The final week of the NFL regular season kicks off Saturday afternoon, with two playoff spots still up for grabs, the highly entertaining battle for the NFC West and No. 1 seed coming to a resolution and a couple other significant seeding scenarios left to shake out.
The Carolina Panthers (8-8) and Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-9) start it off Saturday at 4:30 p.m. ET with the NFC South title and playoff berth at stake, while the Seattle Seahawks (13-3) visit the San Francisco 49ers (12-4) on Saturday night to decide the NFC West and top seed in the conference, and the Baltimore Ravens (8-8) visit the Pittsburgh Steelers (9-7) in the final game of the weekend Sunday night to settle the AFC North and final playoff spot in that conference.
First, we reset the power rankings for all 32 teams with some fresh categories while keeping the list of Super Bowl contenders wide as ever in a season with no true clear-cut favorite.
Legitimate Super Bowl Contenders
1. Seattle Seahawks (13-3, no change): The Rams lost again, leaving the Seahawks alone atop our power rankings, but a Saturday night showdown in San Francisco with the 49ers could still change that ahead of the playoffs. The winner in this clash of arguably the NFL’s two hottest teams takes the NFC West title and the NFC’s No. 1 seed for the playoffs. The Niners won the first meeting, 17-13, way back in Week 1, which feels like an eternity ago. More pertinent, Seattle has won six in a row and avoided the cross-country travel let-down game last week, rolling over the Panthers 27-10 to bring plenty of momentum into his pivotal matchup. The Seahawks defense stifled Bryce Young in that game, holding the Carolina QB to 54 yards passing and a pick, while Zach Charbonnet took the lead in the backfield with a season-high 18 carries for 110 yards and 2 TDs. The more that RB duo of Charbonnet and Kenneth Walker III can take pressure off of QB Sam Darnold, the better.
2. Los Angeles Rams (11-5, down 1 spot): It’s been a rough stretch for the Rams, losing two straight to the Seahawks (in that absurdly wild Thursday night thriller two weeks ago) and the Falcons, as QB Matthew Stafford may have thrown away the MVP with a season-high 3 interceptions. Add in the earlier loss at Carolina, and it’s three defeats in the last five games for LA. That said, when this team is right (and apparently not traveling cross-country) it still looks like the best in the league. DraftKings Sportsbook has LA (+550) second to Seattle (+475) for best odds to win the Super Bowl. And if it were up to us, Stafford would still win the MVP with 4,448 yards, 42 TDs and 8 INTs against the toughest strength of schedule in the league. The Rams wrap up at home vs. Arizona on Sunday.
3. New England Patriots (13-3, up 1 spot): Stafford’s top challenger for the MVP is, of course, Patriots QB Drake Maye, who took over as the betting favorite (-295 odds) last week with a sublime performance vs. the Jets, completing 19 of 21 passes for 256 yards, 5 TDs and 0 INTs. Overall, he’s up to 4,203 passing yards, 30 TDs and 8 INTs with 409 rushing yards and 4 scores. New England has already clinched the AFC East, but it maintains an outside shot at the AFC’s No. 1 seed (needing a win and a Denver loss to the Chargers, who are resting key players). As such, and with Maye chasing the MVP, coach Mike Vrabel has said the Pats will play all healthy starters in their regular-season finale vs. the Dolphins.
4. Philadelphia Eagles (11-5, up 1 spot): Just when the Eagles look like they’re truly asserting themselves, they stumble. Philadelphia still scored a notable 13-12 road win at Buffalo in what could be a potential Super Bowl matchup, but they sure tried to blow a 13-0 halftime lead as the offense wilted and QB Jalen Hurts didn’t complete a single pass in the second half. Only an errant Josh Allen two-point conversion pass with an open receiver allowed Philadelphia to hang onto the W. The enigmatic Eagles have as much upside as any team in the NFL, but they have far too many lulls for their talent level. The reigning Super Bowl champs have nonetheless won three straight heading into their finale vs. Washington, but coach Nick Sirianni announced he would rest a significant number of his starters, including QB Jalen Hurts with Tanner McKee making the start.
5. San Francisco 49ers (12-4, up 3 spots): No team in the NFL is playing better offensively right now than the 49ers, with QB Brock Purdy at the peak of his powers. The Niners have won six straight while surging to the finish line of the regular season, and over the last three games they’re averaging 42.3 points, including a thrilling 42-38 win over the Bears last week. Purdy has 13 TDs (including 2 rushing) and 2 INTs over the last three games. Meanwhile, Christian McCaffrey is chasing his second career season with 1,000 yards rushing and receiving — he needs 110 receiving yards to match the feat he achieved in 2019 with the Panthers. More importantly, though, San Francisco can still win the NFC West and the conference’s No. 1 seed by beating the Seahawks at home Saturday night.
6. Jacksonville Jaguars (12-4, no change): The Jaguars have won seven straight and can clinch the AFC South with a win or tie at home vs. Tennessee on Sunday, or a Texans loss or tie to Indianapolis. They would also clinch the AFC’s No. 1 seed with a win and losses by the Broncos and Patriots, but that’s unlikely. Going from 4-13 to a division championship would be an incredible exclamation point on what first-year head coach Liam Coen and this team have already accomplished. QB Trevor Lawrence has 12 passing TDs with just 1 INT and 4 rushing TDs over the last five games in what has arguably been the best stretch of his five-year career.
7. Denver Broncos (13-3, no change): The stakes are simple Sunday for the Broncos — beat a Chargers team resting QB Justin Herbert and other starters and clinch the AFC’s No. 1 seed and lone first-round bye. Denver has had a mildly concerning last couple weeks, losing by 14 at home to the Jaguars and then barely beating a depleted Chiefs team 20-13. But it’s been an incredible season overall for the Broncos, QB Bo Nix and Co., and with that likely first-round bye they’ll be a tough matchup for whichever opponent awaits.
8. Buffalo Bills (11-5, down 5 spots): Every time we put just a little faith and belief in the Bills and bump them up, they make us pay for it. No team with Super Bowl aspirations is a bigger risk to come out completely flat on any given week, like they did in digging a 13-0 hole on the way to losing to the Eagles at home last week. It’s just really hard to ever trust this team. Also, though, there isn’t a team in the league that wants to face Josh Allen in the playoffs. The Bills are playing Allen and their starters vs. the Jets this week, at least initially. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see them get some rest if Buffalo builds an early lead.
9. Chicago Bears (11-5, no change): The Bears didn’t move up in the rankings, per se, but they did get bumped into the top tier finally. Even in a loss, what Caleb Williams and Co. showed against the 49ers last week showed they can play with anyone in the league. Chicago clinched its first division title since 2018, in coach Ben Johnson’s first year, and this team could be a force in the years to come. No matter what happens the rest of the way this season, it’s been a massive success, especially with Williams’ development in Year 2 — 3,730 passing yards, 25 TDs, 6 INTs plus 3 rushing TDs. The Bears host Detroit on Sunday and are playing their starters as a win or Eagles loss would clinch the No. 2 seed in the NFC for Chicago.
10. Houston Texans (11-5, no change): The Texans have the longest winning streak in the NFL at eight games and close at home vs. Indianapolis and still have an outside shot at the AFC South title, but they would also need the Jaguars to lose to the Titans. Regardless, the Texans are in the playoffs and giving off some 1985 Bears/2000 Ravens vibes with their NFL-leading defense (16.6 PPG/272.4 YPG).
Playoff Teams
11. Los Angeles Chargers (11-5, up one spot): After a 20-16 loss to the Texans last week in which QB Justin Herbert took 5 more sacks (he’s taken the third-most in the league with 54), coach Jim Harbaugh has elected to rest Herbert and likely other starters this week, with Trey Lance stepping in at quarterback on the road at Denver.
12. Green Bay Packers (9-6-1, down 1 spot): Backup QB Malik Willis suddenly looks like one of the 32 best quarterbacks in the league and he’ll get one more chance to further boost his free agent value while stater Jordan Loves (concussion) rests Sunday vs. the Vikings. Including most of the overtime loss to the Bears after Love went down and the full game last week vs. the Ravens, Willis has completed 30 of 35 passes for 422 yards, 3 TDs and 0 INTs with 123 rushing yards and 2 scores this season. Love will be back for the playoffs and RB Josh Jacobs is off the injury report entirely this week, but the Packers haven’t looked like a Super Bowl contender since losing defensive game-wrecker Micah Parsons for the season.
Playoff Fringe
13. Baltimore Ravens (8-8, up 4 spots): We didn’t see this coming! Backup QB Tyler Huntley and, more to the point, RB Derrick Henry led Baltimore to a 41-24 win at Green Bay last week, which coupled with Pittsburgh blowing a chance to clinch the division vs. the Brown, has given the Ravens a chance to steal it Sunday. QB Lamar Jackson (back) will return to the field as Baltimore visits Pittsburgh with the winner taking the AFC North title and playoff berth. Henry is up to 1,469 rushing yards and 16 TDs after a late-season surge that has seen him rush for 538 yards and 6 TDs in the last four games.
14. Pittsburgh Steelers (9-7, down 1 spot): Pittsburgh had won three straight and just needed to beat the lowly Browns to punch its playoff ticket, and instead it lost 13-6 in Cleveland to set up this winner-take-all showdown Sunday with the Ravens. The Steelers did win the first meeting between the teams, 27-22 in Baltimore, and now gets the rematch at home in the late game Sunday night — but as a 3.5-point underdog. The good news for the Steelers is star pass rusher T.J. Watt (lung) is back after missing three games.
15. Carolina Panthers (8-8, down 1 spot): The other playoff spot on the line this weekend is in the NFC South where the Panthers and Buccaneers play for the division title Saturday afternoon in Tampa Bay. The Panthers get in with a win or tie, while Tampa Bay would also need Atlanta to lose for tie-breaker purposes in the event of a three-way tie (the Falcons are eliminated regardless). Carolina has alternated wins and losses for 10 straight games, including a 27-10 loss to the Seahawks last week in which they musted a paltry 139 yards of offense.
16. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-9, down 1 spot): The Bucs have lost four straight and seven out of eight games and still have a shot at the division and playoffs. What a time to be alive. Providing some reason for modest optimism, QB Baker Mayfield showed some life in his arm in a 20-17 loss to the Dolphins with 346 passing yards and 2 TDs — albeit with 2 INTs as well. That was his most passing yards since the first week of October.
What If …
17. Minnesota Vikings (8-8, up 1 spot): We said it last week and we’ll say it again — this has been a superlative coaching job by Kevin O’Connell. The Vikings have won four straight while alternating J.J. McCarthy and undrafted rookie and passing-challenged Max Brosmer at QB. O’Connell found a way to beat the Lions 23-10 last week with Brosmer throwing for just 51 yards. (Poor Justin Jefferson, who is set to finish with about two-thirds of his normal production over a full season as a result of the QB woes.) McCarthy, himself a rollercoaster week to week, is back in at QB for the finale vs. Green Bay on Sunday. So, yes, just imagine if the Vikings front office hadn’t decided to saddle a playoff roster with one of the three worst QB situations in the league this year.
18. Indianapolis Colts (8-8, down 2 spots): Philip Rivers’ return to the NFL at 44 years old has come to an end (for now at least) as the Colts will take a look at rookie sixth-round draft pick Riley Leonard at QB for the finale at Houston. Indianapolis was 8-2 at one point before starting QB Daniel Jones was injured and then really injured, with the Colts losing their last six games to fall out of the playoff hunt.
19. Detroit Lions (8-8, no change): Head coach Dan Campbell has everything to prove next year after the Lions went from 15 wins last year to out of the playoffs when he was left to replace coordinators Ben Johnson and Aaron Glenn. It’s still hard to believe this roster could muster better regardless of who called the plays. The Lions were the single biggest disappointment in the NFL that didn’t stem from an injured QB.
20. Atlanta Falcons (7-9, up 2 spots): So … maybe the Falcons should have just stuck with Kirk Cousins, the QB they gave a four-year, $180-million contract to before last season? With his replacement, Michael Penix Jr., lost for the season, Cousins has led Atlanta on a late three-game winning streak — including that big upset of the Rams last week — and four wins in six starts overall, despite not having top receiver Drake London for most of that stretch. Cousins isn’t at his peak anymore, but the Falcons are probably the NFC South champs if he started the whole season. Whoops.
Just Too One-Dimensional
21. Dallas Cowboys (7-8-1, down 1 spot): The Cowboys enter Week 18 with the NFL’s most productive offense (398.6 yards per game), yet they have been eliminated from the playoffs for multiple weeks now because they give up the most points in the NFL (29.8 PPG). That says it all.
22. Cincinnati Bengals (6-10, down 1 spot): The Bengals are going to have to put a much better defense around star QB Joe Burrow very soon, or this is going to end badly between the franchise and one of the league’s best players. Burrow has led Cincinnati to two wins and 62 points the last two weeks while throwing for 614 yards and 6 TDs. WR Ja’Marr Chase (117 catches for 1,316 yards and 7 TDs) remains one of the best receivers in the league as well. Of course, Burrow’s turf-toe injury and prolonged absence this season is why Cincinnati will miss the playoffs, but having the league’s worst-ranked defense is a factor as well.
Just Ran Out Of Time
23. New Orleans Saints (6-10, no change): The Saints were 2-10 before ripping off four straight wins and swept the division-leading Panthers this season. It’s too soon to say whether rookie QB Tyler Shough is the long-term answer, but he’s earned the chance to enter next season as the starter and is averaging 304.3 passing yards with 4 TDs and 0 INTs over the last three games.
24. Miami Dolphins (7-9, no change): Much credit to embattled head coach Mike McDaniel for keeping this team competitive after a 1-6 start and losing star WR Tyreke Hill for the season. Miami has won six out of eight games since then, despite having to bench struggling QB Tua Tagovailoa, and beat a desperate Bucs team still fighting for a playoff spot last week. McDaniel’s future in Miami seems very much unsettled, but even if this the end for him with the Dolphins, he should get another shot elsewhere in the near future.
Squandered Potential
25. Cleveland Browns (4-12, up 2 spots): The Browns showed last week in upsetting the Steelers (and earlier this season in beating the Packers, and really in many of their losses as well) that this team should be so much better with the defense it has. Cleveland ranks second in the NFL in fewest yards allowed (278.6 YPG), yet has been trying to figure out the quarterback position for the entirety of the franchise’s second existence.
27. Washington Commanders (4-12, down 1 spot): The Commanders had a storybook season last year with QB Jayden Daniels winning NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year and the team reaching the NFC championship game. This year has been the opposite story. Daniels has had three different injuries, including that gruesome elbow dislocation on this non-throwing arm, and was finally shut down for good. Washington fans are praying he can overcome this lost season and not be a repeat of the RGIII experience.
28. Kansas City Chiefs (6-10, down 3 spots): There’s nothing really to say here. Too many close losses, a too-often stagnant offense and then a legendary QB lost for the season to a torn ACL. No one could have seen the Chiefs’ incredible run ending this way.
Better Luck Next Year
28. New York Giants (3-13, no change): The Giants blew their shot at the No. 1 overall draft pick by beating the Raiders last week, but they don’t necessarily need it as they won’t be looking for a QB. Rookie Jaxson Dart, a first-rounder this past year, showed enough promise and potential to drive optimism for 2026, especially when star receiver Malik Nabers and running back Cam Skattebo return after succumbing to season-ending injuries this year. The Giants will draft highly enough to add a potential difference-maker at a spot of need, and if they can make a good head coaching hire (no promises) then a big bounce-back is possible quickly.
At Least The Draft Pick Is Good
29. Tennessee Titans (3-13, no change): Cam Ward heads into his final regular-season game of his rookie season with 3,117 passing yards, 15 TDs and 7 INTs while tying for the most sacks taken in the league (55). It’s too soon to say whether he’s the answer for the Titans as they have so, so many other questions — including at head coach.
30. Arizona Cardinals (3-13, no change): The Cardinals have to make a decision on third-year head coach Jonathan Gannon as hot seat buzz mounts. They also need to figure out their QB situation for and whether Kyler Murray is a part of it. But hey, at least they have an awesome tight end — Trey McBride set the NFL record for most receptions by a TE in a season with 119 for 1,174 yards and 11 TDs.
31. New York Jets (3-13, no change): The Jets chase immortality in Week 18 vying to become the first team to ever finish a NFL season without an interception on defense. They also don’t have a QB and need to hit on several drafts to get back to relevance likely.
32. Las Vegas Raiders (2-14, no change): The Raiders may have finally won something — essentially locking up the No. 1 draft pick by losing to the Giants last week. So there’s that.
