The confetti from Super Bowl LIX had barely floated to the ground before the demand to get a jump on the future began.
The Philadelphia Eagles dominated the Kansas City Chiefs in a way that only became obvious in hindsight, which is to say that few if any could have predicted Sunday’s blowout.
That means there will be copycats and demands for immediate lessons learned as other NFL teams that fancy themselves contenders in 2025 prepare for the scouting combine, then free agency, then the draft, then the chance to do 17 games all over again.
In a story posted minutes after the 40-22 score went final, ESPN breathlessly declared: It’s never too early to kick off our 2025 NFL Power Rankings.
The site curiously installed Kansas City at the top of those power rankings, perhaps forgetting to make some last-minute edits while the Chiefs failed to make it past midfield and the Eagles' lead swelled to 34-0. Sure, don’t judge a season on one game. But ESPN’s own data-based evidence suggests the Chiefs weren’t even one of the five best teams in the NFL this year, let alone next.
All 32 NFL teams had their offseason priorities described in three words in addition to being ranked. It’s hard to quibble with the taut description of the Vikings to “sign free agents,” nor is it unreasonable to suggest (as Patrick Reusse and I did on Monday’s Daily Delivery podcast) beefing up the interior of the offensive and defensive lines to more closely emulate the dominant Eagles.
But I would amend the Vikings' offseason plan to this, if again I was constrained to three words: “Don’t be fooled.”
Before looking at power rankings — always subjective, seldom memorable, usually harmless fun — I like to guess where Minnesota teams are going to be slotted in. My hunch was right on the nose in this case, as ESPN and I both think of the Vikings as the 10th-best team right now heading into next season.
