NFL power rankings: Where all teams stand approaching Week 1 of 2024 season

18. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Maybe the most average team in the history of the NFL, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers went 9-8 last season and won the NFC South, even winning a playoff game.  Their biggest lost was losing former offensive coordinator Dave Canales to the head coaching job in Carolina, so it’s unknown whether QB Baker Mayfield can play as well as he did in 2023.  The Bucs re-signed both Mayfield and future Hall of Fame wide receiver Mike Evans, so that group is sticking together.

Questions on defense is where this team might take a hit.  One of their free agency additions, EDGE Randy Gregory, literally did not show up, and they traded CB Carlton Davis to the Detroit Lions, so there could be some inconsistencies on that side of the ball for 2024.

17. Atlanta Falcons

I believe the Atlanta Falcons end up being better than the 17th-best team in the NFL during the 2024 season.  The huge change with this team was signing Kirk Cousins in free agency.  Cousins is coming off of a torn Achilles and is in his age-36 season, so that could be something to watch.  Atlanta also fired Arthur Smith and hired Raheem Morris as their new head coach.

While the roster is quite solid, I personally need to see them play like I believe they can.  With how weak the NFC South is, the Falcons may have an easier path to a 5-1 or 6-0 division record and perhaps a double-digit winning season.  I see them racking up 10 wins and earning the division title, which would give them at least one home playoff game.

The Falcons clearly needed to put an immediate winning product on the field, and they did that this offseason.  Two of their most recent moves saw them trading for Matthew Judon and signing Justin Simmons.