With the season coming to a close, playoff spots are being clinched and teams are resting their stars in Week 18. For that reason, this will be the final list ahead of playoff rankings. So, where does your favorite team finish off in the ranks? Let’s find out.
F Tier: The Season’s Finally Over!
32. Las Vegas Raiders (2-14)
31. New York Giants (3-13)
30. New York Jets (3-13)
29. Arizona Cardinals (3-13)
28. Tennessee Titans (3-13)
27. Cleveland Browns (4-12)
26. Washington Commanders (4-12)
D Tier: It Could Have Been Worse
25. Cincinnati Bengals (6-10)
24. Kansas City Chiefs (6-10)
23. New Orleans Saints (6-10)
22. Miami Dolphins (7-9)
21. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-9)
20. Dallas Cowboys (7-8-1)
19. Atlanta Falcons (7-9)
C Tier: Just Missed The Mark
18. Indianapolis Colts (8-8)
17. Baltimore Ravens (8-8)
16. Minnesota Vikings (8-8)
15. Detroit Lions (8-8)
B Tier: Dark Horse Contenders
14. Carolina Panthers (8-8)
13. Pittsburgh Steelers (9-7)
12. Los Angeles Chargers (11-5)
11. Houston Texans (11-5)
A Tier: The Real Deal
- Green Bay Packers (9-6-1)
In the battle of the backups, Malik Willis and the Packers fell to the Tyler Huntley-led Ravens 41-24. Although this wasn’t a horrible performance considering the team’s situation, the Cheese Heads have a lot to clean up as they head into the playoffs.
Well, if we learned anything, it’s that Willis is going to get paid this offseason. The young talent looked the best he has during his time in the league and put on a show, going 18 for 21 with 288 yards passing and a touchdown. Willis wasn’t only effective in the air but was also a problem on the ground, being the Packers’ leading rusher with nine carries for 60 yards and two touchdowns. Despite Willis’ outstanding performance, the Packers lost by two scores. Outside of a big performance from receiver Christian Watson, who caught five passes for 113 yards and a touchdown, the Green Bay offense was not able to keep up with Baltimore’s.
The defense was where the true problem lies. After a killer first half of the season, injuries and dry streaks have killed this defense, and the sluggish second half continued against the Ravens. The defense was no match for veteran running back Derrick Henry, who had a classic Henry performance, with 36 carries for 216 yards and four rushing touchdowns. Even with Lamar out, the Ravens had no problem getting the pass game going. Backup quarterback Tyler Huntley had a solid game, going 16 for 20 while throwing for 107 yards and a touchdown. The Packers’ defense is injured for sure, especially with a big injury like star edge rusher Micah Parsons. Thus, it’s hard not to give them grace. But with rising stars and solid players, linebackers Quay Walker and Edgerin Cooper still healthy, it’s inexcusable for this defense to allow an injured Ravens roster to put up 40 points.
Even with this loss, Green Bay is locked into the NFC playoffs, thanks to the Lions’ loss against Minnesota on Christmas Day. With Love coming back in time for the playoffs, the Packers will still be a hard team to beat, but they need to find their rhythm and support Love both offensively and defensively if they want to be a true threat to any team above them on this week’s ranks.
- Denver Broncos (13-3)
The Broncos pulled away with a narrow win against the Chiefs 20-13, on Christmas Day, to improve to 13-3. Although it was a bit close for comfort, considering the Chiefs were on their third-string quarterback, a win is a win.
Bo Nix had a decent game, but was far from his best. Nix went 26 for 38 while only throwing for 182 yards and a touchdown as well as an interception. It wasn’t just the quarterback play that was lackluster; it was the offense in general. Outside of a Nix rushing touchdown, the run game was nowhere to be found. Running back RJ Harvey had a less-than-impressive day with only 43 yards on 14 carries. The pass game was unproductive as well, outside of a Harvey receiving touchdown, as the leading receiver was Courtland Sutton, who had four receptions for 40 yards. The offense overall had a rough game by their standards. With credit to the Chiefs’ defense for being top of the line, the Broncos still struggled and need to do better if they want to be ready for January football.
The defense, on the other hand, had no problem doing its job. Considering how beat up this Chiefs offense is, they had no problem holding them to less than two touchdowns. Although considering how abysmal the Chiefs offense currently is, you would like to see the Broncos superstar roster limit Kansas City’s third-string quarterback to zero touchdowns and force a turnover. With players like edge rusher Nik Bonnito and Pat Surtain at the helm, they should have no problems being more dominant. Although the Broncos’ defense did their job and gave the offense a chance to pull through with the win and at the end of the day, a win is a win.
Although this wasn’t Denver’s best game on either side of the ball, the Broncos still stayed in the win column and got the job done. Yet the Broncos seem to have a bad habit of playing to their opponent’s skill level, and that won’t go well when you have to play the best of the best in the playoffs, which is why they sit at nine on the end of season rankings.
- Buffalo Bills (11-5)
Despite Buffalo’s heroic comeback efforts in the final minutes of the game, Josh Allen and the Bills fell short 13-12 at home against the Eagles. Even with the score being as close as it was, the Bills were dominated all game, and it showed on the field and on the stat sheet.
Allen had an underwhelming game, going 25 for 35 while throwing for 262 yards and no scores. Veteran Brandin Cooks had his welcome-back game with four catches for 101 yards, including one 50-yard catch that amounted to the most explosive play the Bills had all game. The run game struggled as well, and outside of two Allen rushing touchdowns late in the fourth quarter, the run game got nowhere. Star running back James Cook III had a slow day, rushing for only 74 yards on 20 carries. Turnovers also hurt Buffalo big time, as it lost two fumbles.
The defense stayed strong, allowing 13 points in the first half and shutting the Eagles out in the second half. It was good enough to set up a final two-point conversion for the game, which Josh Allen failed to convert, resulting in the one-point loss.
As long as Allen plays as he does in the playoffs, I am not worried about the Bills at all. Although when Allen struggles and Cook III fails to get going, the rest of this team’s weaknesses seem to be very easily exposed, which is why they fall out of the top five and land at eight on the end of season power rankings.
- Jacksonville Jaguars (12-4)
The Jags squeaked out a close win, beating the Colts 23-17 on the road. After an elite four-week stretch, the Jaguars came back to earth this past week, although winning a game at the floor of your potential isn’t a bad spot to be in.
When I speak of an elite four-week stretch, I definitely mean more specifically Trevor Lawrence. After being on a monster 10-touchdown to zero-interception tear in December, he struggled a bit more than in prior weeks against the Colts. Lawrence had a rough game, going 23 for 37 while throwing for 263 yards and an interception, his first in a month of play. Even with the turnover issue, Lawrence still managed to be effective in spreading the rock. Lawrence found his favorite target, Parker Washington, all day, who caught eight passes for 115 yards. Lawrence also had a big impact in the redzone, racking up two rushing touchdowns. Meanwhile, Travis Ettienne got the job done on the ground as well, rushing for 76 yards on 17 carries. Overall, the Jaguars’ offense was a three-man show, but they still managed to win even with a struggling offense, and that’s all that matters.
The defense also had a solid game. Outside of giving up 17, they managed to hold the Colts’ explosive offense to a manageable performance. Running back Johnathon Taylor was held to 70 yards and a touchdown on 21 carries, easily one of his worst performances over the back half of the season. Phillip Rivers and the pass game also struggled after looking great the past few games. Rivers was held to 147 yards and a touchdown as well as an interception. Outside of a passing touchdown from Mo Alie – Cox the pass game was locked down, giving the Jaguars’ offense just enough to pull ahead and put the Colts’ chances to bed.
This was definitely the weakest performance from the Jags in the past few weeks, yet even on a bad week, this team has proven it has a lot of firepower. If Jacksonville can get even remotely close to their recent play come playoff time, no one in the AFC is going to want to face Jacksonville in January.
- Chicago Bears (11-5)
The Bears lost a nail-biter against the 49ers on the road, Monday night, 42-38. Even with the unfortunate loss, their performance did nothing but prove even more just how elite Chicago is this season.
Let’s start with the offense. Oh boy, did Caleb Williams have a day. Williams going 25 for 42 for 330 yards and two touchdowns was a testament to his talent and showed just how good that man is at football. Even with the big loss of Rome Odunze, their pass game was still a problem. Rookie receiver Luther Burden III had his breakout game with eight receptions for 138 yards and a touchdown. The rookie tight end also had a big game with six receptions for 94 yards and a touchdown as well. The offense’s huge night was not one-dimensional, as running back D’Andre Swift was a problem for San Francisco’s defense. Swift gave the injured 49ers defense a run for its money as he rushed only nine times yet managed to rack up 54 yards and two rushing touchdowns.
The defense, on the other hand, was no match for the 49ers. After a killer pick-six from T.J. Edwards on the first play of the game, it was smooth sailing for San Francisco as they went on to score 42 points, 28 of which were in the first half. The Bears struggled to get to the quarterback as they only managed one sack and that opened up Brock Purdy to throw three touchdowns and rush two as well. On top of 303 passing yards, the Bears also couldn’t stop Christian McCaffrey, who rushed for 140 yards and a touchdown. Although it was a hard match for the Bears unit, if they want to compete with the best of the best, they have to play like the best of the best, and they fell short against the 49ers.
The Bears proved something on Monday night: that they are truly one of the best teams in football. However, they will need to be more consistent defensively if they want to keep up with some of the best offenses come playoff time.
S Tier: Super Bowl Ready
- Philadelphia Eagles (11-5)
The Eagles embarrassed the Bills on the road in a 13-12 victory. Despite the close score, this was not a close game, and the Eagles showed up big time.
Jalen Hurts did enough, although far from his best performance. The quarterback went 13 for 27 while throwing for 110 yards and a touchdown. The pass game was pretty quiet as a whole, with the leading receiver, A.J. Brown, catching five passes for 68 yards. Aside from a Dallas Goedert passing touchdown, they weren’t able to get much going. The run game also wasn’t crazy successful with Saquon Barkley. The offense was then shut out in the second half after scoring a touchdown and two Jake Elliot field goals.
Although this wasn’t the offense that shut down the Bills, it was Philly’s defense. The Birds shut down Buffalo’s offense big time, allowing zero points from Josh Allen and company until the fourth quarter, which were both Josh Allen rushing touchdowns. Aside from those scores at the end of the game, the Eagles left them no space for success, sacking Allen five times with 77 tackles and seven tackles for loss, along with a Jihad Campbell fumble recovery. The young, talented core in Philly has been causing major problems for the league. With rising talent like rookie linebacker Jihaad Campbell and corner duo Cooper Dejean and Quinyon Mitchell, it seems this is only the beginning of their reign of terror for NFL offenses.
The Eagles look sluggish on offense, no doubt, but with elite defensive play from Vic Fangio’s squad, this team could still make the playoffs.
- New England Patriots (13-3)
The Pats had their way with the New York Jets this past Sunday, demolishing the Jets at home 42-10. This was far from an impressive feat for the 13-win Patriots, but more of a testament to how great this team is.
MVP frontrunner Drake Maye had maybe his best statistical game of the season, throwing five touchdowns to five different receivers. Maye went 19 for 21 while throwing for 256 yards and five scores, nearly a perfect game for the young star. The pass game was on fire, as leading receiver Steffon Diggs had six receptions for 101 yards and a touchdown, while Rhamondre Stevenson, Hunter Henry, Austin Hooper, and Eastern Washington legend Efton Chism III all caught touchdown passes as well. The run game was on point as well. Running back Treyveon Henderson racked up 82 yards on 18 carries while Rhamondre Stevenson rushed for a touchdown as well.
The defense also had a field day against the abysmal Jets offense, holding them to ten total points. Despite only forcing one turnover and one sack, they still managed to stop the Jets offense from scoring outside of a Breece Hall 59-yard house call. Without that, the Jets were held scoreless with barely any offensive success, as the Jets’ leading receiver was John Metchie III with three receptions for 41 yards. Although this isn’t much proof of how good they are, the No. 7 best statistical defense all season is no stranger to strong defensive performances, and this was just more proof of how dangerous they are on both sides of the ball.
As I said before, this was far from an even matchup for the Patriots; it was nice for the Patriots to go home with yet another easy win as they gear up for the playoffs with confidence.
- San Francisco 49ers (12-4)
I have been really conservative in the past about ranking the 49ers due to injuries and schedule strength, but as San Francisco continues to pop off as they have been, I can’t help but acknowledge their success.
Let’s start with Mr. Irrelevant. Brock Purdy has been on a bender recently and only ramped it up against Chicago. After a tough pick-six on the first play, he ramped things up, going 24 for 33 while throwing for 303 yards and three touchdowns. Even without star tight end George Kittle, the pass game was still electric as well, with receiving touchdowns from Jake Tonges, Jauan Jennings and fullback Kyle Juszczyk. The run game was electric on the night as well. Running back Christian McCaffrey had a normal night for the superstar, rushing 23 times for 140 yards and a touchdown, along with two Brock Purdy rushing touchdowns.
The defense, on the other hand, struggled a bit more than usual. Despite the win, the defense let up five touchdowns and barely put any pressure on Caleb Williams and Chicago’s offense, with zero sacks and only three quarterback hits. Yes, a lot of credit needs to go to Chicago’s offense for being elite, but if the 49ers want to succeed in January, they need to clean up some things on defense. Although injuries are most definitely holding them back, I do believe in this unit under defensive coordinator Robert Saleh and know they are better than Sunday night’s performance.
While they are a little bruised and battered on defense, this team is playing its best football. With Saleh and Shanahan at the helm and superstars like Purdy, Kittle, and McCaffrey on the field, I truly think this team is prepared to win the NFC once again.
- Los Angeles Rams (11-5)
The Rams dropped a close one, 27-2,4 against Atlanta on the road in maybe the worst performance of the team’s season. Although this isn’t the end of Los Angeles’ glory days, they can’t afford to drop games against teams they are very obviously superior to.
One thing is for sure: Matthew Stafford is at fault for his performance. Stafford completed 22 of 38 pass attempts with 269 yards and two touchdowns, as well as three interceptions. With Stafford’s fluke game, star receiver Puca Nacua was also majorly unsuccessful, catching only five passes for 47 yards and a touchdown. The run game was arguably the most successful piece of the Rams offense, as Kyren Williams was able to rack up 92 yards on 13 carries. The Rams did manage to rally towards the end with two touchdowns and a field goal block house call from Jared Verse, although it wasn’t enough due to the Rams’ inability to get things going on offense.
The defense was also to blame big time for this horrendous loss. Atlanta was able to put up 21 unanswered points in the first half with a big-time pick-six from safety Jesse Bates III, as well as a huge night from running back Bijan Robinson, who rushed for 195 yards and a touchdown on 22 carries. The Rams’ defense managed to pick it up more in the second half, only allowing two field goals and no offensive scores for Atlanta, yet the effort wasn’t enough to pull away with the win. Although I expect much better from the No. 6-ranked defense statistically, they are a young core with a lot of young talent, and sometimes that young talent falls short.
Overall, the Rams’ season is far from over, and I have no doubt in my mind they’ll be a headache in the playoffs. Although it was a rough game for Stafford and company, I’m sure the MVP candidate will get his team back to normal, and they will show off why they are truly one of the best teams in the league.
- Seattle Seahawks (13-3)
After a slow start, the Hawks picked things up against the Panthers and won 27-10. Even with some adversity in the first half, Seattle came to play and dominated, showing why they’re the best team in the league.
Sam Darnold had a solid day, although not perfect. Darnold went 18 for 27 while throwing for 147 passing yards, a touchdown and an interception. A quiet week for the pass game meant a quiet game for star receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba, who caught nine passes for 72 yards. Breakout tight end AJ Barner also had a solid day, with a receiving touchdown for yet another game. The real star of the show was running back Zach Charbonette. Charbonnette finally got some deserved touchdowns of his own and stopped stealing Walkers, as he rushed for 110 yards and two touchdowns on 18 carries.
The defense also had an amazing day, only allowing 10 points and two scoreless quarters. Carolina simply had nowhere to go against the No. 2-ranked defense, as Bryce Young only threw for 54 passing yards and one interception. Star rookie Tetairoa McMillan was a non-factor against the Hawks, catching only one pass for five yards. The most effective piece of Carolina’s offense was the run game and even that was a non-factor aside from Young’s rushing touchdown. Rico Dowdle, who’s been a standout since week five of the season, rushed for only 59 yards on 12 carries and no scores. Overall, the same Panthers offense that stunned the Rams defense with 30-plus points was helpless against Mike Macdonald’s elite unit.
This wasn’t a strong feat for the Seahawks, although one thing is for sure: they need to fix the offense’s slow start. When in the playoffs, they need to be able to get going right away, or good teams are going to get too far ahead for them to make a thrilling comeback. With that being said, this team is truly elite when they play to their best ability, and I do believe they have the best chance of winning it all.
