NFL Power Rankings Post-Super Bowl: Nick Sirianni is officially the Eagles’ Ryan Day
The Philadelphia Eagles came, saw, and hoo boy, did they conquer.
Sunday's Super Bowl matchup with Patrick Mahomes' Kansas City Chiefs was never all that close. When Mahomes had the ball, Vic Fangio's defense bullied him relentlessly. When the Eagles were on offense, the electric Jalen Hurts more or less did whatever he wanted against an overmatched Kansas City defense. From start to finish, this was one of the more uncompetitive Super Bowls we've ever seen.
It also created the room for a juicy narrative: Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni may as well officially be the NFL version of Ohio State's Ryan Day.
All season long, Sirianni was decried as someone out of his wits, a person who couldn't possibly maximize the immense talent on the Eagles' roster while they romped their way to a stellar regular season. The same was said of Day, even as the Buckeyes won 10 games and clinched a spot in the College Football Playoff. Then, both coaches put on a leadership masterclass, guiding their respective teams through decisive postseason romps en route to the first championships of their coaching careers.
The resemblance is uncanny, and I can't quite shake the feeling of having already experienced this.
Congratulations to Sirianni and Day. They managed to give me a case of football déjà vu.
A chaotic 2025 NFL offseason awaits us. Here's where the entire league ranks after the Eagles' Super Bowl win, according to For The Win.
32. Cleveland Browns
End of 2024 regular season rank: 29
Deshaun Watson, formerly accused of more than 20 counts of sexual misconduct BEFORE signing a fully guaranteed contract extension in Cleveland, will likely miss the 2025 season after reaggravating the Achilles injury that ended his 2024 season. This may be a plus for the Browns as long as they can find a better quarterback option than Jameis Winston or Dorian Thompson-Robinson. But that would take away a key avenue to repair a lineup filled with holes. This team is an estimated $30 million over the upcoming salary cap. -- Christian D'Andrea
31. New York Giants
End of 2024 regular season rank: 31
The Giants kept the bumbling general manager who extended Daniel Jones AND let a potential Hall of Fame running back walk to a rival. Call me crazy, but I don't really believe in Big Blue's future, regardless of who it drafts or signs this offseason. -- Robert Zeglinski
30. Tennessee Titans
End of 2024 regular season rank: 32
The Patriots' inability to tank correctly was a gift to Tennessee -- perhaps an early thank-you for freeing up Mike Vrabel to move north. Either way, it clears the Titans to replace Will Levis with Cam Ward or Shedeur Sanders. That leaves the rest of the offseason to upgrade the blocking and receiving corps to help whoever is slinging passes thrive in 2025. -- CD
29. Las Vegas Raiders
End of 2024 regular season rank: 27
Pete Carroll is ready to turn the Silver and Black into a consistent winner. At 73 years old. Good for him? Goodness, we really need to find more hobbies for people. -- RZ
28. New York Jets
End of 2024 regular season rank: 26
The Jets have a major question mark at quarterback. Fortunately, Aaron Rodgers is a true professional and surely won't jerk the team around in regard to his future plans. And, surely, the organization isn't being run by an owner who uses Madden ratings to gauge trades and leaves personnel decisions in the hands of his teenage trust fund babies … right? -- CD
27. Jacksonville Jaguars
End of 2024 regular season rank: 28
By no means am I defending Liam Coen's strange press conference that made him seem like an automaton trying to resemble a relatable human being. But let's not put too much stock into opening pressers. Plenty of weird Football Guys have made awkward first impressions only to turn out as great coaches. Nick Sirianni just coached his second Super Bowl in three years! Dan Campbell turned the Detroit Lions into a powerhouse! These things mean nothing, people. -- RZ
26. New England Patriots
End of 2024 regular season rank: 30
Drake Maye is a Pro Bowler. Please do not look up what that actually means in 2025 or who the Patriots' last Pro Bowl quarterback was. Either way, he's the future in New England. With the league's most salary cap space and a top-five draft pick, the bones are in place for a quick turnaround. Can Mike Vrabel harness that energy into an unexpected playoff run? -- CD
25. Carolina Panthers
End of 2024 regular season rank: 23
Carolina finished with a 4-5 record in its final nine games, which qualifies as a heater in the David Tepper era in Charlotte. Bryce Young showed vital growth as the season wore on, bolstering head coach Dave Canales's bona fides as a quarterback whisperer. He'll need more blocking help and another high-value target or two to reach his potential as a Panther. -- CD
24. New Orleans Saints
End of 2024 regular season rank: 24
No one wants to coach the Saints. Except for Mike McCarthy, who didn’t want to keep waiting for his chance to lie about how he’s watched every single snap of Derek Carr’s career when, in reality, he was probably binge-watching Yellowstone. That should tell you something about the state of affairs in New Orleans. -- RZ
23. Indianapolis Colts
End of 2024 regular season rank: 21
We're entering Year 3 of the Anthony Richardson era. Will he finally maximize his absurd natural talent? Or will Shane Steichen continue taking no blame for Indy's failures while GM Chris Ballard sits idly by watching Richardson leave another pass in the dirt in front of a receiver's feet? All is well in Indianapolis, clearly. -- RZ
22. Dallas Cowboys
End of 2024 regular season rank: 20
So, Brian Schottenheimer, huh? That's certainly one of the coaches Dallas could have hired. Each year Jerry Jones dares his boss to fire him, only to report to an out-of-touch octogenarian decades removed from football success. -- CD
21. Chicago Bears
End of 2024 regular season rank: 25
Ben Johnson is the coach who was promised to Caleb Al-Gaib. Ah, crap. Am I mixing up my hackneyed pop culture references? Whatever. The Bears have finally hired a hotshot offensive mind to pair with a generational talent quarterback. His supporting coaching staff looks pretty darn good, too. If all seems too hunky-dory in Chicago right now, don't worry. The ceiling will probably cave in soon enough. Well, unless the Bears address their woeful offensive line for once. -- RZ
20. Atlanta Falcons
End of 2024 regular season rank: 18
Michael Penix Jr. has the arm and processing to make tough downfield throws look easy. He's got a stellar young core of playmakers (and Kyle Pitts). Can Atlanta build a winner around him by upgrading its defense? Or will the specter of Kirk Cousins's contract be juuuust enough of a hindrance to keep the Falcons from the top of the NFC South? -- CD
19. Pittsburgh Steelers
End of 2024 regular season rank: 12
Art Rooney II wants the Steelers to bring back one of Russell Wilson or Justin Fields. Not that the Steelers have many other options. So here's what's gonna happen in 2025. Pittsburgh will win 9-10 games again. Mike Tomlin will be praised for keeping an overachieving roster above water. Then it'll get pasted against the first real team it faces in the playoffs. Rinse and repeat. -- RZ
18. Seattle Seahawks
End of 2024 regular season rank: 15
Mike Macdonald proved he can handle himself as a head coach by steadily building up the Seahawks' defense as 2024 rolled on. Getting more out of his offense will be the key to a 2025 playoff breakthrough. Can Geno Smith rise back to his 2022 peak at age 34? Will new additions bolster the receiving corps? (Quietly) … will DK Metcalf wind up on the trading block? -- CD
17. Arizona Cardinals
End of 2024 regular season rank: 17
A downslide to end the season aside, the arrow is pointing up in Arizona. Kyler Murray showed flashes of his Pro Bowl-caliber self again. A cobbled-together defense showed more cohesion than expected. And 2024 will probably be the worst Marvin Harrison Jr. ever is. Jonathan Gannon's rebuild is going according to plan. Now it's time to start winning. -- RZ
16. Miami Dolphins
End of 2024 regular season rank: 22
Tua Tagovailoa's injury derailed Miami's destiny of another one-and-done playoff appearance. Now Tyreek Hill is unhappy, and every sentence you write, speak, or think about Tagovailoa seems to come with the disclaimer he needs to put his health first. But the defense played like a top-10 unit, and potential remains here, even if it's all a bit sloppy. -- CD
15. San Francisco 49ers
End of 2024 regular season rank: 19
Let's call 2024 a mulligan for the 49ers. After playing in four NFC title games in five seasons, it appeared as if lingering fatigue played a major role in San Fran's demise. By the end of the year, seemingly every important 49ers player was dealing with a notable injury. From Brock Purdy to Trent Williams to Christian McCaffrey, who essentially lost a season of his career to a sore Achilles. At full strength, the 49ers remain a Super Bowl contender. We'll see whether the football gods smile upon them enough to return to that status. -- RZ
14. Houston Texans
End of 2024 regular season rank: 16
Bobby Slowik went from "high-flying assistant in line for a head coach gig" to "fired" in 13 months as Houston's offensive coordinator. The next man up has to work on revitalizing C.J. Stroud and fixing the blocking issues that helped curtail his downfield passing in 2024. Even if he struggles again, a rising young defense and their spot in the AFC South suggests the Texans will get a chance to play in a Saturday afternoon wild card game again next winter. -- CD
13. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
End of 2024 regular season rank: 11
Losing Liam Coen the way they did had to be a tough pill to swallow for the Buccaneers. His innovative offensive scheme -- with plenty of built-in "easy buttons" -- helped turn Baker Mayfield into a veritable MVP candidate. One thing is clear. Whomever Tampa Bay picks to lead its offense next is integral to its stranglehold over the fledgling NFC South. -- RZ
12. Denver Broncos
End of 2024 regular season rank: 13
The Broncos had the NFL's No. 1 defense for good portions of the 2024 regular season. Despite uneven tests trying to challenge defenses downfield, Bo Nix played above expectations. The next step for Denver is adding worthwhile playmakers to Nix's cupboard and having him run a more advanced offense as a result. The Broncos feel like they're on the precipice of becoming an AFC superpower for a good reason. -- RZ
11. Minnesota Vikings
End of 2024 regular season rank: 5
The 2024 defense was a shaken hornet's nest tossed into a communal shower. But that unit could lose more than half its starters to free agency or retirement, depleting the safety net beneath J.J. McCarthy (or Sam Darnold, who knows?). Minnesota was already stuck in the phantom zone between good and great and stands to get weaker in 2025 without some crafty decision-making. Fortunately, general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah has done well enough to earn the benefit of the doubt. -- CD
10. Cincinnati Bengals
End of 2024 regular season rank: 14
What's going to happen with Tee Higgins? More importantly, what's going to happen to a bad defense that could get even worse after firing veteran coordinator Lou Anarumo? The Bengals wasted a Defensive Player of the Year-caliber season from Trey Hendrickson, thanks to the lack of playmakers around him. Joe Burrow could throw for 6,000 yards next season, but if Cincinnati can't stop anyone, it'll all be for naught. Or a divisional round washout. -- CD
9. Los Angeles Chargers
End of 2024 regular season rank: 9
Year one of the Jim Harbaugh experience was a success. A depleted roster rose up behind an occasionally dominant defense and claimed a playoff spot. Year two will be predicated on adding more arrows to Justin Herbert's quiver in the form of playmaking talent. Ladd McConkey was a rookie revelation, and Quentin Johnston showed some of the potential that made him a former first-round pick, but the Chargers' passing game needs more. -- CD
8. Green Bay Packers
End of 2024 regular season rank: 8
At a certain point, the Packers may have to face the music about Jordan Love. No, they probably don't have a third consecutive Hall of Famer under center. But yes, flawed as Love is, he might be good enough to win a championship … in the right situation. However, in 2024, that manifested in basically no notable wins over good competition. This is not a sustainable long-term mix for Matt LaFleur's Green Bay operation, where wild-card playoff defeats are unacceptable. -- RZ
7. Washington Commanders
End of 2024 regular season rank: 7
The Commanders gutted their defense in order to bottom out enough expressly so they could draft someone like Jayden Daniels. The bright young quarterback ended up taking a flawed roster to the NFC Championship Game anyway. As long as Washington takes the right building steps this offseason, the 2024 season might be the worst the Daniels-led team will be for a long time. -- RZ
6. Los Angeles Rams
End of 2024 regular season rank: 10
Matthew Stafford is 37 years old but hasn't yet lost his fastball. General manager Les Snead has gone from selling off draft picks to acing them. Los Angeles may be approaching last dance territory, but the talent is there for another extended playoff run -- so long as the offensive line holds up. -- CD
5. Baltimore Ravens
End of 2024 regular season rank: 6
Aside from standout left tackle Ronnie Stanley, virtually every important Raven is under contract for the foreseeable future. Lamar Jackson remains a top-three quarterback in the game. And few coaches have a pulse on their team quite like John Harbaugh. The Ravens are going to run it back. They're going to win 12-14 games again. Maybe this time, the ball will bounce their way. It's not a bad plan at all. -- RZ
4. Buffalo Bills
End of 2024 regular season rank: 2
It's reasonable to feel badly for Josh Allen, who may be stuck as the Charles Barkley to Patrick Mahomes' Michael Jordan for the foreseeable future. But Buffalo shucked off any concerns about a low-key rebuild and thrived after losing veteran starters last offseason. Adjustments need to be made in the secondary, and another dynamic pass-catcher wouldn't hurt, but the Bills should be back in the AFC title game (at least) next January. -- CD
3. Detroit Lions
End of 2024 regular season rank: 1
The Lions lost both their offensive and defensive coordinator. This, after losing in the divisional round following a 15-win campaign. But Detroit still has one of the NFL's premier rosters. And the next time around, it'll be tough for the injury bug to actually hit it any harder. If Dan Campbell can find great coordinators to empower once, surely his judgment has earned some faith to do it again. The Lions aren't losing their perch among the league's elite any time soon. -- RZ
2. Kansas City Chiefs
End of 2024 regular season rank: 3
In the end, the Chiefs' insistence on playing with fire for five months came back to bite them at the worst time. Their fifth Super Bowl appearance in six years more closely resembled their other loss in the Big Game, where the Tampa Bay Buccaneers planted Patrick Mahomes in the turf over and over in Super Bowl 55. That's what the Philadelphia Eagles did in Super Bowl 59, inciting arguably the worst performance of the all-time great's career. The Chiefs aren't going anywhere. They will be a prime Super Bowl contender as long as Mahomes is their quarterback. But it's time to go back to the drawing board. -- RZ
1. Philadelphia Eagles
End of 2024 regular season rank: 4
The Eagles were not the NFL's best regular season team this year. That honor belonged to the Chiefs and Lions in both respective conferences. They did not have the best quarterback. That honor belonged to either Josh Allen or Lamar Jackson -- this season's top-two MVP candidates. But they did have the best offensive and defensive line. And in Saquon Barkley, the best running back. When push came to shove, they peaked at the right time when everyone else didn't and bullied their way to a Super Bowl title. All of that is what matters most.
With the way the Eagles' roster is built, you'd be hard-pressed to deny the possibility of a repeat next February, too. -- RZ
This article originally appeared on For The Win: NFL Power Rankings Post-Super Bowl: Nick Sirianni is officially the Eagles’ Ryan Day