2024 NFL Power Rankings Week 16: Who's the best team in the NFC?
We were expecting a shakeup, and it's safe to say we got it. After five weeks, the Lions' reign atop the power rankings is over. But with so many big games happening across the league, who replaced them in the No. 1 spot? And how does the rest of the pecking order shape up with three weeks left in the regular season?
Read on to find out (click on team labels to reveal the blurbs).
Here are the latest power rankings for 2024 (with Super Bowl odds from FanDuel Sportsbook).
NFL Power Rankings
Super Bowl odds: +480
There’s something so beautiful about getting the ball with 10:35 to play and not giving it back. The Eagles reminded us against Pittsburgh that their passing game can still be plenty explosive. But the true strength of this team still lies in their ability to grind you to dust.
Super Bowl odds: +500
At some point, you start to worry that the Lions have more injuries than any team can hope to overcome. Fortunately, their offense gives them a chance to beat anyone. But with this many difference-makers missing on defense, there’s not much margin for error.
Super Bowl odds: +1300
I was impressed by how nonchalant the Vikings' win over the Bears looked. Monday night was not their cleanest game by any stretch, but Minnesota looked content to just let the Bears make all the biggest mistakes and sink themselves. And that's perfectly OK when you're playing a bad team at this late stage of the season. If you can win by 18 points without ever really getting out of second gear, you're probably a pretty strong team.
Super Bowl odds: +600
With two games in the next eight days, I’m curious how the Chiefs handle this Patrick Mahomes ankle injury. Might it make sense to rest him for Saturday’s game against Houston in an effort to get him ready for the Christmas Day trip to Pittsburgh? The schedule is not doing the defending champs any favors this year.
Super Bowl odds: +1300
The Packers might be the third-best team in their own division, but there’s still clearly levels to this league. Sunday night was billed as a statement opportunity for the Seahawks, and instead Green Bay dominated in every way imaginable. They might have to settle for a wild card, but that doesn’t make the Packers any less of a contender.
Super Bowl odds: +800
Not many people are going to be swayed by pounding the dismal Giants, but it was nice to at least see the Ravens dominate a game they were supposed to win easily. The AFC North is still in their reach if they can beat Pittsburgh on Saturday.
Super Bowl odds: +3000
Much like Kansas City, Pittsburgh has to get some key players healthy and there’s not much time to do it. The Steelers need T.J. Watt and George Pickens on the field if they’re going to realize their potential.
Super Bowl odds: +4400
Probably not the way the Broncos drew it up, but all that matters is their day wasn’t as ugly as their opponent’s. I admire the way the Broncos didn’t allow their miscues to lead to a collapse — which is clearly what happened to the Colts.
Super Bowl odds: +3300
With 223 rushing yards on the day, the Bucs turned in a better performance on the ground against the Chargers than the mighty Ravens did a few weeks ago. Baker Mayfield and Mike Evans are great players, but the key to Tampa’s turnaround has been a dominant ground game.
Super Bowl odds: +3400
The Rams defeated the Bills in Week 14 by piling up 457 yards and 44 points. In Week 15, they downed the 49ers in a monsoon despite failing to score a single touchdown. Two games, four days apart, that looked like completely different sports. How can you not be romantic about football?
Super Bowl odds: +5000
Wild to think about how much scarier the season gets for the Commanders if the Saints convert that two-point conversion. At 8-6, they’d be tied with the Rams and Seahawks and in jeopardy of losing their wild-card spot. Instead, they're 9-5, securing their first winning season since 2015 and earning at least a little bit of breathing room.
Super Bowl odds: +5000
The Chargers' other five losses this season came by a combined total of just 28 points. On Sunday, Tampa Bay outscored them, 27-0, in just one half of football. They’ve proven themselves as a solid team, but that was disconcerting.
Super Bowl odds: +3000
Maybe we’ve just got to accept that the Texans’ path to success does not run through their offense this season. Houston’s pass rush and secondary might be good enough to spur them on a run — provided the offense doesn’t get in the way.
Super Bowl odds: +9000
Not only did the Seahawks fall flat in every way imaginable against Green Bay, but Geno Smith is now dealing with a knee injury. Hopefully, it’s not too serious and Smith won’t miss time, because Seattle’s not going anywhere without him.
Super Bowl odds: +15000
The Patriots have been frisky recently, and they were coming off a bye week. Good on the Cardinals for handling them in stress-free fashion. Their playoff hopes are slim, but they do live on.
Super Bowl odds: +30000
Personally, I appreciate that Joe Burrow was still pissed off at the end of a 10-point road win in Tennessee. The Bengals turned the ball over four times and committed 14 penalties on Sunday. It’s inexcusable how poorly they’ve played despite having so much talent.
Super Bowl odds: +25000
It feels incredibly on brand that the Dolphins scored just one touchdown in a do-or-die game for their playoff hopes. Miami has rarely delivered in big moments during Mike McDaniel’s tenure. It's harsh, but it's true.
Super Bowl odds: +15000
Kirk Cousins had stretches of legitimately good football this year, so I'm not sure how he fell off a cliff so quickly. But the blunt truth is that he's looked bad for a month now, and he looked absolutely cooked in that abysmal win in Las Vegas. The Raiders had allowed 240-plus passing yards in six straight games, and Cousins struggled to throw for more than 100 on Monday night. It's enough to make you wonder if the only reason Michael Penix Jr. isn't getting a look is because of the optics of benching a $180 million quarterback.
Super Bowl odds: +100000
I don't blame the 49ers for being so frustrated with De'Vondre Campbell. This team has fought through so many injuries and so much turmoil — some of it actual, real life tragedy, by the way. To be let down in the middle of what was essentially an elimination game had to sting especially bad with everything those guys have dealt with dating back to training camp.
Super Bowl odds: +50000
What an embarrassment. It’s one thing to lose what was essentially a playoff game, but to bury yourself under the weight of five turnovers? And one of those was a completely avoidable mistake by one of your best players. An inexcusable effort, all the way around.
Super Bowl odds: +100000
The Cowboys are not interesting because they have a shot of making the playoffs. Even after winning three of the past four, their odds of reaching the postseason sit at less than 1%. The Cowboys are interesting because of what this late-season surge might mean for Mike McCarthy. If his team plays well enough these final three weeks, could it be good enough to earn McCarthy a new contract in Dallas?
Super Bowl odds: +100000
It didn’t work out, but I applaud the Saints’ decision to go for the win. You’ve got a playoff team on the ropes in an otherwise lost season. There’s no downside to going big. And while you’re at it, might as well keep Spencer Rattler in the starting lineup if Derek Carr can’t go.
*eliminated from playoff contention
Not surprising to see the Panthers lose to a Dallas team that still has a talented roster, but it was striking to see the way they completely fell apart. Hopefully, a four-turnover day doesn’t damage the confidence Bryce Young had done such an admirable job of regaining.
*eliminated from playoff contention
It feels like we've been watching the same Bears game for two months now. Caleb Williams holds the ball for far too long, gets hit too many times, makes a handful of impressive plays, the Bears make several dumb mistakes and lose the game. The process is the same, and ultimately, so are the results.
*eliminated from playoff contention
I’ll be honest, I had often wondered how Jameis Winston would perform if he got another shot to be a starting quarterback. The answer is that he’s thrown 12 interceptions in seven starts. He’d be on pace to throw 29 picks had he been the starter for the entire season. This is just who he is.
*eliminated from playoff contention
Go figure that Aaron Rodgers and Davante Adams would turn back the clock to 2020 right after the Jets were mathematically eliminated from the postseason. Oh well, at least it was a fun afternoon?
*eliminated from playoff contention
I maintain that this season couldn’t be going any better in the big picture for New England. Drake Maye is a Dude, with a capital "D," and the Patriots are going to wind up with a big-time draft pick. It’s tough right now, but the future is bright.
*eliminated from playoff contention
If we’re looking for silver linings, at least the Jags nailed the decision to draft Brian Thomas Jr. After a huge day against the Jets, he’s top 10 among all receivers as a rookie. Pairing him with Trevor Lawrence for the foreseeable future is worth being optimistic about.
*eliminated from playoff contention
If the Raiders were a better team, we'd be having some loud conversations about the ridiculous roughing the passer call on Robert Spillane in the fourth quarter against Atlanta. Since the Raiders are not a better team, we can just focus on the fact that they're currently on the inside track for the No. 1 overall pick. Can they stay there?
*eliminated from playoff contention
The Titans’ goal for the season was to determine whether Will Levis was the guy they can build their team around. After Sunday, Levis has turned the ball over 17 times in 11 games. Tennessee should be in the market for a quarterback this spring.
*eliminated from playoff contention
It’s been about as bad a season as you could imagine for the Giants, but the light at the end of the tunnel is approaching. All three of New York’s final opponents are fighting for playoff positioning. The No. 1 overall pick is a legitimate possibility.
David Helman covers the NFL for FOX Sports and hosts the NFL on FOX podcast. He previously spent nine seasons covering the Cowboys for the team's official website. In 2018, he won a regional Emmy for his role in producing "Dak Prescott: A Family Reunion" about the quarterback's time at Mississippi State. Follow him on Twitter at @davidhelman_.
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