Super Bowl 54 brings the long-awaited end of the current NFL season — and the first natural opportunity to look at the way-too-early power rankings for 2020.
Where we last left off in the regular season, the final No. 2 (49ers) and No. 3 (Chiefs) teams ended up acing off in Miami with a ring on the line.
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Now that either San Francisco or Kansas City is winning it all, it's time to work on who belongs above whom ahead of next season, before NFL free agency and the draft do plenty to change teams' near-future fates.
From top to bottom, here's how Sporting News ranks all 32 teams now, for the first time after the Super Bowl, once again in advance of many more times to come.
2020 MOCK DRAFT:
Patriots, Raiders, Cowboys go D; Bucs take QB
NFL power rankings 2020
1. San Francisco 49ers (end of 2019 ranking: 2)
The 49ers will remain an NFC power with no major free-agent issues and the chance to get better draft-wise in their few weak areas. The combination of quarterback play with Jimmy Garoppolo and a defense loaded on every level will allow them to be in the Super Bowl mix again.
2. Kansas City Chiefs (3)
The Chiefs enter their final season of Patrick Mahomes' rookie contract with his record-setting extension looming. They're ready for at least one more championship run with Andy Reid and some flexibility to keep their defensive pieces intact, starting with pending free agent Chris Jones.
3. New Orleans Saints (4)
The Saints keep knocking on the door of another Super Bowl with Drew Brees, but from the Minneapolis Miracle to the pass interference non-call to the latest overtime stumble, they can't quite finish. They still have the makeup to take the NFC South for a fourth consecutive season but are bound to get tougher competition from the Buccaneers and Falcons.
4. Green Bay Packers (5)
The Packers had a much-needed rebound season with Matt LaFleur lifting Aaron Jones, Aaron Rodgers and the offense. The big difference, however, was seeing their defensive investments pay off. They're in position to further pry open the Super Bowl window for Rodgers, not make it narrower.
5. Baltimore Ravens (1)
The Ravens won't be able to roll through everyone offensively with Lamar Jackson like they did for most of 2019, but they will remain a dangerous overall team. They are dealing with some free-agent issues on defense, which could use another level of reinforcements.
6. Philadelphia Eagles (11)
The Eagles were able to somehow get into the playoffs again as NFC East champions despite an offense around Carson Wentz being held together by duct tape and a defense that underachieved. They can use the offseason to reshuffle where needed, most notably wide receiver.
7. New England Patriots (6)
The Patriots have that big decision with Tom Brady (either his or theirs) looming and several more decisions with their defensive personnel, leaving the latest massive offseason challenge for Bill Belchick. Because it's Belichick, give him the benefit of the doubt to find more answers.
8. Buffalo Bills (8)
The Bills made major strides with Josh Allen and the offense by investing in plenty of help around him. He could use a little more, but the concern for Buffalo building on its latest playoff spike with Sean McDermott lies with retooling the defense.
9. Minnesota Vikings (9)
The Vikings will once again have the foundation of Dalvin Cook and zone-blocking running game under Gary Kubiak and the sound front seven under Mike Zimmer to offset losing both coordinators. But while Kirk Cousins just had a breakthrough season, the defense keeps trending toward a rebuild.
10. Dallas Cowboys (15)
The Cowboys profiled as a much better team than their record indicated but were unfortunately held back by the big-game coaching struggles of Jason Garrett and bad special teams. Mike McCarthy, Kellen Moore, Mike Nolan and John Fassel is an impressive braintrust going forward with Dak Prescott, the defense and the kicking game.
11. Seattle Seahawks (7)
The Seahawks won't be changing their run-heavy identity that still depends much on Russell Wilson to save the day. The key for another playoff return is figuring out to how to plug more potential defensive holes.
12. Pittsburgh Steelers (16)
The Steelers saw their season quickly unravel when Ben Roethlisberger went down; neither Mason Rudolph nor Devlin Hodges could lift the team when the defense wasn't totally carrying it. A returning Big Ben makes a big difference as Mike Tomlin gets his typical team back after a good shorthanded coaching effort.
13. Los Angeles Rams (13)
The Rams ran out of time to avoid a Super Bowl hangover as Sean McVay made the right offensive adjustments late in the season. The disappointing defense bore more of the burden for not winning enough, so we'll see what young Vic Fangio protege Brandon Staley can do with the 3-4 replacing Wade Phillips.
14. Houston Texans (10)
The Texans were extremely Deshaun Watson reliant at times in 2019, other times looking like more of a complete team for Bill O'Brien. File them as another 3-4 defensive team looking for more consistency and reliability there — especially on the back end — under promoted new coordinator Anthony Weaver.
15. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (19)
The Bucs have to make their call on Jameis Winston and could use more line and secondary help, but the offense and defense each showed major all-around improvements under Bruce Arians, Byron Leftwich and Todd Bowles. This is a prime candidate for at least an NFC wild card in Year 2 of Arians.
16. Tennessee Titans (11)
The Titans have a free agency to-do list that starts with Derrick Henry and Ryan Tannehill. Their run to first an AFC wild-card berth and then the championship game was impressive, as Mike Vrabel and Arthur Smith maximized their talent. But losing Dean Pees and maybe a little more from the defense is enough to cause a little slide.
17. Cleveland Browns (23)
The Browns should also be on the radar for a rebound that truly puts them in the wild-card mix, as it's hard to see them being nearly as dysfunctional with Kevin Stefanski, who has the right makeup for both their offense and team at large. The coup would be landing the 49ers' Joe Woods to get more out of the talented defense, too.
18. Denver Broncos (21)
The Broncos got some promising quarterback play from Drew Lock late in the season, as the offensive finding some punch was timed with the defense jelling better for Fangio. Their finish to the season makes us think John Elway can field a playoff contender again.
19. Atlanta Falcons (17)
The Falcons will keep up their passing prowess and run-defense stability, but it's the running game and pass-rush/coverage combination that remains concerning as they proceed with Dan Quinn. They'll need a knockout draft to go from an average team to a playoff team.
20. Chicago Bears (14)
The Bears are a hard team to figure out for 2020. The distant third best team in the NFC North is not sure what it'll get from Mitchell Trubisky, and there more potential turnover coming for the defense. One thing is for sure: There will be a lot of pressure on Matt Nagy.
21. Las Vegas Raiders (18)
The Raiders have lowered outside expectations post-Hard Knocks as they make the move to Vegas in the second Jon Gruden era. They can set up as a surprise team after improbably lasting as a playoff contender into Week 17. They need more consistency and big playmaking from both sides of the ball, requiring a few more shrewd personnel moves.
22. Indianapolis Colts (20)
The Colts are another fallen playoff team from 2019 that's hard to read for 2020. They have to consider their ample salary-cap space (more than $90 million) to upgrade several positions that aren't their offensive line or linebacker corps. Even though they extended Jacoby Brissett, another post-Andrew Luck change at quarterback can't be ruled out.
23. Miami Dolphins (27)
The Dolphins are like the Raiders from 2019, sitting on three first-round draft picks with a chance to stockpile core young talent. They also rival the Colts in cap space to go after the right veteran upgrades. Considering 5-11 felt like overachieving with what they had for Brian Flores, Year 2 with him can turn into a big leap.
24. New York Giants (29)
File the Giants under sleepers for a big turnaround, too. The offense can hit another gear with Daniel Jones and Saquon Barkley as the centerpieces for Jason Garrett, the defense should fill a lot more holes for Patrick Graham, and you know special teams will be sound with Joe Judge. Eli Manning's retirement officially turns the page to Jones' team.
25. Los Angeles Chargers (26)
The Chargers should be stronger defensively with Derwin James fully healthy, but they also have that big question at quarterback given pending free agent Philip Rivers' decision to relocate, and Melvin Gordon also is unsigned. Anthony Lynn's team feels boom or bust, much like the past two seasons have gone.
26. Arizona Cardinals (25)
The Cardinals don't have the best geography for a quick playoff push with the 49ers, Seahawks and Rams continuing to make the NFC West the league's most top-heavy division. There should be an improvement from 5-10-1, however, in the next stage of their overhaul.
27. New York Jets (22)
Adam Gase survived the injury-riddled first season on the job that saw the Bills, not his team, join the Patriots in the playoffs. The Jets at 7-9 were much closer to his old team, the Dolphins, in the standings. There should be some better offensive vibes with Sam Darnold and Le'Veon Bell, but the defense feels like it can leave even more to be desired.
28. Detroit Lions (30)
Matt Patricia and Bob Quinn have their ultimatum that they must have a strong year that somehow gets them past the Bears and catches them up to the Packers and Vikings. A fully healthy Matthew Stafford is the first big step to that; the second is investing more into (and getting much more from) the defense.
29. Carolina Panthers (28)
The Panthers need a major post-Luke Kuechly defensive rebuild under Matt Rhule and Phil Snow, and there's uncertainty on whether Cam Newton will be the QB attached to Joe Brady. As a rather unknown quantity, let's keep Carolina closer to its end-of-2019 value.
30. Jacksonville Jaguars (24)
The Jaguars kept Doug Marrone but now have Jay Gruden overseeing the offense with a slightly unsettled quarterback situation. Todd Wash's defense also needs to be reinforced in several areas.
31. Washington Redskins (31)
The Redskins present Ron Rivera and Scott Turner with plenty of offensive and defensive challenges, from significant personnel rebuilding to big schematic adjustments. The key to everything is helping Dwayne Haskins make the leap.
32. Cincinnati Bengals (32)
Joe Burrow can be special sooner rather than later for Cincinnati, but there's a lot the team needs elsewhere to be a competitive one before jumping into contention in what will be a tougher AFC North.
