2024 NFL Power Rankings Entering Week 15

Week 14 was capped off with a marvelous sight: the Cincinnati Bengals (5-8) won a one-possession football game. Who better than the Dallas Cowboys to help them deviate from the trend?

Previously, the Bengals had gone an eye-popping 1-7 in one-score games, contributing to what was a remarkably poor season for a seemingly good team. Cincinnati will likely need to win out and then some to obtain an AFC Wild Card spot, but they are nonetheless still breathing.

Four weeks remain in the regular season, but only four teams (Detroit Lions, Buffalo Bills, Kansas City Chiefs, Philadelphia Eagles) have punched a ticket to the playoffs while 21 clubs are still in the hunt. Notably, just one NFC group (New York Giants) has been mathematically eliminated from postseason contention, so that Wild Card race is shaping up to be a doozy.

Which teams are trending in the right or wrong direction heading into Week 15? Let's check out our NFL Power Rankings -- which are fueled by numberFire's nERD-based rankings.

All NFL odds come from FanDuel Sportsbook.

NFL Power Rankings (Week 15)

Teams Ranked 32nd to 23rd

Seven of the 10 teams in this tier have been eliminated from playoff contention, including the New York Jets, who have won a laugh-out-loud one game since September 20th.

Somewhat ironically, the Carolina Panthers (3-10) are one of the three teams still in contention. So too are the Chicago Bears (4-9) and Cowboys (5-8), though losses in Week 14 have turned their playoff "hope" into hardly anything more than a technicality.

The real race here is none other than the 2025 NFL Draft order. Currently, the Giants (2-11) are in line to obtain the top pick in the draft thanks to some aid from the Jacksonville Jaguars (3-10), who came out on top against the Tennessee Titans (3-10) on Sunday.

Teams Ranked 22nd to 13th

The Arizona Cardinals (6-7) reminded us just how crucial late-season divisional games can be.

Last week, the Cards owned the second-shortest odds (+185) to win the NFC West. Mere days removed, Arizona's NFC West odds have plummeted to +1100 after a loss to the Seattle Seahawks (8-5). The 'Hawks by no means have rights to the West, however.

Matthew Stafford and the Los Angeles Rams (7-6) somehow, someway, overcame a six-touchdown performance from Josh Allen in a game that finished with a head-turning 44-42 final score. The Seahawks (-130) and Rams (+160) are now in a tight race for the division crown. This market will shake up as soon as Thursday night when the Rams visit the San Francisco 49ers (6-7).

As expected, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-6) are dominating a soft schedule. They've won three straight against bad teams (Giants, Panthers, Las Vegas Raiders) and will see the Cowboys, New Orleans Saints, and Panthers (again) before the regular season ends. The Bucs do, however, enter as 3.0-point road 'dogs against the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 15.

The schedule-makers aren't the only ones to have granted Tampa Bay some grace.

The Atlanta Falcons (6-7) dig themselves a deeper grave with each passing week. Kirk Cousins has tossed eight interceptions to zero touchdowns during Atlanta's four-game losing streak. The Dirty Birds can rebound from the disasterclass play in Week 15's soft matchup against the Raiders, as well as upcoming dates with the Giants and Commanders, but they have nonetheless placed the fate of the NFC South in Tampa Bay's hands.

Teams Ranked 12th to 1st

The Kansas City Chiefs (12-1) continued to lead with luck in Week 14. A doink off the goalpost went their way in a walk-off win over the Chargers, helping Kansas City seal the AFC West. I'll be one of many to note that the Chiefs (+56) rank just 11th in point differential despite their league-best record (tied). Astonishingly, they have just the third-best point differential in their own division.

The NFC North came out to play in Week 14's iteration of Thursday Night Football. The Lions (12-1) topped the Green Bay Packers (9-4) by a score of 34-31 and both teams look well-equipped to compete come playoff time. Should we, however, devote more focus to a different NFC North club?

The Minnesota Vikings (11-2) are home to the second-best schedule-adjusted defense in the NFL. They rank eighth against the rush and first against the pass. The Eagles are the only other NFC team to rank top-10 in both these regards. That tough-as-nails defense means even more after seeing Sam Darnold toss for 347 yards and five touchdowns over the weekend.

To some -- maybe even Minnesota fans -- seeing Darnold churn out wins in 2024 seemed too good to be true. He handed his doubters some fodder in Week 10 after throwing three interceptions and zero touchdowns against the Jags despite the Vikings still coming out on top in that one. Since that contest, Darnold has thrown 11 touchdowns to zero interceptions. On the season, he ranks 11th in net expected points (NEP) added per drop back. It might be time to afford the Vikings a bit more legitimacy, and the NFC playoffs could be softer than expected with the 49ers and Cowboys projected to miss out. numberFire gives the Vikings a 7.2% chance (fifth-highest) to win the Big Game but their +1700 Super Bowl odds imply just a 5.6% probability.

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The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.