The penultimate week of regular season football in the NFL was a wild, wild week of action from start to finish. The festivities got going on Christmas Day, with the Vikings knocking the Lions out of the playoff race completely and the Broncos sneaking out of Kansas City with their 13th win of the season.
On Saturday, we saw a huge swing with the Texans beating the Chargers to seal the Broncos’ AFC West title, while also keeping the door open for them to win the AFC South. The Ravens destroyed the Packers to keep their AFC North hopes alive.
On Sunday, the Patriots took the AFC East title in impressive fashion as the Bills faltered against the Eagles. The Panthers and Buccaneers can’t decide which team wants to get to Cabo first. There is so much action to unpack, including some drama for the #1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. We’re breaking it all down in our Week 18 NFL Power Rankings.
Week 18 NFL Power Rankings: Texans skyrocketing, Packers in a free fall
32. Las Vegas Raiders
The Raiders might be in a ton of trouble going into the 2026 offseason. They may have “won” the battle for the #1 overall pick with the New York Giants, but that top pick isn’t yet secured for them, and even if they do get it, who is still going to be around?
It seems increasingly unlikely that Pete Carroll is going to be this team’s head coach going forward, although nothing is set in stone there. The Raiders will have to move on from Geno Smith after this disastrous season. But most importantly, it is looking more and more like Maxx Crosby is going to force his way out this offseason.
Crosby was furious with the Raiders shutting him down for the final two games of the season, which is as much of a “tanking” move as you’re ever going to see in the NFL. Crosby basically called his own organization out by posting videos of him playing basketball and jumping on a trampoline after being shut down.
The Raiders need a QB more than anything right now, but “tanking” for the #1 overall pick may have cost them their best player.
31. New York Giants
The New York Giants got another pair of rushing touchdowns out of Jaxson Dart, and another big performance out of Wan’Dale Robinson in their Week 17 win against the Raiders. And that was a win that ended up being extremely significant when it comes to the 2026 NFL Draft.
The Giants would have sealed the #1 overall pick with a loss to the Raiders, but it wasn’t meant to be with the Raiders putting their best player on IR with two games to play.
And to be fair, the young core of the Giants has questions to answer of their own. Obviously, this team is currently missing Malik Nabers and Cam Skattebo, who could be two major pieces going forward, but there were some reports that the Giants would consider all options with the #1 overall pick (if they had earned it), including potentially taking Heisman-winning quarterback Fernando Mendoza.
With the way Jaxson Dart has played this year, that’s a little hard to imagine. We’ll see how this organization progresses with injuries derailing this season, even if it was always going to be an evaluation year.
30. New York Jets
The New York Jets are a flat-out embarrassment. With the worst quarterback play in the entire NFL this season along with just four takeaways all year defensively, it’s a shocker that the Jets have somehow found a way to win three games this season. They have been worse than expected, and it might not even result in the #1 overall pick in next year’s draft.
The Jets got blasted away by the New England Patriots in Week 17, giving up five touchdown passes to Drake Maye, who was pulled from the game by around 3 PM ET. It was basically like Maye was out there playing 7-on-7, destroying the Jets’ defense to the point that their pride undoubtedly took a major shot.
After bringing in a new general manager this past year (Darren Mougey) and hiring a new head coach (Aaron Glenn), the Jets’ ownership had to know that this was going to be a longer rebuilding process. And with question marks all over the roster, that project is barely even underway.
29. Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals have now lost eight straight games, and are one of the sorriest teams in the NFL. The only reason this team’s been worth tuning into over the last handful of months is Trey McBride, and you can give an honorable mention to Michael Wilson as of late.
McBride has officially set the all-time record for receptions by a tight end in a single season, which was previously held by old friend Zach Ertz, who had 116 receptions back in the 2018 season. Heck, McBride has challenged that record a couple of times now, with 111 receptions just last season.
He’s become one of the truly dominant weapons at the tight end position over the past few seasons and is a cheat code week after week. The potential of him breaking that all-time record will be a positive focus for a team that has otherwise been a massive disappointment all year. They will be an unfortunate exclamation point on the 2025 season for the Los Angeles Rams at SoFi Stadium next week, likely losing their 9th straight game to close out the year.
28. Tennessee Titans
It's been fun to watch the progression of Cam Ward and some of his young Titans teammates over the course of this season, whether we've gotten big games out of tight end Gunnar Helm or wide receivers Chimere Dike and Elic Ayomanor.
There is obviously quite a bit of work yet to be done for this roster, but getting to see these young players step up week in and week out has been a lot of fun. If anything, we're seeing the need for the Titans to go out and upgrade on the defensive side of the ball after a complete breakdown against the Saints.
It's not exactly about winning at this point in the season for the Titans, but that would be a nice bonus in a game like we saw against the Saints. It wasn't meant to be. But Ward made some huge plays and continued to prove he's this team's franchise quarterback going forward.
27. Washington Commanders
After getting absolutely blasted away on Christmas by the Dallas Cowboys, the Washington Commanders have had enough this season. Unfortunately, they’ve got to endure one more week of the regular season before everyone can just wash their hands of 2025 and move on to 2026.
I don’t know if there is a fan base that is looking more forward to the offseason than the Commanders’ fan base. This is a team that went to the NFC Championship a year ago, and they are going to be watching the postseason from home with a ton of roster question marks this year.
Everything that’s been exposed this year for the Commanders was relatively “expected”. Injuries piling up for a roster that was a new construction project in 2024 prove to be too much, especially the injury to Jayden Daniels. The pass rush off the edge was not good enough. This team is ready for the reset button.
26. Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns own the Pittsburgh Steelers when the Steelers come to Cleveland. At least, over the last four or five years, that’s the case. Even with a chance to wrap up the AFC North, the Browns prevented the Steelers from doing much of anything when they came to Pittsburgh on Sunday, even if it wasn’t the prettiest game from the Cleveland offense.
This was like watching a classic Big Ten matchup between Iowa and Wisconsin or something. It was all about defense, and the Browns prevailed when it mattered most. Aaron Rodgers tested Denzel Ward one too many times in coverage, and the Steelers’ comeback bid late in this game fell short.
Shedeur Sanders threw another pair of interceptions in this game, and the Browns are likely headed toward hitting the reset button offensively in the offseason, but that defense is for real. If they could even have a semi-consistent offense…
25. Kansas City Chiefs
Even with “nothing” to play for, the Kansas City Chiefs put forth a rather inspiring effort against the Denver Broncos on Christmas night, especially defensively. The strategy by Steve Spagnuolo to force Bo Nix to dink and dunk down the field ultimately didn’t work well enough, but it kept the Chiefs in the game for the majority of the four quarters.
The Chiefs got outstanding games overall from Nick Bolton and Chris Jones, and third-string quarterback Chris Oladokun capitalized on a Broncos turnover to give the Chiefs a lead in that game.
But the Broncos pulled through, and now the Chiefs are left with a matchup against a hapless Raiders team in Week 18. Everyone is wondering what the future holds for this Chiefs team with Travis Kelce’s future up in the air, a long recovery process ahead for Patrick Mahomes, and a roster with a lot of major issues.
24. Atlanta Falcons
Falcons play Monday night vs. Rams
At this point in the year, it’s too little, too late for the Atlanta Falcons. And at this point in his tenure as general manager, I’m wondering how much longer the organization is going to allow Terry Fontenot to call the shots. The Falcons took forever to make a decision on the quarterback position, and they brought in two guys in one offseason who don’t look like they’re going to be it.
The decision to sign Kirk Cousins was understandable, but the disaster of adding both he and Michael Penix Jr. in hindsight is unavoidable at this point. I don’t know where the Falcons go from here, but they can still go out there and make some noise with a couple of games left to play.
This is a team with a number of notable players in contract years or auditioning for jobs beyond this season. Cousins will be one of them, but Kyle Pitts and Tyler Allgeier are also notable free agents, and Drake London could be a trade target for teams.
23. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
I’m all the way out on the Buccaneers at this point. You mean to tell me that this team went from being a legitimate Super Bowl contender early in the season to being on the brink of not even making the playoffs entering their Week 18 showdown against the Carolina Panthers?
This is pathetic.
Baker Mayfield has completely fallen off the proverbial cliff, and there’s no end in sight. He had three turnovers (2 INTs, a lost fumble) against the Dolphins on Sunday, and in a game the Bucs absolutely had to have, they let the banged-up Dolphins, using a rookie quarterback, beat them.
It’s inexcusable. Todd Bowles is likely going to be dismissed after this season with the way this team has played, especially down the stretch. It’s been rough to watch.
22. Miami Dolphins
Once again, the Miami Dolphins come up with an intriguing victory. With incentives on the line and future jobs up for grabs, we saw a couple of former Broncos come up big for the Dolphins in their win against the Buccaneers on Sunday.
Bradley Chubb notched two sacks against Baker Mayfield, one of them a strip-sack that ended up getting recovered by the Dolphins. Greg Dulcich led the Dolphins with five receptions on the day, and scored his first touchdown since 2022.
The Dolphins’ defense absolutely had Baker Mayfield in a blender all afternoon and forced three turnovers off the Bucs’ quarterback. That Dolphins’ defense is going to be an interesting factor here in Week 18 as Miami is going to take its show on the road one more time for a matchup against the Patriots, with New England playing for the #1 seed in the AFC.
Can they play the role of spoiler?
21. New Orleans Saints
I don’t care who the opponents have been. The New Orleans Saints are a fun team right now. They have a lot of young players on offense playing extremely well, but none more so than quarterback Tyler Shough. I’m going to continue to sing his praises.
Of course, going into the NFL Draft process, there was a healthy skepticism with Shough because of the fact that he transferred to about 12 different colleges and was one of the oldest rookies coming in this class. The Saints seemingly felt like he was only worth a Day 2 dart throw, so their investment in him wasn’t like they “had to have him” in the moment.
But Kellen Moore has done an excellent job setting up Shough and those young playmakers for the Saints to have success. He made some incredible throws in the Saints’ victory over the Titans, a game that put a couple of talented young QBs on display. The entire offseason is taking on a different tone for the Saints with Shough’s rapid ascent.
20. Dallas Cowboys
If the Dallas Cowboys didn’t have one of the worst defenses any of us has ever seen, they might actually be a dangerous team in the playoffs. Even in the loaded NFC, there are few offenses with the ability to be as dynamic and explosive as the Cowboys. And they’ll be watching the playoffs just like the rest of us – from our couches.
The Cowboys annihilated the Commanders on Christmas Day, and that was likely a satisfying win for the Dallas fan base, but it was pointless in the long run. Maybe not completely pointless, but a reminder of what the Cowboys really missed out on this year.
Even with a competent defense. Even with a defense that ranked 25th in the NFL in points allowed, this team probably would have been able to do some damage in the playoffs. But it wasn’t meant to be.
19. Cincinnati Bengals
We need a bracket featuring the Lions, Bengals, Cowboys, and maybe a couple of other teams when the season is over. If ever there was a year that a consolation bracket would be must-see TV, it might be this season.
The Cincinnati Bengals obviously haven’t had Joe Burrow for the majority of this season, which means the AFC likely missed out on one of the best quarterbacks in the game in the playoffs. Maybe that Bengals defense wouldn’t have been able to hold up regardless of what they did offensively (like last season), but the way Burrow has played since coming back from the injury it makes you wonder.
Of course, we’re getting close to writing official post-mortems for all of these non-playoff teams, but the Bengals will be one of the toughest “what if” stories to think about. They could have easily been a contender in the AFC North with the way the Steelers and Ravens played this season. It wasn’t meant to be.
18. Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are officially the biggest frauds in the NFL this season. You hate to say it, because we’re piling insult on top of insult, but it’s true.
We talked about it before the start of the 2025 season, plenty of times, that the Lions could end up missing their two lost coordinators (Ben Johnson, Aaron Glenn) more than anyone realized. The prevailing thought seemed to be that Detroit’s talent would be enough to get them back into the postseason and contending for the NFC title, but they were just eliminated from the postseason on Christmas by…Max Brosmer.
It’s been that kind of year for the Lions. They have simply failed to live up to expectations all year long, and just like the Dallas Cowboys, another year of this team’s dynamic offense will be completely wasted. On the bright side, maybe you look at this season as a great reality check for the franchise, and I expect we’ll see them be aggressive in going after a new offensive play-caller in 2026.
17. Indianapolis Colts
You at least have to admire the effort we saw out there on Sunday from the Indianapolis Colts. And I continue to be absolutely amazed that Philip Rivers was able to just go out there and play meaningful football at that high of a level after not being out there since 2020. He’s truly one of the all-time greats.
But he didn’t quite have enough in the gauntlet the Colts had to run here the past few weeks. Coming off of their loss against the 49ers, however, I think we all expected a worse effort from the Colts on Sunday. But they came to play.
This three-game stretch from Philip Rivers has been something no NFL fan will soon forget. It’s just unfortunate for the Hollywood script writers that he wasn’t able to bring them into the postseason. Once again, this Colts team will enter the offseason with question marks lingering at the quarterback position.
16. Carolina Panthers
There’s no shame in losing to the Seattle Seahawks, but we needed to see a lot better from the Carolina Panthers in Week 17. The Panthers’ offense simply couldn’t get through the Seattle defense until it was too late, scoring just three points in the first three quarters.
That Seattle team is probably the most well-rounded in the league, so it would have taken an absolutely perfect game from the Panthers to get a win (even at home), and it just wasn’t in the stars.
Still, after beating the Buccaneers last week, the Panthers will have a chance to win the division in Week 18, and they’ll have to do it on the road. They will simply need a much better effort from Bryce Young and that offense to get it done, but that Bucs team has been struggling badly here in the second half of the season.
It’s going to be an incredible atmosphere and a huge opportunity for Bryce Young and this young Panthers team to take a step forward.
15. Minnesota Vikings
Well now, Kevin O’Connell and Brian Flores are just showing off. The Vikings’ season has been a disappointment for a variety of reasons, but the coaching job of O’Connell and his staff simply cannot be overstated at this point. On Christmas Day, the Vikings handed their division rival Detroit Lions a massive lump of coal to win their 8th game of the season so far.
The win was extremely impressive considering the fact that the Lions had everything to play for, and the Vikings went out there with Max Brosmer as the starting quarterback. With all due respect to Brosmer, you’re taking the Lions in that scenario 9 times out of 10. And the Vikings proved everyone wrong.
The Vikings eliminated the Lions from the playoffs, and in the process, have given themselves a little momentum heading into the offseason. Some people feel like you don’t take “momentum” from one season to the next, but this is a locker room culture thing, and the Vikings have an extremely strong foundation to build on with O’Connell in the head coach spot.
14. Green Bay Packers
Even though anything can happen in the playoffs, and the Packers still have a good team otherwise, it felt like this team's season ended in Denver a couple of weeks ago. The Packers obviously lost superstar pass rusher Micah Parsons in that game against the Broncos, and that loss really took the wind out of this team’s sails.
The Packers have lost three consecutive games, including that game against the Broncos, after holding on to win against the Bears in what appeared to be the beginning of a huge December run for this team. The Packers haven’t been able to make up for the loss of Parsons, and the Ravens made a statement against them in a battle of backup quarterbacks.
Even with some explosive plays from Malik Willis in the passing game, the Ravens ran for over 300 yards against the Packers’ defense. They’ve already punched their ticket to the playoffs, but it’s currently looking like it’ll be a quick exit for them.
13. Baltimore Ravens
The way Derrick Henry played for the Ravens on Saturday night, you can’t help but feel like this team is the one nobody would really want to face in the playoffs. The Ravens gave Derrick Henry the ball early and often in their win against the Green Bay Packers on Saturday night, and he responded with his biggest game of the year.
And one of the biggest games in fantasy football championship week history, too.
Henry’s 36 carries went for 216 yards and four touchdowns. The Ravens ran for over 300 yards against the Packers and proved exactly why folks have believed in this team through the ups and downs all year long. Even with Tyler Huntley and Malik Willis facing off in that game, the Ravens going on the road to Green Bay and getting a huge win looks really solid for them.
Unfortunately, it may still not be enough. They’ll have a shot in Week 18 to go into Pittsburgh and get a tough win, and with the way Derrick Henry played, what AFC team wants to see the Ravens at home in the Wild Card round?
12. Pittsburgh Steelers
For the time being, the Pittsburgh Steelers are in control of their destiny. Their win against the Baltimore Ravens a couple of weeks ago looms so large right now after they completely wet the bed on the road against the Cleveland Browns.
We know the Browns’ defense is stout, and they have been almost all year. And divisional games, you can typically throw records out the window. But Mike Tomlin’s teams get their 9th win and suddenly do their best disappearing act. It was an opportunity against a rookie quarterback (who has turned the ball over a lot) to go and win your division, shutting the door on the Ravens.
Instead, the Steelers will now have to hold off the Ravens, who will come to Pittsburgh for all the marbles in the AFC North this weekend. This Steelers team just continues to not really pass the dreaded “eye test”. It was a nice three-game winning streak for this team going up against the Ravens, Dolphins, and Lions, but the loss to the Browns will have doubt creeping into the mind of every fan in Steeler Nation, especially after Derrick Henry put up video game-like numbers against the Packers.
11. Buffalo Bills
Ultimately, we feel like we have to put the Buffalo Bills this low on this week’s NFL Power Rankings. I still believe the Bills could end up being one of the most dangerous teams in the NFC, but their loss at home to the Eagles over the weekend – even if it was a tight one that came down to a two-point play – has given the edge to some other teams.
The Bills have head-to-head losses against the Eagles, Texans, and Patriots (as well as a more recent win against the Pats) who are all ahead of them on the rankings this week. That win over the Patriots just two weeks ago was followed up with a close call against the Browns last week and now a home loss against the Eagles.
It would be a hot take to say that the Bills have missed their championship window, but this team is going to have to buckle down quickly. They will get a final tune-up in Week 18 at home against the Jets, and then it’s going to be the “road warrior” mentality for the postseason after the Patriots stole the division from them.
10. Philadelphia Eagles
The big question with the Eagles the past handful of weeks was whether or not the wins they had against the Raiders and Commanders would prove to be the “get right” games they appeared to be when they faced off against a better opponent. Vic Fangio’s defense was absolutely championship-ready in their matchup on the road against the Buffalo Bills, and we saw one of the most impressive efforts of the week as the Eagles held on for that win.
And if you need a picture painted for you of just how huge that Eagles defense was against the Bills, the Eagles’ offense had just 11 first downs in the game, they converted just three of their 13 third-down attempts, and had just 190 total yards of offense.
When it comes to looking like a championship team, you can’t say the Eagles’ offense put anything great on display against the Bills. But it doesn’t always have to look aesthetically pleasing. We know what this team can do in January and February.
9. Los Angeles Chargers
You can’t drop the Los Angeles Chargers too far for their loss against the Houston Texans, but that loss was a costly one. With the Broncos beating the Chiefs on Christmas night, the margin for error was simply not there for the Chargers. Their loss against the Texans cemented the Denver Broncos as division champions, which stings, because a win against Houston would have made the Chargers’ matchup against Denver in Week 18 for the division crown.
Which the Chargers have not won since 2009…
So what went wrong in that game? Well, the Chargers obviously had to face off against one of the toughest and stingiest defenses in the NFL, but getting the brakes beat off them early on as the Texans got out to a 14-0 lead didn’t help. Even with eight penalties and two interceptions by the Texans, the Chargers weren’t able to capitalize.
You wonder how far they can realistically go in the postseason with all of their injuries.
8. Chicago Bears
Well, that one hurts. Not only did the Chicago Bears lose on Sunday night in absolutely heartbreaking fashion, but on the final play of the game, star rookie receiver Luther Burden III was getting helped by the athletic training staff. Hopefully he's going to be okay, because it looks like he can be a crucial piece for that Bears defense in the postseason.
And even with a loss against the 49ers, the Bears look like they're going to be a factor in the postseason. That defense has been susceptible at times this season, including against the 49ers, but the Bears have buckled down many times this year, and nobody has created more takeaways on that side of the ball.
They are going to be dangerous in January, but that #1 seed is out of reach now. With the Packers' loss on Saturday against the Ravens, Ben Johnson led this Bears team to a division title in his first year at the helm. This team is for real, and the offense is clicking at the right time.
7. San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers have been one of the NFL's most resilient teams all season, but when they are getting this kind of play from Brock Purdy? They're going to be tough to beat, no matter who they are going up against.
Purdy was sensational against the Chicago Bears on Sunday night, becoming the first 49ers quarterback since Colin Kaepernick to have 2+ passing and 2+ rushing touchdowns in the same game. And when the game started with a pick-six, it felt like Purdy was more dialed in than ever.
He finished with over 300 yards through the air, three touchdown passes, and two rushing scores. The 49ers put up 42 points and were able to outlast the Bears, making a stand in a goal-to-go situation. If this team keeps on winning, they'll host the Super Bowl. They've got the Seahawks at home for the NFC West championship in Week 18.
6. Houston Texans
There isn’t a defense in the NFL playing better than the Houston Texans at the moment. On Saturday afternoon, the Texans went into Los Angeles and handed the Chargers a loss, getting off to a hot start and holding off a Chargers comeback attempt later on.
Houston needs CJ Stroud to get hot as we enter the postseason run. With a shot at the AFC South title, the Texans are really one of the hottest and most well-rounded teams in the NFL. They have question marks on the offensive line and in the running game, but does anyone really believe this team couldn’t win it all?
After an 0-3 start to open the season, Houston has been red-hot, and they look like they could run the table. Having that pass rush with Will Anderson Jr. and Danielle Hunter coming off the edge is such a massive advantage for this team at this time of year. They had Justin Herbert running for his life.
5. New England Patriots
You can’t overreact to the Patriots’ win against the New York Jets, but there’s something to be said for going out there and completely beating the brakes off of a team that you were expected to beat. The Patriots blew a 21-0 lead against the Buffalo Bills, coming off their bye week, playing on their home field. They followed that up by gutting out a win against the Ravens and then blowing out the Jets.
That game against the Bills was a sobering moment for them as a team this season, but they clearly were able to refocus and get right back on track against the Jets.
With one week left to play, the Patriots have a great shot at earning the #1 overall seed in the AFC with the Dolphins on the schedule and the Broncos taking on the Los Angeles Chargers. This team has been so well-rounded all year, and we know they can beat up on the bad teams. They will be a fascinating team to watch in the postseason with Drake Maye playing awesome this season, the weapons all coming through offensively, and Vrabel having that defense ready for every matchup.
4. Los Angeles Rams
Rams play Monday night vs. Falcons
The Los Angeles Rams have simply been one of the best teams in football all year long. The fact that they play in the NFC West is probably the only reason why their record is what it is at this point, and you still have to view this team as a premier contender in the NFC right now.
The only four losses this Rams team has this season are against the Eagles, 49ers, Panthers, and Seahawks. They’ve lost two of those games (49ers, Seahawks) in overtime. This team is well-coached, they are battle-tested, and they have a quarterback who is as dialed in as any in the NFL right now.
The Rams aren’t without flaws at this stage. They obviously have been exposed at times this year, but there’s not really a “perfect” team in the NFL. I would say they have been about as close as anyone when they’re at their best.
3. Denver Broncos
I think it’s fair to say the Denver Broncos have a shot to win the Super Bowl this year, despite not exactly being the most “impressive” 13-3 team in the league we’ve ever seen. The Broncos have found ways to win, and that cannot be diminished. They struggled a bit against the Chiefs on Christmas night, but most of that “struggle” was due to the team having such long drives, ironically.
The Broncos’ elongated drives against the Chiefs didn’t all result in touchdowns, and one turnover led to the Chiefs keeping it tighter than it was in all reality. The Broncos got their butts kicked against the Jaguars last week, but they’ve been one of the best teams in the NFL all season. It’ll be interesting to see how this team comes off of a mini-bye with a high-stakes game in Week 18 against the Chargers.
The Denver defense has lost a little bit of the juice we saw earlier in the season, and this team needs to start creating takeaways. The Broncos are AFC West champions for the first time since 2015, when they won Super Bowl 50. Could history repeat itself 10 years later?
2. Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jaguars aren’t the top team in the AFC right now in terms of their overall record, but the more you look at their body of work, the more impressed you have to be. Obviously, there’s not a single team in the NFL right now that you can say is truly “perfect”. We’ve seen every team put up some stinkers this year, and this Jaguars team lost to the Bengals early in the season and struggled with the Raiders.
And heck, they struggled with Philip Rivers and the Chargers. But they ended up coming through with a clutch win.
Trevor Lawrence didn’t have his best game of the year throwing the ball, but he may have made his best throw of the season on a third-down play to Jakobi Meyers, fitting the ball into an impossible window. And Meyers made an incredible catch.
The Jaguars are playing their way toward potentially the top seed in the AFC if things go their way in Week 18. A signature win against the Broncos just last week puts them above Denver for the time being in our power rankings. They earned it.
1. Seattle Seahawks
Over the course of the 2025 season, I’m not sure there’s been a more consistently complementary team than the Seattle Seahawks. And ultimately, we’ll see how far that can take them. This Seahawks team is so tough when it comes to defending their offense, because they run the ball well and Sam Darnold has one of the biggest cheat codes in the game at his disposal in wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba.
That Seattle defense, however, is the reason this team might end up going deep into the postseason. As good as the offense is, the defense went on the road against a Panthers team fighting for a division title, and they held Bryce Young to 54 yards passing.
Not 154…54.
The Panthers had an abysmal 2.7 yards per play against the Seattle defense, which forced a couple of turnovers and pulled away easily in the second half. Again, this may be the most consistently complementary team in the NFL this season.