10. Los Angeles Chargers
The Los Angeles Chargers were playing a ton of backups in Week 18 and did give the Denver Broncos a run for their money, so that’s something. However, LA lost the AFC West in Week 17 thanks to a Broncos win and their losing to the Houston Texans.
The Chargers really did not have much to play for in this one, and LA probably did do themselves some favors by not playing key starters, as the Denver Broncos had the no. 1 seed at stake in this one.
Los Angeles has dealt with below-average offensive line play this year, as Justin Herbert was sacked over 50 times and needed this time off. The Chargers aren’t really built to go deep in the playoffs, as it’s pretty clear where this team is going to invest when the 2026 offseason rolls around.
The Chargers fall a little bit in our NFL power rankings. They have gone 11-6 in each season of the Jim Harbaugh era.
9. Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are still the second seed in the NFC even with the loss in Week 18. The Detroit Lions beat them, but with the Philadelphia Eagles also losing, the Bears did not lose any ground, as Chicago beat Philly a few weeks ago.
The Bears have had a season to remember and are now set to host the Green Bay Packers at Soldier Field. Chicago did beat Green Bay a few weeks ago at home, and I do believe a similar result can happen.
Chicago has been pretty solid this year - the defense has excelled at creating turnovers, and the run game has come alive on offense. However, Chicago can’t get to the QB consistently, and the passing attack just is not very good right now.
The Bears aren’t going to win the Super Bowl or anything, but an 11-6 record in Ben Johnson’s first year on the job paints a very nice picture for the long-term.
Good for the Chicago Bears. It’s time for the playoffs.