There have been a lot of bad teams this year, and for most of these teams, it really just boils down to the quarterback issue. It's no coincidence that the teams with top QBs are winning each and every season.
And it's honestly almost that simple - about 70% of a team's issues will go away overnight once they get the quarterback in the building - the Denver Broncos are just two seasons removed from a 1-5 start in 2023 with absolutely no direction.
Two years later, they're 13-3 and atop the AFC. Sometimes a team just needs to hit on a quarterback. Let's talk about some of these bad teams and power rank the worst in the league. The no. 1 ranked team is our worst in the league, and our no. 10 team is the 'best' of the worst.
Power ranking the worst teams in the NFL approaching Week 17
10. Kansas City Chiefs
With Chris Oladokun now in the lineup, the Kansas City Chiefs would likely only be able to win a game or two across a 17-game season if he was the starter. Somehow, both Gardner Minshew and Patrick Mahomes went down with torn ACLs in back-to-back weeks.
The rest of the roster is pretty average as well, so this team does have multiple offseasons and improvement ahead of them. Kansas City is no. 10 in our power rankings, and I am not sure this team bounces right back into the thick of things in 2026.
9. New Orleans Saints
Tyler Shough might be good?
It's been an interesting year for the New Orleans Saints. Both Shough and head coach Kellen Moore each seem to be settling into their respective roles, and with the NFC South being wide open, there is a path for the Saints to get back into the division mix in 2026.
Shough was a second-round pick and not really someone who was highly thought of coming out of college, but the arrow is absolutely pointing in the right direction for this franchise.
8. Washington Commanders
The Washington Commanders have had a season to forget this year, as Jayden Daniels has missed most of the season with injuries, and both sides of the ball have been banged up overall as well. The roster itself was nothing special coming into the 2025 NFL Season to begin with, and I'd also argue that other teams in the NFL were able to figure how what Washington likes to do.
So not only was there actual film out on the team after a Cinderella run in 2024, but the injuries also knocked them down as well.
7. Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals might be one of the most interesting teams in the NFL to follow this offseason, as they seem poised to move on from Kyler Murray this offseason, but there isn't a guarantee of anything after that.
Arizona did add a good bit of talent to the roster this past offseason and did get out to a 2-0 start, but things just cratered. Jonathan Gannon won four games in his first year on the job in 2023 and won eight games in 2024, so the progression was there.
6. Cincinnati Bengals
Do we feel bad for the Cincinnati Bengals? Joe Burrow suffered yet another long-term injury, and his absence was too much for the Bengals to overcome, and this is now the third season in a row where this team isn't in the playoffs.
It's primarily an indictment on the lousy, outdated front office, and Burrow might be beginning to feel quite frustrated with the entire situation.
5. Tennessee Titans
Cam Ward has made some big-time throws this year, and you can kind of see the outline of who could be a great QB in this league, but the Tennessee Titans might have the worst roster in the NFL, so no QB would be able to succeed in this situation. It's really just about roster talent and Ward's development going forward.
4. Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns have a top defense but are continually not able to figure out the offense, and it's really that simple. Until the Browns get serious about the QB position, they'll continue to circle the drain. Shedeur Sanders isn't a long-term option for this team, so they need to look to the 2026 NFL Draft to find that guy for the long-term, and it's really the one thing holding them back.
Cleveland is the fourth worst team in our updated power rankings.
3. New York Giants
The New York Giants again need to make some major changes, but Jaxson Dart might honestly be something worthwhile. The team fired Brian Daboll weeks ago after another slow start, but the offense with Dart under center did look a lot more efficient than it does right now. With bits and pieces of what could be a great team, the Giants still have some glimmer of hope.
2. New York Jets
The New York Jets still do not have an interception on the season which is hard to believe. The Jets did trade both Sauce Gardner and Quinnen Williams at the deadline, so it's clear where this team is trying to go, but that doesn't change just how bad they've been this year. If nothing else, the Jets have a ton of NFL Draft capital in 2026 and 2027, so they at least have the ammo to perhaps do something special.
1. Las Vegas Raiders
It's hard to find much of anything for the Las Vegas Raiders to latch onto this year. Somehow, after making what seemed to be legitimate, positive change, the total opposite happened. Not only does Pete Carroll seem to be in way over his head, but the roster was a lot worse than they thought, and Geno Smith has been one of the worst acquisitions in the NFL this year.
The Raiders are likely going to blow things up yet again this offseason.