The theme of this week’s power rankings is: punishment. For too long, I have held on to niceties when it comes to teams that are clearly destined to be uninteresting and fail me in the end. At this point, we must take into account all elemental factors: heat, light, promise and potential. So, yes, you’ll see the Cowboys quite high. This is a team with potential and room to grow. You’ll see the Steelers quite low, because, like a decades-old azalea bush in your front yard, it can only get so big and so beautiful every season before you kind of know what to expect.
When you love something you break it down into pieces and reassemble. This is the result of our new outlook on the 2025 season.
1. Los Angeles Rams (9–2)
Last week’s ranking: No. 1
Last week’s result: beat Buccaneers, 34–7
This week: at Panthers
I think there is a difference between teams that have had good stretches when everything goes according to plan and teams that can dominate even when Plan A and Plan B are taken off the table. The Rams are, without question, the most durable, flexible and infallible-looking team in the NFL. This is trend averse, unlike a team like Indianapolis, whose success is subject to being able to dictate terms. The Rams don’t need to dictate anything. They just show up and win.
2. Seattle Seahawks (8–3)
Last week’s ranking: No. 4
Last week’s result: beat Titans, 30–24
This week: vs. Vikings
If I had to pick a team closest to the Rams at this point in terms of an ability to win almost any kind of game, it would be Seattle. We’ve seen this offense at 30% speed, turnover prone and completely “figured out” still be in position to win big games. And this defense is only going to get better. A late score from the Titans made their last win look much closer than it appeared.
3. Philadelphia Eagles (8–3)
Last week’s ranking: No. 2
Last week’s result: lost to Cowboys, 24–21
This week: vs. Bears
The Eagles had a dominant first half and tried to play clock control in the second half against Dallas to avoid the kind of situations that occurred anyway: Jalen Hurts in critical third-and-mediums where he is prone to take devastating sacks. We saw this during the playoffs but the Eagles weren’t fatally punished. Still, the fact that Lane Johnson does not need Lisfranc surgery and could be back before the playoffs means that this team can continue to win despite the constant clamoring to the contrary.
4. Denver Broncos (9–2)
Last week’s ranking: No. 6
Last week’s result: idle
This week: at Commanders
Looking at the Broncos’ schedule at the bye, their body of work has aged like a fine wine to this point. Consider: the Broncos’ two losses were to peak Indianapolis with referee intervention and peak Chargers by a combined four points. Also consider: the Broncos have beaten both the Chiefs and Eagles and the narrow victory over Houston looks far different with the passage of time.
5. New England Patriots (10–2)
Last week’s ranking: No. 3
Last week’s result: beat Bengals, 26–20
This week: vs. Giants
I’ve become too much of a “schedule guy” of late and I think that playing inferior opponents—New England has the lowest S.O.S. of all teams currently in the AFC playoff field—is only relevant to a certain point. Ten wins is 10 wins and the Patriots get the Giants, Jets and Dolphins on the schedule. Will Campbell injury aside, we could be locking in a first-round bye sooner rather than later.
6. Detroit Lions (6–4)
Last week’s ranking: No. 8
Last week’s result: beat Giants, 34–27 (OT)
This week: vs. Packers
The Lions were briefly trapped in the Jameis Winston vortex, a kind of siren song that has chewed up and spat out strong teams. But true to their character, the team managed to survive and nab the all-too-predictable gutting interception that Winston was going to inevitably lay up. Detroit’s offense takes almost no deep shots despite having a troika of excellent deep ball wide receivers. I think there is still another evolution to this team in 2025.
7. Buffalo Bills (7–4)
Last week’s ranking: No. 5
Last week’s result: lost to Texans, 23–19
This week: at Steelers
Of all the juggernauts who started slow this season, the Bills are the most perplexing because, unlike Kansas City, Houston and Baltimore, their schedule was fairly manageable. The Bills have played down to bad opponents, have looked gobsmacked more often than other AFC heavyweights and now feel solely dependent on the magical performance of a star quarterback. I’ve seen worse game plans succeed, but I’m starving for some consistency.
8. Kansas City Chiefs (6–5)
Last week’s ranking: No. 15
Last week’s result: beat Colts, 23–20 (OT)
This week: at Cowboys
Column here on Kansas City and what I suspect is a delightful bug in the NFL’s new scheduling system.
9. Chicago Bears (8–3)
Last week’s ranking: No. 9
Last week’s result: beat Steelers, 31–28
This week: at Eagles
Ben Johnson needs to know about my Harvard football dynasty from NCAA 2007.
#Bears HC Ben Johnson was asked in he played Madden growing up:
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) November 21, 2025
"I always liked taking the bad teams and doing Franchise mode and try to build them up from there."
One of us. pic.twitter.com/oEezCSyvo6
10. Green Bay Packers (7–3–1)
Last week’s ranking: No. 11
Last week’s result: beat Vikings, 23–6
This week: at Lions
A great pickup here from Yahoo analyst Nate Tice. Jordan Love was handing the ball off with his off-hand all afternoon against a toothy Brian Flores defense to keep his separated shoulder from aggravating. This, in addition to the success of Emanuel Wilson shows just how capable this roster is of weathering the big storms.
11. Indianapolis Colts (8–3)
Last week’s ranking: No. 7
Last week’s result: lost to Chiefs, 23–20 (OT)
This week: vs. Texans
Too big of a knock-down for the Colts? Perhaps. But the Power Rankings are self-adjusting and attempting to protect themselves against further letdowns. In this case, that means the rest of Indianapolis’s schedule, which only increases in difficulty from this point on.
12. Baltimore Ravens (6–5)
Last week’s ranking: No. 10
Last week’s result: beat Jets, 23–10
This week: vs. Bengals
One overlooked part in the Lamar Jackson injury postmortem we’re all conducting: For years he was lambasted for having an inconsistent throwing platform. Now, the skill sets he’s developed from said platform are more valuable than ever given that Jackson can’t rely on his legs, but just enough of his mobility to gain separation to throw.
13. San Francisco 49ers (8–4)
Last week’s ranking: No. 14
Last week’s result: beat Panthers, 20–9
This week: at Browns
Kyle Shanahan didn’t have the bullpen warming up during Brock Purdy’s struggles early on during Monday Night Football but he’s not exactly the sentimental type. Mac Jones has a body of work that could potentially make the remainder of this season subject to palace intrigue.
14. Houston Texans (6–5)
Last week’s ranking: No. 21
Last week’s result: beat Bills, 23–19
This week: at Colts
The difference between a team whose head coach and general manager are in lockstep defensively versus a team throwing darts: Here’s Houston’s sixth-round pick getting thrown into the furnace and playing like a seasoned vet. This defense is deeper and more capable than we realize.
I really liked what I saw on tape from rookie Jaylen Reed in what was basically his first defensive snaps of the season.
— Jacob (@TexansJacob) November 23, 2025
He was very physical coming downhill against the run with 3 run stops (PFF) in a tough matchup against a good Buffalo offense early in his career. pic.twitter.com/oVkBSkMKNV
15. Dallas Cowboys (5–5–1)
Last week’s ranking: No. 19
Last week’s result: beat Eagles, 24–21
This week: vs. Chiefs
A season-altering victory over the Eagles leaves Dallas with what the analytics say is a 20% chance of reaching the playoffs but feels like far more of a certainty. Since the Quinnen Williams trade, the Cowboys have one of the four best rushing defenses in the NFL (though oddly so do the Jets). In plugging up the run, Dallas looks like a formidable matchup for the Chiefs and a heavy favorite over the back end of a schedule with dates against the Giants, Commanders, Chargers and Vikings.
16. Los Angeles Chargers (7–4)
Last week’s ranking: No. 13
Last week’s result: idle
This week: vs. Raiders
Not necessarily a Chargers Tweet, but what do the early struggles of J.J. McCarthy say about Jim Harbaugh and his Michigan teams in hindsight? McCarthy was either incredibly well prepared, college football is a vastly different sport, or there’s some bit of middle ground where Kevin O’Connell and his first-round pick cannot meet.
17. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6–5)
Last week’s ranking: No. 12
Last week’s result: lost to Rams, 34–7
This week: vs. Cardinals
The Baker Mayfield injury and the increasing staleness of the Todd Bowles defense are coming to a head at the worst possible time for Tampa Bay. Thankfully, there are no other teams showing even the slightest interest in winning this division.
18. Jacksonville Jaguars (7–4)
Last week’s ranking: No. 16
Last week’s result: beat Cardinals, 27–24 (OT)
This week: at Titans
I am starting to agree with Bill Simmons in that Trevor Lawrence is inching into the Jameis Winston camp. While the outlier moments are not quite as severe and Liam Coen seems to have realized this, the Jaguars are the closest entity we have to a Winstonian week in and week out performance. And that is worth tuning in for.
19. Miami Dolphins (4–7)
Last week’s ranking: No. 20
Last week’s result: idle
This week: vs. Saints
Coming off the bye, Mike McDaniel now has the Saints and Jets in subsequent weeks. My all-in position on the Dolphins is now three weeks in the crockpot and I am floating this team well above its deserved position based on potential. What could go wrong?
20. Carolina Panthers (6–6)
Last week’s ranking: No. 18
Last week’s result: lost to 49ers, 20–9
This week: vs. Rams
A disappointing performance by the Panthers on Monday Night Football gives the Buccaneers the slightest gasp of breathing room it desperately needs. Failing to take advantage of a series of disastrous Brock Purdy turnovers early in the game could ultimately doom what was a golden opportunity for Dave Canales and Co.
21. Pittsburgh Steelers (6–5)
Last week’s ranking: No. 17
Last week’s result: lost to Bears, 31–28
This week: vs. Bills
What are the Steelers missing when Aaron Rodgers is off the field? Moments like this, which may not seem significant until they are….
Aaron Rodgers nailed this one! He saw the bad formation before the play… pic.twitter.com/uqZ60Zltk0
— Chad Reuter (@chad_reuter) November 23, 2025
22. Atlanta Falcons (4–7)
Last week’s ranking: No. 23
Last week’s result: beat Saints, 24–10
This week: at Jets
*Nervous laughter*
“All good here!”
Cousins says he feels good healthwise, but jokes "I'd never tell you if I didn't until after the season, probably." #Falcons
— Marc Raimondi (@marcraimondi) November 19, 2025
23. Washington Commanders (3–8)
Last week’s ranking: No. 25
Last week’s result: idle
This week: vs. Broncos
I do think that Jayden Daniels creeping closer to game action presents an interesting thought experiment for Dan Quinn. While I defended Quinn for keeping Daniels on the field the night he broke his arm, Quinn obviously felt the heat of public pressure from those who don’t realize that a lot of quarterbacks are still in during those situations. But…he also has an opportunity to quietly walk that entire decision back by icing Daniels for the remainder of a lost season. Will he take it?
24. Minnesota Vikings (4–7)
Last week’s ranking: No. 22
Last week’s result: lost to Packers, 23–6
This week: at Seahawks
While we work in a league of painful impatience, what is happening with McCarthy has a different feel than your typical early struggles. Perhaps it's the historical context of his performances via EPA data, which has this past Sunday as one of the worst individual QB performances of the last two decades. Maybe it’s additionally a vibe thing from Kevin O’Connell onward. But I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t curious about Max Brosmer, especially with a pointed remark like this from O’Connell, which felt like more than just a random observation:
Thought this quote from HC Kevin O'Connell was telling. Was talking about the way QB Max Brosmer played in preseason vs. Titans 1s.
— Alec Lewis (@alec_lewis) November 24, 2025
"He was moving the team, getting the ball out, seeing things at a veteran-level type of eye progression."
25. Cleveland Browns (3–8)
Last week’s ranking: No. 28
Last week’s result: beat Raiders, 24–10
This week: vs. 49ers
Column on the Shedeur Sanders debut, which was preempted by the realization that Myles Garrett may be putting the finishing touches on one of the greatest individual defensive seasons in NFL history.
26. Cincinnati Bengals (3–7)
Last week’s ranking: No. 24
Last week’s result: lost to Patriots, 26–20
This week: at Ravens
Joe Burrow is back, baby! Remember that hot start to the season when he was…25th among qualifying quarterbacks in EPA per play behind Tua Tagovailoa, Spencer Rattler and Russell Wilson? Don’t get me wrong, Burrow is incredible. He can also take some time to get going.
27. Arizona Cardinals (3–8)
Last week’s ranking: No. 29
Last week’s result: lost to Jaguars, 27–24 (OT)
This week: at Buccaneers
Just wanted to make sure you take your children before the exhibit is moved back to the Smithsonian…
The jersey worn by Jacoby Brissett last Sunday when he set the NFL's all-time, single-game record with 47 completions is now on display at the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, OH. pic.twitter.com/oGExgP3Ose
— Arizona Cardinals (@AZCardinals) November 21, 2025
28. New York Giants (2–10)
Last week’s ranking: No. 27
Last week’s result: lost to Lions, 34–27 (OT)
This week: at Patriots
I thought that the firing of Shane Bowen from the Giants was interesting this late in the season. While it could simply be an emotional reaction to another late-game collapse, this was not the first or second time something similar happened to the Giants…and those collapses were blamed on Brian Daboll. Is this a sign that the team wants Mike Kafka to go out and win this gig?
29. New York Jets (2–9)
Last week’s ranking: No. 31
Last week’s result: lost to Ravens, 23–10
This week: vs. Falcons
An absolutely wild Jets stat from Rich Cimini: the Jets have the longest interception drought to start a season in NFL history. This, despite facing six of the league’s 13 most interception-prone quarterbacks. While some of these can be strange outliers, doesn’t it seem like a team coached by Aaron Glenn should have picked someone off by now?
30. New Orleans Saints (2–9)
Last week’s ranking: No. 26
Last week’s result: lost to Falcons, 24–10
This week: at Dolphins
Blake Grupe’s struggles have gotten to the point where the Saints, an organization that sneakily doesn’t seem affected at all by outside perception in the worst possible ways, have brought Justin Tucker in for a tryout. I mean, sure. Why not.
31. Tennessee Titans (1–10)
Last week’s ranking: No. 32
Last week’s result: lost to Seahawks, 30–24
This week: vs. Jaguars
*Laser sound effects*
The stats will never show you how legit Cam Ward is, absolute dawg 🐕
— Ruly (@Ruly3025) November 23, 2025
pic.twitter.com/whxH2EHhQX
32. Las Vegas Raiders (2–9)
Last week’s ranking: No. 30
Last week’s result: lost to Browns, 24–10
This week: at Chargers
During the Raiders game, I wondered aloud to no one in particular if this was the worst offensive performance, from coach to quarterback to offensive line, that I’d ever seen. Hours later, the Raiders were in the market for a new offensive coordinator.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as NFL Power Rankings: Eagles’ Collapse Leads to Shakeup at the Top.
