When doing rankings like these, it’s hard not to have any recency bias, but a number of these teams played one another this week, and it has changed how I view them. Just remember this: a team’s record doesn’t always tell the story; sometimes, you have to look at how competitive they are every week. Here are my top 15 teams in the NFL after Sunday’s action. Where do you rank these teams? Let me know in the comments.
Detroit Lions
No team in the league looks better than the Lions do right now. Their offense, led by Jared Goff, looks unstoppable. Their defense gets better every week, even after losing Aiden Hutchinson, and their confidence just keeps on growing. They look to be the most complete team in the NFL.
Buffalo Bills
Before this week, they probably were just outside the top 3, but after a massive win over the defending champion Chiefs, Josh Allen and company moved to 9-2 on the season and have established themselves as a legitimate threat to run the table in the AFC.
Kansas City Chiefs
Well, they aren’t going undefeated this season, but they’re still an elite team, and come playoff time, they will still be the favorites, I’m sure. The offense hasn’t been great this season, but Patrick Mahomes can win any game, in any situation, and he will get his RB Isiah Pacheco back this week.
Philadelphia Eagles
Jalen Hurts and Saquon Barkley have this Eagles team flying high. They are on a huge win streak and playing elite football on both sides of the ball. Following their win on TNF against the Commanders, they control the NFC East and quietly sit only one game behind the Lions for the best record in the NFC.
Pittsburgh Steelers
They have won five in a row now, Russell Wilson has settled in, and they just won a massive game against the Ravens to take sole possession of first place in the AFC North. This is an elite defense that is getting a lot more production from their offense since Wilson took over from Fields.
Baltimore Ravens
They lost a tough one to the Steelers in week 11. Their offense is as good as it gets with Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry, but their pass defense has been one of the worst in the entire league. Unless it improves, I can’t have them higher on this list because other good teams have been able to exploit it.
Green Bay Packers
They haven’t been great this season and they have dealt with injuries to Jordan Love, but the Packers remain one of the best teams in the NFC and would be leading both the NFC West and South. They will likely have to settle for a Wildcard spot, though, because no one is catching the Lions.
Minnesota Vikings
Like the Packers, the Vikings would be winning other divisions in the NFC. You may even be surprised to see them this low on the list, considering they are 8-2, but they really haven’t looked good for a few weeks now and have been lucky that they have played bad teams. Their passing defense is weak, and Sam Darnold has been inconsistent since his hot start.
Los Angeles Chargers
Their defense has been one of the best in the NFL this season. They run the football well, have a great head coach, and their QB, Justin Herbert, is a star. They have all the makings of a great team and will only continue to improve as they play more under Harbaugh. After blowing a massive lead on SNF, I thought they might fall outside the top 10, but when it mattered most, they won the huge game against a Bengals team that has played great against some of the best in the league.
Denver Broncos
They have one of the best defenses in the NFL, and their offense has come alive lately. Rookie QB Bo Nix has put himself in the Rookie of the Year conversation, and the Broncos have put themselves in the playoff conversation after nearly beating the Chiefs in week 10 and dominating the Falcons in week 11.
Washington Commanders
They looked great for 7 weeks, but the Commanders have fallen on harder times as of late. They barely beat the Bears and a horrible Giants team and have lost two straight against good teams. They can win against non-playoff teams but only have one win against a current playoff team (Cardinals early in the season). Jayden Daniels hasn’t been as good lately and it’s a big reason why their offense hasn’t been either.
Cincinnati Bengals
Their record is not indicative of how good they are. They started the season 0-3, so their playoff hopes are small right now, but they have Joe Burrow, who is playing incredible football, and they’ve played toe to toe with the best teams in the league. Until they’re mathematically eliminated, they have a chance. Either way, they are a tough team for anyone to face. They almost pulled off an incredible comeback, which could have saved their season, but instead, they’re long shots to win more than 9 games now. This isn’t about record; it’s about competitiveness week in and week out.
Houston Texans
They are getting healthier and have the potential to be a top team in the league. They haven’t played their best football yet this season, but CJ Stroud has shown he can be elite, and they’re fortunate to play in the least competitive division in the NFL.
Arizona Cardinals
They are leading their division but need to prove more before they can move up. They are the most likely team on this list to not be on the list by week 13. Kyler Murray is going to have to keep playing at an elite level to give them any chance.
San Francisco 49ers
They are only 5-5, but they have so much talent and are good enough to end the season 11-6 or even 12-5. Christian McCaffrey is back, and they should have Kittle back next week, too. On paper, they’re the best team in the NFC West.
