No one wanted Packers/Cowboys, one of the most anticipated Sunday night games of the season, to end that way. A tie? In the year 2025? How will we know who won the Micah Parsons trade now? Plus, now all the record columns will be uneven for the rest of the year. I agree with Miles Sanders , we need to do away with ties.
Anyway, welcome to the midseason report card edition of the power rankings. We’re four games in, which isn’t technically a quarter of the way through the season anymore, but for all intents and purposes, here we are. We have enough data on the 2025 season to do away with our priors (most of them, anyway) and focus on what we’ve learned so far.
I shifted around the tiers a bit this week and wrote about what I’ve seen through four weeks from each squad. We’ve already had some major upsets, and my No. 1 team was locked in a one-score game with my No. 32 team through three and a half quarters this week, so I’m sure we’ll see more. But here’s where things stand:
Tier 1: Super Bowl Favorites
This tier is for the locked-in title contenders. Teams won’t move into (or out of) this tier very easily.
1 — Buffalo Bills (4-0, —)
Last week: W 31-19 vs. New Orleans Saints
It started with a thrilling comeback win in Week 1, but since then, the Bills have been grinding opponents down with their ground game. Buffalo RB James Cook has been sensational, and this offensive line has a case as the best in the league. After his heroics in Week 1, Bills QB Josh Allen hasn’t needed to do much, but he’s keeping the offense on schedule. Defensively, there are more questions, but this is a balanced offensive team with the firepower to win any game.
2 — Philadelphia Eagles (4-0, —)
Last week: W 31-25 vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Eagles keep winning in different ways. They’ve beaten some of the best teams in the league using their versatility, gutting out tough yards on the ground and opening up their passing attack as needed. This Philly defense is lethal, suffocating opponents and forcing the game to be played on their terms. It hasn’t been perfect, but this team has shown resilience and explosiveness as needed this season.
3 — Los Angeles Rams (3-1, —)
Last week: W 27-20 vs. Indianapolis Colts
The Rams were the better team for three quarters against the Eagles in Week 3. They lost that game, but bounced back with a win over the Colts last week. Rams WR Puka Nacua is on pace to shatter multiple receiver records this season, putting up ridiculous numbers to pace the offense. Los Angeles’s pass rush is overwhelming opponents, and this year the defense has the secondary and linebacker groups to back it up. The Rams are every bit a Super Bowl contender through four weeks.
4 — Detroit Lions (3-1, UP 1)
Last week: W 34-10 vs. Cleveland Browns
It wasn’t pretty in Week 1 against the Packers, but the Lions bounced back and have once again asserted themselves as one of the league’s elite squads. This defense is finally healthy, and it shows. They’re causing havoc at all three levels, disrupting opposing offenses with relentless pressure. On offense, the Lions are continuing their dominance on the ground and their creative playcalling through the air, leaning on established stars like WR Amon-Ra St. Brown and RB Jahmyr Gibbs .
Tier 2: Potential Contenders
While these teams might not be true favorites, they’re almost certain to make the playoffs at minimum. They might have the ceiling of a Super Bowl contender, but lack something to make me totally confident in them as such.
5 — Green Bay Packers (2-1-1, DOWN 1)
Last week: T 40-40 OT vs. Dallas Cowboys
Through two weeks, the Packers looked like they might be the best team in the league. Since then, it’s been a struggle. Injuries along the offensive line haven’t helped, nor as a thin cornerback room. But the reality is this team isn’t as detail-oriented as they need to be, and inconsistency will be par for the course this season. At their best, they can beat anybody, and if they get hot at the right time, they can absolutely win a title. Still, the Packers are just a little too up and down for me to put them in Tier 1.
6 — Los Angeles Chargers (3-1, UP 1)
Last week: L 18-21 vs. New York Giants
It was an ugly loss to the Giants last week, and these injuries along the offensive line are starting to catch up to the Chargers. Joe Alt is out for a few weeks with a high-ankle sprain, and he had already shifted to the left side from the right to replace LT Rashawn Slater , who’s out for the year. Starting RG Mekhi Becton is also out, further hampering this line. The emergence of third-year WR Quentin Johnston is huge, and this defense is one of the league’s best. It’ll be tough sledding on the offensive side of the ball until Alt and Becton return, however.
7 — Kansas City Chiefs (2-2, UP 1)
Last week: W 37-20 vs. Baltimore Ravens
Over the first three weeks, the Chiefs looked like a broken team. If you didn’t know any better, you’d have thought their Super Bowl window was closed. It wasn’t a coincidence that the offense looked a lot better as soon as WR Xavier Worthy returned from a dislocated shoulder suffered early in Week 1, and they’ll get another boost when WR Rashee Rice returns from suspension in Week 7. I still have questions about the ceiling of this defense, but this team could reestablish itself quickly with a full complement of weapons.
8 — Indianapolis Colts (3-1, UP 3)
Last week: L 20-27 vs. Los Angeles Rams
The Rams were the better team on Sunday, but this Colts squad looks a lot better than most people expected. Their best win is over the Broncos and they’ve won games by playing clean, complementary football on offense. Colts QB Daniel Jones may continue to struggle when asked to win games with his arm, but when he can play with a lead or a neutral game script, he executes HC Shane Steichen’ s offense to near-perfection. Defensively, DC Lou Anarumo is getting the most out of an injured secondary, and second-year ED Laiatu Latu is developing into a star.
9 — Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3-1, —)
Last week: L 25-31 vs. Philadelphia Eagles
Talk about a team with injuries. Bucs QB Baker Mayfield led three heroic game-winning drives to get the team to 3-0, but he couldn’t quite do enough against the Eagles. This offensive line is beat up, currently down two starters even as All-Pro LT Tristan Wirfs made his debut Sunday. Getting healthy is paramount for this team, as they can’t withstand too many more injuries.
Tier 3: Playoff Contenders
Not all of these teams will make it to the playoffs of course, but they are all teams expected to make playoff pushes. And who knows, once they get there, they could go on a run.
10 — Seattle Seahawks (3-1, UP 4)
Last week: W 23-20 vs. Arizona Cardinals
The Seahawks are one of my biggest surprises through four weeks. This defense is every bit as dominating as we expected, with an elite defensive line and some playmakers in the secondary. On offense, Seattle QB Sam Darnold has been sensational, proving his breakout year last season in Minnesota wasn’t a fluke. Third-year WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba has been one of the best receivers in the league this year, anchoring an offense that’s starting to find its rhythm.
11 — Denver Broncos (2-2, UP 1)
Last week: W 28-3 vs. Cincinnati Bengals
It hasn’t been a clean operation for the Broncos offense. In fact, it’s been quite sloppy. Penalties, missed assignments, and turnovers plague this unit. Second-year QB Bo Nix isn’t replicating his strong rookie season, and this defense isn’t quite living up to the billing. All that said, this team still has a high floor. They would’ve beaten the Colts were it not for a late penalty, and if they were 3-1 the vibes would feel a lot different. All the pieces are there, they just need to get out of their own heads and start playing fundamental football again.
12 — Jacksonville Jaguars (3-1, UP 5)
Last week: W 26-21 vs. San Francisco 49ers
This Jaguars defense is the single most improved unit in the entire league. They have 13 takeaways on the year already, after having just nine all of last season. They’re winning games even as this offense is still finding its footing, especially Jags QB Trevor Lawrence . He’s been fine, but he needs to be better if the Jaguars want to be a playoff team. As he continues to learn the system, that should happen. The run game is making things happen for both veteran RB Travis Etienne and fourth-round RB Bhayshul Tuten .
13 — Washington Commanders (2-2, DOWN 3)
Last week: L 27-34 vs. Atlanta Falcons
It’s easy to point to starting QB Jayden Daniels being out as the reason for the loss to the Falcons, but backup Marcus Mariota is PFF’s highest-graded quarterback this season. He’s been phenomenal, a perfect fit in OC Kliff Kingsbury ’s offense. Defensively, this secondary is a massive issue, arguably the worst in the league. Their offense can’t afford any mistakes to win games, which is such a small margin for error.
14 — San Francisco 49ers (3-1, DOWN 1)
Last week: L 21-26 vs. Jacksonville Jaguars
The injuries are starting to catch up to the Niners. So far, ED Nick Bosa , WR Brandon Aiyuk , and TE George Kittle — arguably the team’s three best players — are all on IR. Bosa is out for the year and this defense really missed him against the Jaguars. Now starting QB Brock Purdy may miss another game on Thursday against the Rams, and San Francisco’s terrible run of injury luck continues to get worse. Veteran WR Jauan Jennings left the Jags game with another injury and WR Ricky Pearsall is also iffy on a short week. Ironically RB Christian McCaffrey is the healthiest player on San Francisco’s offense.
Tier 4: In The Mix
I won’t go as far as to call these teams actual playoff contenders, but they’re making it interesting. It’s still early, but with some sustained success, they could climb these rankings quickly.
15 — Baltimore Ravens (1-3, DOWN 9)
Last week: L 20-37 vs. Kansas City Chiefs
It’s about to get even worse for the Ravens. A bunch of key players are set to miss time, including QB Lamar Jackson , CB Marlon Humphrey , LB Roquan Smith and DT Nnamdi Madubuike (who’s out for the season). Reinforcements aren’t coming, at least not for a while, and the Ravens will have to make do without some of their stars for the time being. This defense has major issues — it might be the worst in the NFL so far, which is saying something. Baltimore can’t run the ball, either. If they can’t stabilize quickly, things could get ugly this season.
16 — Arizona Cardinals (2-2, DOWN 1)
Last week: L 20-23 vs. Seattle Seahawks
It’s just not easy for the Cardinals on offense right now. Starting QB Kyler Murray and WR Marvin Harrison Jr. might have the worst chemistry between a quarterback and his top target in the NFL. Murray is throwing short, quick passes, but the Cardinals don’t have the receivers to make guys miss after the catch. This defense added a lot of talent this offseason and is playing great football, but until the offense figures it out, there’s a pretty hard cap on this team.
17 — Minnesota Vikings (2-2, DOWN 1)
Last week: L 21-24 vs. Pittsburgh Steelers
The Vikings are a hard team to figure out. This is a supremely talented defense with maybe the best wide receiver duo in the league, but they don’t have a quarterback and the offensive line is super beat-up. They got LT Christian Darrisaw back against the Steelers, but lost RT Brian O’Neill and C Ryan Kelly . O’Neill will be out some time with a sprained MCL, and Kelly may have suffered another concussion. Until they return, it may be difficult for this Vikings team to stack a lot of wins.
18 — Atlanta Falcons (2-2, —)
Last week: W 34-27 vs. Washington Commanders
We may look back on the Falcons’ Week 3 30-0 loss to the Panthers as the most head-scratching result of the entire season. It was a team effort against the Commanders, but second-year QB Michael Penix Jr. played a great game, bouncing back from an awful showing the week prior. The offensive scheme is still questionable, and a defense playing so many rookies is bound to have its ups and downs. But this season is about letting these young pieces gel and gain experience, and to that end, they’ve looked good so far.
19 — Houston Texans (1-3, —)
Last week: W 26-0 vs. Tennessee Titans
The Texans’ elite defense and awful offensive line are locked in a battle to see which will matter more for this team. Houston genuinely might have the league’s best defense and worst offensive line at the same time. It’s a problem on offense, where third-year QB C.J. Stroud doesn’t trust his line and is making mistakes he didn’t even commit as a rookie. The Texans can’t run the ball or protect Stroud, and Nico Collins is the only receiver stepping up. Defensively, though, this team is special, with maybe the best edge defender duo in the NFL and a strong secondary that flies around making plays.
20 — Dallas Cowboys (1-2-1, UP 1)
Last week: T 40-40 OT vs. Green Bay Packers
Cowboys QB Dak Prescott is playing at an MVP-level through four games. The Dallas defense is one of the worst in the league. They can’t get pressure on the quarterback, stop the run, or cover in the secondary. They’re bad at everything is the point, and it’s letting down a good offense. Top WR CeeDee Lamb is out for a spell with a high-ankle sprain, but WR George Pickens had a monster game against the Packers, and RB Javonte Williams is performing well as an under-the-radar free agent signing. Dallas will need Prescott to play hero ball most weeks in order to pick up wins this year.
21 — Pittsburgh Steelers (3-1, UP 6)
Last week: W 24-21 vs. Minnesota Vikings
The final score doesn’t necessarily show it, but this was by far the Steelers’ best game of the year. Pittsburgh QB Aaron Rodgers has the lowest average depth of target in the league — he’s throwing it short and letting his weapons make plays. That hadn’t been terribly effective through three games, but it was in Dublin against the Vikings. This defense isn’t playing well overall, but they’re capitalizing on opponents’ mistakes, and they make life difficult on opposing quarterbacks. With all the struggles the Ravens are having, the Steelers might well win this division.
22 — Chicago Bears (2-2, DOWN 2)
Last week: W 25-24 vs. Las Vegas Raiders
It’s now a two-game win streak for the Bears, and they should probably be 3-1 were it not for a fourth-quarter meltdown against the Vikings. Second-year QB Caleb Williams hasn’t been perfect, far from it, but he’s playing confidently and more in control. New HC Ben Johnson is figuring out ways to make the offense tick, and this defense has been better over the last two weeks. It’s probably too much to expect this team to make a serious run at a wildcard berth, as the running game and coverage units aren’t up to par yet, but this is an improving squad that could surprise some teams down the stretch.
23 — New England Patriots (2-2, UP 5)
Last week: W 42-13 vs. Carolina Panthers
This was the vision Patriots believers had coming into the season. Getting CB Christian Gonzalez back is a game-changer for this defense, and QB Drake Maye continues to play more and more confidently. When this team doesn’t turn the ball over, they have a methodical offense, and their offensive line has been closer to league-average than expected. This is still a stingy defense, especially with Gonzalez in the fold, and as Maye continues to gain confidence this offense will look better and better.
24 — Cleveland Browns (1-3, UP 1)
Last week: L 10-34 vs. Detroit Lions
With a league-average offense, this team might win the AFC North. That’s how good this defense is, and how bad this offense is. On defense, ED Myles Garrett continues his run of dominance as one of the league’s best players. This defensive line will ruin your offense’s day, and they change how teams need to game plan. However, their offensive line is a major liability, so much so that they just traded for a tackle that couldn’t start for the Texans. It’s bad, and QB Joe Flacco is showing his age. It won’t be long before we see the highly anticipated debuts of the Browns’ rookie quarterbacks.
25 — New York Giants (1-3, UP 1)
Last week: W 21-18 vs. Los Angeles Chargers
In his first NFL start, first-round QB Jaxson Dart got a home upset win over an undefeated Chargers’ squad. There shouldn’t be a better way to start your career, but losing star WR Malik Nabers to a torn ACL will bring the vibes down. Without Nabers, this passing attack won’t be very explosive, and Dart did not look good as a passer in his first game. The Giants have one of the best defensive lines in the league, and their secondary finally played up to their potential against the Chargers. New York was able to grind out a win with their defense and a tough ground game, which they will likely do more throughout the year. But it’ll be tough sledding for Dart without Nabers to throw to.
Tier 5: Better Luck Next Year
Who cares if it’s only Week 5? The season is already over. I think basketball starts soon….