1. Ravens (8-2; last week No. 1): The only thing that will derail them at this point is a Lamar Jackson injury.
2. Seahawks (8-2; No. 2): They’re one false move by the 49ers away from the No. 1 seed.
3. Patriots (9-1; No. 3): They’re one false move away from the Ravens being the No. 1 seed.
4. 49ers (9-1; No. 4): The teeth of the schedule finally arrives, at perhaps the worst possible time.
5. Saints (8-2; No. 5): Nothing cures a football hangover faster than facing Jameis Winston.
6. Packers (8-2; No. 6): Whether they win the division may hinge on whether they can beat the 49ers.
7. Vikings (8-3; No. 7): Don’t be shocked if when the dust settles in 40 days the NFC road to Miami goes through Minneapolis.
8. Chiefs (7-4; No. 9): An old-school showdown with the Raiders is looming, and there’s a good chance both teams will be 7-4 when the ball is kicked.
9. Bills (7-3; No. 10): What once seemed like a no-brainer playoff berth could still go up in smoke, especially given the upcoming schedule.
10. Raiders (6-4; No. 13): A good way to end things in Oakland would be to host a playoff game. A better way to end things in Oakland would be to not end things in Oakland.
11. Cowboys (6-4; No. 14): They’ll need to win some games they shouldn’t if they hope to get to where they should be.
12. Texans (6-4; No. 8): Their playoff hopes may hinge on their ability to recover from a 41-7 loss in only four days.
13. Rams (6-4; No. 15): This team has a long way to go to be as good as it was last year.
14. Colts (6-4; No. 18): The AFC South is there for the taking.
15. Steelers (5-5; No. 11): Mason Rudolph getting hit over the head with his own helmet provided a great distraction for Rudolph throwing four interceptions.
16. Titans (5-5; No. 16): They continue to have a very real shot at stealing the division.
17. Eagles (5-5; No. 12): The margin for error is getting slimmer and slimmer.
18. Panthers (5-5; No. 17): Before they can make a decision about Cam Newton, they’ll need to decide on who’ll be making the decision about Cam Newton.
19. Browns (4-6; No. 23): Their playoff chances may have evaporated in one windmill swing of a helmet.
20. Jaguars (4-6; No. 19): They’re not done yet, but the clock is ticking loudly.
21. Bears (4-6; No. 20): The Bears continue to be unable to string two good years together, but it feels like they’ll be stringing more than a few bad years together.
22. Chargers (4-7; No. 21): The Bears aren’t the only team that blew it by passing on Patrick Mahomes and Deshaun Watson.
23. Falcons (3-7; No. 27): They’re officially The Team That No One Wants To Play.
24. Broncos (3-7; No. 22): Another week, another close loss that should have been a win.
25. Jets (3-7; No. 29): They’re laying a great foundation for 2020, and they still have a chance to salvage 2019.
26. Lions (3-6-1; No. 24): Will ownership see the glass as half full or as half empty, given that the glass has been mostly empty for most of the last 60 years?
27. Buccaneers (3-7; No. 25): Bruce Arians’ plan for the rest of the year is to “win them all.” (What was the plan for the first 11 weeks?)
28. Cardinals (3-7-1; No. 26): They’re not far away from becoming a contender.
29. Dolphins (2-8; No. 28): Tanking or not, this team still has a long way to go in order to become a contender.
30. Giants (2-8; No. 30): When does the push begin for an Eli Manning farewell tour?
31. Washington (1-9; No. 31): Eventually, the team will get a new stadium that fans of every team they face can overrun.
32. Bengals (0-10; No. 32): The NFL never talks about expansion. Maybe the league should start talking about contraction.