Editor’s note: Every week, Josh Kendall and Chad Graff rank and analyze all 32 teams from first to worst.
The Broncos, Bills and 49ers are making moves as the NFL season nears its finish, and the Week 16 power rankings take a look at the MVP for each team as we try to sort out where everyone fits.
1. Los Angeles Rams (11-3)
Last week: 1
Sunday: Beat Lions 41-34
MVP: Matthew Stafford
The Salt-and-Pepper Slinger topped 350 passing yards for the third time this season, going 24-of-38 for 368 yards. He’s second in the league in passing yards (3,722) and first with 37 touchdown passes. That’s four short of tying his single-season best (set in 2011 in Detroit and matched in 2021 in Los Angeles), and it’s a staggering number considering he has only five interceptions. Losing Davante Adams (hamstring) would hurt, though.
Up next: at Seahawks, Thursday, 8:15 p.m. ET
2. Denver Broncos (12-2)
Last week: 4
Sunday: Beat Packers 34-26
MVP: Nik Bonitto
Bo Nix made a late run at this distinction Sunday with a 302-yard, four-touchdown day, but the Broncos have gotten to the top spot in the AFC with their defense. Bonitto is the best player on that unit with 12.5 sacks and 80 splash plays, according to TruMedia. Denver has won 11 straight, and its two losses came by a combined four points.
Up next: vs. Jaguars, Sunday, 4:05 p.m. ET
After today’s performance, how can you question the Broncos? https://t.co/dWjFttLNOb pic.twitter.com/1tLRArSGhu
— Chase Daniel (@ChaseDaniel) December 15, 2025
3. Seattle Seahawks (11-3)
Last week: 3
Sunday: Beat Colts 18-16
MVP: Jaxon Smith-Njigba
After posting his ninth 100-yard game of the season (seven catches, 113 yards), Smith-Njigba leads the league with 1,541 receiving yards, which already is the 14th-best receiving season in the last 10 years. His yards per route run (3.97) is the best of the last 10 years, and if he hits his average the next three games, he’ll finish with 1,871 yards, tied for the third most in the last 25 years.
Up next: vs. Rams, Thursday, 8:15 p.m. ET
4. Buffalo Bills (10-4)
Last week: 6
Sunday: Beat Patriots 35-31
MVP: Josh Allen
The Bills were down 21-0 at one point and 24-7 at halftime Sunday, and then Josh Allen happened. Buffalo’s quarterback leads the league in second-half EPA per dropback (0.38) and has 15 second-half passing touchdowns, which is second in the league. Allen’s overall yards per game, completion percentage, passer rating and yards per carry are all better than last year, when he was the league MVP.
Up next: at Browns, Sunday, 1 p.m. ET
5. New England Patriots (11-3)
Last week: 2
Sunday: Lost to Bills 35-31
MVP: Drake Maye
As a rookie last season, Maye posted a 3-9 record with 15 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. After Sunday, he is 11-3 with 23 and seven, and sits second in the league in EPA per dropback (0.23). The most remarkable part of Maye’s season is that he is among the top five in the league in completion percentage (70.9) and average air yards per attempt (8.9). He might be the actual MVP this year.
Up next: at Ravens, Sunday, 8:20 p.m. ET
6. San Francisco 49ers (10-4)
Last week: 7
Sunday: Beat Titans 37-24
MVP: Christian McCaffrey
The ninth-year running back leads the league in touches per game this year (24.64) and in the last three years combined (22.03). He’s third this season in scrimmage yards (1,742) — behind Bijan Robinson (1,858) and Jonathan Taylor (1,761) — after another 87 Sunday in the Niners’ fourth straight win.
Up next: at Colts, Monday, 8:15 p.m. ET
An extra special win for coach 🎂@Ticketmaster | #FTTB pic.twitter.com/QaPU0XTNPJ
— San Francisco 49ers (@49ers) December 15, 2025
7. Houston Texans (9-5)
Last week: 9
Sunday: Beat Cardinals 40-20
MVP: Will Anderson Jr.
The defensive end is ninth in the league in sacks (10.5) and leads all players with more than 100 pass-rush snaps in pressure percentage (21.3 percent). He’s also first in splash-play rate (21.5 percent, according to TruMedia). That means he makes a game-altering defensive play on one of five snaps. He’s top five in the league in quarterback pressures, third- and fourth-down stops and forced fumbles, but he left Sunday’s game after seemingly getting poked in the eye.
Up next: vs. Raiders, Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET
8. Green Bay Packers (9-4-1)
Last week: 5
Sunday: Lost to Broncos 34-26
MVP: Jordan Love
The Packers quarterback is second in the league in EPA per dropback (0.22) and has 23 touchdowns versus just six interceptions, but he probably can’t play well enough to overcome all that has befallen Green Bay. Micah Parsons’ expected ACL tear on top of Tucker Kraft’s ACL tear earlier this year on top of Christian Watson’s chest injury on top of a myriad of offensive-line injuries feels like it’s too much to overcome, even for a really good team.
Up next: at Bears, Saturday, 8:20 p.m. ET
Trevor Lawrence threw for 330 yards and five touchdowns and added 51 yards and another touchdown on the ground in the Jaguars’ 48-20 pounding of the Jets. (Rich Storry / Getty Images)
9. Jacksonville Jaguars (10-4)
Last week: 13
Sunday: Beat Jets 48-20
MVP: Trevor Lawrence
He didn’t earn this designation until Sunday, and all it took was one of the best games in NFL history. No joke! Lawrence became the first player in NFL history with five passing touchdowns, 50-plus rushing yards and one rushing touchdown in a game. Lawrence, Josh Allen, Aaron Rodgers, Drew Brees and Alvin Kamara are the only players to account for six touchdowns in a game since 1999. Lawrence is only 21st in the league in EPA per dropback (0.02), but the Jaguars held onto first place in the AFC South with the win.
Up next: at Broncos, Sunday, 4:05 p.m. ET
Trevor Lawrence became the first player in NFL history with 5+ passing touchdowns, 1+ rushing touchdown, and 50+ rush yards in the same game.
Lawrence’s 11 completions, 216 yards, and 3 touchdowns on passes of 10+ air yards are all career highs.#NYJvsJAX | #DUUUVAL pic.twitter.com/zGSqzU8tKr
— Next Gen Stats (@NextGenStats) December 14, 2025
10. Chicago Bears (10-4)
Last week: 10
Sunday: Beat Browns 31-3
MVP: Drew Dalman
The Bears’ new center is serving as a representative here for the remade interior of Chicago’s offensive line, which also includes guards Joe Thuney and Jonah Jackson. The Bears lead the league in yards per carry before contact (2.09) and rushing first downs/touchdowns (123) and are second in rushing yards overall (2,126). Chicago ran the ball 33 times Sunday on the way to overpowering a very good Browns defense.
Up next: vs. Packers, Saturday, 8:20 p.m. ET
11. Los Angeles Chargers (10-4)
Last week: 11
Sunday: Beat Chiefs 16-13
MVP: Tui Tuipulotu
Maybe this should go to quarterback Justin Herbert, but Tuipulotu just keeps making plays. He had two more sacks and nine more pressures as the Chargers chased the Chiefs out of the playoff race Sunday. Tuipulotu is now tied for fifth in the NFL in sacks (12) and fourth in splash-play rate (15.7 percent). He has seven additional tackles for loss.
Up next: at Cowboys, Sunday, 1 p.m. ET
The Chargers forced 21 pressures against the Chiefs, the most by any Chiefs opponent since Week 16, 2023.
Khalil Mack, who generated pressure on both interceptions, finished with a team-high 8 pressures, 2nd-most by any player against the Chiefs this season.#LACvsKC | #BoltUp pic.twitter.com/HZALwvZdQW
— Next Gen Stats (@NextGenStats) December 14, 2025
12. Philadelphia Eagles (9-5)
Last week: 12
Sunday: Beat Raiders 31-0
MVP: Quinyon Mitchell
The offense finally got going Sunday, but this team is still led by its defense. That defense has a lot of stars, but none has played better this year than Mitchell. The cornerback does not have an interception, but Sunday was his seventh game of allowing 10 or fewer yards in coverage, according to Next Gen Stats. His 15 pass breakups rank fourth in the league.
Up next: at Commanders, Saturday, 5 p.m. ET
13. Detroit Lions (8-6)
Last week: 8
Sunday: Lost to Rams 41-34
MVP: Jahmyr Gibbs
Defensive end Aidan Hutchinson is having a great year (third in splash plays), but it’s hard to laud anybody on this defense. Offensively, there are plenty of candidates, but Gibbs edges out Amon-Ra St. Brown because Gibbs is second in the league in touchdowns with 16 and fifth in scrimmage yards with 1,594. It’s going to be a shame if he’s not in the playoffs, and the Lions only have a 25 percent chance of making it after this loss.
Up next: vs. Steelers, Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET
14. Pittsburgh Steelers (8-6)
Last week: 17
Monday: Beat Dolphins 28-15
MVP: Derrick Harmon
The rookie defensive tackle has quietly been one of the most impactful players in the league this year. In the nine games Harmon has played, the Steelers have allowed 96 rushing yards per game. In the five games he has missed, they have allowed 165.8. With Harmon out again Monday night with a knee injury, the Dolphins gained just 63 on the ground, but that was mostly because they threw the ball for much of the second half as they tried to catch up.
Up next: at Lions, Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET
15. Baltimore Ravens (7-7)
Last week: 21
Sunday: Beat Bengals 24-0
MVP: Derrick Henry
There aren’t a lot of great candidates in Baltimore, which is probably why the Ravens are .500 even after Sunday’s win. Henry did top 1,000 yards again Sunday, though, gaining 100 yards on just 11 carries. He has topped the 1,000-yard mark in seven of his last eight seasons. Henry is fifth all time in rushing touchdowns (116).
Up next: vs. Patriots, Sunday, 8:20 p.m. ET
16. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-7)
Last week: 14
Sunday: Lost to Falcons 29-28
MVP: Emeka Egbuka
At one point, Baker Mayfield was in the NFL MVP race. But he’s played so poorly since Week 7 that we have to go with Egbuka. The rookie wide receiver was great early in the season, but the problem for Tampa Bay is that everyone is struggling now. That’s why the Bucs lost for the fifth time in six games Thursday night. In Weeks 1 through 10, the rookie averaged 75 receiving yards per game and had six touchdowns. In Weeks 11 through 15, he averaged 38.6 yards per game and didn’t score.
Up next: at Panthers, Sunday, 1 p.m. ET
After starting the season 6-2, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have lost five of their last six games to fall to 7-7. pic.twitter.com/coib1vUzhI
— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) December 12, 2025
17. Carolina Panthers (7-7)
Last week: 15
Sunday: Lost to Saints 20-17
MVP: Rico Dowdle
With apologies to Derrick Brown, who has been great and whom we sincerely don’t want to make angry, Dowdle has been a spark for this team. Since his breakout in Week 5 against Miami, the Panthers are 6-4 and Dowdle is third in the league in rushing (895 yards). He couldn’t get going Sunday, though, averaging 3.1 yards per carry as Carolina wasted a great chance to take the NFC South lead.
Up next: vs. Buccaneers, Sunday, 1 p.m. ET
Running back Jonathan Taylor accounted for almost half of the Colts’ total yardage as they nearly upset the Seahawks in Seattle. (Jane Gershovich / Getty Images)
18. Indianapolis Colts (8-6)
Last week: 16
Sunday: Lost to Seahawks 18-16
MVP: Jonathan Taylor
Taylor leads the league in rushing (1,443) and touchdowns (18), and he’s going to have to step it up even more with the Colts’ season slipping away. Indianapolis has now lost four in a row and five of its last six and has an 8 percent chance of making the playoffs after starting the season 7-1.
Up next: vs. 49ers, Monday, 8:15 p.m. ET
19. Minnesota Vikings (6-8)
Last week: 22
Sunday: Beat Cowboys 34-26
MVP: Jonathan Greenard
Despite Sunday night’s offensive outburst, this has to be a defender, and Greenard is the most obvious candidate among a balanced group. The bad news in a bad-news kind of season for the Vikings is that he suffered a season-ending shoulder injury after recording his third sack of the season against Dallas. That sack total is not impressive, but he has 46 pressures and is tied for seventh in non-sack tackles for loss (eight).
Up next: at Giants, Sunday, 1 p.m. ET
20. Dallas Cowboys (6-7-1)
Last week: 18
Sunday: Lost to Vikings 34-26
MVP: Dak Prescott
Prescott would be in the actual MVP conversation if Dallas’ defense wasn’t so bad. He leads the league in passing yards (3,931) and is tied for the lowest off-target rate among regular starters (8.2 percent). The Cowboys are fourth in the league in scoring (29.1 ppg) but are essentially out of the playoff race because they’re 31st in scoring defense (30 ppg allowed). Dallas has only won once this year when scoring fewer than 30 points.
Up next: vs. Chargers, Sunday, 1 p.m. ET
21. Miami Dolphins (6-8)
Last week: 19
Monday: Lost to Steelers 28-15
MVP: De’Von Achane
Achane is third in the league in rushing (1,186) and fifth in scrimmage yards (1,636) after Monday night, but he only had 60 yards on the ground against the Steelers because the Dolphins could only get him the ball 12 times as they played catch-up most of the night. Miami had its four-game winning streak snapped and was officially eliminated from the playoff race with the loss.
Up next: vs. Bengals, Sunday, 1 p.m. ET
22. Kansas City Chiefs (6-8)
Last week: 20
Sunday: Lost to Chargers 16-13
MVP: Patrick Mahomes
Mahomes, who tore his ACL in the fourth quarter Sunday, will see his streak of seven straight AFC Championship Game appearances end because the loss eliminated the Chiefs from the playoff race. The disappointing season has been the offense’s fault, but the problem has not been Mahomes. He hasn’t been Superman, but he’s 10th in the league in EPA per dropback (0.12) and fourth in passing yards (3,587). Now, we’ll all wait to see if he can be healthy for Week 1 next year.
Up next: at Titans, Sunday, 1 p.m. ET
23. Atlanta Falcons (5-9)
Last week: 24
Sunday: Beat Buccaneers 29-28
MVP: Bijan Robinson
The third-year running back leads the league with 1,858 yards from scrimmage, which is just 30 shy of his career high, with three games left to play. Robinson, who tied his season high in catches Thursday night (eight), has had more than 100 yards from scrimmage in nine games this year. “Sorry you guys won’t get a chance to watch him in the postseason,” Falcons coach Raheem Morris said.
Up next: at Cardinals, Sunday, 4:05 p.m. ET
24. New Orleans Saints (4-10)
Last week: 25
Sunday: Beat Panthers 20-17
MVP: Demario Davis
This is something of a lifetime achievement award, but Davis has been good this season. He leads the Saints with 123 tackles, which is pretty remarkable for a 36-year-old who has played more than 1,000 defensive snaps since joining the league in 2012. The Saints have three NFC South wins in their last five games, including two over Carolina.
Up next: vs. Jets, Sunday, 1 p.m. ET
Quarterback Marcus Mariota has been quietly solid in relief of Jayden Daniels this season for the Commanders. (Elsa / Getty Images)
25. Washington Commanders (4-10)
Last week: 26
Sunday: Beat Giants 29-21
MVP: Marcus Mariota
Mariota is the most unlikely player on this list. The 11-year veteran has started seven games in place of Jayden Daniels this season, and he’s slinging it. He’s not always completing it (he’s 29th in completion rate at 62 percent), but he leads the NFL in air yards per target (10.1) by a full yard, and he’s a respectable 16th in EPA per dropback (0.05). Mariota had a 109.8 passer rating Sunday and rushed for 43 yards. He should start the rest of the way after Daniels was officially shut down Monday.
Up next: vs. Eagles, Saturday, 5 p.m. ET
26. Cincinnati Bengals (4-10)
Last week: 23
Sunday: Lost to Ravens 24-0
MVP: Ja’Marr Chase
Joe Burrow certainly isn’t any happier after being shut out for his first time as a pro on Sunday. “When your quarterback plays like that, your team is not going to have a chance,” he said after the game. But with all of the Bengals’ struggles, and the list is long, it’s amazing how well Chase has done. He had 10 catches for 132 yards against the Ravens and is fourth in the league with 1,147 yards this season.
Up next: at Dolphins, Sunday, 1 p.m. ET
27. Arizona Cardinals (3-11)
Last week: 27
Sunday: Lost to Texans 40-20
MVP: Trey McBride
Honestly, there aren’t a lot of great options in Arizona, and head coach Jonathan Gannon may be on the way out after Sunday’s embarrassing loss. McBride, though, has been excellent. He had 12 catches Sunday for 134 yards and two touchdowns, becoming the first tight end in NFL history to have 100-or-more catches in back-to-back seasons. He leads the league with 105 receptions and is sixth in receiving yards with 1,071.
Up next: vs. Falcons, Sunday, 4:05 p.m. ET
28. New York Jets (3-11)
Last week: 28
Sunday: Lost to Jaguars 48-20
MVP: Isaiah Williams
Williams leads the league in punt return yards (396) and has returned two for touchdowns. What would have been his third was called back by penalty on Sunday. He’s 15th in kickoff return yards (653). And, on top of that, he had career highs in catches (six) and receiving yards (53) against the Jags. All of that is good enough for MVP honors on this team.
Up next: at Saints, Sunday, 1 p.m. ET
29. New York Giants (2-12)
Last week: 29
Sunday: Lost to Commanders 29-21
MVP: Cam Skattebo
Yes, we know Skattebo hasn’t played since Week 8, but it was his spirit, which has been carried on by quarterback Jaxson Dart, that at least gave this Giants season some hope. The fourth-round rookie running back had 101 carries for 410 yards before his injury. Despite what New York fans’ memories may tell them, he wasn’t John Riggins (Skattebo is just 23rd in the league in yards per carry after contact with 3.04), but he did start changing the Giants’ vibe, which was much needed.
Up next: vs. Vikings, Sunday, 1 p.m. ET
30. Tennessee Titans (2-12)
Last week: 30
Sunday: Lost to 49ers 37-24
MVP: Cam Ward
Not much has gone right in Nashville, but the Titans might have their quarterback if they can find the right coach for Ward in the offseason. This year’s No. 1 pick is 38th in EPA per dropback (minus-0.17), and that’s admittedly not great. But there have been some flashes in an otherwise awful season. On Sunday, he had a 101.2 passer rating and threw a touchdown to defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons, so that was fun.
Up next: vs. Chiefs, Sunday, 1 p.m. ET
31. Cleveland Browns (3-11)
Last week: 31
Sunday: Lost to Bears 31-3
MVP: Myles Garrett
Garrett had another 1.5 sacks Sunday, putting him at 21.5 on the season and on the doorstep of breaking the official league record of 22.5 shared by Michael Strahan and T.J. Watt. The NFL has only tracked sacks since 1982. Pro Football Reference lists Detroit’s Al Baker as the unofficial single-season leader with his 23 in 1978. Garrett could pass both marks against Josh Allen this week.
Up next: vs. Bills, Sunday, 1 p.m. ET
Where does Myles Garrett rank among the best pass rushers in NFL history?@DHx34 and @PriscoCBS have high praise for Myles Garrett. pic.twitter.com/VtdU9s5R1Z
— NFL on CBS 🏈 (@NFLonCBS) December 15, 2025
32. Las Vegas Raiders (2-12)
Last week: 32
Sunday: Lost to Eagles 31-0
MVP: Maxx Crosby
The Raiders are desperately trying to catch the Titans for the worst point differential in the league. Sunday helped as Las Vegas was outgained 387-75 in a game that lasted just two hours and 31 minutes. At least Crosby got another sack. He’s 10th in the league with 10 now.
Up next: at Texans, Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET
