8. Washington Commanders (10-5)
Oh man, how about those scrappy Washington Commanders? The Commanders are now 10-5 on the season and just won in a game for the ages against the Philadelphia Eagles. Rookie QB sensation Jayden Daniels threw for five touchdown passes on the day and pretty much wrapped up the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year award. With the win, the Commanders also stay alive in the NFC East race, and on the other side of things, Eagles' QB Jalen Hurts left with a concussion early in this game, so if that does keep him out the last two games, you just never know.
Washington has been one of a small handful of breakout teams this year, and another up-and-coming team led by their rookie QB, the Denver Broncos, are in a similar position. Daniels has been electric this year, and it seems like he is as close to being the next Lamar Jackson as we can possibly get. And if you ask me, Daniels is very much on pace to eventually win multiple MVP awards as well.
If Jayden Daniels can ride this into the postseason, the Commanders can absolutely win a game or two and put the NFC on notice. This was a huge win for Washington that shoots them up our NFL power rankings.
7. Baltimore Ravens (10-5)
The Baltimore Ravens kind of got over the hump a bit and took apart the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 16, which makes the AFC North race that much more interesting. Had the Steelers won this game, they would have swept the Ravens and won the division with a combination of Russell Wilson and Justin Fields at the QB position. Right now, I would take the Ravens down the stretch to win the division, as the Steelers just do not have a high enough ceiling as a team to compete with the big boys in the AFC.
And I have kind of changed my opinion here; Lamar Jackson is absolutely the MVP of the NFL yet again. The season he is having is going to end up being more productive and efficient than his previous two MVP seasons. Jackson won his second MVP in the 2023 NFL Season and could join and even more elite company if he could come away with this third MVP award.
The Ravens may not have what it takes to make a Super Bowl run, as they are flawed on the defensive backend, but you just never know. Can Jackson carry them to the big game in 2024?