NFL Power Rankings - Week 15: 1 stat to define every team's season
NFL Power Rankings takes stock of all 32 teams throughout the season.
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1. Los Angeles Rams (10-3)
Previous rank: 1
The Rams are tracking to become the first team since the 2022 49ers to finish a season with a top-five standing in EPA/play on both offense and defense, according to TruMedia. That might explain why they're sitting in the No. 1 spot for the sixth week in a row.
2. Seattle Seahawks (10-3)
Previous rank: 2
Jaxon Smith-Njigba is now the clear front-runner for Offensive Player of the Year honors. The Seahawks star is averaging an incredible 4.08 yards per route run, the most we've seen from a receiver since Calvin Johnson's historic 2012 campaign.
3. Green Bay Packers (9-3-1)
Previous rank: 3
Jordan Love is quietly playing the best football of his career. Even with the loss of Tucker Kraft, and some key injury absences at receiver, the Packers quarterback ranks second in EPA/dropback.
4. New England Patriots (11-2)
Previous rank: 4
Drake Maye leads the league in completion percentage (71.5%) despite pushing the ball downfield enough for a top-four standing in air yards per attempt (8.8). No quarterback has topped 8 AY/Att while hitting at least 71% of his passes since the metric was first tracked in 2006.
5. Denver Broncos (11-2)
Previous rank: 5
The Broncos have racked up 55 sacks to this point, 11 clear of the next-closest team. That puts them on a 17-game pace for 72, which would tie the all-time record set by the legendary 1984 Bears.
6. Houston Texans (8-5)
Previous rank: 7
The Texans' defense has generated pressure on 43.5% of dropbacks so far this season, tied with the Vikings for the NFL lead. But not all pressure is created equal. Minnesota gets there courtesy of a league-high 47% blitz rate, while Houston sends extra rushers on just 24.9% of passing plays, 18th league-wide. That's the benefit of an overwhelming front four.
7. Chicago Bears (9-4)
Previous rank: 6
Chicago was tied for 28th in EPA/rush through the first four games of the season, but it was only a matter of time before a Ben Johnson offense found a way to establish the run. The Bears are tied for third since their Week 5 bye, and they now lead the league in overall rush success rate.
8. Detroit Lions (8-5)
Previous rank: 10
Dan Campbell's Lions always come through when their backs are up against the wall. Last week's victory over the Cowboys saw Detroit tie an NFL record with its 15th straight win after a loss.
9. Buffalo Bills (9-4)
Previous rank: 11
Buffalo has been completely helpless when it comes to stopping the run, ranking 31st with -0.07 EPA/rush. That makes this the worst Bills rush defense since 2005. The good news? There may not be too many AFC playoff teams capable of exploiting their fatal flaw.
10. Los Angeles Chargers (9-4)
Previous rank: 15
The Chargers probably could have been flirting with top contender status were it not for season-ending injuries to standout offensive tackles Rashawn Slater and Joe Alt. Justin Herbert took a career-high seven sacks in Monday night's win over the Eagles, and he's now been hit a league-worst 106 times.
11. Philadelphia Eagles (8-5)
Previous rank: 9
A four-interception night from Jalen Hurts means it might be time for panic in Philly. The sad state of the Eagles' passing attack could spell disaster for their season, as it doesn't seem like last year's ground game is coming back any time soon. Saquon Barkley has 56 runs that have gained either zero or negative yards, tied for most among all running backs.
12. Jacksonville Jaguars (9-4)
Previous rank: 14
First-year coordinator Anthony Campanile orchestrating a monumental turnaround for the Jaguars' defense should earn him some head coaching interviews in January. Jacksonville is tied with the Broncos and Chargers for fifth in EPA/play after finishing last season ranked 31st.
13. San Francisco 49ers (9-4)
Previous rank: 12
The offense will have to do some heavy lifting if the 49ers hope to put together any sort of deep playoff run. A decimated defense has managed a league-low 16 sacks through 13 games, putting San Francisco on pace for its lowest total since the strike-shortened 1982 season.
13. Dallas Cowboys (6-6-1)
Previous rank: 13
It may be too little, too late, but a big deadline splash has at least given the Cowboys a chance to capitalize on an elite scoring attack. The Dallas defense ranks 16th in success rate across four games since acquiring Quinnen Williams from the Jets. That's a stunning improvement for a unit that performed at a bottom-two rate over the first nine weeks of the year.
15. Indianapolis Colts (8-5)
Previous rank: 8
The addition of Daniel Jones helped Indy's offense go from 25th in success rate last season to a top-three standing so far this year. His season-ending Achilles injury will almost certainly lead to some devastating regression on that front, though, effectively sending this once-promising season down the drain.
16. Pittsburgh Steelers (7-6)
Previous rank: 21
DK Metcalf leads the Steelers with 52 catches on the year. Four players - a pair of running backs and tight ends - stand between him and the next closest wideout (Calvin Austin) at 27. The George Pickens trade has aged like milk.
17. Baltimore Ravens (6-7)
Previous rank: 16
The Ravens' offense might be broken. Lamar Jackson has been a shell of his former self since returning from injury in Week 9, sitting in a tie with Aaron Rodgers for 30th in EPA/dropback over that span. For reference, that's one spot behind J.J. McCarthy.
18. Carolina Panthers (7-6)
Previous rank: 18
Bryce Young balling out in a Week 13 upset over the Rams set a new career high for EPA/dropback. By that metric, it's also the 13th-best single-game performance of any quarterback so far this season. Even with some not-so-great outings mixed in, these flashes could be enough to earn him a little more patience.
19. Kansas City Chiefs (6-7)
Previous rank: 17
The Chiefs' offense seems like a unit that's out of ideas, but Patrick Mahomes isn't totally blameless, either. He's thrown more passes of 15-plus air yards than all but two quarterbacks in the league this year. Downfield inaccuracy is a big reason he ranks 28th in passer rating (65.2) on such attempts.
20. Cincinnati Bengals (4-9)
Previous rank: 20
The Bengals are chasing a bit of history this season (derogatory). Already having allowed 1,258 yards and 15 touchdowns to opposing tight ends, the Cincinnati defense is on pace to blow past dubious NFL records in both categories (1,303 yards, 17 TDs).
21. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-6)
Previous rank: 19
Injuries are a big part of the equation here, but Tampa Bay's recent pass-game production has been alarming. Baker Mayfield is 33rd out of 33 qualified quarterbacks by EPA/dropback since Week 7.
22. Miami Dolphins (6-7)
Previous rank: 22
The Dolphins better be ready to pay up to extend De'Von Achane. The dynamic running back is the primary reason Miami was able to keep this season from going off the rails, as he leads the league in yards per carry (5.8) and average yards after contact (4.4).
23. Minnesota Vikings (5-8)
Previous rank: 24
J.J. McCarthy produced -0.34 EPA/dropback across his first six NFL games, the worst such start from any quarterback since at least 2000. Can a much-improved three-score effort in Sunday's win over the Commanders mark the beginning of a breakthrough?
24. Arizona Cardinals (3-10)
Previous rank: 23
The Cardinals have a bottom-five defense by success rate after spending an offseason trying to bolster that side of the ball. That doesn't reflect well on Jonathan Gannon, who was hired on account of his strong defensive background.
25. Atlanta Falcons (4-9)
Previous rank: 25
It's a good thing Drake London has established himself as one of the league's premier receivers - the Falcons have a remarkable lack of depth behind him. Darnell Mooney is second among Atlanta wideouts with 22 catches, and David Sills IV is third with just eight.
26. New Orleans Saints (3-10)
Previous rank: 30
The run game isn't exactly providing much support in a season split between two young quarterbacks. The Saints have managed an explosive run (12-plus yards) on just 5.1% of carries, currently last in the league and their worst rate since 2007.
27. Cleveland Browns (3-10)
Previous rank: 27
Myles Garrett remains on pace to break the single-season sack record. The monster production becomes even more impressive when you consider that he entered this past week having faced double teams on 56.8% of pass-rush snaps, second only to Micah Parsons among edge defenders, according to PFF.
28. New York Giants (2-11)
Previous rank: 28
Not only is Jaxson Dart already one of the league's best running quarterbacks, but the rest of his game has progressed faster than expected, too. Dart ranking 14th in passer rating, right ahead of Justin Herbert and Patrick Mahomes, is an especially encouraging sign given the lack of playmaking talent around him.
29. Washington Commanders (3-10)
Previous rank: 26
Jayden Daniels missing time with injury is far from the only reason the Commanders have come crashing down after last year's Cinderella run. Another disastrous outing against Minnesota has Dan Quinn's defense tied for last in EPA/play.
30. New York Jets (3-10)
Previous rank: 29
Let's focus on the positives here: at least the Jets are good on special teams. New York is averaging 3.85 EPA in that forever-underrated phase of the game, the best output of any club since 2016.
31. Las Vegas Raiders (2-11)
Previous rank: 31
Ashton Jeanty's rookie season might seem like a dud on the surface, but there's only so much a running back can do to overcome an unfathomable offensive line situation. The Raiders have generated just 0.36 rushing yards before contact, the worst single-season figure since PFF started tracking the metric in 2009.
32. Tennessee Titans (2-11)
Previous rank: 32
Cam Ward has shown some flashes of brilliance, but the Titans have done a terrible job of putting him in favorable situations. His league-high 49 sacks through 13 games have him on pace to finish his rookie season with 64. That's dangerously close to David Carr (76) and Caleb Williams (68) territory.
Dan Wilkins is theScore's senior NFL writer.