NFL Power Rankings: 49ers snatch top seed, Patriots lose footing entering playoffs

1. Baltimore Ravens (1)

Since the No. 1 seed was already locked up for the Baltimore Ravens, it only made sense to provide Lamar Jackson and some of the other starters some extra rest to close out the regular season to provide an extra advantage for the Divisional Round a few weeks down the road.

Even if the argument can be made that Baltimore should have wanted to play their starters to make sure Pittsburgh didn’t earn a trip to the playoffs, the Ravens still made out great in Week 17 by defeating their rivals with ease 28-10.

All season, the Ravens have rightfully been considered one of the top teams to beat in the AFC, and the fact that Baltimore has gone the last three months without a single loss shows just how dangerous of a team they could be in January.

In time, Jackson will officially be named MVP, and while the Louisville product has helped the Ravens reach new levels as a team on offense, a trip to the Super Bowl is far from a guarantee.

Looking at the rest of the AFC, there are a few teams such as the Kansas City Chiefs that could easily give the Ravens some trouble when the time comes.

But for now, at least Baltimore gets to benefit from the extra rest, and enjoy home-field advantage throughout the playoffs as the team to beat within the AFC.