8. Pittsburgh Steelers
Out of all the teams vying for the playoffs in Week 18, I'm putting the least amount of stock into the Steelers. I have zero faith that they're going to be able to beat the Ravens, even though they just beat them recently. I'm just not picking up what they're putting down. It's been such an up-and-down year for the Steelers, and I'm not confident they're going to be able to shut down that Ravens' running game.
This is just one of those teams that isn't passing the proverbial eye test week after week.
7. Baltimore Ravens
So what do we think of the Baltimore Ravens? When you see Derrick Henry going off for four touchdowns and over 200 yards on the ground, you can't help but start to believe again. Everything we know about the Ravens this year almost feel's like fool's gold, because so much of their reputation right now is based on what they've been and not as much what they are.
But even with that in mind, you have to take this team seriously. And Lamar Jackson is returning to the field for Week 18. Can we not all see this team catching a little wind in their sails and doing damage in the postseason?
6. Los Angeles Chargers
The Los Angeles Chargers are one of the simplest evaluations across the NFL right now. They are tough and physical defensively. They are going to be in almost every game. But will Justin Herbert have enough from his supporting cast to win games in January? Herbert has shown outstanding toughness in recent weeks, playing through a hand injury that required surgery.
He's capable of willing his team to victory, but I'm not sure the Chargers will be able to overcome all of the injuries they've been dealing with. It's not always the best team that gets to the Super Bowl, but the healthiest.
5. Buffalo Bills
Even after getting completely shut down by the Vic Fangio defense, the Bills were nearly able to pull off an impressive comeback and came just one two-point conversion away from beating the Eagles on Sunday. Still, that game was another microcosm of the Bills' season in 2025. This team is just a day late and a dollar short too often.
The Bills have a quarterback who has won a lot of postseason games, so they have to be considered extremely dangerous. But at the same time, Superman has shown he can only carry so much of the weight. That defense has to step up for the Bills in the postseason.