The 2021 season is now fully in the books: the Buccaneers’ win over the Cowboys on opening night, the Rams’ win over the Bengals in the Super Bowl and all 283 games in between.
It’s time for one last edition of power rankings—at least until after the draft. We’ll have plenty of time to spin things forward and think about how good each team will be in 2022. So, as we’ve done at this time of year before, our voters were instructed to rank each team’s season that just passed. If you think the Buccaneers are too high or your favorite underachieving team is too low, that’s the reason.
Unsurprisingly, the new champs are No. 1 in the poll, but four different teams checked in with second-place votes. For the rest, well, scroll down.
This week’s MMQB Power Rankings Poll voters:
Albert Breer, senior NFL reporter
Conor Orr, staff writer
Greg Bishop, senior writer
Michael Rosenberg, senior writer
Andrew Brandt, business of football columnist
Gary Gramling, senior editor
Mitch Goldich, editor/writer
Mark J. Rebilas/USA TODAY Sports
1. Los Angeles Rams (12–5)
Points in poll: 224
Highest-place vote: 1 (7 votes)
Lowest-place vote: 1 (7 votes)
Season results: Won Super Bowl
Every decision the Rams made has paid off. They zigged when a lot of teams zagged, discarding first-round picks and playing for the present. Now, they’re Super Bowl champs.
Get SI's Rams Super Bowl Champions Commemorative Issue Here
2. Kansas City Chiefs (12–5)
Points in poll: 209
Highest-place vote: 2 (1 vote)
Lowest-place vote: 4 (2 votes)
Season results: Lost AFC championship game
The Chiefs blew a 21–3 lead to the Bengals in the AFC championship game, but our voters have them in the same spot where they finished last season: No. 2. K.C. is already a Super Bowl favorite next season and may very well be No. 1 in this poll when we vote again in September.
T-3. Buffalo Bills (11–6)
Points in poll: 207
Highest-place vote: 2 (1 vote)
Lowest-place vote: 4 (4 votes)
Season results: Lost in divisional round
In a very tight top of the AFC, we actually have a tie between the conference champion and the team that will spend the entire offseason wondering what would have happened if they’d gotten the ball in overtime against the Chiefs.
T-3. Cincinnati Bengals (10–7)
Points in poll: 207
Highest-place vote: 2 (4 votes)
Lowest-place vote: 6 (1 vote)
Season results: Lost Super Bowl
The Bengals’ joyful playoff run put them right in the mix at the top of the AFC. Our voters appear to have focused more on the entire body of work this season than just the playoffs, but to be considered with the top tier is the mark of a season more successful than fans should have reasonably hoped for when it began.
5. Green Bay Packers (13–4)
Points in poll: 199
Highest-place vote: 2 (1 vote)
Lowest-place vote: 6 (2 votes)
Season results: Lost in divisional round
The Packers were favorites before going one and done in the NFC playoffs. Now the biggest question of the offseason—the fate of Aaron Rodgers—will have a massive impact on how everyone feels about this team heading into 2022.
6. San Francisco 49ers (10–7)
Points in poll: 188
Highest-place vote: 5 (2 votes)
Lowest-place vote: 7 (3 votes)
Season results: Lost NFC championship game
The Niners didn’t lock up their playoff spot until the final day of the season, but their run to the NFC championship game was a reminder of the talent up and down this roster. The play of Trey Lance next season figures to be one of the biggest wild cards of the season next year.
7. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (13–4)
Points in poll: 182
Highest-place vote: 6 (2 votes)
Lowest-place vote: 8 (2 votes)
Season results: Lost in divisional round
The Bucs would take a hit if we were projecting each team moving forward, now that Tom Brady has rode off into the sunset. But the defending champs acquitted themselves well in their attempted title defense before bowing out to the eventual champs in the divisional round.
8. Dallas Cowboys (12–5)
Points in poll: 175
Highest-place vote: 4 (1 vote)
Lowest-place vote: 10 (1 vote)
Season results: Lost in wild-card round
The heat will be turned up on Mike McCarthy in Dallas after a first-round playoff exit (and with Sean Payton moving from the sideline to the studio), but when isn’t there pressure and attention on this team?
9. Tennessee Titans (12–5)
Points in poll: 163
Highest-place vote: 8 (4 votes)
Lowest-place vote: 14 (1 vote)
Season results: Lost in divisional round
The Titans were the AFC’s top seed, but our voters had them solidly below the conference’s top tier even before they lost their opening playoff game to the Bengals. Will they be right back in the mix next season, or did they squander what may prove to be their best opportunity in the Ryan Tannehill era?
10. New England Patriots (10–7)
Points in poll: 159
Highest-place vote: 9 (3 votes)
Lowest-place vote: 13 (1 vote)
Season results: Lost in wild-card round
The Patriots returned to the postseason with rookie Mac Jones under center, which should mean higher expectations next season. Even if that playoff game was far from inspiring.
11. Las Vegas Raiders (10–7)
Points in poll: 149
Highest-place vote: 10 (2 votes)
Lowest-place vote: 17 (1 vote)
Season results: Lost in wild-card round
The Raiders had one of the more turbulent seasons in the league, but still managed to qualify for the playoffs. Now Josh McDaniels will take over a solid roster with a lot to prove in his long-awaited second chance as a head coach.
12. Philadelphia Eagles (9–8)
Points in poll: 145
Highest-place vote: 10 (1 vote)
Lowest-place vote: 15 (1 vote)
Season results: Lost in wild-card round
Nick Sirianni was the only rookie head coach who took his team to the playoffs this season. But the Eagles have a decision to make, either building on that success with Jalen Hurts or using their draft picks to chase a star at the position.
T-13. Arizona Cardinals (11–6)
Points in poll: 133
Highest-place vote: 11 (1 vote)
Lowest-place vote: 18 (1 vote)
Season results: Lost in wild-card round
Things have unraveled quickly in the desert, with a late-season swoon and playoff meltdown escalating into a full-blown blame game through the media. Will Kyler Murray follow his team back on Instagram before Week 1?
T-13. Los Angeles Chargers (9–8)
Points in poll: 133
Highest-place vote: 13 (3 votes)
Lowest-place vote: 16 (1 vote)
Season result: Third place in AFC West
Don’t let all the great playoff games make you forget about the Chargers-Raiders almost tie in Week 18 when you’re ranking the games of the year. The Chargers came about as close as you can to making the playoffs without getting in.
15. Pittsburgh Steelers (9-7-1)
Points in poll: 129
Highest-place vote: 12 (1 vote)
Lowest-place vote: 16 (3 votes)
Season results: Lost in wild-card round
The Steelers are finally turning the page to a new era with Ben Roethlisberger’s retirement. Whoever takes over at quarterback in 2022 will lead a team with a ton of talent on defense, which makes Pittsburgh another one of the more interesting teams this offseason.
16. Indianapolis Colts (9–8)
Points in poll: 127
Highest-place vote: 10 (1 vote)
Lowest-place vote: 18 (1 vote)
Season result: Second place in AFC North
The Colts followed up an all-time choke job by waiting a month to leak rumors that Carson Wentz won’t be back next season. That would mean four different quarterbacks going into the four seasons since Andrew Luck retired.
17. Baltimore Ravens (8–9)
Points in poll: 110
Highest-place vote: 11 (1 vote)
Lowest-place vote: 20 (1 vote)
Season result: Fourth place in AFC North
The Ravens are undeniably talented but suffered too many injuries and lost too many close games. There’s plenty of reason to assume they’ll be right back in the mix next year.
18. New Orleans Saints (9–8)
Points in poll: 106
Highest-place vote: 16 (1 vote)
Lowest-place vote: 19 (3 votes)
Season result: Second place in NFC South
Sean Payton’s decision to walk away means a new chapter in New Orleans, but promoting Dennis Allen to head coach preserves as much continuity as possible for a franchise that has done a lot right in recent years.
T-19. Cleveland Browns (8–9)
Points in poll: 96
Highest-place vote: 15 (1 vote)
Lowest-place vote: 22 (2 votes)
Season result: Third place in AFC North
Few teams had as disappointing a season as the Browns, who now appear willing to run it back with a lame-duck Baker Mayfield under center. But the Bengals’ ascent makes the AFC North look much tougher than it did a year ago.
T-19. Miami Dolphins (9–8)
Points in poll: 96
Highest-place vote: 14 (1 vote)
Lowest-place vote: 24 (2 votes)
Season result: Third place in AFC East
The Dolphins were one of the toughest teams to figure out last year, turning around their season in dramatic fashion and still firing Brian Flores at the end of it. Things don't get any clearer as they prepare to reboot with Mike McDaniel as coach.
21. Denver Broncos (7–10)
Points in poll: 81
Highest-place vote: 20 (2 votes)
Lowest-place vote: 24 (1 vote)
Season result: Fourth place in AFC West
The Broncos just haven’t been able to find a solution at quarterback since Peyton Manning retired. They’ll keep looking, and they have the rest of the roster to make a quick leap if they find one.
22. Seattle Seahawks (7–10)
Points in poll: 78
Highest-place vote: 20 (1 vote)
Lowest-place vote: 24 (1 vote)
Season result: Fourth place in NFC West
The Seahawks just completed their first sub-.500 season in Russell Wilson’s career, and now it’s yet to be seen how that’ll affect how many more seasons he gives them.
23. Minnesota Vikings (8–9)
Points in poll: 75
Highest-place vote: 20 (2 votes)
Lowest-place vote: 25 (2 votes)
Season result: Second place in NFC North
The Mike Zimmer era is over, putting the Vikings on a long list of teams looking at an upcoming transition. But with Kirk Cousins’s contract making it likely he’ll return, this team may be a year away from looking more drastically different.
24. Washington Commanders (7–10)
Points in poll: 65
Highest-place vote: 23 (4 votes)
Lowest-place vote: 25 (2 votes)
Season result: Third place in NFC East
New nickname, same people in charge.
25. Atlanta Falcons (7–10)
Points in poll: 58
Highest-place vote: 22 (1 vote)
Lowest-place vote: 28 (2 votes)
Season result: Third place in NFC South
The Falcons actually hung around the fringes of the NFC’s playoff picture for much of the season, but were never a serious contender. Their minus-146 point differential was second-worst in the conference.
26. Chicago Bears (6–11)
Points in poll: 49
Highest-place vote: 26 (7 votes)
Lowest-place vote: 26 (7 votes)
Season result: Third place in NFC North
The weirdest quirk of this edition of the power rankings is that all seven of our voters listed the Bears exactly 26th. We may disagree on which teams belong above or below them, but we are extremely confident the Bears were the 26th best team in the league last year!
27. Detroit Lions (3-13-1)
Points in poll: 38
Highest-place vote: 25 (1 vote)
Lowest-place vote: 30 (1 vote)
Season result: Fourth place in NFC North
Everyone gave Dan Campbell a lot of slack during Detroit’s long winless start to the season. Pairing some wins with their hard-fought efforts in the second half of the season earned the Lions some optimism heading into Year 2.
28. Carolina Panthers (5–12)
Points in poll: 37
Highest-place vote: 27 (4 votes)
Lowest-place vote: 29 (2 votes)
Season result: Fourth place in NFC South
Matt Rhule will enter the third season of his seven-year deal on the hot seat. Perhaps this was a bigger project than we realized at the time, but the results will have to show on the field at some point soon.
29. New York Jets (4–13)
Points in poll: 33
Highest-place vote: 27 (2 votes)
Lowest-place vote: 31 (1 vote)
Season result: Fourth place in AFC East
The Jets still have a lot of work to do after Year 1 with Robert Saleh and Zach Wilson. We’ll see how much patience the fan base will have if things don’t pick up next season.
30. Houston Texans (4–13)
Points in poll: 21
Highest-place vote: 29 (2 votes)
Lowest-place vote: 32 (1 vote)
Season result: Third place in AFC South
David Culley out, Lovie Smith in (eventually). Another unusual offseason for the NFL’s most perplexing team.
31. Jacksonville Jaguars (3–14)
Points in poll: 13
Highest-place vote: 30 (1 vote)
Lowest-place vote: 32 (2 votes)
Season result: Fourth place in AFC South
The Jaguars have tapped Doug Pederson to take over for a crucial stretch of Trevor Lawrence’s career. They really need to get this right.
32. New York Giants (4–13)
Points in poll: 11
Highest-place vote: 30 (1 vote)
Lowest-place vote: 32 (4 votes)
Season result: Fourth place in NFC East
More than half of our voters have the Giants in last, and that was enough to sink them to the very bottom. But two top-seven picks is a nice consolation prize for a season that went off the rails.
