We all know that the NFL is an offensively driven league, so why not get a feel for where things sit on that side of the ball?
PFSN’s offensive rankings combine statistics such as yards per play, points per drive, turnover percentage, success rate against the run and pass, third-down conversion rate, red-zone efficiency, pressure percentage when not blitzing, and various expected points added (EPA) measures against both the run and pass. These are then weighted accordingly to produce our rankings for each season.
Each team will be given a numerical score that we convert to a traditional letter grade. While some teams may share a letter grade, the order below is presented in order. That’s to say that not all “B” grades are exactly the same — those teams reside in the same tier, but the order in which they are listed serves as an indicator as to who sits atop that specific tier.
1) Detroit Lions
Jared Goff and the Detroit Lions posted the third-best Offense+ grade (96.2) in our database that tracks back until 2019, trailing only the 2019 Baltimore Ravens and 2020 Green Bay Packers.
The standout season was to be expected (three consecutive top-five grades in this system) and should continue to be moving forward, as this is the gold standard when it comes to blending talent with aggression.
2) Baltimore Ravens
What the Ravens did in the second year under Todd Monken gets brushed aside a bit due to what the Lions accomplished and Baltimore’s lack of postseason success. But they are coming off of the sixth-best season on file and improved their grade by 12.9 points from 2023.
The sky is the limit for an offense that has yet to boast an alpha WR1 (T-30th in receptions by the position last year) and is promising big things from the underused Isaiah Likely in the season ahead.
3) Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Baker Mayfield posted his best Offense+ grade (92.2) ever to earn the Tampa Bay Buccaneers a third-place finish for the season, something that speaks to the depth of the talent in this league. In fact, that was a top-10 score in our database as a whole and a mere 0.9 points behind their 2021 showing, when Tom Brady and Co. led the NFL that season.
Just a year ago, Tampa Bay was coming off a season in which it ranked 22nd in this metric. If you need context, that was behind the juggernaut known as the Las Vegas Raiders. Life comes at you fast in the NFL, and there are no signs of last year’s success being a fluke.
In fact, one could argue that, given Bucky Irving’s sparkling advanced profile as a rookie, the Bucs have more room for improvement than the other handful of teams in this top tier.
4) Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills of the early 1990s were always representing the AFC in The Big Game and now, in the 2020s, they are the standard when it comes to Offense+. Josh Allen and company have ranked as a top-eight unit in each of the past five seasons, a run that includes three straight finishes inside the top five.
Buffalo’s offense may not be perfect, and a Lombardi Trophy has yet to come its way, but when it comes to stability, no organization has done it better on this side of the ball.
5) Arizona Cardinals
In a league that wants points on the board, grading out well in Offense+ typically is tied to victories, but the Arizona Cardinals were an exception last season.
From a results perspective, Arizona’s fans deserved more, given the potency of its offense. It seems more likely that the Cardinals will take a step forward on that side of the ball than a step back as Marvin Harrison Jr. looks to live up to the lofty expectations that he only flirted with a season ago.
6) Washington Commanders
I don’t want to overstep boundaries, but in the same way some religions have marked times of significant change, this Washington Commanders franchise might see this decade measured in B.D. and A.D.
The Before Jayden Daniels era was grim, posting underwhelming Offense+ grades of 69.0, 65.9, and 64.7 from 2021-23, but all of that changed with the explosive QB at the controls (2024: 86.6).
As he develops consistency and Washington embraces a win-now philosophy that seemed like a pipe dream 12 months ago, there’s room for the Commanders to sustain their rapid improvement and flirt with the top spot in these rankings.
7) Cincinnati Bengals
Much like the Cardinals, the Cincinnati Bengals deserved much more in the way of results last season if you only look at how their offense graded out.
Joe Burrow has his top two receivers back in the mix, a route-running tight end, and a running back whose best days are ahead of him. It’s safe to assume that this high-flying act will be lighting up scoreboards this season, giving the defense every chance to help them get back to the postseason.
8) Green Bay Packers
That’s consecutive eighth-place finishes for the Packers after checking in as the 10th-best unit in 2022.
This isn’t the dominant offense of the Aaron Rodgers days, but it’s clear that Jordan Love is more than capable of leading Green Bay up and down the field, a necessity given the division in which they play.
9) San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers were the league’s best offense in this metric back in 2023, but injuries derailed some of what they wanted to do in 2024. Gone is Deebo Samuel Sr., but this remains a Kyle Shanahan-led offense with plenty of depth and now a well-compensated quarterback who may take on more responsibilities when it comes to winning ball games as opposed to not losing them.
Don’t sleep on San Francisco after a down year.
10) Atlanta Falcons
For the Atlanta Falcons to sneak into the top 10 in a year that featured the demise of Kirk Cousins and the insertion of a rookie at the worst possible time was amazing. Bijan Robinson is as gifted as any running back in the game today, and Drake London has established himself as a legitimate top threat in an above-average passing attack.
Of course, Atlanta’s 2025 grade will hinge on the development of Michael Penix Jr., but given how much this team has invested on the offense over the past half-decade, it stands to reason that this could be viewed as a floor ranking, with the median being a few slots higher.
11) Los Angeles Rams
Matthew Stafford’s decision to return gives the Los Angeles Rams hope of a third straight top-12 finish after bottoming out in the first season sans Kevin O’Connell (2022 ranking: 25th). Cooper Kupp has been replaced by Davante Adams, and that’s probably an upgrade given what we saw from the former down the stretch last season, but this passing game revolves around Puka Nacua.
The 24-year-old out of BYU has racked up 2,476 yards in his 28 NFL games and was last seen earning 14 targets in a playoff game against the eventual Super Bowl champions. If Nacua can etch his name into the top tier at the position (Adams has been there and should serve as a nice mentor), asking Stafford to pile up the yards for yet another season isn’t crazy.
And with the balance provided by a deep RB room, a top-10 finish is certainly in play.
12) Kansas City Chiefs
Remember having group projects in school where one member would seem wildly unprepared during the class time allotted for the assignment, only to show up and crush the final presentation?
QBKelce 😏
📺: #PITvsKC on NBC pic.twitter.com/XopfGwXyMM
— Kansas City Chiefs (@Chiefs) January 17, 2022
The Kansas City Chiefs were a top-five unit for four straight years (2019-22), but have developed into a “it’s not if, but when” we peak sort of team. They are the opposite of the Bills/Ravens; we will trust them to get it together at the right time until they don’t.
The odds of Kansas City finishing much higher than this don’t seem too likely (an explosive Rashee Rice season could change some things), but that’s more because they don’t have the desire to, not because its ceiling is any different than some of the names sitting atop this list.
13) Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings got a standout season from current Seattle Seahawks QB Sam Darnold, and our job entering 2025 will be determining how much that change under center impacts the bottom line.
Last season, in terms of Offense+, was O’Connell’s best as the man in Minnesota. But it’s not as if he hasn’t had success at the professional level before (Rams were the sixth-best unit in 2021).
Only time will tell if J.J. McCarthy is ready to keep this efficient offense on track, but all signs point to this being a good spot for his introduction to the NFL. From supporting cast to an advantageous system, we are bullish on his ability to impress from the jump, and that keeps Minnesota ranked as an above-average offense in a division that will require aggression on that side of the ball.
14) Philadelphia Eagles
After consecutive years finishing inside of the top 10 in our metric, the Philadelphia Eagles took a minor step backwards … and won the Super Bowl. This is a loaded roster that is capable of moving up a handful of spots if they want to, but their style limits their ceiling.
The explosive days may not be there as often as fantasy football managers would like, but with an elite floor, it’s hard to imagine this team falling any lower than this in 2025.
15) Miami Dolphins
Tyreek Hill is saying the right things at this moment in time, and Tua Tagovailoa is healthy. De’Von Achane holds as much upside at the RB position as anyone in the sport, and Jaylen Waddle remains a very talented secondary receiver.
At full strength, this team is capable of finishing 10 spots higher than this (they were our second-best offense in 2023). You have to build in some risk, but with the AFC East offensive landscape profiling as more dangerous this season than last, Miami will have to prioritize this side of the ball in 2025.
16) Denver Broncos
In Year 1 of the Sean Payton/Bo Nix marriage, the Denver Broncos’ Offense+ ranking moved up seven spots and improved their numerical grade by 10.8 points.
The Ravens were potent in Year 1 under Todd Monken and elite in Year 2 — could the Broncos follow that trajectory?
It’s not likely, but it’s within the range of outcomes. With some plus-matchups after Thanksgiving, Denver could peak at the right time and build on what was a surprisingly positive 2024.
17) Los Angeles Chargers
Justin Herbert continues to feel like a franchise quarterback, and Jim Harbaugh appears to have a picture of what he wants this team to look like.
Sadly, that image might not be the most advantageous when it comes to Offense+ grading (their 17th ranking last season wasn’t much different than the back-to-back 20th-place finishes prior). Nevertheless, there is more talent in this depth chart than years past, and that could push the Los Angeles Chargers into the top third of the NFL, even if the scheme is conservative.
18) Jacksonville Jaguars
The excuses are gone. Travis Hunter is being inserted as an offensive weapon, and Liam Coen was brought in to maximize the potential of the Jacksonville Jaguars offense.
The time is now. Under Trevor Lawrence, the Jags have Offense+ finishes of 26th, eighth, 14th, and 18th (last season), production that doesn’t match the hype he entered the league with.
This roster has top-12 upside, and if that’s not addressed over the next six months, significant questions will be asked about the trajectory of this team. (Lawrence has this season and another three on his extension before a potential out ahead of the 2029 season.)
19) New York Jets
Rodgers wasn’t what the New York Jets had hoped. New York reached double-digit defeats for a fifth consecutive season and was outscored by 66 points. Not great, but the Jets’ 19th finish in Offense+ was their first better than 27th since 2019. So … good for them?
Justin Fields brings a different dynamic to this unit, and a strong defense allows this offense to learn on the fly a bit. This team doesn’t need a top-10 offense to flirt with the postseason, but moving up a handful of spots will be required if they want to snap this decade-long run of disappointment.
20) Seattle Seahawks
Last season was Seattle’s worst Offense+ showing, relative to the league, that we have on file, even with overall production that was a near clone of what they put on paper in 2023. In this era, if you’re not moving forward on the offensive end, you’re moving backwards, and that was the case for the Seahawks under Geno Smith.
Now, they welcome Sam Darnold and hope that he and Jaxon Smith-Njigba can take this unit to new heights. The depth on offense is questionable (Kupp is their WR2, a role he didn’t look capable of filling for an extended period of time last season), and that has us tepid when projecting Seattle’s future. Yet, the high-end talent is in place, and in a star-driven league, that gives the Seahawks the potential to finish better than the NFL average.
21) Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts are facing quarterback question marks, making it difficult to project them to snap a string of three straight seasons finishing 16th or worse in this metric.
There’s some nice depth on Indianapolis’ roster, creating a wide range of outcomes. For example, if Anthony Richardson capitalizes on his raw skills, moving up half a dozen spots in these rankings is certainly possible. But continued struggles could result in a bottom-10 season.
We are not comfortable asking Daniel Jones to take over this unit and lead them to an above-league-average finish.
22) New Orleans Saints
We saw the New Orleans Saints rank as our 10th-best offense in 2023 and start the 2024 campaign on a historic pace. Now, less than 12 months later, they are a franchise without much direction following Derek Carr’s retirement.
Tyler Shough is a developmental project who Alvin Kamara will flank in his age-30 season. The receiving corpse is young and talented, so maybe this bottoming out doesn’t last long, but it’s hard to express much in the way of optimism for 2025.
23) Dallas Cowboys
Dak Prescott’s injury last season derailed things, slotting them into a bottom-10 ranking after back-to-back-to-back top-seven grades. The offensive line isn’t the powerhouse it used to be, but the addition of George Pickens gives the Dallas Cowboys the chance to be potent through the air. Meanwhile, a committee backfield should provide them with enough balance to keep defenses honest.
We aren’t ready to call for a full rebound, but ranking in the middle third of the NFL is likely, and a top-10 grade isn’t out of the question.
24) Carolina Panthers
The Carolina Panthers improved from our 30th-ranked offense to 24th a season ago — Bryce Young’s late-season surge being the primary reason. We are reminded annually that not all growth is linear, so his strong play should be viewed as a great sign rather than a slow progression.
Carolina brought in Tetairoa McMillan via the draft, giving them a nice young group of pass catchers who can grow alongside Young. This is far from a bullet-proof strategy, but we’ve seen plenty of offenses come of age as a collective (the Bengals being a recent example), and that upside has to be factored in when projecting the Panthers for 2025 and beyond.
25) Pittsburgh Steelers
With Rodgers officially in town, given how he rounded out last season, there’s a world in which he turns DK Metcalf into a version of Davante Adams and the Jaylen Warren/Kaleb Johnson backfield committee produces in a unique way. Pittsburgh hasn’t graded out as an above-average offense a single time during our tacking era, and right now, that slump figures to be extended – check back in with us in the middle of August.
26) New England Patriots
Expectations are being heaped upon the New England Patriots due to the promise of Drake Maye and the growth we’ve seen in Year 2 for these franchise quarterbacks. We are cautiously optimistic about this franchise’s trajectory, but we would like to see more in the way of support/investment around him.
TreVeyon Henderson and Kyle Williams were added in the draft, two pieces that project to be a bigger part of the long-term picture than the 2025 snapshot. The Patriots moved from 29th to 26th in our rankings last season and are a good bet to take another small step forward. However, we’d be careful in assuming that New England flies to, or even past, league average.
27) Houston Texans
In 2023, the Houston Texans were the hot offense to buy stock in. Rookie C.J. Stroud led them to the 15th-best unit by our math, and the outlook for 2024 was nothing but rosy with Tank Dell projecting to take the next step and Stefon Diggs coming to town.
Houston graded out better than Arizona that season, yet they were 22 spots worse than the Cardinals just 12 months later. It would appear that a franchise QB is beneath the surface, and a healthy Nico Collins would go a long way toward him returning to that “future of the position” conversation.
Christian Kirk was brought in from Jacksonville, and Jaylin Noel was taken No. 79 overall in the 2025 NFL Draft. If you’re going to buy low on Houston’s offense, now is the time.
28) Tennessee Titans
In 2020, the Tennessee Titans produced the third-best offense — not for the season but for our six-year records. To say they’ve been able to sustain that is undershooting what has happened; they haven’t ranked better than 26th in three consecutive seasons.
We learned it again last season that a dynamic quarterback can flip the offensive fortunes in a hurry, and the Titans are hoping that’s the case with top overall pick Cam Ward.
Ward doesn’t profile as the type of versatile threat that Jayden Daniels was last year, nor does he have that level of support in skill-position players. Ward might be the man to lead Tennessee’s rebuild, but counting on him to get this team into the middle third of these rankings in 2025 isn’t wise.
29) Las Vegas Raiders
The Las Vegas Raiders have gotten a little bit of subtle steam this offseason, but we really have no evidence that they are trending in the right direction. In fact, the opposite is true, and while they’ve added talent on offense, I need to see growth before assuming them.
Offense+ Grades
- B in 2020
- C in 2021 and 2022
- D+ in 2023
- D in 2024
30) Chicago Bears
Patience requires time. It sounds silly, but many fan bases (and coaching staffs, for that matter) don’t mind being patient as long as there is enough growth to sell to their superiors.
The Chicago Bears posted a 64.0 Offense+ grade last season, their fourth straight sub-65 season. But Caleb Williams looked the part at moments last season, and the franchise is clearly committed to building around him.
The Bears may not have the results to sell their fan base on the strides they are taking, and the overall offensive metrics are also lagging. Yet, not all poor grades are created equal, and Chicago isn’t in the same tier as the following two squads.
31) New York Giants
It would seem that rock bottom has already occurred for the New York Giants (bottom-two grade in three of the past four seasons). They aren’t loaded with immediate potential, but skill players like Tyrone Tracy Jr. and Malik Nabers showed enough to have us encouraged about the future.
Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston are place-holders at the QB position. How the 25th pick in Jaxson Dart develops will go a long way toward determining how effective this rebuild will be. In a perfect world, he gets live reps in a low-risk environment this season and is positioned to enter the 2026 season as New York’s unquestioned QB1.
32) Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns have been lost at the QB position, and while they now have options to explore in that regard, they’ve done little to demand our confidence in the development world. Jerry Jeudy is a real player, but outside of him, we are left with question marks or rookies — a tough way to win in this era of precision and consistency.
Cleveland was our 18th-ranked offense in 2022, 27th in 2023, and dead last in 2024. Things can’t get worse in 2025, but “can’t get worse” and “get better in a meaningful way” are not near the same thing.
