NFL Power Rankings Week 18: The Vikings charge into first place

The NFL season is almost over. After another rollercoaster of a regular season, it will all come down to week 18 to decide the final playoff spots and seedings. As ever, there have been surprises up and down the league, so read on to find out where every team currently ranks as we begin 2025.

Has there ever been a more embarrassing season than this one for any team in the NFL, let alone the Jets? Reports from behind the scenes suggest this is among the worst run organizations in or out of sport. Aaron Rodgers is expected to leave New York, which is the best news this team has had for a while.

Jerod Mayo could well be a one-and-done as a head coach after an entire year in Foxborough. Given the expectations around his defensive prowess, to have the 29th-ranked defense on an EPA/Play basis, per SumerSports, is a worrying sign. Big changes are needed.

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It seems like the Will Levis experiment is over after predictable results. Tennessee now has a chance to draft one of the top quarterbacks in what is a very weak class, but you can't have another year like this one.

The Browns are another team that could be looking to draft a QB this off season, as Deshaun Watson trade continues to look worse and worse as time goes on. Kevin Stefanski has credit in the bank to keep his job, but the real worry will be if they are able to keep hold of Myles Garrett.

Per Doug Analytics on on Sunday. It's not quite so good for the organization, who now could miss out on their first choice of QB.

The Saints have refused to tear things down and reset for years, now, they might not have a choice. A new head coach could change things, but with no cap space, and no prospect of an upgrade at quarterback, it could be a few years before New Orleans are competitive again.

We're already getting tired of writing “this team needs a new quarterback,” but unfortunately, it's true for so many of the worst teams in football, that it needs to be said. The Raiders have some solid players on their roster, but without a QB, they have no hope.

The Jags are the last of the teams we think are genuinely bad, and the reason why they're not lower is due to the optimism that comes with the potentially sweeping changes, and already having a QB. Trevor Lawrence is three years younger than Joe Burrow, so he has plenty of time to prove himself on the biggest stage still.

The Cardinals aren't a bad team, they just aren't a good one, and sometimes that can be the worst thing imaginable in the NFL. Kyley Murray has returned over the course of the 2024 season, and we have real concerns about him moving forward.

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Caleb Williams has shown us enough to suggest that with good coaching, he has what it takes to be a good quarterback in this league. Rumors of the Bears wanting to hire Ben Johnson as their next head coach has us giddy given the offensive talent already in place in Chicago.

Few teams have earned more respect this season than the Panthers, who have battled all year despite an obvious talent deficit. Dave Canales has Bryce Young playing good football, but as Pete Priso writes for CBS Sports, “They need to get Bryce Young some weapons for next season to improve the passing game.”

When healthy, the Cowboys possess an incredibly talented roster, but the mounting injuries have caught up to them in what has become a wasted season. Whether Mike McCarthy returns or not is the big question.

The Colts have been a weird team for us all season, as they have continued to win games in strange circumstances. We really liked the prospect of Anthony Richardson from a pure entertainment perspective, but the pre-draft reports of accuracy issues have proven true. He has a lot he needs to improve on in the off season.

The talent is obvious when it all comes together, but, a bit like the Cowboys, injuries caught up to the Niners eventually. Losing a Super Bowl is a huge emotional drain, which is why so few teams make it back there next year. Both the Eagles last season, and the Niners this, have been excellent examples of this.

We still have no idea what the Falcons were thinking signing Kirk Cousins ​​and then drafting Michael Penix Jr. a few weeks later. As it happens, they should have just drafted the QB and let him play as he continues to impress. There are some obvious flaws, but he's a rookie whose barely played. If they miss the playoffs, this is a wasted season in so many ways.

The Dolphins finally got a good performance from a backup quarterback, which is becoming more and more important as Tua apparently can't stay healthy. The playoffs look unlikely, but still technically possibly, which is a surprise given where they were a month or so ago.

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It's been an up and down year for Mike Macdonald in his first year in charge in Seattle. The defense hasn't been quite as good as we expected, which he, and his team, will be hoping to change next season.

The Texans have already locked up a playoff spot, which is lucky as they look worse and worse each week as the season progresses. CJ Stroud hasn't hit the heights of his rookie season, which shouldn't be too much of a worry, but he will be hoping to prove some doubters wrong in the playoffs.

The Broncos will probably make the playoffs as they only have to beat the Chiefs, who will almost certainly rest their starters. Still, recent performances have shown they aren't a great team, yet, and can be beaten by pretty much any team that has made the playoffs.

A little like the Broncos, the Steelers have been exposed somewhat in recent weeks. We still think they could cause an upset or two in the playoffs if defense their plays at the level we think it can do. Their matchup against the Bengals in week 18 has playoff implications for both teams, so should be a fun one to watch.

It's an unlikely chance the Bengals make the playoffs, but if they do, they will go into the post season as one of the hottest teams in the AFC. Joe Burrow has played at an MVP level this season and has finally got some help in recent weeks.

Baker Mayfield and co nearly threw away their chance at the playoffs with a disappointing loss to the Cowboys, before rebounding with a huge 'get right' win over Carolina. They need to win in week 18 to secure their post season berth, but with the way the team is playing right now, we expect them to do just that.

Jim Harbaugh is one hell of a football coach, turning around a team that went 5-12 last season to one that will be a feared playoff matchup for just about anyone.

As Pete Prisco writes for CBS Sports, “The [Rams] offense hasn't looked good the past three games, which is a concern.” They have won games off the back of their defense, which has come on as the season has progressed, but we aren't sure if it will hold up against the elite offenses in the playoffs.

Jayden Daniels has showcased his 'clutch gene' in the past two weeks, but relying on late scores to win games is a risky business. This defense is one of the worst in the playoffs, and we could see them getting picked apart by whoever their opponent is. Still, what a season for Dan Quinn and his team, certainly not what we expected.

The Packers have been one of the best teams in football over the past couple of months, but that came to a grinding halt after being dismantled by the Vikings for most of the game on Sunday. A late comeback gave them a sniff, which is certainly worth something. Still, the overall performance will be a worry.

The Ravens demolished another playoff team in Houston in week 17 and will enter the playoffs with momentum behind them. Lamar Jackson is a worthy MVP winner if that's where the award goes, as he continues to prove he is one of the best in the game year after year.

The Eagles are as talented a team as there is in the NFL and will have a chance to rest some starters in week 18. Saquon Barkley has put together an all-time great season behind one of the best offensive lines in football. They will likely welcome the Packers into Philly in the wild card round, which should be a fun game to watch.

This is the lowest we've had the Lions pretty much all season. We just have some slight concerns about their defense as we head to the playoffs. It might not matter, as they can score 40 on anyone as Ben Johnson's offense continues to roll.

Patrick Mahomes played one of his best games this season in week 17 and will most likely get a chance to rest for the next couple of weeks as the Chiefs have already secured the bye. The Chiefs offense and defense have been good-but-not-great this year, but they continue to do enough to win. We also expect them to improve, as they usually do, in the playoffs.

Josh Allen plays football like it's a video game, and yet it always seems to work. He's a freak of a player, and the Bills read into it well. With the second seed locked up, Buffalo will have a chance to rest some players in week 18 which could be all-important.

This is a bold opinion, as not many power rankings will have the Vikings number one. We just don't see many weaknesses in this team. We keep expecting Sam Darnold to cost them a game, but he just isn't. If they get the one. The Vikings have appeared in four Super Bowls, all in the 70s and lost every one, could this be their year?

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