NFL power rankings, built on last season's results and this season's win totals, because no regular-season game has been played yet. The order is computed from results; the notes explain it.
Seattle is the top team in the NFL, coming off a 14-3 season that matched the league's best record. With the table built on last season's results and the win totals posted for this year, the Seahawks own the No. 1 spot before any games are played.
1. Seattle Seahawks — 14-3
The Seahawks finished 14-3 with six wins over teams that finished with a winning record, including a win against the 12-5 49ers. They also won five games by wide margins and stayed steady each week, going 3-2 in one-score games. Their worst loss came to the 8-9 Buccaneers, but that does not take away from a dominant season.
2. Los Angeles Rams — 12-5
The Rams went 12-5 against one of the league's harder schedules, beating five teams with winning records, including a San Francisco side that also went 12-5. They won four games by wide margins and lost none that way, though they were 1-4 in one-score games. Bookmakers set their win total at an NFL-best 11.5, and they have played steadily all season.
3. New England Patriots — 14-3
The Patriots finished 14-3, winning more than almost anyone and beating Buffalo, one of the league's best teams, along the way. They were steady week to week and won both of their one-score games, but went just 1-2 against winning teams and faced a soft schedule.
4. Denver Broncos — 14-3
Denver posted a 14-3 record, beat the 11-6 Eagles, and went 6-2 in games decided by one score. They win by more than almost anyone and are steady week to week, though a soft schedule and a loss to the 8-9 Colts are the only marks against them.
5. Houston Texans — 12-5
Against one of the NFL's hardest schedules, the Texans beat several of the best teams anyone faced and won by more than almost anyone else. They finished 12-5 and stayed steady each week, though they went 4-4 against winning teams and split their close games.
6. Buffalo Bills — 12-5
At 12-5, the Bills have been winning lately, and their wins have come by more than almost anyone's. Yet they are somewhat uneven week to week, losing to 7-10 Miami while beating 14-3 New England, and going 2-2 in one-score games. Against winning teams they were 2-3, and they faced one of the softer schedules.
7. Philadelphia Eagles — 11-6
At 11-6, the Eagles beat several elite teams, including the 12-5 Bills, but also lost to the 5-12 Commanders. Their wins were usually close, and they faced one of the softer schedules in the league. They play to the same level every week, and oddsmakers expect about 10.5 wins again.
8. San Francisco 49ers — 12-5
The 49ers go from brilliant to sloppy from week to week, and that unevenness places them here: they beat the 12-5 Rams, lost to the 12-5 Texans, and went 3-4 against winning teams. Only two of their 17 games were one-score, winning both, and their blowouts are larger than almost anyone's. Bookmakers see a 9.5-win team again, so inconsistency is the one thing holding them back.
9. Jacksonville Jaguars — 13-4
The Jaguars went 13-4 and won by more than almost anyone, including a blowout of a 14-3 Denver team. They also beat some of the best teams anyone has beaten, but they were up and down week to week, and only three of their games were decided by one score. They faced one of the softer schedules in the league.
10. Green Bay Packers — 9-7
They went 9-7 against a soft schedule, beating winning teams at a 5-4 clip while dropping all three one-score games. Their best win was over a 9-8 club, but they also lost to a 5-12 team, and their wins were typically close. They play to a steady level and are projected for 10 wins this season.
11. Detroit Lions — 9-8
The Lions are 9-8 and swing wildly from one week to the next. They have blown out three opponents by wide margins, yet are 2-7 against winning teams. Their best win is over an 11-6 Bears team, but they also have a loss to a 9-8 Vikings team; bookmakers still project 10.5 wins.
12. Chicago Bears — 11-6
The Bears went 11-6, with a 4-2 mark in one-score games and a loss to an 8-9 Ravens team. They beat an 11-6 Eagles team, but against a soft schedule they rarely dominated. Bookmakers expect about 9.5 wins this season, a solid but not overwhelming team.
13. Baltimore Ravens — 8-9
The Ravens finished 8-9, and their record reflects a team that could not win the close ones: they went 0-2 in one-score games and 3-7 against winning teams. They beat a 9-7 Packers squad but lost to a 6-11 Bengals side, and their results swung wildly from comfortable wins to lopsided losses.
14. Los Angeles Chargers — 11-6
An 11-6 record looks solid, but the Chargers got there on a soft schedule and a 4-1 mark in one-score games. They beat some of the league's best teams, yet lost to a four-win Giants squad, and their week-to-week swings are wild.
15. Pittsburgh Steelers — 10-7
At 10-7, the Steelers are a middle-of-the-road team that beat the middling opponents on their schedule and lost to the good ones, going 3-5 against winning teams. Their wins were rarely comfortable, and their volatility showed in a loss to a 5-12 Cleveland team.
16. Kansas City Chiefs — 6-11
The Chiefs went 6-11 and lost eight of nine games against teams with winning records. They won just once in seven one-score games, so the close ones slipped away, and their wins came almost exclusively against the league's weaker sides. They have been losing lately, and the overall picture is uneven.
17. Minnesota Vikings — 9-8
The Vikings went 9-8 against a middling schedule, beating few good teams and losing to a losing team. Their wins were often close, and they lost two games by wide margins, making them hard to trust despite a winning record.
18. Tampa Bay Buccaneers — 8-9
The Buccaneers finished 8-9 while facing one of the league's tougher schedules. They went 6-3 in one-score games but just 3-5 against winning teams, with a best win over 14-3 Seattle and a worst loss to 6-11 New Orleans. They play at a steady level and win close, and the market projects 8.5 wins this season.
19. Cincinnati Bengals — 6-11
After a 6-11 season, the Bengals sit at 19. They went 2-8 against winning teams and lost to 3-14 New York, even while beating 10-7 Pittsburgh. With two blowout wins and four blowout losses, their wildly inconsistent play explains the middling placement.
20. Dallas Cowboys — 7-9
The Cowboys’ ceiling is real—they knocked off the 11-6 Eagles and won three of four one-score games—but they went 1-6 against teams with winning records and even lost to the 4-13 Giants. Their week-to-week swings are wild, and they lose by more than almost anyone, leaving a 7-9 team at No. 20.
21. Atlanta Falcons — 8-9
The Falcons finished 8-9, going 3-4 in one-score games and 3-3 against winning teams. Their best win was over the 12-5 Rams, but they also lost to the 7-10 Dolphins and lost three times by a wide margin. The schedule was middling and the team was up and down week to week.
22. Indianapolis Colts — 8-9
The Colts are 8-9, having gone 2-8 against winning teams while blowing out weaker opponents by big margins. Their weekly results are all over the place, and they've been losing lately, so bookmakers set their win total at 7.5, 22nd in the league.
23. Carolina Panthers — 8-9
Carolina finished 8-9 against one of the league's toughest schedules, winning six of eight one-score games but going just 2-5 against winning teams. They beat the Packers but lost to the 6-11 Saints, and when they lose, they lose by more than almost anyone.
24. New Orleans Saints — 6-11
The Saints went 6-11, with every win coming against a team that finished with a losing record. They went 0-6 against winning teams and lost more lopsided games than they won, often by wide margins. Bookmakers set their win total at 7.5, but this team's erratic play makes them hard to trust.
25. New York Giants — 4-13
The Giants landed at 4-13, beating only two teams with winning records all season. Their play was uneven from week to week, and they went 1-3 in one-score games, so close contests rarely went their way. Their best win came against the Chargers, but that was the exception on a hard schedule.
26. Washington Commanders — 5-12
Washington went 5-12, losing all three games decided by one score and five more by wide margins. Their two wins over winning teams came against an 11-6 Philadelphia squad, but most victories were over lesser opponents. The result is a team that swings wildly from week to week and loses by more than almost anyone.
27. Tennessee Titans — 3-14
The Titans went 3-14, with every win coming against a team that finished with a losing record. They lost all ten meetings with winning teams and lost five games by wide margins, so they were rarely competitive against quality opposition.
28. Cleveland Browns — 5-12
Cleveland finished 5-12, with losses by wide margins more common than close games. They beat a winning Green Bay team but lost to three-win Tennessee, and played one of the softer schedules in the league. Their performance swung wildly from week to week, and they were losing as the season closed.
29. Miami Dolphins — 7-10
The Dolphins finished 7-10 against one of the league's softer schedules, with their wins coming against weaker teams and their play swinging wildly from one week to the next. They went 1-5 against winning clubs and lost far more often by wide margins than in close games. Bookmakers project only 4 wins this season.
30. New York Jets — 3-14
The Jets are coming off a 3-14 season in which every win came against a losing team and they went 0-7 against winning sides. They lose by wide margins, and their steady, low-level play was exposed by a hard schedule. Bookmakers project 5.5 wins, 29th in the league.
31. Las Vegas Raiders — 3-14
The Raiders finished 3-14, with all three wins coming against weak teams. They lost four games by wide margins and went 1-4 in one-score contests, while their best win came against a 6-11 Chiefs team and their worst loss to a 4-13 Giants squad.
32. Arizona Cardinals — 3-14
The Cardinals finished 3-14, with every victory coming against one of the league’s weaker sides. They lost all five one-score games and went 0-9 against teams with a winning record, while dropping three games by wide margins. Even with a tough schedule, they have been losing lately, and bookmakers project just four wins this season.