NFL Power Rankings takes stock of all 32 teams throughout the season.
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1. Los Angeles Rams (6-2)
Previous rank: 4
A Rams offense led by Matthew Stafford, Puka Nacua, and Davante Adams has been everything we imagined. Not to be outdone, the defense leads the league in EPA/play, according to TruMedia. This might be the NFL's most complete team halfway through the season.
2. Buffalo Bills (6-2)
Previous rank: 10
Are the Bills back? I'm buying it. A brutal two-game stretch against the Patriots and Falcons was enough to sound the alarm, but Buffalo responded by dominating the Panthers and knocking off the red-hot Chiefs. A struggling defense holding Patrick Mahomes to a career-worst 44.1% completion rate is a particularly encouraging sign.
3. Kansas City Chiefs (5-4)
Previous rank: 3
I'm holding firm with the Chiefs despite their relatively underwhelming record. The offense has looked dangerous over the last few weeks with the receiving corps at full strength, and first-round rookie left tackle Josh Simmons is back after missing time due to a personal issue.
4. Detroit Lions (5-3)
Previous rank: 1
Falling to a scuffling Vikings team in Week 9 is certainly a setback for the Lions. Division contests can be tough to predict, so there's no reason to overreact. Still, the ground game being a nonfactor against a suspect Minnesota run defense is at least worth monitoring.
5. Indianapolis Colts (7-2)
Previous rank: 2
The Colts had to slip up at some point, right? Now, the question is whether other teams can replicate the Steelers' convincing win. Few opponents are likely to force the ball into Daniel Jones' hands 50 times, but that's clearly the best shot at stifling Indy's league-leading offense in EPA/play.
6. Seattle Seahawks (6-2)
Previous rank: 7
Seattle's big-play passing game is showing no signs of slowing down, and Sunday night's beatdown of the Commanders marked another outstanding effort from Mike Macdonald's defense. Nobody will want to face this team in the playoffs.
7. Philadelphia Eagles (6-2)
Previous rank: 8
Philly seems to have steadied the ship after starting October with an especially frustrating two-game losing streak. The Eagles put together their best rushing performance of the season heading into the bye, and Howie Roseman has now bolstered the defense with trades for Jaelan Phillips, Jaire Alexander, and Michael Carter II.
8. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6-2)
Previous rank: 6
Mike Evans' absence until mid-December is a significant blow to the Bucs' offense, but this group has overcome injury issues all year. And with the defense quietly making major improvements compared to past seasons, the star receiver's eventual return should come with Tampa Bay still comfortably atop the NFC South.
9. New England Patriots (7-2)
Previous rank: 9
Sunday's win over the Falcons marks the Patriots' sixth straight victory. Sacks remain an issue, but Drake Maye is quickly emerging as a top quarterback. A playoff appearance would be a great start for the Mike Vrabel era.
10. Denver Broncos (7-2)
Previous rank: 11
I still have my fair share of concerns about Denver's offense lacking consistency. That said, Bo Nix ranking third among all QBs in fourth-quarter EPA/dropback makes it easy to see how the Broncos have managed to pull out as many wins as they have. They'll be a real contender if they can start to string together a few complete performances.
11. Green Bay Packers (5-2-1)
Previous rank: 5
We know the Packers' potential, but something is missing on offense. Scoring only 23 points across losses to the Browns and Panthers is inexcusable for a Super Bowl-caliber team. With Tucker Kraft out for the year, it's fair to question if that ceiling remains attainable.
12. San Francisco 49ers (6-3)
Previous rank: 13
The 49ers' offense has continued to operate at a high level despite a host of injuries. This could be one of the NFL's best scoring attacks when Brock Purdy, Ricky Pearsall, and Brandon Aiyuk return to the field. Can a beat-up defense piece things together enough for San Francisco to capitalize?
13. Pittsburgh Steelers (5-3)
Previous rank: 15
The Steelers' convincing win over the Colts was one of the more stunning results of the season. While one game isn't nearly enough to forget about everything we've already seen from this defense, it's certainly worth staying patient to see if it can be the start of a turnaround.
14. Jacksonville Jaguars (5-3)
Previous rank: 12
The Jaguars' offense has shown flashes at times, but the Travis Hunter injury limits this group's potential to find another gear in the second half. Additionally, the defense has struggled significantly after a hot start, ranking 27th in EPA/play since Week 5.
15. Baltimore Ravens (3-5)
Previous rank: 16
Lamar Jackson returned to the field with a near-perfect four-touchdown performance in Thursday's win over the Dolphins. With their superstar quarterback leading the way and the defense trending up of late, the Ravens have a chance to climb out of the early hole they dug for themselves.
16. Los Angeles Chargers (6-3)
Previous rank: 14
The Chargers are in the playoff mix, but concerns persist about their trajectory. Injuries have again hit the offensive line, and Joe Alt is headed back to the sidelines with his second high ankle sprain of the season. Justin Herbert being under constant pressure and taking six sacks made Los Angeles' win over the lowly Titans far closer than it needed to be.
17. Chicago Bears (5-3)
Previous rank: 17
Chicago is finally putting things together in the run game, which is helping the offense take off. However, the defense has to improve if the Bears are to capitalize on that firepower. Giving up 42 points to the Bengals is embarrassing, even if they did pull out the win.
18. Minnesota Vikings (4-4)
Previous rank: 21
J.J. McCarthy's return was far from perfect, but it was enough to help the Vikings secure a massive division win over the Lions. Minnesota may still have a chance to make noise if the second-year quarterback can build on the promising effort.
19. Carolina Panthers (5-4)
Previous rank: 23
The Panthers are incredibly difficult to read. Their passing can be a mess, but they've found their bread and butter with a Rico Dowdle-led ground game. Although the defense has been inconsistent, this past week's win over the Packers was another example of things trending in the right direction. Either way, Carolina is a lot better than many of us realized.
20. Houston Texans (3-5)
Previous rank: 18
The Texans came up short against the Broncos after C.J. Stroud exited early with a concussion. They'll hope he can return soon, as there's no more room for error following a frustrating first half.
21. Dallas Cowboys (3-5-1)
Previous rank: 19
Dallas' offense has provided some fun moments this year, but that unit was just as bad as the defense Monday night against the Cardinals. At this point, it doesn't matter what Jerry Jones does or doesn't do at the trade deadline. The Cowboys aren't going anywhere.
22. Atlanta Falcons (3-5)
Previous rank: 20
Drake London was unbelievable Sunday against the Patriots, making one highlight-reel grab after another en route to a nine-catch, three-touchdown day. Meanwhile, Bijan Robinson and Kyle Pitts accounted for all but one of Michael Penix's other 13 completions in the contest, illustrating just how little help London is getting from his fellow wideouts.
23. Arizona Cardinals (3-5)
Previous rank: 28
The Cardinals averaged 18.8 points and 170.2 passing yards across the first five games of the year with Kyler Murray under center. In three contests with Jacoby Brissett, they've posted 25.7 points and 256.3 passing yards. Are we nearing the end of the Murray era in Arizona?
24. New York Giants (2-7)
Previous rank: 24
It's already another season down the drain for the Giants, but this one at least comes with some sense of hope. Even without his top playmakers, Jaxson Dart looks like he belongs. Another offseason to build up the roster could make this team a fun watch in 2026.
25. Cincinnati Bengals (3-6)
Previous rank: 27
Trading for Joe Flacco has given the Bengals some life on offense. Unfortunately, the state of their defense makes it tough for them to compete regardless of who's at quarterback. This roster is in rough shape beyond its few superstars.
26. Washington Commanders (3-6)
Previous rank: 22
The Commanders rolling into this season with the NFL's oldest roster seems like malpractice in hindsight. Regression has hit Washington hard after last year's run to the NFC title game, and now Jayden Daniels seems likely to miss an extended period with a left elbow injury.
27. Cleveland Browns (2-6)
Previous rank: 26
Kevin Stefanski giving up play-calling duties would appear to be an ominous sign for his chances of keeping his job next offseason. Considering how much work this roster needed after the Deshaun Watson debacle, is that really a fair outcome?
28. Miami Dolphins (2-7)
Previous rank: 25
The Dolphins are likely headed for a rebuild. If Miami guts the roster at the deadline, it's probably going to be in the mix for a top-five pick next year. Starting over with a new quarterback would have to be a consideration at that point.
29. Las Vegas Raiders (2-6)
Previous rank: 30
Brock Bowers looks like the best tight end in football again after taking three games to get healthy. But even his three-touchdown performance wasn't enough to help the Raiders beat the undermanned Jaguars. That's how far this team has to go.
30. New Orleans Saints (1-8)
Previous rank: 29
Spencer Rattler probably didn't deserve to be benched, but it's understandable for the Saints to want to get an extended look at Tyler Shough before next year's draft. The second-round rookie made his first start against the Rams defense, which, maybe predictably, didn't yield inspiring results.
31. New York Jets (1-7)
Previous rank: 31
The Jets went into their bye on a high note two weeks ago and are hoping a season-best scoring effort can be the start of something heading into the campaign's second half. Based on everything else we've seen, though, it's far more likely that New York's lone win was merely the result of playing the Bengals.
32. Tennessee Titans (1-8)
Previous rank: 32
The Titans might have their quarterback of the future, but they don't have much around him. It's going to be a long road back for this organization. Ownership can't afford to miss on another head coaching hire.
Dan Wilkins is theScore's senior NFL writer.
