NFL Week 18 Power Rankings: Checking in on each head coach as Bills, Steelers tumble
SOURCE:The Athletic|BY:Josh Kendall and Chad Graff
The Seahawks remain on top of this week's power rankings, but they have to play the red-hot 49ers for the NFC West title Saturday.
Editor’s note: Every week, Josh Kendall and Chad Graff rank and analyze all 32 teams from first to worst.
Week 18 has arrived in the NFL, and there are only two playoff spots left to be decided. The Carolina Panthers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who play each other on Saturday afternoon, are still in the running for the NFC South title, while the Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens square off for the AFC North title on Sunday night.
With everyone else playing with either an eye on seeding or an eye to the future, this week’s power rankings are checking in on each head coach. A few new guys are trending up, a few older guys are reminding people who they are and a few others are wondering if the phone is going to ring early Monday morning.
1. Seattle Seahawks (13-3)
Last week: 1
Sunday: Beat Panthers 27-10
Head coach check-in: The new model
Mike Macdonald’s success in Seattle — he’s now 23-10 in two seasons — is good news for 2026 head coaching candidates such as Brian Flores, Jeff Hafley and Jessie Minter, defensive coordinators trying to buck the trend of offensive coaches getting almost all of the head coaching jobs recently. Macdonald’s Seahawks held Carolina to 2.7 yards per play Sunday.
Up next: at 49ers, Saturday, 8 p.m. ET
2. New England Patriots (13-3)
Last week: 3
Sunday: Beat Jets 42-10
Head coach check-in: The second chance blueprint
The Titans are 6-27 since firing Mike Vrabel after the 2023 season. The Patriots got a second chance with Vrabel, who famously won three Super Bowls as a player in New England, and clinched the AFC East on Sunday. Having Drake Maye has helped, too. The second-year quarterback had five touchdown passes Sunday and leads the league in EPA per dropback (0.27), completion percentage (71.7) and yards per attempt (8.9).
Remember all the fuss in January when Liam Coen sort of snuck out of Tampa Bay under the cover of night? Nobody in Jacksonville does. The Jaguars matched the franchise’s highest win total since 1999, making Coen the only first-year coach in league history to inherit a four-win team and win 12 or more games the next season. Jacksonville has won seven in a row and hosts Tennessee to end the season.
Up next: vs. Titans, Sunday, 1 p.m. ET
4. San Francisco 49ers (12-4)
Last week: 6
Sunday: Beat Bears 42-38
Head coach check-in: The actual coach of the year
With George Kittle out and Trent Williams missing all but one play, the 49ers averaged 7.3 yards per play against the Bears and now lead the NFL in scoring in December (42.3 ppg). Kyle Shanahan has overcome a Biblical smiting’s load of player absences to have San Francisco playing for the NFC West title and the No. 1 seed this weekend. “He plays on the emotion of the defense,” Christian McCaffrey said. He has us feeling things, too, Christian.
Up next: vs. Seahawks, Saturday, 8 p.m. ET
5. Denver Broncos (13-3)
Last week: 7
Thursday: Beat Chiefs 20-13
Head coach check-in: Statue planning
In his 18th season, Sean Payton is ahead of schedule in Denver. He’s gone from eight wins to 10 to 13 and potentially the No. 1 seed in the AFC in Year 3. On Christmas night, he beat Andy Reid for the third time in a row and the fourth time in the last five games. Payton is now 13th all time in regular-season coaching wins, and next year he will become one of 18 men to coach 300 or more games in the NFL.
Sean McVay sealed his legacy before this season even began, and he’s threatening to take it to a new level with a team that looks like a serious Super Bowl contender despite a narrow loss in Atlanta on Monday. Matthew Stafford was intercepted three times, so hopefully for L.A. that’s out of his system now.
Up next: vs. Cardinals, Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET
7. Houston Texans (11-5)
Last week: 9
Saturday: Beat Chargers 20-16
Head coach check-in: Lurking
DeMeco Ryans is being overshadowed by all of the hot first-year coaches, but he’s 31-19 in his third year in Houston. His .620 winning percentage is in the Sean McVay/John Harbaugh neighborhood, and the Texans defense has them in the playoffs for the third straight season, a first in franchise history. Houston’s 16.6 ppg allowed are the fewest in the league this year and the seventh lowest in the last 10 seasons.
Up next: vs. Colts, Sunday, 1 p.m. ET
The Texans were 0-3 to start the season.
Now, they're riding an eight-game win streak and have clinched a third consecutive playoff berth 🔥 pic.twitter.com/XYMfiD6cef
Ben Johnson has been just as good as everyone thought he’d be while he was coordinating the Lions offense. The Bears clinched the NFC North before they played Sunday, and then proved they are legit Super Bowl contenders despite the loss. Chicago scored on five of its final seven possessions against the 49ers, Caleb Williams threw for 330 yards and the Bears came within 2 yards of a game-winning touchdown.
Up next: vs. Lions, Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET
Eagles coach Nick Sirianni chats with Jalen Carter during Philadelphia’s win in Buffalo on Sunday. (Nic Antaya / Getty Images)
9. Philadelphia Eagles (11-5)
Last week: 11
Sunday: Beat Bills 13-12
Head coach check-in: Somehow still on top
Philadelphia had 17 yards of offense in the second half Sunday and still won. It feels like something only Nick Sirianni could pull off. The Eagles’ sometimes embattled head coach has a .702 winning percentage in nearly five seasons at the helm, the highest in the league among active head coaches. He may have to retool his entire offensive staff in the offseason, but Sirianni probably will be coaching this team (and aggravating Eagles fans) for another decade.
Sean McDermott has seven playoff wins (and seven playoff losses) as he prepares to finish his ninth season in Buffalo. That, plus a 97-50 regular-season record, would be considered pretty good for most other coaches. The problem for McDermott is that he has Josh Allen, and the pair has not made a Super Bowl yet. With an unproven playoff group in the AFC, the heat on McDermott will turn up even more if he doesn’t get there this year. They didn’t look Super Bowl-ready on Sunday, losing to an Eagles team that posted just 190 yards of offense.
Up next: vs. Jets, Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET
11. Los Angeles Chargers (11-5)
Last week: 10
Saturday: Lost to Texans 20-16
Head coach check-in: Still doing his own thing
After a good-but-not-great performance from Justin Herbert (21-of-32, 236 yards, one touchdown, one interception), who was admittedly under heavy pressure, Jim Harbaugh said this about his quarterback: “I think he’s the best there ever was.” That’s a wild statement from anyone else, but in this case, it’s just Harbaugh being Harbaugh. If Herbert can get this team to a Super Bowl despite facing the second-highest pressure rate in the league (42.3 percent), maybe Harbaugh will have a case.
Up next: at Broncos, Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET
12. Baltimore Ravens (8-8)
Last week: 17
Saturday: Beat Packers 41-24
Head coach check-in: Somehow shaky
John Harbaugh is 14th all time in regular-season wins (180) and has a Super Bowl title, but that trophy is fading further and further into the rearview mirror (2012). If the Ravens lose to the Steelers and miss the playoffs for just the second time in Lamar Jackson’s time at quarterback, Harbaugh might be coaching somewhere else in what would be his 19th season in the league.
Up next: at Steelers, Sunday, 8:20 p.m. ET
13. Green Bay Packers (9-6-1)
Last week: 12
Saturday: Lost to Ravens 41-24
Head coach check-in: The Malik Willis whisperer
Matt LaFleur is not the most popular man in Green Bay these days. The Packers have lost three in a row, and a bad loss against the NFC’s No. 2 seed in the playoffs could convince the Packers to make a change. LaFleur can do no wrong in the Willis household, though. Green Bay’s backup quarterback, who not long ago was an NFL afterthought, was 18-of-21 for 288 yards in place of Jordan Love on Saturday. Willis has a 145.5 passer rating, three touchdown passes and no interceptions this season. He has made himself some money somewhere.
Up next: at Vikings, Sunday, 1 p.m. ET
14. Pittsburgh Steelers (9-7)
Last week: 13
Sunday: Lost to Browns 13-6
Head coach check-in: Perpetual aggravation
Mike Tomlin has checked the no-losing-season box for the 19th straight time, but he keeps giving Steelers fans something to be mad about. Sunday, it was an uninspiring loss to Shedeur Sanders and the Browns that cost Pittsburgh a chance to win the division. If the Steelers lose to Baltimore this weekend, they’ll miss the playoffs for the first time in three seasons.
Up next: vs. Ravens, Sunday, 8:20 p.m. ET
Dave Canales has quietly done an excellent job this season with the Panthers, who will win the NFC South with a victory in Week 18. (Bob Donnan / Imagn Images)
15. Carolina Panthers (8-8)
Last week: 14
Sunday: Lost to Seahawks 27-10
Head coach check-in: Starting to get some attention
Dave Canales’ team missed a chance to win the NFC South for the first time since 2015, but it can still take the division with a win over Tampa Bay on Saturday (or with an Atlanta win over New Orleans on Sunday). If the Panthers do that, Canales will have completed one of the most impressive coaching jobs in the league after a 1-3 start.
Up next: at Buccaneers, Saturday, 4:30 p.m. ET
16. Minnesota Vikings (8-8)
Last week: 19
Thursday: Beat Lions 23-10
Head coach check-in: Tied to the QB
Minnesota has won four in a row, restoring the can’t-miss-kid status to Kevin O’Connell that had started to wane after a 4-8 start that saw the Vikings eliminated from the playoffs. Still, O’Connell has ultimately tied his fate to that of quarterback J.J. McCarthy, who missed Thursday’s game with a hand injury and has only started nine games in two years. The results have been mixed (5-4 with an EPA that ranks 52nd among quarterbacks with more than 100 pass attempts in the last two years).
Head coach check-in: Going to have to hear about it
Dan Campbell’s job isn’t in jeopardy despite his team’s elimination from playoff contention. Still, after watching the offense falter in big moments without Ben Johnson and losing three straight down the stretch, Campbell will be asked if he can get Detroit over the hump about 1,000 times this offseason. Averaging 3.6 yards per play and losing to Max Brosmer’s Vikings has consequences.
Up next: at Bears, Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET
Baby, it’s coal-d outside.
With their loss to the Vikings today, the Lions have been eliminated from postseason contention. pic.twitter.com/7dHQNgFgBh
After starting 8-2, Shane Steichen’s Colts have lost six straight and were eliminated from the playoffs over the weekend. Indianapolis is the sixth team of the Super Bowl era to start 8-2 and miss the playoffs. The Colts haven’t won a playoff game since 2018 and have only won one since 2014. Steichen is now a .500 football coach (25-25) with no playoff appearances. Who knows what happens?
Up next: at Texans, Sunday, 1 p.m. ET
19. Atlanta Falcons (7-9)
Last week: 21
Monday: Beat Rams 27-24
Head coach check-in: Trying to hold on
Raheem Morris is trying to save his job down the stretch, and beating a super-talented Rams team on “Monday Night Football” — thanks in part to an unearthly performance from Bijan Robinson — might help. Atlanta has won three straight since being eliminated from playoff contention following a Week 14 loss.
Jerry Jones’ unconventional hiring of Brian Schottenheimer has half-worked — the offensive half. With Schottenheimer calling plays, the Cowboys are fourth in the league in scoring (28.4 ppg). Whoever hired Matt Eberflus to coach the defense, though, might be rethinking that decision. Dallas is last in the league in scoring defense (29.8 ppg allowed). Schottenheimer probably will return, but it can be hard to read Jones.
Up next: at Giants, Sunday, 1 p.m. ET
21. Miami Dolphins (7-9)
Last week: 23
Sunday: Beat Buccaneers 20-17
Head coach check-in: Saving his job somehow
Miami has won five of its last seven, which might save Mike McDaniel’s job. Instead, it looks like the Dolphins will be punting on one-time franchise quarterback Tua Tagovailoa. Seventh-round pick Quinn Ewers won his first NFL game on Sunday, throwing for 172 yards and two touchdowns to beat a Tampa Bay team with everything to play for right now.
Up next: at Patriots, Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET
“I let the game come to me. I already had a game under my belt. I just stayed calm and collected.”
Todd Bowles has won the NFC South in all three seasons he has coached the Buccaneers. If he beats the Panthers this weekend and gets some help from the Saints, he’ll be a perfect 4-for-4, but he’s still on the hot seat. Bowles’ defense is tied for 23rd in scoring (24.8 ppg allowed) and 26th in yards per play allowed (5.7) as Tampa Bay has lost seven of its last eight. This comes after beating the Texans, Seahawks and 49ers in the first six weeks.
Up next: vs. Panthers, Saturday, 4:30 p.m. ET
23. Cincinnati Bengals (6-10)
Last week: 22
Sunday: Beat Cardinals 37-14
Head coach check-in: The one everybody is rooting against
Cincinnati has now missed the playoffs three straight seasons and will have its first losing season since 2020 under Zac Taylor. The Bengals have won two straight, but there are a lot of coaches around the league secretly hoping that doesn’t save Taylor’s job. Why? Because Joe Burrow at quarterback would immediately make this the most attractive opening on the market. Taylor is now 52-62-1 in his seven seasons.
Up next: vs. Browns, Sunday, 1 p.m. ET
Joe Burrow completed all 19 of his passes when not pressured for 203 yards and 3 touchdowns.
Over the last seven seasons, no quarterback has finished with more completions from clean pockets without an incompletion in any game.#AZvsCIN | #WhoDeypic.twitter.com/6y0L56DaM1
Kellen Moore started his first season as a head coach 2-10, but the Saints have won four in a row and could end up finishing third in the NFC South, which would be a win given the state of things in New Orleans. Rookie quarterback Tyler Shough is 10th in the league in EPA per dropback (0.17) during the winning streak, and he threw for 333 yards against Tennessee.
Up next: at Falcons, Sunday, 1 p.m. ET
Despite the team’s struggles this season, expectations will be high for Andy Reid and the Chiefs in 2026. (Denny Medley / Imagn Images)
25. Kansas City Chiefs (6-10)
Last week: 25
Thursday: Lost to Broncos 20-13
Head coach check-in: His Eagles Era?
Andy Reid is fourth all time in regular-season coaching wins (279), and he gets Patrick Mahomes back next year, but this team has a lot of other issues to fix. Reid spent 14 years in Philadelphia before the magic ended there. Next season will be Year 14 in Kansas City. The difference with the Chiefs is that he already has three Super Bowl titles. He only made one Super Bowl appearance with the Eagles.
Up next: at Raiders, Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET
26. Washington Commanders (4-12)
Last week: 26
Thursday: Lost to Cowboys 30-23
Head coach check-in: Still safe
This is Dan Quinn’s eighth season as an NFL head coach — and his worst. The Commanders won’t top five wins, which would be the fewest of any Quinn-coached team in a full season. Thursday was Washington’s 10th loss in its last 11 games, but Jayden Daniels’ season-ending injury and all the leftover goodwill from 2024 mean Quinn is safe.
Up next: at Eagles, Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET
27. Cleveland Browns (4-12)
Last week: 29
Sunday: Beat Steelers 13-6
Head coach check-in: Hard to call
Kevin Stefanski stopped a four-game slide by beating a division rival on Sunday, but it was just his seventh win in two seasons. Yes, there have been extenuating circumstances in Cleveland, but this is Year 6, and Stefanski has only one playoff win and is 44-56 in the regular season. Still, if the Browns move on, Stefanski probably won’t be out of work long.
Up next: at Bengals, Sunday, 1 p.m. ET
28. Arizona Cardinals (3-13)
Last week: 27
Sunday: Lost to Bengals 37-14
Head coach check-in: An expected opening
The Cardinals didn’t play like a team very interested in saving Jonathan Gannon’s job Sunday. During Arizona’s eight-game losing streak, it has a minus-125 point margin, which is the worst in the league. For the season, only the Titans, Jets and Raiders have a worse point margin, and Gannon is 15-35 in his three years in the desert.
Up next: at Rams, Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET
29. Tennessee Titans (3-13)
Last week: 28
Sunday: Lost to Saints 34-26
Head coach check-in: Keeping the seat warm
Veteran Mike McCoy has been holding down the fort since the Titans fired Brian Callahan following Week 6. McCoy was never really a serious candidate for the job, and going 2-8 certainly didn’t change that fact. Expect Tennessee to move as soon as the season is complete.
Interim head coach Mike Kafka hasn’t done enough to take off the interim tag. Even his first NFL win on Sunday wasn’t great. It likely cost the Giants — and their next head coach — the No. 1 overall pick. If it does, it will be the second time in the last two seasons New York has won in Week 17 to fall out of range for the No. 1 pick. General manager Joe Schoen could be out, too.
Up next: vs. Cowboys, Sunday, 1 p.m. ET
31. New York Jets (3-13)
Last week: 30
Sunday: Lost to Patriots 42-10
Head coach check-in: Trending poorly
It would be rash to fire Aaron Glenn after one season, but (A.) this is the Jets, and (B.) this one season has been terrible. The Jets have lost six of their last seven and were uncompetitive from start to finish Sunday as the Patriots swept the floor with them. New York has lost four straight games by at least 23 points, and its point differential in December (minus-107) is the worst in the NFL in at least 25 years.
Up next: at Bills, Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET
32. Las Vegas Raiders (2-14)
Last week: 32
Sunday: Lost to Giants 34-10
Head coach check-in: Back to school?
The Raiders’ Week 1 win over New England might go down as the most inexplicable result of the season. Las Vegas is 1-13 since, and Pete Carroll may not be the oldest coach in the NFL much longer. At least Carroll understood the assignment. The Raiders put Maxx Crosby on IR against his will last week and then needed only 2 hours, 49 minutes to lose to the Giants, likely securing the top pick.
