The NFL Wild Card Round power rankings include thoughts for all 32 teams, from the Super Bowl favorites to the squads very far from the Big Game.
1. Denver Broncos (14-3) | Last week: 1
The Broncos earned a first-round bye with the top seed in the AFC, but the discussion around second-year quarterback Bo Nix is already becoming ridiculous—and any early playoff exit will have the haters out in droves. The reality is Nix played like an MVP this season as the most clutch player in 2025, elevating a supporting cast on offense and coming through when the defense struggled. That said, while I have them at No. 1 and do trust in Nix’s ability to be a playmaker, it remains to be seen if the supporting cast is indeed strong enough for Denver to advance through a playoff gauntlet.
2. Seattle Seahawks (14-3) | Last week: 3 (+1)
The Seahawks defense might be the best overall unit in the playoffs, and the Week 18 win at San Francisco—holding a red-hot offense to three points with the NFC West and No. 1 seed on the line—showed the talent and tenacity at all three levels. It’s the case for every quarterback but probably especially true for Seattle: if Sam Darnold avoids turnovers, they’re going to be difficult to beat.
3. Buffalo Bills (12-5) | Last week: 7 (+4)
I’ll put the Bills up to No. 3 in the power rankings ahead of the postseason, with the hope of the league’s No. 1 pass defense and that side of the ball overall being locked in over the next few weeks. At Jacksonville off the jump is a tall task, but league-leading rusher James Cook will ideally help control the game while Josh Allen does what he does despite a struggling receiving group.
4. Chicago Bears (11-6) | Last week: 4
The Bears were able to keep the No. 2 seed in the NFC despite the home loss to the Lions, and the loss served as the latest example of them not being a squad to count out in any game with the way Caleb Williams can turn it on and get the offense moving in a hurry. It’ll be cool to have big-time playoff games at Soldier Field again.
5. Philadelphia Eagles (11-6) | Last week: 5
While the Eagles decided to stay as healthy as possible instead of going 100% versus the Commanders, they now draw a 49ers team that figures to be a more challenging matchup than the Packers. That said, playing at Lincoln Financial Field—potentially at least twice if Green Bay can knock off Chicago in what looks like an NFC North toss-up—positions the defending champions for another deep run.
6. San Francisco 49ers (12-5) | Last week: 2 (-4)
Kyle Shanahan typically gets his team to the NFC title game when he gets into the playoff field, and I’m interested to see how they respond from their worst offensive outing in a while by far last Saturday night. Of course, Christian McCaffrey and the ground game will be key to set up favorable third down situations for Brock Purdy to keep drives moving, which he’s been exceptional at this season.
7. Jacksonville Jaguars (13-5) | Last week: 8 (+1)
With the tone and energy that the Jaguars play with, a run to Super Bowl LX would not be the least bit surprising. Trevor Lawrence has played a lot of football in the league and got a taste of the playoffs a few years ago. Josh Hines-Allen will attempt to wreck games off the edge, starting this Sunday when they host Buffalo.
8. New England Patriots (14-3) | Last week: 6 (-2)
The coaching staff for New England—with Mike Vrabel having success with the Titans, and the now underrated and under-the-radar Josh McDaniels knowing how to operate in January—can get their guys up and ready for a run. However, if the Chargers defense buttons things up on the backend compared to what we saw early versus the Texans a couple of weeks ago, the matchup might be by far the toughest for the New England offense so far.
9. Houston Texans (12-5) | Last week: 9
Defense wins championships, so no one should be counting out the Texans from making a deep postseason run. It starts with Danielle Hunter and Will Anderson Jr. off the edge, and getting after the quarterback has obviously proven to be a formula to have a real shot to win it all.
10. Los Angeles Rams (12-5) | Last week: 10
The Rams being at No. 10 speaks to how wide open this postseason can be. They have the second-best Super Bowl odds, get a good Wild Card Round matchup with the Panthers (all things considered facing a sub-.500 team, despite already losing to them), and have a loaded offense to put up points. Jared Verse and the defense are likely to be sharp after nearly eliminating the Eagles last postseason for a taste of championship upside.
11. Los Angeles Chargers (11-6) | Last week: 11
The resting of some key players for the Chargers in Week 18—likely knowing it’d net them the No. 7 seed in the AFC—might’ve given quarterback Justin Herbert and some other players and coaches a headstart on preparing for the Patriots in the Wild Card Round. Coming off four interceptions in last year’s postseason loss, Herbert’s under a lot of pressure.
12. Green Bay Packers (9-7-1) | Last week: 14 (+2)
Similarly, the Packers sat Jordan Love and others to conclude the regular season, perhaps with their eyes on a likely rubber match with the Bears to begin the postseason. But Love hasn’t played since leaving the loss to Chicago on December 20, so hopefully there’s no rust factor for the up-and-down quarterback.
13. Pittsburgh Steelers (10-7) | Last week: 13
For many NFL fans that didn’t have a rooting interest in the Ravens-Steelers showdown, it was probably cool to see Aaron Rodgers come through in crunch time and for the future Hall of Fame quarterback and Mike Tomlin to help lead Pittsburgh to the postseason. One of my preseason predictions was that the Steelers would not only make the postseason but this time be more competitive, and that should be the case as just field goal underdogs to the Texans. DK Metcalf returning from his two-game suspension with an edge against a stingy defense would be massive.
14. Carolina Panthers (8-9) | Last week: 15 (+1)
The biggest underdogs of the Wild Card Round and the lone sub-.500 team in the field after winning the NFC South at 8-9 thanks to some help from the Falcons, I wouldn’t totally sleep on the Panthers—at least this weekend versus the Rams. They already beat LA this season, and Jaycee Horn didn’t even play in the first matchup to pair at corner with Mike Jackson. Also, Bryce Young has proven to be a clutch quarterback during the regular season, so we’ll see how that translates to the playoffs.
15. Detroit Lions (9-8) | Last week: 17 (+2)
Dan Campbell says he’d give himself an “F” for the coaching job he did this season. I love what I heard about him wanting to get back to some of what they were doing during their rise and “really sharpen the sword a little bit.” Set to play a last-place schedule in 2026, I’m expecting Detroit—if they get the offensive line sorted out—to be back in serious contention.
16. Baltimore Ravens (8-9) | Last week: 12 (-4)
It felt like a possibility, but the Ravens moving on from Super Bowl winning head coach John Harbaugh after 18 seasons was still a stunner. Baltimore obviously becomes a top-tier destination for a head coach, and Harbaugh himself will certainly be hired ASAP by another franchise (as he should). As much as critics might point to Tyler Loop as the reason Baltimore lost, there are plenty of plays throughout a game; I like how Derrick Henry handled the challenging situation after the crushing loss.
Derrick Henry on his teammate Tyler Loop:
"I feel for Tyler. I just told him to keep his spirits up, deal with it tonight and then tomorrow the sun rises again. I just told him the story after this is gonna be great for him because God put him in this position to use him as an… pic.twitter.com/uGOZ7bdaux
— Bobby Trosset (@bobbybaltim0re) January 5, 2026
17. Minnesota Vikings (9-8) | Last week: 18 (+1)
As hinted at over the past few weeks while continuing to stack some wins, for Minnesota to finish this trying season at 9-8 is impressive. There are two enormous questions for the Vikings this offseason: The quarterback room (whether the development of J.J. McCarthy, bringing in a veteran, or both) and the status of defensive coordinator Brian Flores with both an expiring contract and head coach interest.
18. Atlanta Falcons (8-9) | Last week: 19 (+1)
Costly losses (losing to the Jets obviously stands out) earlier in the year were not enough for the Falcons to overcome, leading to a full house cleaning in Atlanta. Matt Ryan is fully expected to lead the football operations in a new position moving forward, and the recent draft class headlined by Jalon Walker, James Pearce Jr., and Xavier Watts gives the next general manager and head coach something to work with. I’d think Ryan will target Harbaugh or Bill Belichick if not a young assistant like Klint Kubiak.
19. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (8-9) | Last week: 16 (-3)
The vibes and energy just felt off for the Bucs down the stretch, with the confidence they had early in the season clearly not there for some reason. There’s plenty of talent all over the roster—and, assuming he stays, look for Todd Bowles to develop that young cornerback group including Benjamin Morrison—to get back atop the division next season.
20. Indianapolis Colts (8-9) | Last week: 21 (+1)
The circumstances behind the fall-off for the Colts was different, with Daniel Jones playing through the fractured leg and then tearing his Achilles. Remember, Indy was 8-2 with an outstanding offense before Jones’ leg injury led to a seven-game losing streak. Ownership has made it clear Shane Steichen and Chris Ballard are entering a make-or-break year.
21. Dallas Cowboys (7-9-1) | Last week: 20 (-1)
The Cowboys fired defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus after one season, and the hire they make at that position is one of the most important around the NFL for 2026. I’m watching Brian Flores on his expiring contract if he doesn’t get a head coaching job. But offensively, you’d like to see the group more consistently locked in every week, too.
22. Cincinnati Bengals (6-11) | Last week: 22
The Bengals are set to run it back, and Year 2 under defensive coordinator Al Golden—after that unit showed definite improvement down the stretch—will be big in determining power around the NFL next year. Cincy probably gets a boost with the Ravens firing Harbaugh (and could get a further boost depending on what happens with Mike Tomlin and Aaron Rodgers, if they both decide to retire).
23. Miami Dolphins (7-10) | Last week: 24 (+1)
Perhaps Harbaugh can throw a wrench in things if the Dolphins have a complete overhaul, but Mike McDaniel is expected to return in 2026. Miami obviously needs more pieces on defense, and on offense McDaniel is going to have the opportunity to help find a new starting quarterback who he feels is a perfect fit for his system.
24. Kansas City Chiefs (6-11) | Last week: 23 (-1)
I fully expect to see a determined Patrick Mahomes on the field for Week 1, but what do the Chiefs look like around him? This’ll be a fascinating offseason for Kansas City, including what they do with a much earlier first-round pick (ninth overall) than they’re used to having.
25. New Orleans Saints (6-11) | Last week: 25
As stated a few times throughout the season, I was impressed and somewhat surprised by the job Kellen Moore did from the start with the Saints. It was a year to build on, and Tyler Shough showed good things as a rookie quarterback when he took over.
26. Cleveland Browns (5-12) | Last week: 26
Browns general manager Andrew Berry was likely able to survive and have the chance to pick a new head coach while Kevin Stefanski was fired thanks to having what looks like an excellent draft class at the right time. I wonder if Stefanski—if the noise is to be believed—loving Dillon Gabriel as a prospect gave Berry the ammo for this.
27. Washington Commanders (5-12) | Last week: 27
I’m shocked by the Commanders moving on from offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury, as his offense was a driving force behind the success Jayden Daniels had as a rookie (and Marcus Mariota when he was at quarterback, too). Washington has an old roster and must get a lot right—from assistant hirings to personnel—to get back on track.
28. New York Giants (4-13) | Last week: 30 (+2)
The Giants rise a couple of spots in the power rankings after two straight wins (though against teams not going “all out”). Fans are apoplectic over general manager Joe Schoen staying, but there’s a chance the Giants do actually get turned around with Schoen there if they’re able to get someone like Harbaugh to lead the way.
29. Tennessee Titans (3-14) | Last week: 29
Thankfully Cameron Ward’s shoulder injury isn’t anything serious, but it’s unfortunate he wasn’t able to play for most of Week 18 after a fast start in the loss to the Jaguars. Jason Garrett is among the head coach candidates Tennessee will interview in what’ll be a wide search.
30. Arizona Cardinals (3-14) | Last week: 28 (-2)
3-14 is difficult to survive, but I thought Jonathan Gannon would get another year given all the injuries and the quarterback situation not working out in Year 3. And then to hear that he gave a powerful message and has a lot of respect from his team makes me second guess the decision even more—especially with general manager Monti Ossenfort staying on board when they came in together. Anyway, we’ll see who Arizona can draw to the job.
31. New York Jets (3-14) | Last week: 31
Both the first offseason and the first season for this Jets regime couldn’t have gone much worse, but there’s draft capital to work with after the Sauce Gardner and Quinnen Williams trades. You must bring in the right players with the capital, though, and we’ll see if the Jets have the front office to do that.
32. Las Vegas Raiders (3-14) | Last week: 32
It can only go up from here for Vegas, but the franchise needs some type of stability at some point to compete—particularly in a division with Patrick Mahomes/Andy Reid, Bo Nix/Sean Payton, and Justin Herbert/Jim Harbaugh. It’s a mystery as to the precise level of involvement for Tom Brady.