NFL Power Rankings: Top 5 NFC Teams
As the NFL season reaches the final stretch, the top teams in each conference have come more into focus, with some familiar faces as well as new ones sitting atop each. Let’s examine and rank the five best teams in the NFC.
1. Green Bay Packers
When Packers Tight End Tucker Kraft went down with an ACL tear last month, many thought the Green Bay offense would take a step back. Instead, the Packers offense has been operating at a highly efficient level since, with Head Coach Matt LaFleur leaning toward a more balanced approach since Kraft’s injury.
This adjustment in overall offensive balance has led to the improvement of the rushing attack for the Packers. Before Kraft’s injury, the Packers ranked 25th overall in the NFL in rushing, with the Packers now sitting six spots higher at 19th. That improvement in the rushing attack, combined with the Packers’ continued excellence on defense, means Green Bay has a legitimate shot at going to its first Super Bowl in over 15 years.
2. Los Angeles Rams
Speaking of offenses, there is perhaps no better or hotter offense in the league right now than the Rams. Led by MVP front runner Matthew Stafford and a fantastic receiving corps, NFL fans could be seeing the repeat of the 2021 Super Bowl-winning Rams team yet again.
Of course, that pass-heavy approach on offense is helped out by having a defense that excels at preventing teams from scoring touchdowns in the red zone. The Rams defense ranks second in that category, only giving up goal to go touchdowns at a 42% clip. For a Rams team that can score points at will on offense, that bend-don’t-break defense could be the key to another Super Bowl this season.
3. Seattle Seahawks
Since Mike Macdonald became the head coach for Seattle back in 2024, the Seahawks have turned into the best road team in the NFL. Macdonald boasts an impressive 13-2 road record, epitomizing what it means to be a road warrior in NFL.
The key to being a great road team is the ability to make big plays on both sides of the ball, and this season’s Seahawks squad lives and dies by the long ball. Seattle ranks fifth in yards per play with an average of over 6 yards per play.
That stat, of course, tends to show up when you pair one of the best arms in the league in Sam Darnold with the best intermediate to long distance receiving threat in Jaxson Smith-Njigba. That big play combo has the Seahawks on the path of returning the franchise to the glory days of the 2010s.
4. Chicago Bears
In his first year coaching the Bears, it seems Ben Johnson has fixed every issue that has plagued the franchise for decades. While QB Caleb Williams can be sporadic in his accuracy and play overall, the Bears’ rushing attack and a defense that is a magnet for creating turnovers have given Chicago fans something to hope for.
That rushing attack is thanks in part to the play of a revamped offensive line, which includes All-Pro Guard Joe Thuney and former Pro-Bowler Jonah Jackson leading the charge there. The Bears’ offensive line ranks in the top 5 in both pass blocking and run blocking this season.
The road to the Super Bowl has historically been paved with teams that dominate in the trenches on offense, and the Bears have the unit to get them back to the big game for the first time since 2007.
5. Detroit Lions
It’s been quite the year for the NFC North, and while the Bears and Packers have dominated the headlines this season, the Lions have quietly put together a very good season as well. It seems that the departure of Ben Johnson has done very little to impact a Lions offense that seems to be even better than last season.
The Lions currently sport the NFL’s top offense in terms of points and yards per game. Those rankings are indicative of the Lions possessing the best collection of weapons on offense in the league. While the Lions’ defense continues to have question marks, given the list of injuries and inconsistent performances at play there, having an offense that can put up 40 points in the blink of an eye could be the team’s saving grace come playoff time.
