The NFL regular season is in the books after an eventful Week 18. For the top teams in our final regular-season power rankings, that means it’s time to get ready for the playoffs. For the 18 teams lingering at the bottom of this list, it’s time to figure out what went wrong and get ready for 2025. We’re trying to help in that endeavor with one lesson learned this season from all 32 teams.
1. Detroit Lions (15-2)
Last week: 4
Sunday: Beat Minnesota Vikings 31-9
One lesson learned: “Next man up” may have its limits
Every football coach has said the phrase, “Next man up,” roughly one million times in their career.