NFL Power Rankings - Playoff Edition
The NFL Power Rankings are selected by a panel of theScore's football editors.
1. Baltimore Ravens (13-4)Baltimore rested its starters in Week 18 and will enjoy another week off before getting back to action in the divisional round. The Ravens should be circling whoever their unfortunate prey ends up being in two weeks.
2. San Francisco 49ers (12-5)Who's going to stop the 49ers from reaching the Super Bowl? A fully healthy San Francisco squad has already beaten numerous NFC foes such as the Eagles, Cowboys, Buccaneers, and Rams this season.
3. Buffalo Bills (11-6)All odds were against Buffalo after the team dropped to 6-6 in November, but Josh Allen and Co. have since won five in a row to finish the regular season as the AFC's No. 2 seed. The Bills enter the playoffs as one of football's hottest teams.
4. Dallas Cowboys (12-5)Cowboys fans may have a hard time getting their hopes up considering the franchise's recent track history of playoff letdowns. However, with Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb firing on all cylinders, plus Micah Parsons causing havoc, this year might be different.
5. Miami Dolphins (11-6)The Dolphins aren't coming into the postseason in their best form as they lost three of their final five games, including a division-deciding defeat to the Bills on Sunday. Mike McDaniel and Tua Tagovailoa will have to find a spark to get this offense going again if they want to beat the Chiefs' stout defense on Wild Card Weekend.
6. Detroit Lions (12-5)The Lions exceeded expectations in the regular season despite some hiccups along the way. Their reward is a home playoff game for the first time since 1994. It just so happens to come against Matthew Stafford, the franchise's all-time leading passer.
7. Kansas City Chiefs (11-6)Once known for their high-octane offense, the Chiefs scored 30 points just twice this year while leaning on an improved defense to win 11 games. If the receiving corps can give Patrick Mahomes any help at all in the playoffs, the defending champs will be tough to knock off.
8. Los Angeles Rams (10-7)The Rams are back in the playoffs in what was supposed to be a rebuilding year. This team isn't star-studded like the Rams of years past, but Stafford, Cooper Kupp, Puka Nacua, and Aaron Donald still give Los Angeles enough juice to take down any team on the right day.
9. Cleveland Browns (11-6)Armed with the No. 1 defense and a hot quarterback in Joe Flacco, the Browns are as scary a wild-card team as you'll find. Cleveland went 4-1 in Flacco's starts after the veteran jumped off the couch to join the club in late November.
10. Houston Texans (10-7)Not even the most optimistic Houston fan predicted the Texans would host a playoff game this season with a rookie quarterback and head coach. But after winning just three games in 2022, here they are. C.J. Stroud has been excellent and will now have a tough matchup against a solid Browns defense. He missed the teams' regular-season clash due to a concussion.
11. Green Bay Packers (9-8)The Packers lack consistency but head into the playoffs hot thanks to Jordan Love. The quarterback, who's surrounded by one of football's most promising young group of pass-catchers, has passed for 16 touchdowns against just one interception in his last seven games. Green Bay is 5-2 in that span.
12. Philadelphia Eagles (11-6)No other playoff team is as desperate as the Eagles, who don't seem to have any answers to their current struggles. Philly has lost five of its last six games and most recently saw Jalen Hurts and A.J. Brown suffer injuries. Thanks to a near-perfect first half of the season, though, Philadelphia secured the No. 5 seed and booked a matchup with a nine-win Bucs team that's also vulnerable.
13. Pittsburgh Steelers (10-7)Mason Rudolph, an efficient rushing attack, and a stout defense dragged the carcass of this Steelers team into the playoffs. But now Pittsburgh has its biggest challenge yet: winning without T.J. Watt, who was diagnosed with a grade 2 MCL sprain.
14. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (9-8)It wasn't pretty, but Tampa Bay claimed its third straight NFC South title with a 9-0 victory over Carolina. As the only division champions without double-digit wins this season, the Bucs have more question marks than any other playoff team. Their defense remains solid, but the offense is below average. Still, they should feel good about facing the struggling Eagles in the wild-card round.
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