NFL Power Rankings: Final rankings before 2024 regular season

8. Cincinnati Bengals

It’s easy to forget because of the way last season went for this Bengals team, but this is one of the few teams that might be a legitimate challenger to the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC when all is said and done this season.

There are some question marks holding back projections of Kansas City’s demise, however. We all want to see whether or not Joe Burrow is going to return to peak form. We all want to see how the friction between a number of players and the front office is going to play out. And we have to see how well the Bengals play offensively after the departure of offensive coordinator Brian Callahan.

There’s a lot of talent on this roster, and if the Bengals stay healthy, they’re going to be in the mix late into January.

7. Dallas Cowboys

And all of the readers threw the red challenge flag when they saw the Dallas Cowboys listed as the 7th-best team in the NFL right now.

How can this possibly be?

The Cowboys lost so much this offseason, starting with defensive coordinator Dan Quinn and a host of players who followed him to Washington to play for the Commanders. Not only that, but the Cowboys have contract issues right now with their two best players – Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb.

How are they possibly going to remain one of the best teams in the NFC? Call it a gut feeling, but I just feel as though the Cowboys are going to do more with less this year. They were such a good regular season team the last handful of seasons, and while they may take a slight step back in the regular season this year, I think Dak Prescott is going to be on a mission to prove he’s not a con artist in the playoffs.