1. Seahawks (last week No. 1; 13-3): Another year, another Week 18 opportunity for Sam Darnold to win the No. 1 seed.
2. Patriots (No. 4; 13-3): They could have scored 100 against the Jets, if they wanted.
3. Jaguars (No. 2; 12-4): Hopefully, they didn’t peak too soon.
4. Broncos (No. 5; 13-3): If the road to Santa Clara goes through Denver, the Broncos may be making the trip.
5. 49ers (No. 9; 12-4): Brock Purdy is playing like Josh Allen.
6. Bears (No. 7; 11-5): Despite losing, they proved they’re ready to contend.
7. Texans (No. 8; 11-5): The Super Bowl is far from a pipe dream for the best defense in the league.
8 (tie). Eagles (No. 11; 11-5): Long stretches of the offense going AWOL won’t get them to Santa Clara.
8 (tie). Bills (No. 3; 11-5): Josh Allen’s foot seems to be worse than he or the team will admit.
10. Rams (No. 6; 11-5): Can they rediscover their magic before the playoff starts?
11. Chargers (No. 10; 11-5): They still have a lot of work to do to get to where they want to be.
12. Packers (No. 12; 9-6-1): Malik Willis is going to get paid in the offseason.
13. Vikings (No. 16; 8-8): Taking out the Lions may have been even more satisfying than another one-and-done postseason run would have been.
14. Ravens (No. 17; 8-8): Remember when Derrick Henry was a free agent and only the Ravens seriously pursued him?
15. Steelers (No. 13; 9-7): Their failure to keep DK Metcalf away from the stands could keep them away from the postseason.
16. Panthers (No. 14; 8-8): They’re poised to win the NFC South by default.
17. Lions (No. 15; 8-8): Windows open quickly; they close even faster.
18. Falcons (No. 21; 7-9): If they played in the afternoon the way they play at night, they’d be the top seed in the conference.
19. Cowboys (No. 19; 7-8-1): Will Jerry Jones break the bank for Brian Flores?
20. Colts (No. 18; 8-8): What will new owner Carlie Irsay-Gordon do in her first offseason in charge?
21. Saints (No. 23; 6-10): If they’d started Tyler Shough from Week 1, would they have won the division?
22. Bengals (No. 25; 6-10): Joe Burrow is happy again. Now, they have to keep him that way.
23. Dolphins (No. 24; 7-9): Mike McDaniel may have saved his job, and Quinn Ewers may have won the chance to be the starter in 2026.
24. Buccaneers (No. 20; 7-9): If they don’t win the division, what happens next?
25. Chiefs (No. 22; 6-10): How quickly can they put things back together?
26. Giants (No. 31; 3-13): The coaching search is about to hit overdrive.
27. Titans (No. 26; 3-13): Cam Ward is quietly showing why he was the No. 1 overall pick.
28. Commanders (No. 27; 4-12): Keeping Jayden Daniels healthy will be the top job for 2026.
29. Browns (No. 28; 4-12): Will next year be any different?
30. Cardinals (No. 30; 3-13): The quarterback decision becomes critical.
31. Jets (No. 29; 3-13): Just when it seems like it can’t get any worse, it does.
32. Raiders (No. 32; 2-14): Maxx Crosby has finally had enough of this shit.
