Bill Belichick has said football season doesn’t really begin until after Thanksgiving, and we’re here after a fantastic week of NFL action.
1. Detroit Lions (11-1) | Last week: 1
The Lions are the Super Bowl favorites on FanDuel by a decent margin, and that’s with nearly 20 players on injured reserve. Their ability to play at a high level despite all the injuries speaks to the job Dan Campbell and Brad Holmes have done.
2. Buffalo Bills (10-2) | Last week: 2
Meanwhile, the Bills are the hottest team in the AFC with seven straight wins, and clear MVP favorite Josh Allen is playing as well as anyone in the NFL. Allen is the first quarterback in league history with a passing, rushing, and receiving touchdown in a game thanks to the awesome play by Amari Cooper to pitch it the ball to a diving Allen.
THIS IS THE MOST RIDICULOUS THING WE HAVE EVER SEEN.
📺: @SNFonNBC pic.twitter.com/LzaOt3MDLj
— Buffalo Bills (@BuffaloBills) December 2, 2024
3. Philadelphia Eagles (10-2) | Last week: 4 (+1)
I said last week there was a case for the Eagles to be a spot or two higher in the power rankings, and I was tempted to move them to the top two after the way the defense contained the Ravens’ dangerous offense on the road. Philly has won eight consecutive games since the bye.
4. Kansas City Chiefs (11-1) | Last week: 3 (-1)
The offense is showing some positive signs, but the Chiefs drop in part due to the defense struggling as of late. Of course, we’re talking about the back-to-back champions, but Kansas City feels a lot like the Eagles did last season before the wheels eventually fell off.
5. Minnesota Vikings (10-2) | Last week: 5
It’s not always pretty, but the Vikings keep winning games. Their comeback victory over the Cardinals was their most impressive victory since September.
6. Pittsburgh Steelers (9-3) | Last week: 6
Pittsburgh had a phenomenal week, with their shootout win against the Bengals paired with the Ravens’ loss putting them up 1.5 games in the AFC North. Russell Wilson threw for 414 yards and three touchdowns, and it’s clearer than ever that the people questioning Mike Tomlin for the quarterback change were absurdly wrong.
7. Green Bay Packers (9-3) | Last week: 8 (+1)
The energy and power Josh Jacobs brings at this time of year is a phenomenal fit with the Packers, as was evident—though doing more damage as a receiver—in the Thanksgiving Night win versus the Dolphins. Green Bay is obviously in a great position for a playoff spot, but they’ll look to inch closer to the Lions this Thursday night.
8. Baltimore Ravens (8-5) | Last week: 7 (-1)
Lamar Jackson said his mom cussed him out for not running the ball enough in the loss to the Eagles. I expect he and the Ravens to be highly determined when they emerge from the bye week to face the two-win Giants.
9. Los Angeles Chargers (8-4) | Last week: 9
Justin Herbert extended his interception-less streak to 10 games, becoming the third quarterback in history to have 10 such games in a row (minimum 15 attempts per game). And the Chargers defense stepped up with four interceptions, including two—one being a huge pick-six—by Tarheeb Still.
10. Denver Broncos (8-5) | Last week: 10
In a very entertaining Monday night win against the Browns, the Broncos were able to show what they’re about. Despite big struggles on defense, the group came through in the end—and Bo Nix was introduced to his biggest NFL stage yet, with big throws headlined by a 93-yard dime to Marvin Mims Jr. from his own end zone.
11. Houston Texans (8-5) | Last week: 11
Azeez Al-Shaair’s hit—widely considered dirty—overshadowed the Texans getting a tough win at Jacksonville to get to 8-5. I think the bye comes at a good time for Houston, as the offense’s performance remains below the level we expect. The time off might help.
12. Seattle Seahawks (7-5) | Last week: 12
Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald says defensive lineman Leonard Williams—with a game-changing 93-yard pick-six and two sacks against his former Jets team—is “playing out of his mind.” Williams and Seattle are looking to get their second win over the Cardinals in three weeks.
13. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6-6) | Last week: 17 (+4)
Despite two losses to the Falcons this season, the Bucs have to feel good about where they are in the NFC South after escaping with a win at Carolina. The Chargers are on deck, but Tampa faces the Raiders this Sunday with a shot to get back to over .500.
14. Arizona Cardinals (6-6) | Last week: 13 (-1)
I’m not sure what happened—and settling for field goals certainly didn’t help—but it felt like the Cardinals had their road matchup with the Vikings won until giving up the lead late. Overall, this is a squad on the rise, but they might need to learn how to close out games against top teams.
15. Los Angeles Rams (6-6) | Last week: 19 (+4)
The Rams were able to turn things around after getting shut out in the first half against the Saints, with running back Kyren Williams pacing things. Rookie runner Blake Corum is taking advantage of his opportunities, too, which will help Williams stay fresh.
16. Washington Commanders (8-5) | Last week: 18 (+2)
The Commanders felt like they needed a big game to jolt them down the stretch, and they got it with a dominant effort that included four total touchdowns for Jayden Daniels in a rout of the Titans. Washington now has a bye week.
17. Atlanta Falcons (6-6) | Last week: 15 (-2)
The story in Atlanta is the play of quarterback Kirk Cousins, as they are in the thick of the playoff race with a veteran quarterback that’s in a slump. Cousins must show up for a matchup with his former Vikings team this Sunday.
18. San Francisco 49ers (5-7) | Last week: 14 (-4)
The nightmare season for the 49ers continues, with All-Pro running back Christian McCaffrey now on injured reserve due to a PCL injury (about six weeks recovery)—and running back Jordan Mason is right behind him with a high-ankle sprain. San Francisco just needs to take it one game at a time and see what happens.
19. Miami Dolphins (5-7) | Last week: 16 (-3)
A Thanksgiving showdown at Lambeau Field was a prime opportunity to quiet the talk that the Dolphins can’t win in cold temperatures or late in the year—and they didn’t pass the test. Miami hosts the Jets in Week 14.
20. Indianapolis Colts (6-7) | Last week: 21 (+1)
Anthony Richardson was awesome in the game-winning drive at Foxboro, and it was the type of comeback that can give the inexperienced quarterback momentum through the rest of the season and into a crucial offseason. For now, it helped Indy stay afloat in the AFC wild card race as they hit their bye.
21. Dallas Cowboys (5-7) | Last week: 23 (+2)
DeMarvion Overshown had a spectacular pick-six to spark a Cowboys victory, and star defender Micah Parsons makes it sound like Dallas genuinely believes they can go on a run. This Monday night’s battle with the Bengals is an intriguing one.
22. Cincinnati Bengals (4-8) | Last week: 20 (-2)
Joe Burrow is the seventh quarterback ever to have 30+ passing touchdowns and five interceptions or fewer through 12 games, and the Bengals’ 4-8 record is by far the worst of the bunch (next lowest record was 9-3).
23. New Orleans Saints (4-8) | Last week: 22 (-1)
The loss to the Rams was likely the final blow to New Orleans’ playoff hopes, and the loss of Taysom Hill for the season—and potentially longer—due to a knee injury on a low hit was a terrible loss for the team and the sport given how exciting the multi-hyphenate tight end is.
24. Chicago Bears (4-8) | Last week: 24
There’s little question the Bears were going to move on from Matt Eberflus after the season, but they decided to make the move early following poor clock management in the Thanksgiving loss at Detroit. However, that was not all on Eberflus in my opinion, as there should have been plenty of time for the offense to get on the ball and run a play with the timeout in their pocket for the field goal attempt. On the positive side, Bears fans should be very happy with what No. 1 pick Caleb Williams has been showing as of late.
25. Carolina Panthers (3-9) | Last week: 25
Bryce Young has been making some jaw-dropping throws over the past few games, playing at a high level for a team that’s a couple of plays away from a four-game winning streak (two very close losses on field goals to KC and Tampa Bay).
26. Cleveland Browns (3-9) | Last week: 26
The Jameis Winston experience was in full effect on Monday night, with 497 passing yards, four touchdowns, and three interceptions (two pick-sixes) at Denver. Jerry Jeudy went off for 235 yards in the battle with his former team.
27. New York Jets (3-9) | Last week: 27
The interception returned for a touchdown thrown by Aaron Rodgers came right after Rodgers, who added that wind was a factor but not an excuse, missed Garrett Wilson for a touchdown that would have put the Jets up 28-7. New York will look to play spoiler at Miami this week.
28. Tennessee Titans (3-9) | Last week: 28
The Titans defense had one of the most disappointing performances of any unit in Week 13, with the Commanders basically doing whatever they wanted from the jump. Will Levis taking just two sacks was a step in the right direction on offense.
29. Jacksonville Jaguars (2-10) | Last week: 29
Seeing Trevor Lawrence take a blatant hit to the head was not good, and I agree as much as anyone that quarterbacks get away with way too much—for example, tip-toeing the sideline and picking up extra yardage with defenders not wanting to hit them to potentially get penalized—but that was clearly not the case here. The Jaguars showed fight in rallying around their injured quarterback, and Mac Jones looked good in additional extended action.
30. New England Patriots (3-10) | Last week: 30
The tough home loss to the Colts drops the Patriots to 3-10 entering their bye week—and they face a tough schedule over their final four games: at Arizona, at Buffalo, vs. the Chargers, and vs. Buffalo.
31. Las Vegas Raiders (2-10) | Last week: 31
Aidan O’Connell is making a case to be the starter for the Raiders in 2025, and he and the Raiders have five critical games in front of them for the future of the franchise and current regime.
32. New York Giants (2-10) | Last week: 32
I’d think the current regime for the Giants is nearing its end barring a flip to strong play over the final month. A home contest with the Saints is one the Giants should have an opportunity to get on the board for their first win in two months.