Week 16 NFL Power Rankings: 1-32 poll, plus we look

NFL Nation, ESPNDec 17, 2024, 07:00 AM ET

The 2024 NFL season is winding down, and we’re now in Week 16. Can you believe it?

This past weekend shook up our rankings after three of our previous top-10 teams — the Detroit Lions, Pittsburgh Steelers and Los Angeles Chargers — lost.

The Kansas City Chiefs blew past the Cleveland Browns and moved on to a 13-1 record, and the Philadelphia Eagles are now 12-2. The Dallas Cowboys have won three of their past four, and the Arizona Cardinals snapped their three-game losing streak with a win Sunday.

In addition to the updated rankings, we asked our NFL Nation reporters to name the biggest area of improvement on every team from the start of the season to now. Which team’s red zone offense has gotten better? Who has improved with turnovers?

Let’s check out our latest rankings. Oh, look, there’s a new No. 1 team in town.

Our power panel of more than 80 writers, editors and TV personalities evaluates how NFL teams stack up against one another, ranking them from 1 to 32.

Jump to a team:
ARI | ATL | BAL | BUF | CAR | CHI | CIN
CLE | DAL | DEN | DET | GB | HOU | IND
JAX | KC | LAC | LAR | LV | MIA | MIN
NE | NO | NYG | NYJ | PHI | PIT | SF
SEA | TB | TEN | WSH

Week 15 result: Beat the Steelers 27-13
Week 15 ranking: 3

Biggest improvement: Quarterback turnovers

Jalen Hurts had seven turnovers in the first four games — second only to Will Levis over that span — and the Eagles started 2-2. In the ensuing 10-game win streak, he has had just three giveaways. The decision to become a more ground-heavy offense helped. But as shown in his 290-yard, two-touchdown performance against the Steelers, this offense is at its best when Hurts finds that sweet spot between being conservative and aggressive. — Tim McManus

Editor’s Picks

2 Related

Week 15 result: Beat the Browns 21-7
Week 15 ranking: 2

Biggest improvement: Turnover differential

The Chiefs were in negative territory most of the season, where they were hanging out mostly with teams that aren’t contending for the playoffs. They finally flipped to plus-2 by taking the ball away six times in Sunday’s win in Cleveland. Quarterback Patrick Mahomes stopped what had been a consistent flow of interceptions. In the first seven games, he had at least one. Mahomes has had only two since Week 9. — Adam Teicher

Week 15 result: Lost to the Bills 48-42
Week 15 ranking: 1

Biggest improvement: Red zone efficiency

Through the first three weeks, Detroit’s offense averaged just 20.7 points and struggled, particularly in the red zone, where its efficiency ranked 26th in the NFL at 38.5%. Since Week 4, the offense has found its groove with a league-high 34.8 points per game and the NFL’s top red zone efficiency (78.7%). The success is largely due to production from running backs David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs, though Montgomery is now out indefinitely because of a sprained MCL. — Eric Woodyard

Week 15 result: Beat the Lions 48-42
Week 15 ranking: 4

Biggest improvement: Offensive cohesion

Early in the season, there were some lulls for the Bills’ offense. Quarterback Josh Allen needed time to get on the same page with new wide receivers. From Weeks 1 to 7, the Bills scored touchdowns on 31.5% of drives; they have since scored on 42.9% (first in the NFL) thanks to the play of Allen and a consistent offensive line. From Weeks 4 to 6, the offense scored 23 or fewer points in each game; the Bills have now tied an NFL record by scoring 30-plus points in eight straight. — Alaina Getzenberg

Week 15 result: Beat the Bears 30-12
Week 15 ranking: 5

Biggest improvement: Wide receiver Jordan Addison‘s play

Injuries, off-field issues and a lack of familiarity with quarterback Sam Darnold generated plenty of questions about Addison, the Vikings’ first-round pick in 2023. Through Week 8, he had caught 14 passes and only one touchdown while playing in parts of five games. But Addison has turned it around in the second half of the season. He caught 37 passes between Weeks 9 and 15 for 540 yards. His six touchdown catches in that span are tied for third in the NFL. — Kevin Seifert

Week 15 result: Beat the Seahawks 30-13
Week 15 ranking: 7

Biggest improvement: Red zone offense

The Packers were 29th in red zone touchdowns at 47.1% through Week 9. They’re up to 14th (56.9%) because they scored touchdowns on 70.8% of their drives over the past four games. Running back Josh Jacobs has been especially crucial in finishing drives for the Packers, running in nine touchdowns since Week 11. Before their Week 10 bye, Jacobs had only three rushing scores. — Rob Demovsky

Week 15 result: Lost to the Eagles 27-13
Week 15 ranking: 6

Biggest improvement: Passing offense

It’s a little awkward to identify the Steelers’ passing offense as the biggest area of improvement coming off a game in which quarterback Russell Wilson had a season-low 128 passing yards. However, the Steelers’ passing game — especially deep, explosive throws — has improved since he took the starting job from Justin Fields in Week 7. With Wilson as the signal-caller, the Steelers are averaging 238.5 passing yards per game, compared to 166.8 in the six games with Fields at quarterback. — Brooke Pryor

Week 15 result: Beat the Giants 35-14
Week 15 ranking: 8

Biggest improvement: Big pass plays allowed

The Ravens’ secondary turned its season around by dropping strong safety Kyle Hamilton deeper into coverage, replacing free safety Marcus Williams with Ar’Darius Washington and getting a boost from Marlon Humphrey at nickel. This has made a dramatic difference for a defense that allowed 29 pass plays of 25 yards or more in the first 10 weeks of the season, the most in the NFL. The Ravens have given up three pass plays of 25 yards or more over the past five weeks, which is tied for the fewest in the league. — Jamison Hensley

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1:06

John Harbaugh focused on Pittsburgh, not Diontae Johnson’s suspension

Ravens coach John Harbaugh wants to keep his focus on the Steelers and not discuss Diontae Johnson’s suspension.

Week 15 result: Beat the Dolphins 20-12
Week 15 ranking: 11

Biggest improvement: Forcing interceptions

The Texans had three interceptions through the first five weeks, which was middle of the pack. They have now led the NFL with 16 since Week 6. They caught eight interceptions combined against quarterbacks Tua Tagovailoa (three) and Jared Goff (five), who both had only four interceptions entering their matchup against Houston. The Texans have 19 interceptions on the season, second only to the Vikings (20). — DJ Bien-Aime

Week 15 result: Beat the Saints 20-19
Week 15 ranking: 10

Biggest improvement: Touchdown passes

Quarterback Jayden Daniels has had a terrific rookie season, but it took until Week 3 for him to throw the first touchdown pass of his NFL career. And in the first eight games, he threw only a total of seven. In the past six games, Daniels has thrown 10 touchdown passes, including seven in the past three. Wideout Terry McLaurin was on the receiving end of four of those scores. — John Keim

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Week 15 result: Beat the Colts 31-13
Week 15 ranking: 12

Biggest improvement: Touchdown passes

In five of first seven games of his rookie season, quarterback Bo Nix averaged fewer than 7.0 yards per attempt. He was also near the bottom of the league with five touchdown passes through Week 7, including four with none. However, his first three-interception game Sunday notwithstanding, the Broncos have found a better rhythm. Nix’s 20 touchdown passes are 10th in the league (first among rookie quarterbacks), and he has 10 over the past four games. — Jeff Legwold

Week 15 result: Lost to the Buccaneers 40-17
Week 15 ranking: 9

Biggest improvement: Play-action offense

Before the Chargers’ Week 5 bye, they used play-action just 25.4% of the time. And it wasn’t particularly effective either, as quarterback Justin Herbert had a QBR of 40.1 on those plays. Some of this likely had to do with his high ankle sprain from Week 2. Still, since Week 6, they’ve run play-action 34.4% of the time and Herbert has a 61.1 QBR. He also averages 12.1 yards per completion and 7.7 yards per attempt on these plays in that span, which is higher than the first four weeks of the season. — Kris Rhim

Week 15 result: Beat the 49ers 12-6
Week 15 ranking: 14

Biggest improvement: The front seven

There was always going to be a period of transition for the Rams, who lost Aaron Donald in the offseason and used their first two draft picks on outside linebacker Jared Verse and defensive tackle Braden Fiske. After the defense struggled to start the season, the front seven has been a bright spot in the team’s 7-2 run. Against the 49ers, Kobie Turner played one of his best games of the season with five pressures and two sacks on 26 pass rushes (19.2% pressure rate). According to NFL Next Gen Stats, four of his pressures and both his sacks came against double teams. — Sarah Barshop

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Dan Orlovsky calling in receipts after Rams’ win over Bills

Week 15 result: Beat the Chargers 40-17
Week 15 ranking: 15

Biggest improvement: Defense

The Bucs have looked like a completely different team on defense coming out of the Week 11 bye. In the first 10 weeks, they were surrendering 26.6 points per game — 27th in the league. In Weeks 12-15, they’ve given up just 15 points per game, the best mark in the league. Now, these numbers are somewhat skewed based on who they’ve played since the bye (the Giants, Panthers, Raiders and Chargers), compared to who they played prior (the Ravens and the Chiefs). But the explosive plays given up earlier in the season have slowed down, even as the Bucs continue to navigate an injured secondary. — Jenna Laine

Week 15 result: Lost to the Packers 30-13
Week 15 ranking: 13

Biggest improvement: Run defense

The turnaround of the Seahawks’ run defense was one of the biggest reasons behind their four-game win streak to climb back into first place in the NFC West. They ranked 29th over the first eight weeks, allowing over 148 yards per game. But thanks to an overhaul of their inside linebacker corps, among other personnel changes, they dropped that figure to 91.6 over their next five (seventh best in that span). All that progress hit a wall Sunday night against a good Packers rushing attack that gashed them for 140 yards on the ground. — Brady Henderson

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Week 15 result: Beat the Patriots 30-17
Week 15 ranking: 16

Biggest improvement: The passing game has found its rhythm

The Cardinals came into the season with high hopes for their receiving corps, anchored by tight end Trey McBride and rookie receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. But the first four weeks weren’t impressive. To start the season, Arizona pass-catchers had 107 targets, 75 catches and 777 receiving yards, the seventh-worst mark in the NFL. The Cardinals have thrown the ball a lot more in the past four games. They’ve distributed 39 more targets and had 30 more catches to go along with 259 more receiving yards in this recent span compared to the first four games. — Josh Weinfuss

Week 15 result: Beat the Raiders 15-9
Week 15 ranking: 19

Biggest improvement: Getting to the quarterback

The Falcons are still last in the league in sacks (23), but they have drastically improved in that department over the past few weeks. Atlanta had 10 sacks and the second-worst quarterback pressure percentage (26.3%) through its first 11 games. Over Weeks 13-15, the team had 13 sacks combined and a 38.1% quarterback pressure rate in Week 13-14, which ranked eighth. Edge rusher Arnold Ebiketie was fifth in the league in quarterback pressure percentage (24%) in that span. — Marc Raimondi

Week 15 result: Beat the Titans 37-27
Week 15 ranking: 21

Biggest improvement: Rushing efficiency

Cincinnati ran the ball effectively at the beginning of the season before coming to a screeching halt in the middle. From Week 6 to Week 11, the Bengals were last in the NFL in expected points added on rushing plays, per ESPN Research. But as running back Chase Brown has become the focal point of the run game, Cincinnati’s ground attack has improved. In the past three games, it ranks fifth best in that category. During that span, Brown is sixth among running backs in first downs per carry (31.4%). — Ben Baby

Week 15 result: Lost to the Rams 12-6
Week 15 ranking: 18

Biggest improvement: Limiting big passing plays on defense

The 49ers averaged 11.2 yards per reception allowed (24th in the NFL) and yielded 18 plays of 20-plus passing yards (tied for 16th) in the first seven weeks. Since Week 8, the Niners have dropped those numbers to 9.3 yards per reception (second lowest in the league) and given up just 10 pass plays of 20-plus yards (fewest in the NFL). Teams have had to work harder to finish drives with touchdowns, though the 49ers’ improvement in this area has been mitigated by their struggles against the run and in the red zone. — Nick Wagoner

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1:25

Shannon Sharpe sounds off on De’Vondre Campbell

Shannon Sharpe explains why he agrees with the 49ers suspending De’Vondre Campbell for three games.

Week 15 result: Lost to the Texans 20-12
Week 15 ranking: 17

Biggest improvement: Run defense

The Dolphins allowed each of their first six opponents to hit or eclipse 100 rushing yards. But only one of their past eight opponents have done so — the Packers in Week 13. Since Week 8, Miami has allowed just 83.3 rushing yards per game, the best in the NFL. One major reason is the switch from David Long Jr. to Anthony Walker Jr. at middle linebacker in Week 8; the one game Walker missed since his promotion was Miami’s loss to Green Bay. — Marcel Louis-Jacques

Week 15 result: Beat the Panthers 30-14
Week 15 ranking: 23

Biggest improvement: Takeaways

The improved run defense could easily be the pick here, but takeaways are more important. Under Dan Quinn for three seasons, the Cowboys were the best in the league at taking the ball away (93 from 2021 to 2023). But in the first seven games under coordinator Mike Zimmer this season, the defense created just five (four interceptions and one fumble recovery). In the past seven contests, the Cowboys have 14 takeaways, including eight interceptions and six fumble recoveries. They have intercepted at least one pass in six straight games. — Todd Archer

Week 15 result: Lost to the Broncos 31-13
Week 15 ranking: 20

Biggest improvement: Field goal kicking

Kicker Matt Gay had a rough preseason, converting just one of four field goal attempts. The concern spilled over into the regular season when he converted three of his first five attempts (60%) through four weeks. But he has picked things up considerably, giving the Colts a reliable option when drives stall (which has happened too often). Since Week 5, Gay has nailed 21 of 22 field goal attempts (95.5%). More specifically, he is 8-of-9 on attempts of 40 yards or longer and is perfect on 16 extra-point attempts. — Stephen Holder

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Week 15 result: Lost to the Commanders 20-19
Week 15 ranking: 22

Biggest improvement: Coaching

Dennis Allen was fired after a seven-game losing streak, and interim Darren Rizzi’s three wins have already surpassed Allen’s two-win total from the beginning of the season. Rizzi’s two losses were both one-possession games in which his team had a shot to win at the end, including against Washington. Under Allen, the Saints lost all seven games by an average of 12 points (quarterback Derek Carr was out for three of those blowout losses). — Katherine Terrell

Week 15 result: Lost to the Vikings 30-12
Week 15 ranking: 25

Biggest improvement: Quarterback play

Caleb Williams threw for 93 yards in Chicago’s Week 1 win over the Titans before he had multiple interceptions in back-to-back losses. After finally getting on track and leading the league in QBR in Week 6 (90.8), he experienced struggles that were sorted out only when Thomas Brown took over playcalling duties. He has now thrown 286 consecutive pass attempts without an interception, which is the longest streak by a rookie ever. While the Bears’ passing attack is statistically worse (31st, 181.9 yards per game) than it was a year ago, his gradual development is a welcomed sign. — Courtney Cronin

Week 15 result: Lost to the Chiefs 21-7
Week 15 ranking: 24

Biggest improvement: Penalties

The Browns were flagged for six accepted penalties against Kansas City, but they’ve generally been more disciplined recently. From Weeks 1 to 7, Cleveland was flagged for the third-most penalties (66) in the NFL, including a league-leading 45 offensive infractions. Since Week 8, when quarterback Jameis Winston took over for the injured Deshaun Watson and coach Kevin Stefanski handed playcaller duties to offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey, the Browns have been flagged for 49 penalties. That’s tied for the 10th fewest in the league in that span. Streamlining the pre-snap process on offense has played a role in the change. — Daniel Oyefusi

Week 15 result: Beat the Jaguars 32-25
Week 15 ranking: 28

Biggest improvement: Offensive production

The Jets have scored at least 21 points in four straight games. For most teams, that’s a modest accomplishment, considering the NFL average is 22.9 points, but the Jets hadn’t reached this mark in four straight since Weeks 13-16 of the 2018 season. A healthy Aaron Rodgers has raised his game, and the QB’s known chemistry with wide receiver Davante Adams is finally emerging in a Jets uniform. — Rich Cimini

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Schefter: Jets begin expansive search for new GM

Adam Schefter details the names in consideration for the Jets’ general manager position.

Week 15 result: Lost to the Cardinals 30-17
Week 15 ranking: 27

Biggest improvement: Points scored

This is a low bar to clear, but the Patriots were averaging 12.4 points per game through the first five games of the season. Since Week 6, when rookie QB Drake Maye took over the starting job from Jacoby Brissett, the Patriots are averaging 19.5 points per game. The No. 3 pick has been a silver lining in a challenging season. — Mike Reiss

Week 15 result: Lost to the Cowboys 30-14
Week 15 ranking: 26

Biggest improvement: Quarterback play

Bryce Young was a disaster over the first two games, posting a Total QBR of 9.3 before he was benched for Andy Dalton. Despite a career-high four turnovers and six sacks Sunday, which led to an 11.3 QBR, he has a rating of 54.3 over the past six games. His performance has kept Carolina competitive against good teams, including late against the Eagles in Week 14. — David Newton

Week 15 result: Lost to the Bengals 37-27
Week 15 ranking: 29

Biggest improvement: Special teams coverage

The Titans have allowed an NFL-high 619 return yards through 15 weeks. But they’ve shown improvement recently because of the addition of veteran special teamer Justin Hardee Sr. and rookie Bryce Oliver as an impact gunner. The coverage unit has allowed only 47 and 42 return yards in the past two games. Tennessee has also gotten help from rookie linebackers James Williams and Cedric Gray. Titans coach Brian Callahan said the rookies’ contributions have earned them opportunities on offense and defense. — Turron Davenport

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Week 15 result: Lost to the Jets 32-25
Week 15 ranking: 30

Biggest improvement: Second-year players Tank Bigsby and Brenton Strange

Both Bigsby and Strange started the season as role players but were thrust into bigger roles because of injuries and responded. Bigsby had to fill in for injured running back Travis Etienne Jr. and has outperformed the 2021 first-round pick as the team’s leading rusher (644 yards). Strange had to take over as the top tight end when Evan Engram missed four games because of a hamstring injury and showed he could be a capable pass-catcher instead of just a blocker. He has 34 catches for 329 yards and should pass Engram (now on IR) in both catches and yards by season’s end. — Mike DiRocco

Week 15 result: Lost to the Falcons 15-9
Week 15 ranking: 31

Biggest improvement: Run game

Yes, the Raiders are the worst rushing team in the NFL, averaging 78.1 yards per game on the ground per game. But Las Vegas might have found a diamond in the rough. Undrafted running back Sincere McCormick has raised eyebrows while averaging 5.5 yards per carry, the second-best mark in team history among players in their first four career games. Only Bo Jackson (6.2 in 1987) had a higher average. Plus, his 5.5 yards per carry before Week 15 ranked sixth in the NFL among all running backs with at least 30 carries. — Paul Gutierrez

Week 15 result: Lost to the Ravens 35-14
Week 15 ranking: 32

Biggest improvement: Run game

Look, it’s slim pickings here with the Giants on a nine-game skid. But the running game has gotten progressively better. With rookie Tyrone Tracy Jr. as the lead option, New York had a three-game stretch in November when it averaged 163 rushing yards per game. Some of the credit needs to go to the offensive line. This is the strength of the now-beleaguered unit. — Jordan Raanan

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