Which NFL Teams Lead the Most? Bills, Ravens, Chiefs Ahead of the Rest

Leads, deficits, and ties might feel like fleeting snapshots in an NFL broadcast, but over time they paint a fuller picture of a team’s identity.

Is a franchise accustomed to dictating games from ahead, forever putting opponents on the back foot? Or are they perpetually clawing back, hanging around in that “one-score game” danger zone where heartbreak feels inevitable?

By slicing a quarter-century of game-state data into neat blocks of five, 10, and 25 years, we can see which teams have lived in the driver’s seat the longest, and which have been stuck in the slow lane. Some of the names at the top confirm what we already know about sustained excellence: Dynastic teams spend more of their Sundays ahead on the scoreboard.

But the surprises are just as juicy. The NFL’s parity machine spits out close games and short dynasties, yet certain clubs keep punching above their weight, while others have been locked in long cycles of playing catch-up.

Whether you’re a fan, bettor, or both, this breakdown shows which brands of football are built on comfort versus chaos.

Key Takeaways

• 📈 The Bills, Chiefs, and Ravens have spent the highest share of the last 25 years in the lead – a modern powerhouse trio.

• 🏆 Over the last 10 years, Kansas City’s dominance is undeniable: more than half of game time spent ahead.

• 📉 The Jets, Giants, and Jaguars anchor the trailing column across eras, consistently stuck in uphill battles.

• 🔄 The Patriots swing wildly: dynasty-level control over 25 years, but middle-of-the-pack since Brady left.

• ⚡ A cluster of “close-game” franchises (Chargers, Seahawks, Bengals) shine in tie percentages, living in nail-biters.

NFL Teams Leading/Trailing/Tied, 2020-2024

Team	Leading %	Trailing %	Tied %
Buffalo Bills	55.95	24.33	19.72
Kansas City Chiefs	54.3	26.95	18.76
Baltimore Ravens	53.64	25.39	20.97
San Francisco 49ers	51.99	30.38	17.62
Green Bay Packers	49.04	32.36	18.6
Philadelphia Eagles	45.38	35.24	19.39
Dallas Cowboys	44.69	37.73	17.58
Tampa Bay Buccaneers	43.37	38.73	17.9
New Orleans Saints	43.17	37.71	19.12
Tennessee Titans	42.28	36.91	20.81
Los Angeles Chargers	42.38	36.49	21.13
Minnesota Vikings	42.2	36.81	20.99
Seattle Seahawks	42.27	35.83	21.9
Miami Dolphins	41.74	37.01	21.25
Cincinnati Bengals	41.6	37.15	21.25
Indianapolis Colts	41.16	39.83	19.01
Detroit Lions	41.27	39.86	18.87
Los Angeles Rams	40.45	39.62	19.92
Cleveland Browns	39.69	39.66	20.65
Pittsburgh Steelers	35.96	43.17	20.86
Las Vegas Raiders	35.79	43.64	20.56
Atlanta Falcons	35.95	43.48	20.57
Arizona Cardinals	35.78	46.2	18.02
Denver Broncos	35.42	45.6	18.99
Houston Texans	35.28	44.98	19.74
Chicago Bears	33.49	48.42	18.09
New England Patriots	32.83	46.39	20.78
Washington Commanders	32.65	48.07	19.27
Carolina Panthers	30.69	48.44	20.87
Jacksonville Jaguars	30.06	52.66	17.28
New York Giants	28.28	50.9	20.81
New York Jets	25.66	54.26	20.08

The Josh Allen years have catapulted the Buffalo Bills (55.95% leading) into the NFL’s elite tier. Not only are they winning, they’re controlling games – spending more than half of all snaps with a lead. That reflects a high-octane offense paired with a defense that bends but rarely breaks.

Patrick Mahomes keeps the Kansas City Chiefs (54.3% leading) ahead as often as any quarterback in league history, but what makes this five-year run special is how consistent their leads are. Rarely do the Chiefs let opponents hang around.

From Lamar Jackson’s MVP pace to smothering defenses, the Baltimore Ravens (53.64% leading) embody balance. This recent half-decade has been defined by keeping opponents chasing (and more often than not falling short).

On the other side of the coin, the misery continues for the New York Jets (25.66% leading). Even when they briefly tease competence, the Jets spend three-quarters of their time tied or behind. It’s the purest illustration of how far this franchise has to climb.

NFL Teams Leading/Trailing/Tied, 2015-2024

Team	Leading %	Trailing %	Tied %
Kansas City Chiefs	55.69	25.81	18.5
Baltimore Ravens	50.57	29.02	20.42
Buffalo Bills	47.48	32.39	20.13
New England Patriots	46.87	33.73	19.4
Green Bay Packers	45.84	35.31	18.85
Dallas Cowboys	44.73	35.05	20.22
Minnesota Vikings	44.48	35.09	20.43
New Orleans Saints	44.59	36.1	19.31
Los Angeles Rams	43.45	36.73	19.82
Philadelphia Eagles	42.92	37.55	19.53
Seattle Seahawks	42.72	35.4	21.89
San Francisco 49ers	42.31	38.79	18.9
Pittsburgh Steelers	41.65	37.68	20.67
Los Angeles Chargers	41.13	38.77	20.09
Detroit Lions	40.88	38.72	20.4
Indianapolis Colts	40.14	39.4	20.46
Tampa Bay Buccaneers	39.54	42.83	17.64
Cincinnati Bengals	39.45	39.2	21.35
Atlanta Falcons	39.28	40.25	20.47
Tennessee Titans	38.41	41.4	20.19
Carolina Panthers	37.99	41.42	20.59
Arizona Cardinals	36.85	43.79	19.36
Houston Texans	36.77	43.03	20.2
Las Vegas Raiders	36.31	43.45	20.24
Denver Broncos	36.27	44.64	19.09
Washington Commanders	34.54	46.18	19.28
Chicago Bears	34.45	46.53	19.02
Miami Dolphins	34.04	44.99	20.97
Cleveland Browns	32.11	47.68	20.2
New York Giants	30.14	48.03	21.82
Jacksonville Jaguars	29.74	50.82	19.44
New York Jets	29.26	50.89	19.85

It has been quite the decade for Mahomes and Andy Reid, who have transformed the Chiefs (55.69% leading) into the NFL’s ultimate control machine over that span. More than half of every minute of the past 10 seasons has been spent on top, while the Chiefs have trailed just over a quarter of the time. Incredible.

The Ravens (50.57% leading) don’t always shine in January, but they almost always control regular-season Sundays. From elite defenses to Jackson’s dynamic offense, this 10-year stretch shows a franchise built to dictate pace.

Allen's arrival has transformed the Bills (47.48% leading) from AFC East also-rans into perennial contenders. They’re not just winning, they’re forcing teams to play from behind nearly half the time. Can they finally convert that sustained dominance into a return to the Super Bowl? 

For the Jets (29.26% leading), the decade has been a familiar nightmare. Even in the rare promising seasons, they spend more than half their snaps trailing, trapped in a cycle of false dawns. But hey – there's always next season!

NFL Teams Leading/Trailing/Tied, 2000-2024

Team	Leading %	Trailing %	Tied %
New England Patriots	51.07	29.01	19.92
Green Bay Packers	47.82	32.29	19.89
Baltimore Ravens	47.81	31.45	20.74
Philadelphia Eagles	46.08	34.31	19.61
Pittsburgh Steelers	45.38	33	21.62
Kansas City Chiefs	44.95	34.75	20.3
Indianapolis Colts	44.2	36.35	19.44
New Orleans Saints	42.91	38.5	18.58
Seattle Seahawks	42.74	35.64	21.62
Los Angeles Chargers	42.47	36.98	20.55
Denver Broncos	41.74	38.34	19.92
Minnesota Vikings	41.39	38.4	20.21
San Francisco 49ers	41.14	39.27	19.59
Dallas Cowboys	40.67	36.9	22.43
Atlanta Falcons	40.18	39.51	20.3
Buffalo Bills	39.69	39.5	20.81
Los Angeles Rams	39.69	41.2	19.11
Carolina Panthers	39.42	39.87	20.7
Tennessee Titans	39.3	39.84	20.86
Cincinnati Bengals	37.77	40.81	21.41
Tampa Bay Buccaneers	37.27	42.7	20.03
Houston Texans	36.6	42.63	20.76
Miami Dolphins	36.6	41.84	21.56
Chicago Bears	36.51	42.5	20.99
New York Giants	36.48	42.74	20.77
Las Vegas Raiders	34.9	45.13	19.98
Detroit Lions	34.05	45.33	20.63
Washington Commanders	34.03	44.64	21.32
New York Jets	33.76	45.28	20.96
Arizona Cardinals	32.38	47.64	19.98
Cleveland Browns	32.3	46.54	21.16
Jacksonville Jaguars	30.49	49.51	20

The Chiefs might be the flavor of the 2020s, but the New England Patriots (51.07% leading) remain the 21st Century gold standard. Led by the all-time power duo of Tom Brady and Bill Belichick, the Pats have spent more than half of all game time since 2000 in front, with precious few blowouts the other way.

The Green Bay Packers (47.82% leading) enjoyed one of the most seamless quarterback handoffs in NFL history, and that has translated into a whole lot of time with the lead. Brett Favre into Aaron Rodgers meant a quarter-century of stability, with scoreboard control to match.

Consistency is the calling card of the Ravens (47.81% leading). From Ray Lewis and Ed Reed to Jackson and Roquan Smith, Baltimore has maintained the same balance across 25 seasons: stay ahead, stay steady. It's a wonder Baltimore doesn't have more Super Bowl victories.

At the bottom sit the Jacksonville Jaguars (30.49% leading). Expansion struggles bled into endless rebuilds, and for most of 25 years the Jags have been chasing games rather than dictating them.

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