Tyler Stearns |
The NFL season starts tomorrow with the Ravens and the Chiefs on Thursday Night Football. Here is The Take's power ranking for the top ten NFL teams.
Chiefs The Chiefs are now trying to become the first team to three-peat the Super Bowl. They didn't regress personnel-wise, and they still have the best player in football, so it makes sense to keep them at first.
49ers The 49ers are Super Bowl or bust this season, as next offseason they will have to start thinking about repaying some of their bigger stars. They already had to pay Aiyuk and Williams this offseason, meaning their cap space is limited. Purdy is still at the helm but will want to be paid because he is still on a low-budget rookie deal. But they still maintain all but a few important players, so they will still be one of the top teams in the league.
Lions The Lions only had one issue last year: defense. Specifically, though, the cornerbacks. But they reloaded in the offseason on that position group and made some other good draft moves. Goff was one of the most underrated QBs in the league last year and the offense in general was firing on all cylinders. Ben Johnson is still in the OC position which was big for them considering the head coaching offers he received.
Texans The Texans are in a great situation. They are in win-now mode with players with great potential. CJ Stroud, Tank Dell, and Will Anderson, among others are already some of the best players at their positions. They also brought in Stefon Diggs which will provide some more quality and experience to the team. Expect the Texans to do big things in 2024-25.
Eagles The Eagles had an odd end to last year. They started hot, but they quickly deteriorated on both sides of the ball. But they brought in new coordinators which should help them correct the playcalling errors. The personnel may still be a slight issue, but they made some nice off-season moves that will immediately help the team.
Bills The Bills lost Stefon Diggs this offseason but kept most of their other key players. They drafted his replacement, Keon Coleman, who is an athletically gifted talent. Josh Allen is still Josh Allen, so the offense will still be great. It just depends on if the defense can hold its own against the revived Jets and Dolphins' offenses. Perhaps getting rid of Diggs may free up some of the tension within the locker room and create a more cohesive team structure.
Ravens The Ravens lost a significant amount of their coaching staff, most notably with DC Mike MacDonald. His scheme led the Ravens to the best defense in the NFL with aging players on smaller contracts. Their new DC is from the same system but may favor more heavy pass rushes which will require the secondary to be much stronger. The offense won't skip a beat, though, since they still have the second best QB in the league.
Bengals The Bengals bring back Joe Burrow from injury, as well as giving time to Ja'Marr Chase to rest. The team also prioritized the offensive line in this year's draft, which was smart considering the position group's struggles in recent years. Their defense was underrated last year, specifically the defensive line, and they will continue to be important for the team. If the stars can stay healthy, all should go well for the Bengals.
Cowboys The Cowboys have the same year every year. They play well in the regular season, but always lose a few games that they should have and fail in the playoffs. Since that pattern has continued for years now, it doesn't make sense to put them any higher than ninth.
Bears Caleb Williams automatically lifts the Bears from one of the bottom-ranked teams to the middle of the pack, but the other offseason additions have placed them in the top ten. If no key player gets injured, they should be able to contend for the NFC North or at least get a Wild Card spot. Their offense is filled with talented weapons and their defense is solid. They will be much improved.
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