4. Philadelphia Eagles (12-3)
Jalen Hurts left this game pretty early on with a concussion, so it was backup QB Kenny Pickett for most of the game, which is never a good thing. Pickett is awful, and the Eagles just did not have enough to get it done, as a late touchdown sealed the deal for the Washington Commanders, who also still stay alive in the NFC East race.
The Eagles had won 10 games in a row coming into this one, and Hurts' status will be interesting to monitor over the next couple of weeks. The NFL does have a pretty involved concussion protocol, so we'll see if Hurts can clear it before their Week 17 and 18 games. If you ask me, a healthy Eagles' team is the best in the NFC at the moment, but they fall below the Detroit Lions in our latest NFL power rankings.
Philly did make the Super Bowl two years ago with a similar coaching staff and many of the same players. When Hurts gets healthy, they could make a run at the big game again.
3. Detroit Lions (13-2)
The Detroit Lions left no doubt in Week 16 of the 2024 NFL Season, having beating the Chicago Bears, handing them their ninth loss in a row. The main issue with the Lions as of late has been their mounting injuries, but Dan Campbell and his team didn't seem to be too concerned with that in Week 16. The Lions now move to 13-2 on the season, and with the Philadelphia Eagles losing in Week 16, the Lions are one step closer to securing the no. 1 overall seed in the NFC playoffs.
I am not sure Detroit is the best team in football at this point, but you just never know if they could some people back as the playoffs near their end. Detroit probably has Super Bowl aspirations this year, but it may be too hard to overcome their mounting injuries.