National Football League

2024 NFL Power Rankings Week 6: 49ers, Bengals in crisis? Commanders, Falcons for real?

Updated Oct. 8, 2024 1:50 p.m. ET

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David Helman

NFL Reporter

At what point does it stop being early — because it doesn't feel so early anymore.

Somehow, we've played just about 30% of this 2024 season, and our priors from the spring and summer mean less than they ever have. It finally feels like we've got the necessary data to make some real conclusions about what we're seeing this season. So, without further adieu, let's do exactly that.

Here are the latest power rankings for 2024 (with Super Bowl odds from FanDuel Sportsbook).

NFL Power Rankings

1. Kansas City Chiefs (5-0; ↔)
Super Bowl odds: +500

It's honestly a relief that the Chiefs keep winning games. This way, we don't have to force any of those tired "what's wrong with the Chiefs?" conversations. Even with an injury-riddled roster and a bit of a turnover problem, they're still the team to beat.

2. Minnesota Vikings (5-0; ⬆️ 2)
Super Bowl odds: +1200

Sunday's win in London was Minnesota's sloppiest yet, and that's why it was the most impressive so far. There was far more uncertainty and adversity than we've seen in most of the Vkings' other games, but the defense still buckled down and delivered at the end. It was nice to see them win a dicey one.

3. Baltimore Ravens (3-2; ↔)
Super Bowl odds: +750

Fun fact: Did you know Lamar Jackson currently has 176 more passing yards, 98 more rushing yards, three more touchdowns and two fewer turnovers than he did through his first five games of 2023? There have been some early bumps in the road, but the reigning MVP has the Ravens' offense humming right now.

4. Detroit Lions (3-1; ⬇️ 1)
Super Bowl odds: +1100

Nothing personal, Lions, it's just that Minnesota and Baltimore snagged some impressive wins while Detroit sat idle in Week 5. The Lions have a big opportunity for a statement of their own this week with a chance at a revenge win in Dallas, where they lost a wacky one last winter.

5. Houston Texans (4-1; ⬆️ 1)
Super Bowl odds: +1100

The Texans didn't manage much in the way of fireworks after Nico Collins exited the win against Buffalo, but I don't think the box score does justice to how well C.J. Stroud played. A guy we already thought so highly of clearly seems to have leveled up his game.

6. Washington Commanders (3-1; ⬆️ 3)
Super Bowl odds: +3700

Let's be clear: I believe in Washington. The Commanders have gone head-to-head against great offenses, like Cincinnati's, and won. This past week, they took down a quality defense in Cleveland. I firmly believe they're a good team. This week's trip to Baltimore is less about proving they belong, and more about showing us how high their ceiling really is.

7. Buffalo Bills (3-2; ⬇️ 2)
Super Bowl odds: +1100

I'm not pressing the panic button on Buffalo. The Bills played two contenders, back-to-back, and their shortcomings got exposed on both sides of the ball. That's understandable for a team with so many new pieces, but now let's see how they respond.

8. Atlanta Falcons (3-2; ⬆️ 7)
Super Bowl odds: +2800

Hard not to get excited by the Falcons' potential when you see a game like last week's. Kirk Cousins might not throw for 500 yards again, but it was nice to see Atlanta's offense really break out for a full four quarters. With wins over New Orleans and Tampa Bay already, why wouldn't the Falcons be the highest-ranked team in the NFC South?

9. Green Bay Packers (3-2; ⬆️ 2)
Super Bowl odds: +2500

If I could go back to March and tell Brian Gutekunst that Xavier McKinney would have five picks in 2024, he'd have been over the moon. Now, imagine telling him McKinney would do that in his first five games as a Packer. Nice to see McKinney and the Packers defense can pick up Jordan Love & Co. when the offense isn't fully clicking. 

10. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3-2; ⬇️ 2)
Super Bowl odds: +4800

I'm well aware that Tampa Bay's defense was beat up and short-handed in Atlanta last week, but 550 yards and 36 points allowed is a brutal stat line, regardless. Feels weird to say about a team coached by Todd Bowles, but if the Bucs can just figure out their defense, they'll be in really good shape. 

11. San Francisco 49ers (2-3; ⬇️ 4)
Super Bowl odds: +700

Even with all their drama and injuries, I don't think I'd have guessed I'd drop the 49ers outside the top 10 all season. Sunday's meltdown against the Cardinals justifies it. It's too early to be worried, but this felt like a loss they'll regret when we're arguing about playoff seeding in December.

12. Philadelphia Eagles (2-2; ⬇️ 2)
Super Bowl odds: +1500

A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith and Lane Johnson are all expected back in action when the Eagles host Cleveland this weekend. If they're at full strength, there's no reason we shouldn't see a higher level of play from these guys.

13. New Orleans Saints (2-3; ⬇️ 1)
Super Bowl odds: +4000

All I could think about Monday night while watching the Chiefs roll over the Saints was how much it must sting that New Orleans blew those leads against Philadelphia and Atlanta. This team has allowed just six touchdowns in five games and has a point differential of +44. The Saints are a couple of bounces from being 4-1; instead they're 2-3. Cold world.

14. Dallas Cowboys (3-2; ⬆️ 2)
Super Bowl odds: +2500

It's easy to argue that Dak Prescott's questionable decision-making early on was the only reason the Steelers even had a chance to beat the Cowboys on Sunday night. It's undeniable that Prescott's clutch final drive was the only reason Dallas escaped with a win. There are plenty of concerns with these Cowboys, but they have a quarterback that's going to give them a chance when the game's on the line. 

15. Seattle Seahawks (3-2; ⬇️ 2)
Super Bowl odds: +3400

Geno Smith probably isn't getting proper credit for just how well he's playing this season. But even if that's true, it's a recipe for disaster to ask him to attempt so many passes behind a leaky offensive line. The Seahawks have to at least try to find some semblance of balance — don't they?

16. Chicago Bears (3-2; ⬆️ 3)
Super Bowl odds: +5500

We don't have to overreact to a win against the lowly Panthers, but we can be quietly encouraged by Caleb Williams starting to put it together. Since an admittedly rough first couple of outings, Williams has improved each week. That, combined with Chicago's smothering defense, is reason for optimism.

17. Pittsburgh Steelers (3-2; ⬇️ 3)
Super Bowl odds: +4800

Some people will criticize the Steelers' mighty defense for surrendering 445 yards and the game-winning drive to Dak Prescott, and that's fine. In my mind, Pittsburgh's defense wasn't perfect, but it did produce three takeaways in that game. It's not all on Justin Fields, but the Steelers have to produce more on offense if they're going to consistently beat quality teams.

18. Denver Broncos (3-2; ⬆️ 5)
Super Bowl odds: +12000

I'm not willing to say Bo Nix has been great, but he's doing what's asked of him — and he hasn't turned the ball over since Week 2. With what we're seeing from this nasty Denver defense, that's more than good enough. Hopefully, by this point we're talking about Patrick Surtain II as a legitimate Defensive Player of the Year candidate.

19. Arizona Cardinals (2-3; ⬆️ 4)
Super Bowl odds: +7000

Hard to say the Cardinals truly outplayed the 49ers, but San Francisco left the door cracked open and Arizona walked right through. Hopefully for Jonathan Gannon, this is one of those culture-building wins — tangible evidence that this program can produce results, even against the league's best.

20. Cincinnati Bengals (1-4; ⬇️ 2)
Super Bowl odds: +3400

What a frustrating season. Even if the defense has struggled badly, the full body of work suggests that the Bengals are a better team than their record suggests. How they managed to bungle Lamar Jackson's gift of a fumble in overtime still baffles me. The sheer firepower of this offense is enough to give you confidence that the season's not over, but the margin for error is razor-thin.

21. Los Angeles Chargers (2-2; ↔)
Super Bowl odds: +6000

Here's hoping Justin Herbert, Joe Alt and Rashawn Slater are all rested, healthy and available after the bye week. The way the Broncos are piling up sacks and pressures, the Chargers are going to need all three. 

22. New York Jets (2-3; ⬇️ 5)
Super Bowl odds: +2800

It's been a slow start to the season in New York, but I didn't have Robert Saleh as a Week 6 firing on my bingo card. Saleh's unit, the defense, isn't even the Jets' issue. If it wasn't Aaron Rodgers' show before, it sure feels like it is now.

23. Los Angeles Rams (1-4; ⬇️ 3)
Super Bowl odds: +13000

Matthew Stafford has been one of the most fun players in the league in the early going of the season, but can the Rams afford for that fun to result in a loss 80% of the time? That's their current pace. The hope is that Puka Nacua and Cooper Kupp will be back, but will they be back quickly enough to salvage the season?

24. New York Giants (2-3; ⬆️ 4)
Super Bowl odds: +13000

That was the Giants team we theorized could be a pain to play in 2024. Daniel Jones was decisive, confident and accurate. The Giants' pass rush has been a problem most of the season, and that was on full display against Seattle. I'm not a believer yet, but I'm more intrigued than I was two weeks ago.

25. Jacksonville Jaguars (1-4; ⬆️ 4)
Super Bowl odds: +11000

Happy for the Jags that they found the win column, but it's maddening that they needed a last-second field goal to win a game they led by 14 with five minutes to play. Everything's just got to be hard for these guys.

26. Indianapolis Colts (2-3; ⬇️ 4)
Super Bowl odds: +9000

It's understandable that the quarterback position uses up most of the oxygen around the Colts, but look elsewhere for a second. Indy is dead last in total defense and No. 24 in scoring defense. The Colts have allowed more than 1,000 passing yards in their last three games. Not sure if it matters who's starting at quarterback with numbers like that on defense. 

27. Las Vegas Raiders (2-3; ⬇️ 2)
Super Bowl odds: +28000

I'm not writing off the Raiders yet. They've already won two games, and they were on the verge of going up 17-3 in Denver when Patrick Surtain II turned that game upside down. All of that said, Gardner Minshew got himself benched and Davante Adams seems to be on his way out of town. You can't deny that things feel dicey in Vegas right now.

28. Tennessee Titans (1-3; ⬆️ 2)
Super Bowl odds: +15000

Always nice to take a week off and let some other teams be the league's punching bag. The Titans open division play against the Colts this week, and now we wait to see if Will Levis is healthy enough to start.

29. Cleveland Browns (1-4; ⬇️ 3)
Super Bowl odds: +13000

It's fine if the Browns want to stick with Deshaun Watson. They're paying him $230 million, after all. But with each passing week, it's becoming more obvious that Cleveland is getting untenable play from the quarterback position.

30. Carolina Panthers (1-4; ⬇️ 3)
Super Bowl odds: +40000

It was a fun couple of weeks, but Sunday's trip to Chicago had the Panthers again looking like one of the worst rosters in the NFL. Worse: The schedule doesn't look like it's easing up any time soon.

31. Miami Dolphins (2-3; ↔)
Super Bowl odds: +10000

Apologies to Dolphins fans, but I'm just not moved by Sunday's win in Foxborough. This just isn't a watchable team right now. But on the bright side, even an ugly win helps keep the season afloat until Tua Tagovailoa can return.

32. New England Patriots (1-4; ↔)
Super Bowl odds: +40000

I don't put much blame on Jacoby Brissett for the Patriots' struggles on offense. Few would succeed behind that offensive line. Be that as it may, I assume it's only a matter of time until New England lets Drake Maye have a shot.

David Helman covers the NFL for FOX Sports and hosts the NFL on FOX podcast. He previously spent nine seasons covering the Cowboys for the team's official website. In 2018, he won a regional Emmy for his role in producing "Dak Prescott: A Family Reunion" about the quarterback's time at Mississippi State. Follow him on Twitter at @davidhelman_.

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