8. San Francisco 49ers
Despite all the injuries, the San Francisco 49ers are 9-4 and are stacking wins. Even being in third place in the division, the Niners still have a legitimate shot at the division title, but the team's overall roster talent isn't at the level of Seattle's or Los Angeles'
7. Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are 9-1 in their previous 10 games and are blossoming under first-year head coach Ben Johnson, but the passing attack is just OK, and the defense can be exposed at times. The Bears have created a ton of splash plays on both sides of the ball and have sustained that all year, though, so this is who they are.
6. Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills have to begin rooting for the New England Patriots to stack some losses if they hope to capture the AFC East title in 2025, but if nothing else, the Bills should have a winnable Wild Card game if they can't get a top-4 seed.
5. Seattle Seahawks
Seattle shutout the Minnesota Vikings in Week 13 and are now 9-3 on the season, trailing the LA Rams because of their loss a few weeks ago, where Sam Darnold threw four interceptions. Seattle is good enough to make a bit of noise in the playoffs.
4. Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers are a half game back of the Chicago Bears in the NFC North but feel like the best team in the division. Jordan Love is peaking at the right time, and the defense has been reliable all year.
3. Los Angeles Rams
The LA Rams lost a stinker of a game to the Carolina Panthers, but the team's total body of work this year is quite impressive, and that loss doesn't change their standing much at all. With the 49ers and Seahawks winning in Week 13, the NFC West race got a lot tighter.
2. Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos have the second-longest winning streak in the NFL and is one of two teams with at least 10 wins this year. Beating the Washington Commanders in overtime, the Broncos are clutch in late game situations and have one of the more well-rounded operations in the NFL from top to bottom.
1. New England Patriots
The New England Patriots are now 11-2 and will be on the bye in Week 14. Their latest win, a Monday Night Football victory over the New York Giants, saw second-year QB Drake Maye churn out another awesome performance. He is the favorite for the MVP right now.