The 2024 NFL season has officially hit the midway point as teams are beginning to make moves that will affect their future playoff hopes or offseason, but how will those teams be slated against their peers in The Dallas Express Power Rankings?
1. Kansas City Chiefs (Previous Ranking: 1)
Kansas City has looked beatable nearly every week this season, yet no team has been able to do it as they remain the only undefeated team in the league at 7-0. The Chiefs also continue to add players to their team with trades for DeAndre Hopkins and Joshua Uche, making them the clear favorite to once again win the Super Bowl.
2. Detroit Lions (Previous Ranking: 3)
Another week and another dominant win by the Lions as they continue to run through nearly everyone they face. The offense is arguably the most explosive in the league and the defense has been taking the ball away at a high rate, making them the favorite to win the NFC and head to the Super Bowl.
3. Baltimore Ravens (Previous Ranking: 2)
The Ravens have clear issues throughout the roster, but the best players on this team can compete with anyone in the league. Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry will carry this team to a lot of wins this season, but the issues on defense could pose a major concern and Baltimore should consider a trade for help in the secondary after the loss to the Browns. Baltimore’s loss would generally move them further down in the rankings, but a divisional game against an opponent with energy from a new quarterback will always be difficult to beat.
4. Green Bay Packers (Previous Ranking: 5)
The Packers looked good but not great against the Jaguars in Week 8, but scoring 30 points without Jordan Love for nearly the entire second half is a demonstration of how good this team can be. The defense has also forced 19 turnovers to start the year, which is already higher than their entire 2023 season totals. Health will be a concern moving forward, but this team can compete with anyone when they are playing well.
5. Buffalo Bills (Previous Ranking: 6)
Josh Allen and the Bills offense continue to look better as the season progresses, with the addition of Amari Cooper likely playing a major role in this growth. The Bills are now in firm control of the division and have a chance to take an even bigger lead with a win over the Dolphins in Week 9. In a similar manner to the Ravens, there are still questions on defense that could be solved with a trade later in the season, but this team can never be counted out regardless of who they are matched up against.
6. Houston Texans (Previous Ranking: 7)
Injuries continue to pile up for the Texans this season as wide receiver Stefon Diggs is now feared to have suffered a torn ACL. Houston is still one of the most dangerous teams in the league when fully healthy due to a dominant defense along with Cj Stroud playing quarterback. Health will play a major factor in whether this team can compete for a Super Bowl, but they are still poised to be one of the scariest teams all season.
7. Washington Commanders (Previous Ranking: 8)
Jayden Daniels has been the leader for Rookie of the Year all season and solidified his case even more with a Week 8 win against the Bears. Despite holding the Bears scoreless for the majority of the game, the Washington defense has clear deficiencies that will likely hold this team back this season. However, the big play potential by the offense can keep them in any game and will make them a scary team by the end of the season.
8. Philadelphia Eagles (Previous Ranking: 9)
Philadelphia is finally healthy and once again looks like one of the best teams in the NFC. In addition to potentially ending the Bengals’ hope for a playoff run, the Eagles also kept themselves alive for the NFC East title with a Week 8 win. The roster is one of the most loaded in the league and this team should be competing with everyone by the end of the year.
9. Minnesota Vikings (Previous Ranking: 4)
Minnesota moving down to seventh may be a little harsh, but this team has now lost two games in a row with some concerning trends in each game. The offense has seemed inept on drives that are not scripted and the defense has looked weaker as the season has progressed.
10. San Francisco 49ers (Previous Ranking: 10)
The 49ers are staying afloat despite a plethora of injuries while also demonstrating why there are concerns about whether this team can win the Super Bowl. San Francisco nearly allowed another late-game comeback against the Cowboys in Week 8, which has become a concerning trend for a team that is built to play with a lead. The expected return of Christian McCaffrey after a Week 9 bye should provide a lot of juice to this team, which is still in first place in the NFC West and could shoot back up to the top of the rankings when fully healthy again.
11. Atlanta Falcons (Previous Ranking: 11)
One of the more clear trends from the first half of the season has been that the Falcons will not win very many games in blowout fashion, but they are still going to win a lot of games. This offense is as explosive as nearly any in the league behind Drake London and Bijan Robinson, and the defense has looked solid for the majority of the season. A trade for a pass rusher could be beneficial but not necessary, and Atlanta should now be the clear favorite to win the NFC South after injuries to other teams in the division.
12. Pittsburgh Steelers (Previous Ranking: 15)
The Steelers’ wins are almost never pretty, but this team is 6-2 and officially controls their own destiny for the rest of the season. Russell Wilson has looked like a clear upgrade over Justin Fields and the defense continues to dominate opposing offenses. With a relatively easy schedule remaining for the rest of the season, Pittsburgh will have a chance to make the playoffs and upset some of the biggest contenders.
13. Chicago Bears (Previous Ranking: 13)
Week 8 was a roller coaster for the Bears, as they seemed inept on offense through the first three quarters and seemingly won the game before one of the most incredible Hail Mary throws ever. Many people were ready to crown the Bears’ offense after wins against some of the worst teams in the league, but there are still very obvious issues on that side of the ball. The playcalling and overall coaching of this team will also hold them back all season, which is a shame considering they also have one of the best defensive units in the entire league.
14. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Previous Ranking: 14)
Tampa Bay showed that they can hang with the better teams in the league despite the losses of Mike Evans and Chris Godwin. They will likely rely on the run slightly more than they did to begin the season, but the grouping of Rachaad White, Bucky Irving, and Sean Tucker has the potential to be amongst the best running back rooms in the league. Losing to Atlanta twice means they are unlikely to win the division, but Tampa Bay does not have an incredibly difficult schedule to end the season and they could still sneak into an NFC wild-card spot.
15. Denver Broncos (Previous Ranking: 19)
It might be time to buy into this Denver team, as they are now 5-3 on the season and on pace to make the playoffs. Denver is entering the difficult portion of their schedule and could see themselves losing to superior teams in the coming weeks, but the formula for success is repeatable and should keep them alive for the playoffs for the foreseeable future.
16. Cincinnati Bengals (Previous Ranking: 12)
The Bengals continue to drop in the AFC standings every week, as they are now 3-5 and have struggled to even compete against winning teams. Through their first eight games this season, the Bengals are 3-1 against teams with a losing record and 0-4 against teams with a winning record. A record like that is usually a sign of a bad team. This Bengals offense is still very explosive at times but lacks the necessary firepower to score consistently, while the defense has been lackluster since the beginning of the year.
17. Arizona Cardinals (Previous Ranking: 24)
Arizona continues to be one of the most disruptive teams in the league as they put together wins against some of their better opponents. Kyler Murray is still one of the most dynamic quarterbacks in the NFL and can take over a game when a team does not pay complete attention to him. Paired with solid weapons throughout this offense, Murray can put up just enough points to carry them to some wins this season. The Cardinals are now 4-4 and have a path to winning their division and making the playoffs due to a relatively easy back half of the season.
18. Los Angeles Rams (Previous Ranking: 22)
The return of Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua to this Rams offense changes everything for their season outlook. Matthew Stafford and Sean McVay kept this team alive for long enough to ride out the injury storm, and now their playoff chances are back to looking manageable for the rest of the season. Although they are just 3-4 to begin the season, Los Angeles still has a viable path to winning the NFC West and picking up a playoff spot.
19. Los Angeles Chargers (Previous Ranking: 20)
The Chargers just keep winning games. Jim Harbaugh has transitioned into throwing the ball slightly more, but the Chargers remain focused on keeping the games slow and manageable. Justin Herbert is once again looking like one of the best players in the league and will benefit heavily if the Chargers add more pieces following this season. Making the playoffs is possible for this Los Angeles team, but there are no guarantees due to a difficult schedule to end the season.
20. Dallas Cowboys (Previous Ranking: 17)
The wheels may be falling off the wagon for the Cowboys, as they have now lost two straight and both front office personnel and players are getting into arguments with media members. Jerry Jones previously made headlines after berating radio hosts for criticizing the roster, and cornerback Trevon Diggs argued with a reporter following their Week 8 loss to the Lions. Dallas has a difficult end-of-season schedule and the drama could be just beginning if they continue to lose against better teams.
21. Seattle Seahawks (Previous Ranking: 6)
Seattle has had a very up-and-down season through their first eight games of the year, but this team is still alive to win the NFC West. Sitting at 4-4 on the year, the Seahawks are lucky they are in a division in which every team is within one game of each other. While injuries and offensive line issues could plague this team all season, they are still a scary team to match up with and could beat any team in any given week.
22. New York Jets (Previous Ranking: 18)
The Jets have officially begun to meltdown after losing five straight games, with multiple of those losses coming in games that they should have won relatively easily. Seemingly every week the Jets announce a new move that will help them bounce back from their losses, with the most recent being the addition of Haason Reddick as he rejoins the team following his holdout. Regardless, none of the offensive issues have been solved and the defense looks much worse after the organization fired Head Coach Robert Saleh.
23. New Orleans Saints (Previous Ranking: 21)
Injuries have officially destroyed the Saints’ 2024 season after one of the most impressive starts of the year by any team in the league. New Orleans has now lost six straight games after putting up more than 40 points in each of their first two games, but their season is likely already coming to a close at the midway point of the year.
24. Indianapolis Colts (Previous Ranking: 23)
Anthony Richardson continues to look bad on the field and is now being criticized for willingly leaving the field for a play because he is tired. As previously mentioned by The Dallas Express, along with many others who watch the Colts play, this team looks much more competent when Joe Flacco is playing quarterback. One of the most frustrating parts of this team is that they are competing with good teams for large portions of games, but the lack of experience and ability at quarterback is often hurting them late in games. Indianapolis recently announced that they will be starting Flacco in Week 9, which could help them compete for the rest of the year with the right game plans.
25. Cleveland Browns (Previous Ranking: 28)
Jameis Winston has once again made the Browns’ offense relevant against NFL defenses. The Browns’ slow start behind Deshaun Watson, who is now out for the season with a torn Achilles, will likely keep them out of the playoff hunt for the remainder of the year. However, Winston’s gun-slinging playstyle will make this team much more dangerous for the rest of the season.
26. Miami Dolphins (Previous Ranking: 26)
Time is running out for the Dolphins to make their playoff push as they are now just 2-5 on the season and firmly out of the playoff hunt. The return of Tua Tagovailoa is a good sign for these hopes but Miami’s Week 9 matchup against the Bills could determine whether this team is alive for the playoffs for the rest of the year.
27. Jacksonville Jaguars (Previous Ranking: 25)
The Jaguars nearly beat one of the best teams in the league, but that team was also playing without their starting quarterback for nearly half the game. The defense remains questionable and the offense is streaky for the majority of games. Injuries suffered by both Brian Thomas Jr. and Christian Kirk will make them questionable for Week 9, but this team’s season was likely already coming to a close after their 2-6 start to the year.
28. New England Patriots (Previous Ranking: 31)
Drake Maye gave this team some life, but that will not be enough to help them compete for anything meaningful this season. Beating the Jets was a very solid win for this team, but those wins are likely not going to come very often this season. Now that the Patriots have determined that Maye is the starting quarterback of the future, the goal for the rest of the season needs to be determining who should be on the team alongside him in the future.
29. Las Vegas Raiders (Previous Ranking: 29)
The Raiders’ bye week may have come at the perfect time for this team, as they have lost four straight games and needed a mental reset before Week 9. Head Coach Antonio Pierce is seemingly unsure whether Aidan O’Connell or Gardner Minshew should be the starting quarterback, but neither player is a great option for an NFL team.
30. Tennessee Titans (Previous Ranking: 27)
Week 8 was the second straight game the Titans opted to start Mason Rudolph at quarterback, and it somehow got even worse for a team that is now fourth in the AFC South at 1-6. After losing by 24 points to the Bills in Week 7, the Titans managed to lose by 38 points to the Lions in a game where Jared Goff threw for 85 yards. There are issues on this roster outside of the quarterback position, but that should be the priority for this team heading into next season.
31. New York Giants (Previous Ranking: 30)
The Giants are now just 2-6 on the season and there seems to be something going wrong every game. The majority of these issues arise from the offense, which has only scored 20 or more points twice this season while being held under 10 points three times. To make matters worse, New York could have been competing for a win in Week 8 if their special teams did not give up a punt return touchdown in the second half. It is now time for New York to commit to the tank and begin looking for solutions for next season.
32. Carolina Panthers (Previous Ranking: 32)
It just keeps getting worse for the Panthers. Broncos Head Coach Sean Payton did not mince words when he told reporters after the game that the Panthers’ offense was bad. Carolina is now looking to trade Diontae Johnson within the next week, indicating that they are fully committing to tanking for the rest of the season.
