8. Buffalo Bills
(10-6. Last rank: 8)
Despite a loss to Houston in the wild-card round, the 2019 season was an overall success for Buffalo. The Bills hung close to the Patriots in the AFC East, and they did it with young players such as quarterback Josh Allen and running back Devin Singletary playing key roles. General manager Brandon Beane and coach Sean McDermott have carved a bright future in Buffalo. It could get even brighter in a hurry. If Tom Brady leaves New England (and there has been plenty of speculation about that), the Patriots suddenly are no longer the favorite to win the AFC East. The Bills are.
7. New England Patriots
(12-4. Last rank: 6)
It’s hard to say a dynasty is over when a team goes 12-4. But that might be precisely the case with the Patriots. They weren’t the same team this year as in their glory years. They won with defense, not offense. Quarterback Tom Brady wasn’t himself, but that may be because he didn’t have a strong receiving corps. The Patriots lost at home to Tennessee in the wild-card round. Now comes the real drama. Brady, who can become a free agent in March, has said he’s open to playing elsewhere. If he does, the dynasty really is over.
6. New Orleans Saints
(13-3. Last rank: 2)
For the third straight year, the Saints suffered an excruciating playoff loss. This time, fans can’t really blame it on the officials — a non-call on possible pass interference by Minnesota tight end Kyle Rudolph notwithstanding. This time, the Saints simply lost in the wild-card round to a Minnesota team that was better that day. That was shocking because the Saints looked like a Super Bowl team much of the year. There could be drama ahead this offseason. Quarterback Drew Brees, 41, said he will take a month to decide if he wants to play next season. If he retires, the Saints need to re-sign Teddy Bridgewater and make him their franchise quarterback.
5. Seattle Seahawks
(11-5. Last rank: 7)
The Seahawks lost to Green Bay in the divisional round. There’s no shame in that, because Lambeau Field is a difficult place for visiting teams to win — especially in the postseason. The problem is that Seahawks coaches think they’re a run-first team. But the reality is that quarterback Russell Wilson is their best player. The Seahawks need to give Wilson more freedom going forward.
4. Green Bay Packers
(13-3. Last rank: 4)
There’s not much bad you can say about Matt LaFleur’s first season as a head coach. The Packers went 13-3 and made it to the NFC Championship Game before losing to San Francisco. But these aren’t the Packers of a young Brett Favre or a young Aaron Rodgers. They no longer run a gunslinging offense. With running backs Aaron Jones and Jamaal Williams, the Packers emphasize the run, and that will continue next year. Rodgers has bought into the system because he realizes it opens up play-action passing.
3. Baltimore Ravens
(14-2. Last rank: 1)
The Ravens were the best team in the league most of the season — until they were stunned by Tennessee in the divisional round. Lamar Jackson won Most Valuable Player, Mark Ingram topped 1,000 rushing yards and the defense played consistently well. There’s no need to blow up this team because of one loss. The Ravens remain loaded with talent. They’re going to be a Super Bowl contender again next year.
2. San Francisco 49ers
(13-3. Last rank: 3)
The 49ers played well on both sides of the ball for three quarters in Super Bowl LIV. But, then they got in the way of a Kansas City freight train that has rallied back furiously from deficits throughout the postseason. Quite frankly, the 49ers just ran into a better team. There’s no shame in that, especially since San Francisco was coming off a 4-12 season in 2018. Head coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch have built a team, led by quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo and defensive end Nick Bosa, that’s going to be good for a long time.
1. Kansas City Chiefs
(12-4. Last rank: 5)
Never again can it be said coach Andy Reid can’t win a big game. He now has won the biggest game of all with the Chiefs’ 31-20 victory over San Francisco in Super Bowl LIV. Reid had won a lot of games in Philadelphia and Kansas City but always seemed to come up short when it mattered most. No more. Reid coached brought his team back from a 10-point deficit on the arm of quarterback Patrick Mahomes. Reid, 61, is one of a handful of coaches who don’t seem to get worn down by the grind of the NFL. He still has a lot of coaching left in him. If he sticks around with Mahomes for the next decade, Reid will win a lot more big games.
Pat Yasinskas has covered the NFL since 1993. He has worked for The Tampa Tribune, The Charlotte Observer and ESPN.com and writes for numerous national magazines and websites. He also has served as a voter for the Pro Football Hall of Fame.