National Football League

2024 NFL Power Rankings Week 18: Are the Vikings the best team in the NFC?

Updated Dec. 31, 2024 9:08 a.m. ET

It's that weird in-between time.

Yes, it is the weird week between Christmas and New Year's, when time seems to stand still. But it's also the last week of power rankings before the playoff field is set. One more week where we can argue about the league's hierarchy before it's all settled on the field.

The timing couldn't be better, because we're going to make the most of this window for subjectivity. With one week still to go, there's some interesting movement around the power rankings. Read on to see how things shook 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

Buffalo Bills

(12-3)

Super Bowl odds: 550

Josh Allen isn’t likely to play much this weekend, as the Bills are already locked into the AFC’s No. 2 seed. That makes perfect sense, but it does make me wonder about the race for league MVP. Will it hurt Allen to sit while Lamar Jackson plays? I’m guessing the Bills don’t care, but I’m curious.

Kansas City Chiefs

up from 4

(15-1)

Super Bowl odds: 370

The Chiefs are playing arguably their best football of the year at the perfect time, and now they’re going to have two weeks to get healthy for the run to Super Bowl LIX. It’s going to take a heck of an effort to keep them out of that game.

Minnesota Vikings

(14-2)

Super Bowl odds: 800

Sam Darnold was a $10 million afterthought signing in August, and now he’s the Pro Bowl-caliber quarterback of a team that will be playing for the NFC’s No. 1 seed. It’s such a great story, and it makes you wonder if the Vikings will be the ones to give him a massive payday.

Detroit Lions

down from 2

(14-2)

Super Bowl odds: 460

The bad news is that the Lions’ defense is still coping with a ton of injuries, as evidenced by San Francisco piling up 475 yards and 34 points on them. That's problematic — both next week against Minnesota and in the playoffs. But the good news is, with an offense like theirs, it really might not matter. There can't be more than two or three teams in the NFL that can keep up with these guys.

Philadelphia Eagles

(13-3)

Super Bowl odds: 750

Here's an interesting situation to consider, and it has nothing to do with Saquon Barkley and the rushing record: Jalen Hurts suffered his concussion in the first quarter against the Commanders. If he doesn’t play in Week 18, he’d take the field in the playoffs without getting any meaningful reps in almost three weeks. I wonder if the Eagles consider giving him a series or two to get himself ready for the postseason.

Baltimore Ravens

up from 7

(11-5)

Super Bowl odds: 700

We all know what the Ravens offer on offense, but they’ve quietly been fantastic on defense since their Week 14 bye. The unit that was so inconsistent in the early going of the season has been much more reliable in December.

Washington Commanders

up from 8

(11-5)

Super Bowl odds: 3500

Jayden Daniels seems to have that special mental makeup that allows him to not ever get flustered, and he just so happens to be one of the most athletically gifted quarterbacks in the league. The Commanders might be a flawed team overall, but that combination at quarterback makes them a dangerous bunch in the playoffs.

Los Angeles Rams

up from 9

(10-6)

Super Bowl odds: 2500

I’ll never get over the Rams’ journey this season. From 1-4 in October, debating whether they should trade Cooper Kupp, to winning the division with a week still to play. They’ve proven they can light up scoreboards and hold opponents below 10 points. A true "pretender to contender" story.

Green Bay Packers

down from 6

(11-5)

Super Bowl odds: 1500

The Packers scored 20 total points in the first half of their four losses to Minnesota and Detroit. That averages out to five points per outing. They simply have to find a way to start faster when they get into games against contenders.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

up from 14

(9-7)

Super Bowl odds: 3000

How stressful must it have been for the Buccaneers’ players and coaches to watch the final moments of the Commanders’ win against Atlanta? It had to have been tense, but they got the outcome they needed and now the NFC South is in their grasp.

Los Angeles Chargers

(10-6)

Super Bowl odds: 3300

No matter what happens next, it’s already a win for the Chargers to reach the postseason in their first year of a reboot. Anything they accomplish from here is a fantastic bonus, and it sets the stage for an exciting 2025.

Pittsburgh Steelers

down from 10

(10-6)

Super Bowl odds: 5000

It felt for a minute like the Steelers had a higher ceiling, but with each passing week this feels like the same team we’ve gotten used to seeing lose in the wild-card round. Maybe George Pickens can help to elevate the passing game, but I’m not optimistic.

Denver Broncos

down from 12

(9-7)

Super Bowl odds: 6000

It doesn’t sound like the Chiefs will be playing any of their stars this weekend, which gives the Broncos a straightforward job. Beat the Carson Wentz version of Kansas City, and you’re in the postseason. No pressure.

Cincinnati Bengals

up from 16

(8-8)

Super Bowl odds: 24000

Regardless of whether the Bengals reach the playoffs, I need this organization to resolve not to waste another season of Joe Burrow's prime. These opportunities are fleeting. Cincinnati can't afford to miss the playoffs because the overall roster isn't good enough.

Houston Texans

down from 13

(9-7)

Super Bowl odds: 5000

DeMeco Ryans said Monday that "everyone will be out there playing" against Tennessee, even though the Texans are locked into the AFC’s No. 4 seed. I get his reasoning. Houston hasn’t looked like a playoff team in a month and could use the reps. I just hope the plan doesn’t backfire.

Seattle Seahawks

down from 15

(9-7)

*eliminated from playoff contention

It’s hard to feel sorry for the Seahawks, given how abysmal they looked in Chicago on Thursday night. Still, it’s tough to lose the division on the league’s fifth tiebreaker. It would have been fun to watch an NFC West title game on Sunday at SoFi Stadium, but the Seahawks did have their chances to avoid this fate.

Atlanta Falcons

(8-8)

Super Bowl odds: 39000

Hard not to wonder what happens if the Falcons had made the switch to Michael Penix Jr. a week or two earlier. Atlanta’s season isn’t officially over, but it might not be on the brink if their rookie quarterback had gotten one or two more games to show what he can do.

Miami Dolphins

(8-8)

Super Bowl odds: 24000

Shoutout to Snoop Huntley for doing what no other Dolphins backup has been able to: play competent football. Huntley didn’t redefine the quarterback position in Cleveland, but he kept Miami’s season alive. That should count for something when you remember how terrible the Dolphins have looked without Tua Tagovailoa in the lineup.

Arizona Cardinals

up from 22

(7-9)

*eliminated from playoff contention

It still feels like 2024 was a step in the right direction for the Cardinals, but it’s still tough to go from 6-4, leading the division at midseason, to 1-5 the rest of the way. And learning how to win is a skill, because two or three of those losses were by the slimmest of margins.

San Francisco 49ers

up from 23

(6-10)

*eliminated from playoff contention

It was nice to see the 49ers come out and play like a talented team that's been to three-straight NFC Championship Games — at least for a little while. After the adrenaline wore off, the offensive miscues and special teams mishaps raised their heads once again.

Dallas Cowboys

down from 19

(7-9)

*eliminated from playoff contention

The Cowboys deserve credit for punching above their weight class for most of the past month, but getting flattened by the Eagles should be a timely reminder that this team was never, ever close to contending. The new year offers an opportunity for the decision-makers in Dallas to decide who they want to be in 2025.

Indianapolis Colts

down from 20

(7-9)

*eliminated from playoff contention

Coming out of their bye week at 6-7, the Colts had the easiest remaining strength of schedule in the league. Four opponents with a combined record of 16-36. So far, Indy is 1-2 against those teams, allowing 35 points per game. An absolutely abysmal showing with a shot at the playoffs on the line.

Carolina Panthers

down from 21

(4-12)

*eliminated from playoff contention

If you’re going to get your doors blown off by a division rival, at least Bryce Young played a fairly good game. The Panthers’ defense was the problem in Tampa, which is a problem that’s much easier to stomach.

Las Vegas Raiders

up from 30

(4-12)

*eliminated from playoff contention

I’m happy for the players and coaches who get to enjoy the thrill of victory in an otherwise dismal season. But the Raiders’ front office has got to feel a bit antsy about all this untimely winning. After all, it was just nine months ago that they missed out on Michael Penix Jr. by winning too many games.

New England Patriots

down from 24

(3-13)

*eliminated from playoff contention

There’s no way the Patriots should be ranked this high after getting destroyed, 40-7, by the Chargers. But I ask you: If they played today, which of the other bad NFL teams would you take over New England? It doesn’t count for much, but Drake Maye gives the Pats a great chance — as long as they’re playing another bad team.

New York Giants

up from 32

(3-13)

*eliminated from playoff contention

Only the Giants would play their best game of the season when the No. 1 pick was in their grasp. The players and coaches don’t care about that, and putting up 45 points had to have been a fun change. But this was a win that could haunt the fan base in the long run.

New Orleans Saints

down from 26

(5-11)

*eliminated from playoff contention

I firmly believe the Saints were one of the biggest "what if" teams of this 2024 season. With better injury luck, it’s totally plausible they’re part of the NFC South race in Week 18. Instead, a top 10 draft pick looks like a certainty.

Jacksonville Jaguars

up from 29

(4-12)

*eliminated from playoff contention

I’m not sure how much this matters, considering the Jags are likely about to switch out their coaching staff, but you can’t accuse them of lying down. Of their 12 losses this season, nine came by seven points or less. Jacksonville has a shot to finish the season on a winning streak, as strange as that is to say.

Chicago Bears

down from 25

(4-12)

*eliminated from playoff contention

I still believe the Bears have a better roster than most of the other cellar dwellers in the league right now. But that’s irrelevant when everything about this team looks so broken. Chicago could use an injection of some of the culture that’s been built in every other building in the NFC North.

Cleveland Browns

down from 27

(3-13)

*eliminated from playoff contention

There are a lot of bad teams in the NFL this year, but not many of them are averaging 7.5 points per game over the past month. Regardless of how many quarterbacks you’ve lost, that’s bleak.

New York Jets

down from 28

(4-12)

*eliminated from playoff contention

It’s a funny footnote in the Aaron Rodgers era in New York that the Jets’ backups were the ones to avoid a shutout in Buffalo on Sunday. Thank goodness for Tyrod Taylor.

Tennessee Titans

down from 31

(3-13)

*eliminated from playoff contention

Not many expected the Titans to be good in 2024, but they were at least equipped to be interesting. Spending $228 million in free agency is supposed to spare you the indignity of fighting for the top spot in the draft.

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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_.