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What is the best team in the NFL? The 2024 NFL regular season has drawn to a close and the NFL playoffs are set with a 14-team battle to win the Lombardi Trophy. From here on out, we settle it on the field.

The regular season is complete, and here's how the league stacks up. For this wild-card edition of the power rankings, we've stacked the 14 playoff teams for the weekend. And don't fret. If you don't like where your team is slotted in the playoff pecking order, your team can sort that out on the field starting Saturday.

1. Detroit Lions

Week 14 in the NFL had a lot of big matchups, and many featured either a lot of scoring or tense, close finishes. Some gave us both. That's what you get when the December stretch run arrives and that pre-playoff feel is in the air.

For the first time this season, there is a debate about which team should be No. 1 in our NFL power rankings.

The Kansas Chiefs have occupied the top spot in our rankings all season, thanks to their 9-0 start, but their 31-20 loss to the Buffalo Bills has opened talk about the top spot.

Should the 9-1 Chiefs, who are tied for the best record in the NFL and have won two straight Super Bowls maintain their No. 1 spot?

Or should the 9-1 Detroit Lions, who have won eight straight games, be the No. 1 ranked team this week?

The 2024 NFL season is halfway over. Nine weeks are in the books. Nine weeks remain. And Week 9 featured no shortage of games that had a major impact on the league's playoff races.