Thanksgiving week is upon us but that doesn’t stop us from ranking the power. One thing I’ll say is this: I can’t wait to watch the Detroit Lions in the 12:30 window. And, to take a fun and hopeful long-term view on this, we should all allow ourselves to believe that what is currently will not always be. Detroit was so bad and so comically inept for so long and now they’re wounding opposing teams like a neighborhood bear that needs to be tranquilized.
We all have some old Lions in us. But we all have some new Lions in us, too. Enjoy the games this week and weekend. Enjoy your loved ones. Enjoy your family and friends.
1. Detroit Lions (10–1)
Last week’s ranking: No. 1
Last week’s result: beat Indianapolis, 24–6
This week: vs. Chicago
The Lions—12 games into the season by the way—have become the first team in NFL history to have a running back tandem score 10-plus touchdowns apiece in back to back seasons. I said this on The Athletic Football Show the other week and it drew some criticism which I’m ready to take on: In my 14 years of covering the NFL this is the best football team I have seen. The most complete. The most pristine vibes. The most ways they can defeat a team. I’m not saying anything Detroit doesn’t know. It’s Super Bowl or nothing now.
2. Philadelphia Eagles (9–2)
Last week’s ranking: No. 6
Last week’s result: beat Los Angeles Rams, 37–20
This week: at Baltimore
I found this note from the great Aaron Schatz interesting. Saquon Barkley and the Eagles have yet to play one of the top 10 rushing defenses in the NFL (in terms of Schatz’s excellent hallmark defense adjusted value over average–DVOA–statistic). Meanwhile, Derrick Henry has played half of the 10 best rushing defenses in the NFL. While I’m as blown away as anyone, I am placing the Eagles here to recognize their recent streak but hedging that I am glad I can revisit this column once a week.
3. Buffalo Bills (9–2)
Last week’s ranking: No. 3
Last week’s result: bye
This week: vs. San Francisco
My friend and fellow Power Ranking enthusiast Dan Hanzus over at Heed the Call is very much against the bye week drop for teams. I’m for it within reason. I would say if this iteration of the Power Rankings had a final poll of the season I probably would have left Buffalo at two. But we’re talking about a living, breathing entity and right at this very second I think the Eagles could beat almost any team in the NFL. Will I feel differently next week? Almost certainly.
4. Kansas City Chiefs (10–1)
Last week’s ranking: No. 2
Last week’s result: beat Carolina, 30–27
This week: vs. Las Vegas
I get it that we’re punishing the Chiefs for near wins and, like, they’re 10–1. But the reason I have them at No. 4 this week is because I wonder about the cumulative effect of these games. Removing the Bills loss from the equation, we have seen wins of three points, two points, six points (in overtime), and seven points. This has to be exhausting. And what if there isn’t another gear?
5. Minnesota Vikings (9–2)
Last week’s ranking: No. 5
Last week’s result: beat Chicago, 30–27
This week: vs. Arizona
What incredible games from Aaron Jones and Jordan Addison, who were tone setters at different points in time and both of them bailed out Nick Mullens while Mullens was in the game with massive runs after the catch down the stretch. I sometimes feel like Justin Jefferson forces us to have a misperception of the true quality of Minnesota’s skill-position talent underneath the all-world wide receiver.
6. Green Bay Packers (8–3)
Last week’s ranking: No. 8
Last week’s result: beat San Francisco, 38–10
This week: vs. Miami
I watched a cut-up of just times when Josh Jacobs touched the ball on Sunday against the 49ers and after spending so many years mesmerized by the complexity of the Kyle Shanahan run game, it’s time to give Matt LaFleur and Adam Stenavich some props. The amount of additional pop they got in the running game by weaponizing Tucker Kraft and John Fitzpatrick, the myriad ways in which Jacobs was getting the ball already in motion … it was beautiful. And it’s absolutely going to matter in January.
7. Baltimore Ravens (8–4)
Last week’s ranking: No. 4
Last week’s result: beat Los Angeles Chargers, 30–23
This week: vs. Philadelphia
A spicy game from John Harbaugh, though we would all be pretty confident handing the ball off to Derrick Henry on fourth and short, too, especially when we consider how far this Chargers defense still has to go before the talent meets Jim Harbaugh’s expectations. Kyle Hamilton shifted back to more of a traditional safety in this game which seemed to put a clamp on Los Angeles’s offensive plans.
8. Pittsburgh Steelers (9–2)
Last week’s ranking: No. 7
Last week’s result: lost to Cleveland, 24–19
This week: at Cincinnati
A Thursday Night Football loss in blustery conditions was incredibly uncharacteristic of this Steelers team. This was such a weird game given that the Browns barely blitzed Russell Wilson, he had a ton of success with deep balls … and yet Pittsburgh lost by five. With Cleveland coming back on the schedule in two weeks, I would be surprised to see them not win by double digits.
9. Los Angeles Chargers (7–4)
Last week’s ranking: No. 9
Last week’s result: lost to Baltimore, 30–23
This week: at Atlanta
With a relatively nonexistent pass rush and Lamar Jackson racking up almost all of his passing yards on extended plays, we have now seen just how far the Chargers have come and just how far they need to go. Wide receiver is still of desperate need, with Quentin Johnston reverting back to 2023 form on a couple of critical balls Monday.
10. Denver Broncos (7–5)
Last week’s ranking: No. 17
Last week’s result: beat Las Vegas, 29–19
This week: vs. Cleveland
We’re not talking nearly enough about how good this offensive line has become. Maxx Crosby was a relative non-factor against the quarterback, who was sacked just once. Crosby got one hit, but I didn’t see a ton of obsessiveness in doubling him, either. Mike McGlinchey fared well, as did some of the jumbo tackles. The one time I saw him chipped was a smart design out of the back of Denver’s end zone with a creative usage of a back (a few plays later, Denver went no huddle and cooked a Raiders defense selling out against the run).
