2024 FTN NFL Power Rankings Through Week 15: Who Takes Over the Top Spot?
Daniel Kelley
With two monster games on the schedule for Week 15, our weekly NFL power rankings were guaranteed to have a big shakeup near the top. And that’s what happened — we come into Week 16 with a new No. 1, a new No. 2, and the former No. 1 team falling all the way to third.
There are two clear top teams in the power rankings, with a big group of contenders right behind them. And at the bottom, there are teams definitely setting themselves apart from the rest of the league in a bad way.
Which brings us to the NFL power rankings for Week 16. Our rankings are a composite of five things: DVOA, plus our own Marshall Gershon, Mike Randle, Daniel Kelley and Dane Martinez. (DVOA is the decider if the voting results in a tie.) These rankings will come out every Tuesday morning, after Monday Night Football and after that week’s DVOA update. Rankings are fun, of course, but they are also key for bettors. Check out our NFL Betting Model with the latest data, and our experts put all their top bets into the NFL Bet Tracker.
Check out the team-by-team rankings below, and then at the bottom you can view the full voting breakdown.
NFL Power Rankings Through Week 15
Biggest Risers
Tampa Bay Buccaneers +7 (16 to 9)
New York Jets +4 (26 to 22)
Dallas Cowboys +4 (27 to 23)
Biggest Fallers
Seattle Seahawks -4 (11 to 15)
Los Angeles Chargers -3 (9 to 12)
San Francisco 49ers -3 (13 to 16)
Carolina Panthers -3 (25 to 28)
1. Buffalo Bills (Last Week: 2, Average Score: 2.0)
Record: 11-3, +135 point differential
Week 15: Beat the Lions 48-42
Week 16: vs. New England
The Bills rebounded from their Week 14 loss in the best way possible, laying the hammer on the former No. 1 team. It’s not a flawless team, but it’s just about the most impressive one right now.
2. Philadelphia Eagles (Last Week: 3, Average Score: 2.2)
Record: 12-2, +122
Week 15: Beat the Steelers 27-13
Week 16: @ Washington
There were two candidates for “game of the week” last week, and the Eagles and Bills won them convincingly. There’s a gap at the top right now.
3. Detroit Lions (Last Week: 1, Average Score: 3.2)
Record: 12-2, +177
Week 15: Lost to the Bills 48-42
Week 16: @ Chicago
The Lions losing ground in the rankings is less a factor of them losing Sunday than it is a reaction to the mass of injuries the team has experienced. Eventually it’s just too much.
4. Baltimore Ravens (Last Week: 4, Average Score: 3.8)
Record: 9-5, +86
Week 15: Beat the Giants 35-14
Week 16: vs. Pittsburgh (Saturday)
Sure, it was against the Giants, but the Ravens couldn’t have looked much more dominant Sunday. They get back-to-back games against playoff teams now to try to re-establish their bona fides.
5. Green Bay Packers (Last Week: 7, Average Score: 4.4)
Record: 10-4, +92
Week 15: Beat the Seahawks 30-13
Week 16: vs. New Orleans (Monday)
The Packers are peaking right as the Lions are falling apart. It’s probably too late for them to win the North (especially with the Vikings right there too), but this is a team to watch in the playoffs.
6. Kansas City Chiefs (Last Week: 5, Average Score: 6.4)
Record: 13-1, +70
Week 15: Beat the Browns 21-7
Week 16: vs. Houston (Saturday)
The Chiefs are lucky they can afford a loss or two without hurting their playoff hopes, because if Patrick Mahomes can’t play … they might get them.
7. Minnesota Vikings (Last Week: 8, Average Score: 6.6)
Record: 12-2, +117
Week 15: Beat the Bears 30-12
Week 16: @ Seattle
The Lions’ loss Sunday combined with a Vikings-Lions game in Week 18 has to have Minnesota dreaming of a division title and maybe even the 1 seed.
8. Pittsburgh Steelers (Last Week: 6, Average Score: 8.2)
Record: 10-4, +71
Week 15: Lost to the Eagles 27-13
Week 16: @ Baltimore (Saturday)
The Pittsburgh offense couldn’t get much of anything going last week. George Pickens can’t get back fast enough.
9. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Last Week: 16, Average Score: 10.0)
Record: 8-6, +77
Week 15: Beat the Chargers 40-17
Week 16: @ Dallas (Sunday night)
The Buccaneers need wins down the stretch to stay ahead of the Falcons (who are a game back and own the tiebreaker), and Mike Evans needs about 250 yards to get to 1,000 for the 11th straight year. Those needs just so happen to work together.
10. Denver Broncos (Last Week: 10, Average Score: 10.6)
Record: 9-5, +89
Week 15: Beat the Colts 31-13
Week 16: @ LA Chargers (Thursday)
Sure, the Broncos won by 18 Sunday, but the offense was a mess and the Broncos could have easily lost. They’re all but in the playoffs now, but it’s not been impressive for a bit.
11. Washington Commanders (Last Week: 12, Average Score: 11.4)
Record: 9-5, +81
Week 15: Beat the Saints 20-19
Week 16: vs. Philadelphia
It might have been because of a referee mistake, but the Commanders struggling to put away the Saints wasn’t a very exciting way to come back from the bye.
12. Los Angeles Chargers (Last Week: 9, Average Score: 11.6)
Record: 8-6, +47
Week 15: Lost to the Buccaneers 40-17
Week 16: vs. Denver (Thursday)
J.K. Dobbins got hurt in Week 12. In Weeks 8-11, the Chargers went 4-0 and averaged 28.5 points per game. In Weeks 12-15, that was 1-3 and 18.5. It’s not all Dobbins, but the team needs him back.
13. Houston Texans (Last Week: 15, Average Score: 12.8)
Record: 9-5, +28
Week 15: Beat the Dolphins 20-12
Week 16: @ Kansas City (Saturday)
The Texans have the second-worst point differential of any division leader, better than only the Rams’ -28.
14. Los Angeles Rams (Last Week: 14, Average Score: 13.4)
Record: 8-6, -28
Week 15: Beat the 49ers 12-6
Week 16: @ NY Jets
The Rams are peaking at the right time. They’re in the driver’s seat now for the NFC West crown.
15. Seattle Seahawks (Last Week: 11, Average Score: 15.8)
Record: 8-6, +2
Week 15: Lost to the Packers 30-13
Week 16: vs. Minnesota
Sunday’s loss to the Packers was crushing for the Seahawks, dropping them out of a playoff berth for the time being and potentially knocking Geno Smith out for a while.
16. San Francisco 49ers (Last Week: 13, Average Score: 16.0)
Record: 6-8, -6
Week 15: Lost to the Rams 12-6
Week 16: @ Miami
The 49ers needed a big performance in Week 15 to have any realistic shot at getting back into the playoff hunt, and instead they laid the biggest egg of the season.
17. Arizona Cardinals (Last Week: 17, Average Score: 16.4)
Record: 7-7, +8
Week 15: Beat the Patriots 30-17
Week 16: @ Carolina
The Cardinals’ three-game losing streak probably cost them any shot at the playoffs, but considering they were +1300 to win the division before the season, that’s a positive season.
18. Cincinnati Bengals (Last Week: 18, Average Score: 16.6)
Record: 6-8, +12
Week 15: Beat the Titans 37-27
Week 16: @ Cleveland
The Bengals could still get to 9-8, but it’s a tough schedule (two of their three games are against likely playoff teams) and even then it might not be enough.
19. Miami Dolphins (Last Week: 19, Average Score: 19.8)
Record: 6-8, -36
Week 15: Lost to the Texans 20-12
Week 16: vs. San Francisco
The way things are going, the Dolphins are going to have some hard questions to answer this offseason.
20. Atlanta Falcons (Last Week: 20, Average Score: 20.2)
Record: 7-7, -49
Week 15: Beat the Raiders 15-9
Week 16: vs. NY Giants
The Falcons got back in the win column Monday, but it was hardly an impressive performance. They haven’t had a truly impressive game in more than a month now.
21. Indianapolis Colts (Last Week: 21, Average Score: 21.2)
Record: 6-8, -49
Week 15: Lost to the Broncos 31-13
Week 16: vs. Tennessee
The Colts probably would have been the easiest out in the playoffs if they had squeaked in, but Sunday’s loss (and the embarrassing way it happened) allows them to turn their eyes toward the future (and Anthony Richardson’s role in it).
22. New York Jets (Last Week: 26, Average Score: 22.0)
Record: 4-10, -42
Week 15: Beat the Jaguars 32-25
Week 16: vs. LA Rams
Somewhat under the radar, the Jets have now scored more than 20 points in four straight games. Only the Lions (11), Bills (9), Eagles (9), Bengals (6) and Vikings (5) are on longer such streaks.
23. Dallas Cowboys (Last Week: 27, Average Score: 22.4)
Record: 6-8, -82
Week 15: Beat the Panthers 30-14
Week 16: vs. Tampa Bay (Sunday night)
Imagine if the Cowboys had eked out a win against the Bengals a week ago. They’d be 7-7 now and building the fanbase up for just a crushing end of the season.
24. New Orleans Saints (Last Week: 22, Average Score: 24.4)
Record: 5-9, -3
Week 15: Lost to the Commanders 20-10
Week 16: @ Green Bay (Monday)
It looks like it’ll be Spencer Rattler’s job the rest of the way. The Saints are just playing out the string, so maybe the chance to look at an alternative is a good one.
25. Cleveland Browns (Last Week: 23, Average Score: 25.4)
Record: 3-11, -117
Week 15: Lost to the Chiefs 21-7
Week 16: vs. Cincinnati
Some air definitely came out of the Jameis Winston balloon the last couple weeks, with the Browns reportedly at least considering a move to Dorian Thompson-Robinson.
26. Chicago Bears (Last Week: 24, Average Score: 26.8)
Record: 4-10, -42
Week 15: Lost to the Vikings 30-12
Week 16: vs. Detroit
As it stands right now, the Bears are picking ninth in next year’s draft, and with games against the Lions, Seahawks and Packers left on the schedule, that’s more likely to get closer to first than further away. Certainly not what Chicago had in mind.
27. New England Patriots (Last Week: 28, Average Score: 27.4)
Record: 3-11, -99
Week 15: Lost to the Cardinals 30-17
Week 16: @ Buffalo
The Patriots get Buffalo twice in the last three weeks, with the Chargers in between. Rough end to a bad season.
28. Carolina Panthers (Last Week: 25, Average Score: 28.2)
Record: 3-11, -171
Week 15: Lost to the Cowboys 30-14
Week 16: vs. Arizona
The (moderate) down-the-stretch excitement for the Panthers came to a screeching halt Sunday in the Dallas beatdown.
29. Jacksonville Jaguars (Last Week: 30, Average Score: 28.8)
Record: 3-11, -114
Week 15: Lost to the Jets 32-25
Week 16: @ Las Vegas
Brian Thomas Jr. is putting together what would be an Offensive Rookie of the Year season in some years. Not bad for the fourth receiver and 11th skill player off the board.
30. Tennessee Titans (Last Week: 29, Average Score: 29.2)
Record: 3-11, -125
Week 15: Lost to the Bengals 37-27
Week 16: @ Indianapolis
Was Sunday the end of the Will Levis experience in Tennessee? He’d been on a mild upswing, but three picks, a lost fumble and -4.4 fantasy points before a benching is a tough taste to get out of a team’s mouth.
31. Las Vegas Raiders (Last Week: 32, Average Score: 30.2)
Record: 2-12, -131
Week 15: Lost to the Falcons 15-9
Week 16: vs. Jacksonville
No big surprise, but it certainly doesn’t look like Desmond Ridder is the solution in Las Vegas.
32. New York Giants (Last Week: 32, Average Score: 30.6)
Record: 2-12, -120
Week 15: Lost to the Ravens 35-14
Week 16: @ Atlanta
You know it’s bad when you’re forced to turn to Tim Boyle at quarterback.
Check out the full voting below.
