Fox News Digital Sports NFL power rankings after Week 14 of the 2024 season
The playoff push is on in the NFL, and contenders are starting to separate themselves.
The top team in the league is an easy decision, but after a wild week in the NFL, teams are jumbled.
Here are Fox News Digital's power rankings through 14 weeks of NFL football.
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Things have gotten close over the last couple weeks, but the Lions are finding ways to win and remain the toughest offense to face in the NFL.
Sam LaPorta has begun to emerge, which is scary after his strong rookie season last year. The Lions have a big test this weekend when they host the Buffalo Bills, who would love to get the bad taste out of their mouths after a loss against the Rams. And the Lions will have their hands full with a Bills offense indoors.
Last week: 1
The Eagles won their ninth consecutive game in a win over the Panthers, tying the longest winning streak in franchise history. However, their streak might have been snapped if Panthers wide receiver Xavier Legette held on to what would have been the game-tying touchdown in the final minute.
Jalen Hurts threw for just 108 yards in the win. Saquon Barkley churned out another 124 yards on 20 carries. The Eagles next play the Steelers and are going to have to play a lot better than they did against Carolina to beat Pittsburgh.
Last week: 3
It’s the same story, different week. The Chiefs are either wizards or just illusionists. A last-second field goal to secure the division title in primetime looked as routine as ever, and the team has still shown no urgency. They’re doing the bare minimum to get by every week, yet that’s enough to put them above just about everyone else.
Last week: 4
The Bills had a bit of a letdown this week, particularly on defense, against the Los Angeles Rams. But Josh Allen continues to play at an MVP level, so that’s the good news. The loss doesn’t change the fact that Buffalo is the best team in the AFC despite being two games behind the Chiefs.
Last week: 4
After some disappointing games over the last few weeks, the Vikings were not going to let the struggling Kirk Cousins have a successful revenge game. Sam Darnold turned back the clock to earlier this season, but we'll see if that type of play is here to stay.
Last week: 7
The Steelers defeated the Cleveland Browns Sunday for a second straight win. The victory also padded Pittsburgh’s lead in the AFC North. Russell Wilson’s efficiency and a strong defense make the Steelers legitimate championship contenders.
Last week: 5
The Packers should feel no shame losing to the Lions. The Pack held the Lions for 59 minutes and 59 seconds and even had a nice second-half comeback. Had an aggressive Dan Campbell call not gone the Lions' way, who knows what happens? The Packers proved they belong, and it should be interesting to see what they do in Seattle.
Last week: 6
The Ravens were on a bye last week, which gave them a chance to figure out the best approach as they compete for the AFC North division crown. It’s still possible the Ravens knock the Steelers out of first place. Winning close games will likely be a focus for Baltimore down the stretch. The team’s five losses have come by a total of 22 points.
Last week: 8
A competitive loss to the Chiefs means LA was swept by Kansas City again, and Jim Harbaugh hasn’t changed change that. It took the coach five years to lead Michigan over Ohio State. At this rate, Chargers fans might be looking at a similar timetable.
Last week: 9
The Commanders should be fresh coming off their bye week after demolishing the Titans the week before. The Commanders sit at 8-5 and in playoff position. The Commanders control their own destiny too. If they win out, they are guaranteed a spot. Their next four games are against the Derek Carr-less Saints, Eagles, Falcons and Cowboys. While they have already surpassed expectations this season, it would be a disappointment if the Commanders missed the playoffs.
Last week: 11
A big win over a divisional rival has given the Texans a two-game lead in the AFC South as they head into their bye week with some confidence. C.J. Stroud has faced criticism in recent weeks because of his turnovers, but he threw for 242 yards and a touchdown in Sunday’s win over Jacksonville to surpass 3,000 passing yards this season. Star running back Joe Mixon has been the bright spot for the Texans' struggling offense, but Houston is primed to win the division for the second straight year.
Last week: 12
One of the league’s top defenses and a Rookie of The Year-type campaign by Bo Nix has anchored one of the biggest surprises in sports this year. Now everyone will get to see if this Broncos team is built to finish.
Last week: 10
The Cardinals were hoping to even the season series against the Seahawks Sunday, but Geno Smith & Co. had other things in mind. Led by Zack Charbonnet’s 193 scrimmage yards and two touchdowns in Glendale, Arizona, Seattle swept its division rival.
In such a tight race, it could mean the difference for a division title. Smith was again efficient, passing for 233 yards and one touchdown to Jaxon Smith-Njigba on 24-for-30 through the air.
Last week: 13
They have spurts of looking good, and that's what suggested they were going to dismantle the Raiders last week. They lost focus for a bit, and the game was closer than it really needed to be.
Last week: 14
Talk about a big win at home over a tough opponent. The Buffalo Bills were riding high when they hit the West Coast, but Rams head coach Sean McVay had an answer for MVP frontrunner Josh Allen, and Matthew Stafford worked it to perfection.
Once again, Puka Nacua became Stafford’s safety blanket in the 44-42 victory, collecting 12 receptions for 162 yards and two touchdowns, one on a carry. Cooper Kupp also added a touchdown and five receptions for 92 yards as Stafford went 23-for-30 for 320 yards. With the Seahawks beating the Cardinals, the Rams jump into second place in the division, one game behind Seattle, who they will see in Week 18 to potentially determine the NFC West winner.
Last week: 16
Injuries galore in the backfield, the 49ers were hoping Isaac Guerendo, the rookie third-string back, could carry the load with the Bears coming to the Bay. Mission accomplished.
Guerendo scored twice on 15 carries for 78 yards, while Brock Purdy was lethal, going 20-for-25 for 325 yards with two touchdowns, both of which went to Jauan Jennings. George Kittle had his best game of the season with six catches for 151 yards. It was a must-win for the 49ers to remain in the playoff hunt. Though they are 6-7 and at the bottom of the division, there’s still a chance.
Last week: 18
It was the perfect start to the game when Michael Wilson found the end zone on a Kyler Murray pass to jump ahead against the Seahawks, the team the Cardinals knew they had to beat in this tight divisional race. But Arizona’s defense had no answer for Seattle’s run game with Zach Charbonnet.
He took a lead role with Kenneth Walker III out due to injury, collecting 193 scrimmage yards, 134 of which were on the ground. With Murray throwing two crucial interceptions despite his two touchdown passes, the Cardinals lost 30-18 and need to continue fighting with four games remaining to secure a playoff spot.
Last week: 15
Miami kept its season alive with an overtime victory over the New York Jets, but that’s not a reason to celebrate. The Dolphins probably need to win out to make the playoffs, and they’ve got the Texans and 49ers in the next two weeks.
Last week: 20
While the Bengals have had a considerable amount of bad breaks this season, they did benefit from a punting debacle Monday night. Even Cincinnati’s much maligned defense was able to make some key stops in critical moments in the game against the Dallas Cowboys. The star-crossed Bengals will look to win a second consecutive game Sunday when they take on the Tennessee Titans.
Last week: 21
Coach Raheem Morris has to be thinking about switching from Kirk Cousins to Michael Penix Jr. But that's a move that cannot be taken back once it's made this season. It would be unfair to the rookie.
Last week: 17
Anthony Richardson is back and better than ever, and the Colts have proven themselves to be a fourth-quarter team. But snapping a three-year playoff drought will be the biggest test. Denver hosts the Colts after both teams return from a bye week. A win by the Colts could bump the Broncos out of the final AFC spot.
Last week: 19
The Cowboys looked like they were going to have a chance to win their third straight game and keep their faint playoff hopes alive. They forced Joe Burrow and the Bengals to punt, keeping the game 20-20 as they were set to receive the ball just after the two-minute warning. Things looked even better when the Cowboys blocked a punt, because they would have given themselves great field position.
Instead, Amani Oruwariye made an inexplicable decision to try and field the punt. Oruwariye couldn’t field it cleanly, the Bengals recovered and promptly scored the game-winning touchdown. A brutal loss for the Cowboys.
Last week: 22
Darren Rizzi is 3-1 as the interim coach and still believes his team might be a factor in the final month. That's solid work that will surely earn the longtime assistant an interview for the head job after the season.
Last week: 24
After losing their previous three games by a combined seven points, they fell to an injury-riddled, albeit hungry, San Francisco 49ers team by 25. It was the worst the offense has looked in some time, and the defense didn't fare much better.
Last week: 23
Jameis Winston has proven to be a spark at times this season. But he’s also had issues when he is under duress in the pocket, especially during the Browns' latest game against the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Browns have already been eliminated from playoff contention. The franchise will have to find a solution at the quarterback position.
Last week: 25
Bryce Young has still not earned the full endorsement of coach Dave Canales as the QB for next season, but everyone sees what's coming. He's the guy, barring a collapse the final month of this season.
Last week: 27
The Jets were officially eliminated from playoff contention with a loss against the Dolphins Sunday. They went from talking about making a Super Bowl run in the preseason to having their postseason dreams end with four games to play. Talk about a huge failure.
Last week: 26
The Patriots were one of six teams with a bye in Week 14, so not much has changed. New England has a bright future, but it starts next year. The good news (for next year) is that the Patriots have two games left against Buffalo, plus the Cardinals and Chargers. They’re still in play for the No. 1 overall pick.
Last week: 29
The Titans allowed the woeful Jaguars without their starting quarterback to beat them 10-6, officially eliminating the Titans from the playoffs. The next big question that will be answered is if first-year coach Brian Callahan will return next season.
Last week: 28
The Jaguars picked up their first win since October and moved up in the AFC South with a narrow victory over the Titans Sunday. They face a smooth road ahead against three teams already eliminated from the playoffs.
Last week: 30
The Raiders had a few weeks when they looked competitive but fell a notch back this week against Tampa Bay. Raiders fans are one week closer to games being over and draft conversations picking up.
Last week: 31
The Giants have lost eight in a row, and the end of the season can’t come soon enough. The team was eliminated from playoff contention weeks ago, and it is playing for the No. 1 overall pick in April’s NFL Draft. Graham Gano’s blocked kick that would have sent the game to overtime might be a blessing in disguise because the loss gets the team one step closer to potentially securing its next franchise quarterback.
Last week: 32