The NFL playoffs remain wide open after a thrilling Wild Card Round, with the Broncos, Seahawks, and Bills at the top of the Divisional Round power rankings.
1. Denver Broncos (14-3) | Last week: 1
Buffalo is the team I probably feel least confident in as the matchup for Denver, so it’s an unfortunate draw for the top seed in the AFC to get them as the No. 6 seed. That said, the homefield advantage for the Broncos could be the difference, and Sean Payton is on top of things by telling the crowd to be at their loudest when the Bills enter the huddle. The defense must stop James Cook III and the ground game, while being able to run the ball themselves going up against a top pass defense.
2. Seattle Seahawks (14-3) | Last week: 2
Both top teams in their respective conferences are led by quarterbacks seeking their first playoff victories. The Seahawks are confident playing host to a 49ers squad that they just defeated a couple of weeks ago and is now even more beat up, but—as great as Seattle’s defense is—it’s unlikely the San Francisco offense is as off as they were that night.
3. Buffalo Bills (13-5) | Last week: 3
It’s mind-blowing how depleted the Bills receiving group—which, bluntly, was already not a strength of the squad—has become over the past week. Tyrell Shavers showed incredible toughness while playing through a torn ACL in the tight Wild Card Round win at Jacksonville, and Gabe Davis sadly also tore his ACL; Joshua Palmer was already placed on IR and is done for the year. So, Buffalo is literally down to three healthy receivers. If anyone can overcome that, it’s Josh Allen, who proved again last week that he’s one of the top postseason performers in NFL history—though at Denver is a tough task for Sean McDermott’s group.
4. Chicago Bears (12-6) | Last week: 4
You just can’t count out the Bears offense with Caleb Williams at the helm. The combination of Williams’ elite playmaking with Ben Johnson eventually finding pressure points in the defense keeps the Bears in every game even when they’re down big—as they’ve shown several times this season. This group can win a home shootout versus the Rams if it comes to that, but the frigid Chicago temperatures will make Saturday night super interesting.
5. San Francisco 49ers (13-5) | Last week: 6 (+1)
The Super Bowl title has been elusive, but Kyle Shanahan yet again got the 49ers to show up in the postseason and advance to the Divisional Round. It was obviously costly, with All-Pro tight end George Kittle tearing his Achilles—but this is a San Francisco team that’s overcome massive losses all year. Winning at Lincoln Financial Field in the playoffs is quite the accomplishment, and the Niners might need more superbly executed tricks to get past Seattle.
6. New England Patriots (15-3) | Last week: 8 (+2)
I admittedly thought the Patriots would lean toward a one-and-done even as the No. 2 seed in the AFC, but the New England defense (with some help from a very disappointing Chargers offense) didn’t allow much of anything to keep it tight before the offense got going a bit. Josh McDaniels has done an amazing job, but I think it’d be wise to stick with the ground game even more if it’s working with how Rhamondre Stevenson looked.
7. Houston Texans (13-5) | Last week: 9 (+2)
No doubt, the limited Pittsburgh offense was a plus matchup for Houston, but the stingy Texans defense has the confidence they can keep advancing—as they should. However, C.J. Stroud must avoid turnovers for what’ll be another cold matchup this weekend at Gillette Stadium, as it’s not typical to escape when turning the ball over three times on the road, and we know the defense alone is good enough to keep them in every game.
8. Los Angeles Rams (13-5) | Last week: 10 (+2)
The Rams were put on the ropes by the Panthers, and now they’ll head to Chicago for a matchup where they’re somewhat surprising favorites of over a field goal. The upside for the young group is there to get hot, but I think the play of the defense has been a tad overstated this season. We’ll see if the Bears can take advantage and get off to a faster start.
9. Jacksonville Jaguars (13-5) | Last week: 7 (-2)
Bills-Jags felt like it was going to be a major battle where the winner would have a real shot to go on a run, so the home loss was crushing. However, the first season for Liam Coen in Jacksonville was tremendous, immediately getting buy-in from his players. 2025 was a definite year to build on.
10. Philadelphia Eagles (11-7) | Last week: 5 (-5)
The inconsistency of the Philadelphia offense ultimately caught up to the defending Super Bowl champions, but the defense also gave up too much in the loss to the 49ers. The firing of offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo creates an appealing opening with the talent in Philly, and I ultimately believe star receiver A.J. Brown will be back despite some controversy throughout the year.
11. Los Angeles Chargers (11-7) | Last week: 11
The Chargers are also moving on from their offensive coordinator, firing Greg Roman. But the bottom line is Justin Herbert must get over the hump in the postseason. Opportunities were there to hit on big plays down the field and make the result much different at New England, but the talented quarterback didn’t take advantage. With Rashawn Slater and Joe Alt set to return in 2026, things should be easier on that side of the ball, though.
12. Green Bay Packers (9-8-1) | Last week: 12
The status of head coach Matt LaFleur is a big storyline this week, but I think it’d be crazy not to extend him. The loss to the Bears—giving up 25 fourth-quarter points—was sort of a microcosm of the season and how things sometimes are with Jordan Love at quarterback. Love did throw four touchdowns, and when he’s in a rhythm Green Bay is tough to stop. Ideally, the Packers will be able to get better than the No. 7 seed to have home playoff games and hope Love is hot at the right time.
13. Pittsburgh Steelers (10-8) | Last week: 13
It’s the end of an era for the Steelers, who will be looking for just their fourth coach in over five decades after the great Mike Tomlin stepped down following the postseason loss to the Texans. As sometimes is the case, it might’ve just been time for Tomlin—but what a run with no losing seasons over 19 years, 13 postseason appearances, eight AFC North titles, and a Super Bowl title. The Steelers just didn’t have enough offensively, and this also might be the end for legendary quarterback Aaron Rodgers. It didn’t end how they would’ve liked, but at least they can look back fondly on winning a division title with an epic Game 272 win.
14. Carolina Panthers (8-10) | Last week: 14
As expected, Bryce Young showed up in the playoffs. It was good for Carolina to get a taste of the postseason and go toe-to-toe with a team like the Rams. A little more juice is needed on defense in particular, but there are things to build on, like the top-notch cornerback duo of Mike Jackson and Jaycee Horn.