And once again, the NFL Playoffs brought us some wild finishes. Now that we're into the conference championship week, just four NFL teams remain, and you could argue that all four were and are the four best teams in the NFL.
Even with the NFL having so much parity this year, the best teams typically stand out in the end. The biggest storyline of the weekend honestly came from the Buffalo Bills at Denver Broncos. The Broncos won in overtime but lost starting QB Bo Nix to a broken ankle.
All of a sudden, the AFC title game looks a lot different, and even though the game is in Denver, the Patriots might end up being the favorite and are likely to win that game. On the NFC side of things, the Seattle Seahawks and Los Angeles Rams each got past their opponents, but that was not much of a surprise. Let's power rank the four teams eliminated this past weekend.
Power ranking the teams that lost in the 2025 NFL Divisional Round
4. Houston Texans
The Houston Texans have a Super Bowl-caliber defense, but CJ Stroud really has not played all that well since his rookie season back in 2023. At this point, you have to wonder if the team is going to start doing a bit of homework on the position.
You absolutely cannot extend Stroud this offseason but should pick up his fifth-year option. Year four in the NFL is going to be massive for him, as this team is built to win now and has won 32 regular season games over the past three regular seasons. Houston doesn't feel like as slam dunk of a team as we though. The Texans are no. 4 in our power rankings, as this franchise is really at a bit of a crossroads right now.
Houston isn't in an ideal spot right now, and the Divisional Round proved that to us big-time.
3. Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears once again made a game dramatic, but this time, they fell short to the Los Angeles Rams in overtime, and I am not trying to toot my own horn or anything, but I did see this result coming. The Bears made it close once again and were able to tie the game on yet another miraculous play from Caleb Williams.
However, closing out games in that fashion was going to come back to bite the Bears, and it did, as Matthew Stafford and Sean McVay are a bit inevitable, and the Rams were simply the better football team. The Bears do have a very bright future, but they'll have to learn how to not need these heroic-type of finishes.
It's not really a sustainable way to win, especially when the Bears have a roster that has a few holes.
2. San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers were going to get beaten by the Seattle Seahawks, as there was not much of a path for this team to win in the Divisional Round. The Niners simply have to get healthy in the offseason, shore up a few positions, and should be right back on track in 2026.
This team is as well coached as any in the NFL and could win the NFC West next year, but the main storyline for this team really boiled down to injuries.
1. Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills lost to the Denver Broncos in overtime, and it's another heartbreaking playoff loss. The Bills also just fired now former head coach Sean McDermott on Monday, which I was a bit shocked to see. It seems like Buffalo had enough, and I don't really blame them.
The roster is solid all around when healthy, but the Bills have to get some wide receiver and secondary help in the offseason. If that can happen, which might be a tall task for GM Brandon Beane, the Bills should be just fine.
But it is worth asking if this team will ever be able to get over the hump. Bringing in a new head coach could indeed help them do that.