The 2019 NFL regular season is over. While 12 teams have split to advance to the playoffs with a shot at the Super Bowl 54, the other 20 can now focus exclusively on the offseason.
The playoffs will determine both the championship champion and the final hierarchy, but it’s time to look again at how the teams stack up after Week 17. The strongest were flexing their muscles all over again, reflux in the middle.
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From top to bottom, this is how Sporting News ranks them, last for the Super Bowl.
NFL power rankings
1. Baltimore Ravens, 14-2 (previous ranking: 1)
The Ravens have never been so good, and their story involves a pair of powerful super bowls. Their rushing offense and defensive depth give them the right makeup for January and February.
2. San Francisco 49ers, 13-3 (2)
The 49ers’ defense continues to struggle with key injuries to stop, so they will welcome the first round to heal. Their offense has become so dangerous because of the variety of staff and the game, and there are many who wrestled in the playoffs in what could be Kyle Shanahan’s takeover song.
3. Kansas City Chiefs, 12-4 (5)
The Chiefs offense continues to find more answers around Patrick Mahomes in full health, and Damien Williams takes over the backfield as he did late last season. The installation of Steve Spagnuolo’s 4-3 program has paid off a lot of time from Frank Clark to defensive MVP Tyrann Mathieu.
4. New Orleans Saints, 13-3 (4)
The Saints had little trouble sending the Panthers on the road in Week 17. He was a small opponent, but he is the only one in the playoffs to lead a dominant game that does not rest in the playoffs. This momentum is sure to help them try to go a step two steps deeper than last year.
5. Green Bay Packers, 13-3 (3)
The Packers haven’t gotten a lot of style points for the huge rebounding season with Matt LaFleur, in part because Aaron Rodgers doesn’t put the team on his back and light it up because it’s all over him. It’s a bit far off, but when the defense and running play some walls in the playoffs, you know Rodgers is the biggest ace in the hole for any team in the league.
Tom Bradyhttps: //images.daznservices.com/di/library/sporting_news/35/f6/tom-brady-091719-getty-ftrjpg_tl2mn14xzzej1q4lnc7k8qtjk.jpg? T = 1092722813 & w = 500 & quality = 80
6. New England Patriots, 12-3 (7)
What was that? The Patriots lost another home game, this time to an AFC East opponent, and had a defensive break late in the game. We can’t rule out Tom Brady and Bill Belichick even when they look the most vulnerable, but they consider them on the ropes for at least this play off with the likelihood of a repeat falling quickly with a rare seed number 3.
7. Seattle Seahawks, 11-5 (7)
The Seahawks couldn’t finish another close game against the 49ers, but their seed No. 5 are more suited to their all-around level of play this season. They have plenty of offensive and defensive holes, thanks to so many injuries that they believe they won’t get through a difficult NFC field.
8. Buffalo Bills, 10-6 (8)
The accounts have played a natural style with the big big projects, while Sean McDermott should be a strong coach of the candidate year. They really needed to rest their bodies against the Jets and get into the wild card game in Houston with full, relentless power.
9. Minnesota Vikings, 10-6 (9)
The Vikings also had the ability to be careful with their key players against the bears, but now they must hope that the resting objects do not cost them against the Saints’ locomotive. They cannot rely on a Minneapolis miracle to get through a playoff game in New Orleans.
10. Houston Texans, 10-6 (10)
The Texans were also able to sit properly without the chance to improve on their seed. 4 in the loss for the Titans. They have to remember that winning the segment and getting a wild card game at home didn’t help much at the time. Undoubtedly, they match the accounts with the Colts a year ago.
Carson Wentzhttps: //images.daznservices.com/di/library/sporting_news/33/24/carson-wentz-092629-getty-ftrjpg_5h4kkh73woi91u538xssmfcne.jpg? T = 1845689325 & w = 500 & quality = 80
11. Philadelphia Eagles, 9-7 (11)
Now that the Eagles have taken another unlikely December run to get into the playoffs despite their injuries, we can’t sleep with Doug Pederson’s team at the NFC tournament, especially with a hand game to start. They have something new for the playoffs – a healthy and determined Carson Wentz.
12. Tennessee Titans, 9-7 (13)
The Titans had a great second half of the season fueled by their sudden dominant triples, Derry Henry, AD. Brown and Ryan Tannehill. Arthur Smith has done a great job of getting LaFleur off the hook and Mike Vrabel has helped maintain the defense despite injuries. They are tough and battle-tested, making them a dangerous bat fight for the Patriots.
13. Los Angeles Rams, 9-7 (12)
The Rams did not go into full Super Bowl, as they managed to finish ahead of .500. But they found some unpleasant answers with Todd Gurley, Tyler Higbee and Robert Woods a bit late and their defense was a disappointing yo-yo despite investing in Jalen Ramsey.
14. Chicago Bears, 8-8 (19)
The Bears also did not live up to expectations of a return to the playoffs as they fell hard to the NFC North behind the Packers and Vikings. Their painful inconsistency with Matt Nagy and Mitchell Trubisky was outrageous and more widespread when their defense had a physical injury-related injury and lost to Vic Fangio.
15. Dallas Cowboys, 8-8 (15)
The Cowboys were suitably .500 with Jason Garrett taking two steps forward and then two steps back was his trademark. The offense moved between explosive and ineffective, and the defense went from less bending to more breaking.
Mike Tomlinhttps: //images.daznservices.com/di/library/sporting_news/a5/1/mike-tomlin-120919-getty-ftrjpg_tacz1lwln3gm1oyn8k9axcv8r.jpg? T = -346634474 & w = 500 & quality = 80
16. Pittsburgh Steelers, 8-8 (14)
Ben Roethlisberger’s loss in injury time and a 0-3 start were cannibals they could not recover from despite Mike Tomlin and Keith Butler’s best efforts to make them a defensive team, trying to hide their offensive weaknesses. Winning games while scoring in the teens only works in a short window in today’s NFL.
17. Atlanta Hawks, 7-9 (20)
When all was said and done about Dan Quinn’s team, the Falcons probably came up with a record that really matches their talent, given their current play and pass defense limitations. Quinn gave them every reason to hold him and show him that this is not the problem.
18. Oakland Raiders, 7-9 (16)
The next time we rank the Raiders, they will represent Las Vegas. Jon Gruden did a great job at the end with a three-game improvement from 2018, remaining in the AFC playoffs until the final week of the season.
19. Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 7-9 (17)
The Buccaneers ended up with a mild two-game improvement over Bruce Arians, and we’ll never know what they could have had had their defense gone and ran earlier in the season. As long as Jameis Winston’s 30 interceptions were cloudy at 33 TD and 5,109 yards, his talent and range proved to be the QB provider.
20. Indianapolis Colts, 7-9 (18)
The Colts dropped three games in the transition from Andrew Luck and although Jacoby Brissett at times tried to replace him, he was also facing many offensive injuries (including his own) and the defense was not immune, either. Expect Frank Reich’s team to recover in 2020.
Drew Lockhttps: //images.daznservices.com/di/library/sporting_news/78/54/drew-lock-122919-getty-ftr_8y70w3seuldo1qneupqg9rl1m.jpg? T = 1418250735 & w = 500 & quality = 80
21. Denver Broncos, 7-9 (22)
The Broncos’ huge season finale gives us reason to believe it is a 2020 team of mice with Drew Lock resembling a quarterback response and the defense having some new juice under Fangio. Improving a game feels much bigger than it is.
22. New York Jets, 7-9 (23)
Adam Gase did what he could with another team that had bitten by injury and illness bugs. His first season in New York was frustrating because he was closer to his old team, Miami, than any of the two playoff teams in the division, New England and Buffalo.
23. Cleveland Browns, 6-10 (21)
Freddie’s kitchens had to give up on their high expectations. Forget the fact that they failed too much to compete for the AFC North and get a playoff spot. It was actually a game and a half better last season.
24. Jacksonville Jaguars, 6-10 (25)
Doug Marrone got his team to show his life in the final, but after a 4-4 start, a 2-6 finish which was mainly for unpleasant malfunction and defensive clutter was a bad look for a team in the game just two years ago in the AFC Championship.
25. Arizona Cardinals, 5-10-1 (27)
For many, the Cardinals exceeded expectations for what they could do immediately with Kliff Kingsbury and Kyler Murray, but the addition of Kenyan Drake made the running game the most reliable part of the team with the defense doing nothing. They have to invest a lot on the same side in the offseason.
Philip Rivershttps: //images.daznservices.com/di/library/sporting_news/32/64/philip-rivers-102118-getty-ftrjpg_8z6m4bl1xmu81r5a9dqff917a.jpg? T = -1745930906 & w = 500 & quality = 80
26. Los Angeles Chargers, 5-11 (24)
The Chargers had the worst retirement of any team, seven games worse than 2018. Philip Rivers’ sales troubles, offensive issues and defensive injuries are all part of the responsibility. There has been a real lack of identity for much of the season, having shown such an attitude last year.
27. Miami Dolphins, 5-11 (29)
The dolphins, until their shocking disturbance by the Patriots in Week 17, threw out all the perceptions of getting out of the window. Ryan Fitzpatrick did everything he could to show off his offensive talent, led by DeVante Parker, and Brian Flores made the most of an unnamed defense. This team can be terribly good in a hurry, sitting on three draft picks and chasing down a QB franchise.
28. Carolina Panthers, 5-11 (26)
What was that? The Panthers got into the tank without Ron Rivera, as their defense got a little worse and their offense went over where Christian McCaffrey was not playing. Their new coach has a lot of work to do, starting with the QB decision.
29. New York Giants, 4-12 (28)
Daniel Jones is the real deal as a coach and the offense looks like it would be good to go with Saquon Barkley there to help me too. The defense is what needs a successful overhaul for the Giants to join the Broncos as a hot playoff run next season.
30. Detroit Lions, 3-12-1 (30)
The Lions may have saved their coach and general manager and played well and intelligently for most of their final against the Packers, but talent issues, especially defenses, continued to force them to unfold. They should at least be respectable on that side of the ball if they expect to win more games with Matthew Stafford behind leading a somewhat loaded offense.
31. Washington Redskins, 3-13 (31)
The Redskins were offset by injuries that eliminated all the heart and wrestling they showed with interim coach Bill Callahan, at least in the scoreboard. They will now adapt to the big changes as they continue to look for relevance in a weakened NFC East.
32. Cincinnati Bengals, 2-14 (32)
The Bengals are not worried about the confirmed status of their proposals in the last two weeks, and this has led to many veterans of the game being players like Andy Dalton, Tyler Eifert and Joe Mixon. Jacques Taylor has had a tough recruiting campaign, but he promises to oversee a recovery, especially with Joe Burrow on the road.
