 10

The Steelers seem to be feeling the impact of not having wide receiver George Pickens. Pittsburgh's offense has averaged less than 250 total yards during Pickens' three-game absence. While Pickens is not the sole reason the Steelers' offense has struggled recently, his eventual return to the lineup could provide a boost.

Last week: 8

Jim Harbaugh and Justin Herbert needed a statement win, and they got it with an explosive performance against Denver. It's not the big-fish win the Chargers were looking for against the Chiefs, but it's a good step for their confidence as they prepare for the playoffs as underdogs.

Last week: 13

The Texans will have to turn around in a short week and go up against the Ravens. Losing Tank Dell isn't going to help matters.

Last week: 9

It wasn't pretty in East Rutherford for Matthew Stafford & Co., but a win is a win for these Rams as they pushed their win streak to four games. It was a crucial win as they moved into first place in the NFC West with two weeks to play. With the Cardinals and Seahawks, the teams right below them in the division, coming to town in Weeks 17 and 18, respectively, the Rams control their own destiny moving forward.

Last week: 14

Denver fans will have to sweat a little bit this Christmas after the Broncos blew a shot to clinch a playoff spot, as their highly respected defense crumbled in Los Angeles. Now, the Broncos have to beat the Bengals to avoid a massive collapse.

Last week: 11

That was a terribly costly loss at Dallas that knocked them from atop the NFC South.

Last week: 12

Another week, another tough opponent for Seattle as they fell to the Vikings, 27-24, at home in a critical loss with the Rams overtaking them for the top of the division. But with a beatable Bears team upcoming on Thursday night, a win could put Seattle in a great position heading into Week 18, when a meeting with the Rams could determine who takes the divisional crown.

Last week: 15

The Michael Penix Jr. era has begun in earnest, and it only took one week to put the Falcons atop their division.

Last week: 19

The Bengals got off to a slow start this season, but Joe Burrow has gone on to put together an MVP-caliber season. Cincinnati secured its seventh win of the season this past week. The Bengals host the Denver Broncos this Saturday and will have to secure a victory if they want to keep their playoff hopes alive.  

Last week: 18

The Dolphins played with more heart on Sunday against the 49ers than they had arguably all season, and it kept their very slim playoff hopes alive. Mike McDaniel might be coaching for his job, so it's a good sign that the players rallied behind him for a win over a talented 49ers team.

Last week: 20

The Cowboys were officially eliminated from playoff contention before their game against the Buccaneers began, but that didn't stop them from putting together a win. Cooper Rush had another efficient game, finding wide receiver CeeDee Lamb early and often. The defense forced two clutch turnovers late to help seal the game. The question for the Cowboys is does this late-season surge mean head coach Mike McCarthy is going to keep his job for another season?

Last week: 22

The 49ers were already eliminated from playoff contention, but they fell for the second straight week, this time to a Dolphins team gunning for a spot in the AFC playoff race. San Francisco will finish their season against the Lions on Monday night, followed by the Cardinals in Week 18.

Last week: 17

Jonathan Gannon's group knew just how badly they needed to win on Sunday in Carolina against a beatable Panthers squad. But Bryce Young and the Panthers pulled out the upset. At 7-8 on the year, the Cardinals are officially eliminated from playoff contention, though they can play spoiler in Week 17 by defeating the Rams.

Last week: 16

The Colts' win over the Titans keeps them in the race for the playoffs. Though chances are slim, it will be interesting to see if they can produce two wins to keep some faith.

Last week: 21

They eliminated Arizona but hurt their draft slot. It's been that kind of year.

Last week: 26

Nobody expected a win against Detroit, but they had the home-field advantage with the cold weather and couldn't do much. It's now a nine-game losing streak for a team that looked like they were making noise. And just when it looked like they were getting out of the funk, although Keenan Allen and DJ Moore are putting up numbers, they aren't putting themselves in positions to succeed.

Last week: 24

The Jets couldn't back up their offensive explosion in Week 15 and instead scored only 9 points against the Los Angeles Rams. The team seems to be coming apart at the seams, especially with star receiver Garrett Wilson taking some of his gripes public. This season can't end soon enough for New York.

Last week: 25

They've been limping along without their starting quarterback, and now Alvin Kamara is missing games, so they've really got no shot to compete.

Last week: 23

The Patriots currently have the second pick in the NFL Draft based on their record and the tie-breaking procedures. You could make the case that the race for the top pick in the draft is just as exciting as the race for the playoffs, and the Pats are right in the thick of it for the former, but definitely not the latter.

Last week: 28

The Titans have to go back to the drawing board and invest in some defense. A 24-point second quarter is unacceptable at this point of the season. The offseason can't come soon enough.

Last week: 30

The Raiders got their third win and may have paid the price with a massive drop in draft positioning. Only time will tell how important or detrimental their win against Jacksonville will be for their future.

Last week: 31

Dorian Thompson-Robison failed to provide a spark for the Cleveland Browns offense. The second-year quarterback threw two more interceptions in a lopsided loss to the Bengals. The Browns will likely attempt to find a solution at the quarterback position in the offseason.

Last week: 27

The Jaguars' loss helped their own draft position. It's been a rough year for Jacksonville, and it's just getting tougher.

Last week: 29

The Giants control their own destiny. Normally, when you say a team controls their own destiny, you are referring to a team's playoff chances, but for the Giants, they control their own destiny regarding the No. 1 overall pick in the NFL Draft. With the Giants' 10th consecutive loss on Sunday, a new franchise record, and the Raiders winning, the Giants are in sole possession of the No. 1 pick. The only fear for Giants fans is if the Eagles rest their starters in Week 18, potentially leaving the door open for a win that would ruin their pick.

Last week: 32

The Fox News Digital Sports NFL power rankings were compiled by the Fox News Digital Sports staff and the OutKick.com staff.