Are the Chiefs playoff hopes gone? Is the Colts season over? Is there a new worst team in the league? Let’s find out.

F Tier: Is The Season Over Yet?

32. Las Vegas Raiders (2-11) -1

31. Tennessee Titans (2-11) +1

30. Cleveland Browns (3-10) -2

29. New York Jets (3-10) +1

28. Washington Commanders (3-10) -1

27. New Orleans Saints (3-10) +2

26. Arizona Cardinals (3-10) -1

D Tier: Next Years Our Year

25. New York Giants (2-11) +1

24. Atlanta Falcons (4-9) -1

23. Minnesota Vikings (5-8) +1

22. Miami Dolphins (6-7)

21. Cincinnati Bengals (4-9)

20. Dallas Cowboys (6-6-1) -1

C Tier: Wild Card Watch

19. Pittsburgh Steelers (7-6) +1

18. Kansas City Chiefs (6-7)

17. Carolina Panthers (7-6)

16. Indianapolis Colts (8-5) -8

15. Baltimore Ravens (6-7) -2

B Tier: Dark Horse Contenders

14. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-6) -3

13. Los Angeles Chargers (9-4) +3

12. Jacksonville Jaguars (9-4) +3

11. Houston Texans (8-5) +3

A Tier: The Real Deal

10. Denver Broncos (11-2) -1

The Broncos scraped by with a 24-17 win on the road against the 2-11 Raiders. A win is a win, but a close game against the worst team in the league is never a good sign for a team with playoff aspirations. 

Bo Nix continued on his rather unimpressive sophomore campaign, only managing 212 yards with no scores, while going 31 for 38 and also rushing for a touchdown. The receivers were rather uninspiring as well. Receiver Courtland Sutton was the stat leader for the core yet only racked up six receptions for 62 yards. Although the bright spots on this offense continued to shine, as rookie running back RJ Harvey has looked good as the running back one. Harvey went for 75 yards and a rushing touchdown on 17 carries, proving his worth as the primary threat in the backfield, especially while J.K. Dobbins is injured. Although they managed to do enough, you would like to see a better performance from an offense that was explosive earlier in the season. 

To nobody’s surprise, what won this game for Denver was defense and special teams. The defense continued to prove themselves as an elite unit in a not so flashy style. Although they let up two passing touchdowns to Brock Bowers and Shedrick Jackson, they held running back Ashton Jeanty to only 30 yards on ten carries. The defense also held the Raiders scoreless for two consecutive quarters, only letting up a touchdown in the first and fourth quarters. Even with these slip ups the defense had a game, with four sacks, five tackles for loss and one pass defended. The special teams came up big as receiver and returner Marvin Mims Jr. came up with a big punt return for a touchdown to put the Broncos back on top, in which they maintained control for the rest of the game. 

Overall it seems to be the same story with the Broncos each week; barely squeak out wins against bad teams. Although they continue to win and you can’t fault them for that, I can’t put them any higher because I simply don’t trust them to win big games. For that reason, they sit at ten on this week’s list. 

9. San Francisco 49ers (9-4) +3

The 49ers jump back into the top ten after a much needed bye week. Although they didn’t dominate any team to prove their worth this past week, I think this season has been proof enough. 

Let’s start with the obvious. My coach of the year Kyle Shanahan has made his case as maybe the most valuable asset to the San Francisco franchise after coaching this team to 9-4 despite major injuries to key players for this team. The team played a series of games without star tight end George Kittle and quarterback Brock Pudry, and have also seen other big names deal with injury like receivers Ricky Pearsall and Jauan Jennings, or rookie edge rusher Mykel Williams. Now that the offense is essentially back to normal, the 49ers’ have been on a tear. Since fully returning from injury Brock Purdy has been on 3-0 run, racking up 561 yards and a 5-3 touchdown to interception ratio. Kittle has been vital on their winning streak as well, with 16 receptions and two touchdowns in the last three games. 

Now for the real star of the show, running back Christian McCaffrey. McCaffrey has been, dare I say, the only star that Shanahan has been able to rely on to stay healthy, and boy has he played his part. McCaffrey has been the definition of dual threat as he has been the 49ers’ leading rusher and receiver this season. The back has racked up 849 yards and eight touchdowns on 237 carries as a rusher, while also catching 85 balls for 806 yards and five receiving touchdowns. McCaffrey has easily been the MVP of this team and they would be nowhere near the top without his efforts and availability. Although the defense has been nothing special this season, only ranking top ten among NFL defenses in major defensive stats, they’ve gotten the job done and played a major role in keeping playoff hopes alive despite injuries. 

Overall the 49ers’ have overcome a lot of adversity this season. Although they may not be the best of the best, they’ve done more than enough to keep their playoff hopes alive and still contend for the division, despite the hand they have been dealt. For that reason alone, they cracked the top ten this week. 

8. Chicago Bears (9-4) +2

Yes, the Chicago Bears lost against the Packers 28-21 this past Sunday. Even with this frustrating loss, I think the Bears proved themselves greatly against Green Bay. 

One thing is true if the Bears want to succeed, Caleb Williams has to be better. I will give him his flowers by orchestrating a well run drive to attempt to win the game, but it was spoiled by a bone head interception to ice the game for the Packers. Barring the interception Williams had a decent game, racking up 186 yards and two touchdowns, going 19 for 35. The receiving room stepped up as well with Odunze out, as rookie receiver Luther Burden III stepped up as a consistent option, catching four passes for 67 yards. Rookie tight end Colston Loveland also came up big, catching four passes for 29 yards and a passing touchdown. Receiver Olamaide Zaccheaus also caught a key touchdown as well. Ben Johnson also stuck to his guns on the ground and pound run game he so heavily schemes, as D’Andre Swift and Kyle Monongai racked up 27 carries for 120 yards as a duo, a solid outing for the one two punch. 

Even with a C.J. Gardner- Johnson interception, that was about all this defense could do to stop the Packers offense. The Packers were essentially able to do whatever they wanted as Jordan Love outperformed Caleb Williams on every level. Love racked up 234 and three passing touchdowns, while running back Josh Jacobs racked up 86 yards and a touchdown as well. Although this was a close one, the stat sheet proves that the defense let this team down against Green Bay, and they need to be better if they expect to contend against elite teams. 

Overall the Bears kept it close against a division rival in an unimpressive outing on both sides of the ball. The Bears definitely can’t afford to have rough weeks like this if they want to contend, yet seeing their floor being a close game against a top five team in the league gives me high hopes for Ben Johnson and Chicago. If they are able to continue to be consistent and pull off upset wins in the future, I can see them making a solid playoff push this season. 

7. Philadelphia Eagles (9-4) -3

Wow. This really can’t get any worse. Or can it? The Eagles dropped what was somehow a close game to the Chargers 22-19 in overtime. Although this was an embarrassing loss for the Eagles in almost every way, there are definitely good things to take away.

Let’s cut to the chase. Jalen Hurts was historically bad Monday Night. Hurts managed to go 21 for 40, throwing for 240 yards and a whopping four interceptions. Hurts had such a bad night that at one point he had two turnovers on one play. Hurts managed to throw an interception, force the corner to fumble the ball, and then fumble the ball after he recovered it. It really couldn’t get much worse for the pass game as even with a six reception for 100 yard game from star receiver A.J. Brown, they managed zero passing touchdowns. The offense truly could not do anything all night until finally they managed to score a touchdown with a Saquon Barkely run in the fourth quarter. Barkley ultimately ended with 122 yards on 20 carries and a touchdown, with a good portion of that coming from the touchdown, which was a big run from mid field. 

Although, there is definitely some good to take away from this performance. Considering the Eagles offense’s inability to function, the defense kept them in this game until the final play. Philly’s unit managed to rack up seven sacks, seven tackles for loss, and five passes defended. Defensive tackle Byron Young was also able to recover a forced fumble, while corner Adoree Jackson snagged an interception as well. Even with the frustrating outing from the offense, this defense balled out and proved themselves as a top unit, proving to be a beam of hope for Eagles fans that are fed up with the 2025 Eagles’ sluggish offense.

Overall, just like the Seahawks a few weeks ago, losing a game by three points where your quarterback throws four interceptions isn’t a horrible spot to be in. The defense proved just how strong they are as a unit, and if the offense can get back into old shape like we’ve seen before, there’s no stopping the Philadelphia Eagles at full force.

6. Buffalo Bills (9-4) +1

The Bills beat the Bengals at home 39-34 in an expected Allen-Burrow shootout. Although the defense has some things to prove, this offense proved just how elite they are.

Josh Allen had a classic performance and did what he always does, exposed a truly bad defense. Allen went 22 for 28, throwing for 251 yards and three touchdowns as he ended up with a 96.4 QBR. Allen’s favorite targets in Dalton Kincaid and Kalil Shakir showed up this week as well. Tight end Kincaid caught four passes for 41 yards and a touchdown while Shakir also caught a touchdown on two receptions for 16 yards. Third string tight end Jaxson Hawes was also able to catch a touchdown pass from Allen, adding to Allen’s monster performance. The Bills also dominated on the ground as well. Allen continued his day by activating his dual threat ability, racking up 78 rush yards and a touchdown on only nine carries. James Cook had a solid day as well, with 80 yards on 18 carries. 

The defense on the other hand struggled. Although there were some solid plays made, especially two interceptions from corner Chrisitan Benford and edge rusher AJ Espenesa. Yet even with two turnovers and Benford’s interception resulting in a touchdown, the defense still let up 34 against Cincinnati, and allowed the offense to keep the Bengals in a game that otherwise would have been a blowout. Buffalo’s defensive unit allowed for 284 passing yards and four passing touchdowns. On top of not being able to stop the pass in the secondary they simply could not put pressure on Burrow, only managing one sack against one of the worst offensive lines in the league. 

Allen and this offense had a classic performance as always, yet if they want to consistently contend this offense needs to pull their weight. Until both sides can put in enough effort, I can’t trust them to win big games, especially in the playoffs. For this reason, they stay out of the top five this week. 

S Tier: Super Bowl Contenders 

5. Detroit Lions (8-5) +1

The Lions managed a big win against the Cowboys 44-30. Although their record says they may not be top five, this game was proof of just how good they truly are. 

Now we expected this performance from such a dominant offense facing maybe the worst defense in the league. Jared Goff put up quite the performance, going 25 for 34 with 309 passing yards and a touchdown. Even with only a touchdown catch from Issac Teslaa, Detroit’s receiving core had quite the game. Jameson Williams led the team in receptions and yards, racking up 96 yards on seven receptions. Despite a major injury last week, Amon Ra St. Brown was fortunately able to return and made a big impact for this offense against Dallas. St. Brown racked up 92 yards on six catches. The run game was the true hero for the offense as Dan Campbell stuck to his red zone run play mentality. Jahmyr Gibbs had a hat trick as the running back racked up 43 yards and three touchdowns on 12 carries. David Montgomery had a classic night as well, racking up 60 yards and a touchdown on only six carries. 

Despite suffering a major loss as star safety Brian Branch suffered a potentially season ending injury, this defense did enough to pull off a win against the most explosive offense in football to this point of the season. Although Dak Presscott threw for 376 yards, he also threw two interceptions to linebacker Derrick Barnes and corner D.J. Reed. Despite the rushing touchdown, Javonte Williams was contained decently, rushing for only 67 yards on 17 carries, an average of 3.9 yards per carry. Ultimately this defense did enough to win a game against the best offense in the league. Although losing Branch was a devastating loss and they had some holes in their play, they did more than enough to get this offense to shine and if they can do that consistently, they are in a good spot to win.

Even with some rough spots in their game, this team under Dan Campbell has consistently proved their resilience. Although they may be fighting for a wild card spot come time, I believe that if they get a chance to slide into the playoffs, they’ll go far. 

4. Green Bay Packers (9-3-1) +1

The Pack got it done at home in a last second thriller against the Bears 28-21. Although they were on fraud watch with mid season struggles, this team has truly bounced back and proved they are a top team in this league. 

Jordan Love continued his streak of impressive games after a mid season slump. Love went 17 for 25, while throwing for 234 yards and three touchdowns to one interception. Christian Watson has also continued to prove vital in the Packers’ late season resurgence. Watson caught four passes for 89 yards and two touchdowns against the Bears on Sunday, carving up Chicago’s defense. Swiss army knife Bo Melton also caught a touchdown pass on Sunday, despite being listed as a corner on Green Bay’s roster. Josh Jacobs also continued to dominate, racking up 86 yards and a touchdown on 20 carries, proving to be the most consistent weapon in this offense. 

Although the Packers’ defensive unit struggled throughout most of the game, as Ben Johnson outcoached Matt Lafleur on every level, they came up big when it mattered. Corner Keisean Nixon was able to snag a game-ending interception against Caleb Williams, a costly play that gave the Packers the win. Although outside of this the Bears had no problem against the Packers Defense. Green Bay’s pass rush only managed one sack, an unexpected statline from the star studded group. The secondary struggled as well, as before the interception Williams and the pass game were carving them up, racking up 186 yards and two touchdowns. 

Overall the Pack proved that they can still come to play this past Sunday. The Bears truly are a good team, and this was a big win as Green Bay proved that despite ups and downs, they truly can beat any team in the league. 

3. New England Patriots (11-2) 

The Patriots had a much needed bye week this past week, after going on a ten game win streak they were bound to be tired. Although there have been doubters still to this point, there is no doubt that the Mike Vrabel-led Patriots are on a special run right now. 

Well the Patriots seem to have gotten exactly what they had a few years ago again, an MVP level quarterback. Drake “Drake Maye” Maye is now the MVP favorite and this is no doubt well deserved. Maye has had an outstanding season as he’s No. 2 in yards among quarterbacks 3,412, despite never throwing for 300 yards or more this season. Maye is also No. 4 in touchdowns with 23, as well as only having six interceptions on the season. Yet Maye couldn’t do it without his receivers, who have come up big all season. Free agency signing, veteran Steffon Diggs has been key to Maye’s MVP level season, racking up 705 yards and three touchdowns on 64 receptions. Breakout wide receiver Kayshon Boutte has also been easily Maye’s go-to target, racking up 481 receiving yards and six touchdowns on only 29 receptions. Maye also has relied on tight end Hunter Henry, who has racked up 610 yards and five touchdowns, proving vital to the young QB’s success.

This offense has been far from one dimensional. Despite not getting a lot of carries in the beginning of the season, rookie running back Treyveon Henderson has broken out and taken over this backfield. The rookie has racked up 625 rushing yards and five touchdowns on only 129 carries. The Patriots success also wouldn’t be without the defensive unit, who has been star studded all year. New England’s defense has managed to be top ten among all defenses in almost every major stat, with a couple of those being opponents points per game, with only 18.5 and opponents 3rd down conversion percentage, with only 35.62%. 

Say what you want to say about strength of schedule, this team has been dominant against every level of opponent. With a superstar quarterback playing like the MVP and the rest of the team firing on all cylinders, who knows how high New England can fly.

2. Los Angeles Rams (10-3)

The Rams embarrassed the Cardinals in a 45-17 blowout on the road. This was definitely to be expected, yet it was a nice bounceback after a tough loss to the Panthers the week before.

After a rough week in Carolina, Matthew Stafford had another near perfect game. Stafford went 22 for 31, while throwing for 281 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions. Puca Nacua also put on a show, making receivers look like child’s play as he caught seven passes for 167 yards and two touchdowns. Colby Parkinson also caught a touchdown, with three receptions for 32 yards. Even with this dominant performance from the pass game. The running game is what really stole the show. Second year running back Blake Corum put on a show in his breakout game. Corum rushed for 128 yards and two touchdowns on 12 carries, a stunning performance from the young back. Kyren Williams also had a game as well, rushing for 84 yards and a touchdown on 13 carries. 

The Rams defensive unit also rendered the Cardinals offense helpless. Outside of two touchdown passes to Micheal Wilson as the Brissett-Wilson connections continued to thrive, the Cardinals got nowhere. Quarterback Jacoby Brissett was somehow the Cardinals’  leading rusher, with only four carries for 22 yards, as the Rams limited the Cardinals to only 51 total rush yards. Linebacker Nate Landman was also able to snag an interception off of Brissett. Despite allowing Micheal Wilson to pop off for 142 yards and two touchdowns on 11 catches, the Rams did not let up anything and rolled Arizona in dominant fashion.

The Rams did what was expected and simply beat down on a bad team. Although it was a rather unimpressive win for Los Angeles, it was a nice bounceback after a rough outing against the Panthers in week 13. 

1. Seattle Seahawks (10-3)

The Seahawks did the same thing the Rams did, they beat down on a bad team in a 37-9 beatdown against Atlanta. Although it was a tough outing for Seattle’s offense in the first half, they did not let off the breaks coming out of halftime.

Outside of an interception, quarterback Sam Darnold had a solid day. Darnold went 20 for 30 while throwing for 249 yards and three touchdowns. Jaxon Smith -Njigba also turned it up after a rough first half racking up seven receptions for 92 yards and two touchdowns, both of which were in the second half. Cooper Kupp also had a rare touchdown, with two catches for 35 yards on the day. The run game was also limited, although to be expected against a solid Atlanta front seven, it was a disappointing outing as neither Kenneth Walker III or Zach Charbonett had more than 50 yards with each having seven plus carries. 

Now to no one’s surprise, the defense was nearly flawless from start to finish. Atlanta’s offense was able to get nowhere against Seattle’s defense as they were held to zero touchdowns throughout the whole game. The Hawks also held star running back Bijan Robinson to only 86 yards on 20 carries, as well as holding Atlanta to only 162 passing yards. Now for possibly the most exciting part of this whole season for Hawks fans, rookie safety Nick Emmanwori looked like the second coming of Kam Chancellor this past Sunday. Emmanwori had a defensive player of the year worthy game, racking up six tackles, two tackles for loss, one sack, one QB hit, one pass breakup, one interception, and one blocked field goal. Emmanwori did it all for Seattle this past Sunday as the reincarnation of the legion of boom is in the air for this Seahawks unit. 

Seattle showed up and showed out this past Sunday. Although the offense struggles at times, when both sides of the ball are clicking I don’t think anyone is stopping the Seahawks and for that reason they remain at the top of this week’s rankings.