EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ – FEBRUARY 02: Head coach Pete Carroll of the Seattle Seahawks holds the Vince Lombardi Trophy after his team won Super Bowl XLVIII at MetLife Stadium on February 2, 2014 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The Seahawks beat the Broncos 43-8. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
17 weeks are in the books of the NFL season and as we head into the final week, there are 8 teams that look to be true contenders to get to the Super Bowl.
Kansas City Chiefs:
KANSAS CITY, MO – OCTOBER 12: Patrick Mahomes #15 of the Kansas City Chiefs throws the ball during an NFL football game against the Denver Broncos at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium on October 12, 2023 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images)
Chiefs: They won again. The offense looked better than it has basically all season. They are the number one seed in the AFC playoffs, and although they lost to the Bills head-to-head this season in Buffalo, come playoff time in KC, do we really think anyone can beat them?
Buffalo Bills:
EAST RUTHERFORD, NEW JERSEY – SEPTEMBER 11: Quarterback Josh Allen #17 of the Buffalo Bills passes the ball for a Touchdown to Wide Receiver Stefon Diggs #14in the game between the Buffalo Bills vs the New York Jets on Monday Night Football at MetLife Stadium on September 11, 2023 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Photo by Al Pereira/Getty Images)
They destroyed the Jets in week 17 and have locked down the number 2 seed in the AFC.
Detroit Lions:
DETROIT, MI – JANUARY 21: Jared Goff #16 of the Detroit Lions drops back to pass during an NFL divisional round playoff football game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Ford Field on January 21, 2024 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Kevin Sabitus/Getty Images)
They have a massive game coming up next week against the Vikings, but first have to go on the road to face the 49ers on MNF.
Minnesota Vikings:
MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA – OCTOBER 20: Aaron Jones #33 of the Minnesota Vikings runs for a touchdown in the first quarter of a game against the Detroit Lions at U.S. Bank Stadium on October 20, 2024 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Stephen Maturen/Getty Images)
They are currently the top seed in the NFC because they have played their 16th game, and the Lions haven’t. By this time next week, tho, the Vikings could be above the Lions on this list, be division champs, and have a bye. They won a huge game against the Packers.
Philadelphia Eagles:
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA – JANUARY 29: Jalen Hurts #1 of the Philadelphia Eagles takes the field against the San Francisco 49ers during the first quarter in the NFC Championship Game at Lincoln Financial Field on January 29, 2023 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images)
They walked, ran, and passed all over the Cowboys in week 17, even without Jalen Hurts. The Eagles are the number 2 seed in the NFC, despite having a worse record than both the Lions and Vikings.
Baltimore Ravens:
BALTIMORE, MARYLAND – NOVEMBER 25: Quarterback Lamar Jackson #8 of the Baltimore Ravens rushes for a touchdown in the third quarter against the Oakland Raiders at M&T Bank Stadium on November 25, 2018 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)
They went into Houston on Christmas and completely demolished them. The win also gave them control of the AFC North, and they can clinch it with a win next week or a Steelers loss. The Ravens are going to be a tough team to beat in the AFC playoffs and could go into Buffalo or Kanas City and pull off an upset.
Green Bay Packers:
LAS VEGAS, NV – OCTOBER 09: Jordan Love #10 of the Green Bay Packers gives assignments during an NFL football game against the Las Vegas Raiders at Allegiant Stadium on October 9, 2023 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images)
Their loss to the Vikings locks them into a wild-card spot. 6th or 7th is the best they can do.
Los Angeles Rams:
ARLINGTON, TX – OCTOBER 29: Matthew Stafford #9 of the Los Angeles Rams drops back to pass during an NFL game against the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium on October 29, 2023 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images)
They have withstood key injuries but are getting healthy at the right time. They have won 9 out of their last 11 games and are in first place in the NFC West. That win against the Bills a few weeks ago really opened up some eyes, and they took care of business Saturday night at home against the Cardinals this week.
