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The original was posted on /r/nfl by /u/NFLPowerRankers on 2025-01-07 21:22:02+00:00.
Welcome to week 18 of the r/NFL Power Ranking! Just like that, this uncharacteristically lopsided season has come to a close. We’d like to thank our readers, we hope you all enjoyed this season as much as we did. Unfortunately, there wasn’t as much on the line in week 18 as in seasons past. Fortunately, division games give every team something to play for. If you root for the Bengals or Falcons, the disappointment in missing the playoffs felt both measurable and historically predictable. The Seahawks were able to exact revenge against the Rams, as did the Bears trick playing their way to a victory against the Packers. Losing five of six division games doesn’t bode well for Green Bay in an NFC North heavy playoff bracket, but neither does seeing ghosts in week 18. Are these a sign of things to come, and are the Lions weaker by proxy? Or will every other division prove to be even weaker by comparison? The Patriots won their way out of top billing, are the Titans the consensus worst team? Are there any outsiders looking in who deserve the playoffs? Discuss! 29/32 Reporting
| # | Team | Δ | Record | Comment | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Lions | +2 | 15-2 | Sunday night was the perfect cap to the greatest regular season in Lions history. With everything on the line against a 14-win Minnesota team, the Detroit Lions showed why those counting them out because of defensive injuries need to recalibrate their expectations. Aaron Glenn’s defense throttled the Vikings, getting 33 pressures on Sam Darnold and holding the Vikings’ top 10 scoring offense to 0 TDs. Amik Robertson locked the best wide receiver in football up like they were back in high school, Jordan Addison straight up disappeared, and TJ Hockenson drowned in the Anal Zone. Turns out having your green dot back on defense means a helluva lot. If Detroit scored no points in the second half, they still would have won. Of course, they did score points, with Jahmyr Gibbs scoring FOUR touchdowns en route to a 31 point showing—their fourth consecutive 30+ point outing against Brian Flores’ defense. This season has been joyous and a blessing, and SNF could not have instilled more confidence in this team going into the playoffs. The Detroit Lions are your 1 seed in the NFC. Oh! And Detroit went 6-0 in the division. The Lions run the North. | |
| 2. | Chiefs | – | 15-2 | The moon is rapidly approaching the ground, we have reached the dawn of the final day. The goal at the beginning of season for the Kansas City Chiefs was to win a 3rd Super Bowl, and they have done everything in the regular season required of them to make that possible. It comes down to the playoffs where the likeliest opponent is a plucky Chargers team but there is always a chance it could be the Texans or Steelers (sorry Denver). The team seems like it has hit its stride at a perfect time and there is no coach or quarterback I trust more than Mahomes or Andy come January. At this point the only real concern about the team is whether their offensive line can continue to hold up like it has since they kicked Thuney out to left tackle. If the play there can stay at an average to good level there is no reason to believe that any other team in the NFL can stop this team from cementing itself in professional football history. | |
| 3. | Bills | -2 | 13-4 | The Bills enjoyed an anticlimactic (which is a good thing) game against the Patriots. With little on the line Sunday most of the starters were able to partake in a replica bye week and get prepared for the wild card round. The Patriots however did have the number pick in the draft on the line and slid all the way to 4 with the victory causing the Bills to win despite losing the game. The Bills definitely outperformed expectations this year finishing the season 13-4 and locking up the two seed in the AFC. Most of the Bill’s success has been attributed to an MVP season by Josh Allen as well as a juggernaut offensive line. The wild card round opponent will be the Broncos, a team that was projected for only 5 wins coming into the season and enters the wild card matchup as heavy underdogs. Odds are in the Bills favor however it is always dangerous to play a team with nothing to lose. After years of playoff torment it’s time for the Bills to finally raise the first Lombardi in franchise history. | |
| 4. | Eagles | +1 | 14-3 | You can’t tell the story of the 2024 Philadelphia Eagles without revisiting the 2023 campaign. Last year, the Eagles roared out to a 10-1 start, becoming only the second team in NFL history to be 10-1 and fail to reach 12 wins. A late-season collapse saw them limp into the playoffs, only to be unceremoniously blown out by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The debacle raised serious questions about Nick Sirianni’s future. Ultimately, the team opted to retain Sirianni but bolstered the coaching staff by hiring two experienced coordinators, betting that bringing on high-floor play callers could get what they needed from their roster’s considerable talent. The decision was polarizing, as the 2023 collapse had left fans skeptical. And the 2024 season began with mixed results. After an impressive Week 1 win over the Packers in Brazil, the Eagles sputtered to a 2-2 record in their next three games. The stretch included a heartbreaking loss to the Falcons, a close win against the Saints, and another humbling blowout to their perennial playoff nemesis, the Buccaneers. By the Week 5 bye, Philadelphia was reeling, and doubts swirled around the team’s makeup and coaching staff. Then came the turnaround. Emerging from the bye week, the Eagles rattled off a remarkable 10-game winning streak, transforming into a physical juggernaut. Their identity became clear: a punishing run game and a top-three defense. While not every win was pretty, the Eagles finished with 14 victories, marking the second 14-win season in three years. For a team defined by postseason success, this year’s story is far from over, but a freshly shaved Sirianni has earned himself a well-deserved green check mark for his regular-season rebound after the 2023 collapse. Of course, success doesn’t hinge on coaching alone. Several new faces made critical contributions this year. On defense, LB Zack Baun emerged as the unit’s MVP. Previously a rotational player in New Orleans, Baun thrived as the centerpiece of Vic Fangio’s defense, whose scheme demands versatility and high football IQ from linebackers. While Baun may fall short of Defensive Player of the Year honors, he’s poised to become the Eagles’ first AP First-Team All-Pro linebacker in over 40 years. The secondary, another strength, was bolstered by rookies Cooper DeJean and Quinyon Mitchell, who have been among the best first-year players in the league. Their stellar play, combined with the return of ball-hawking safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson, helped solidify one of the league’s top pass defenses. On offense, there were fewer fresh faces, but the arrival of Saquon Barkley proved transformative. Time and again, Barkley delivered game-breaking runs in the second half of games to put opponents away on route to a 2K yard rushing season that may earn him OPOY. Meanwhile, Mekhi Becton’s addition at guard strengthened an offensive line already in the conversation as the NFL’s best. One of the bigger preseason questions was whether center Cam Jurgens could fill the shoes of Hall of Famer Jason Kelce. While Jurgens isn’t Kelce (yet), his athleticism and football IQ have validated the legendary center’s endorsement as his heir apparent. Now, the Eagles turn their attention to a rematch of that Week 1 showdown against Green Bay. Both teams have evolved since then as week 1 feels like year ago. This season will ultimately be judged by how far the Eagles go in the postseason, but the 2024 Eagles have already reestablished themselves as one of the NFL’s elite teams, shaking off the 2023 demons. | |
| 5. | Vikings | -1 | 14-3 | Everybody has bad games; it just sucks that Sam forgot how to throw a catchable football in such a pivotal game, especially when the Vikings’ receivers were getting wide open all game. But it’s not all Sam’s fault, credit to Aaron Glenn for generating so much pressure (someone please hire him away), credit to Ben Johnson for knowing just how to punish Flores’ blitzes (someone please hire him away) and credit to Lions’ players for looking like the real #1 seed. | |
| 6. | Ravens | – | 12-5 | Ravens. Steelers. "I think you and I are destined to do this forever" | |
| 7. | Commanders | +1 | 12-5 | The unexpected rise of the NFC North is probably the dominant story of the NFL this year. The Lions finally look like contenders at long last, and the Vikings unexpected contention adds to the drama. No doubt about it, that’s the story this year. But if not for that, an alternative leading story of the season is what happened in Washington. This franchise has spent the last 25 years in a slumber of mediocrity and comedic tragedy under the tutelage of the worst owner in sports, and in their very first season fully removed from that owner they put up their best record in 30 years. A first-ye… |
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