December is officially upon us. This is typically the time of year when the cream rises to the top. Good teams put it in fifth gear, heading into the playoffs, while the impostors begin to collapse. That having been said, this has been the most volatile season that I can remember. Every team has had a blip here or there…except, of course, the Broncos and Patriots, who just keep chugging along.
Nobody would imagine that the Bears would be the No. 1 seed in the NFC, or that the Patriots would be the No. 1 seed in the AFC. And at this moment. The Chiefs and Lions are on the outside looking in. Many predicted they could be this year’s Super Bowl matchup. With that in mind, here are this week’s rankings:
Better Luck Next Year:
32. New York Giants: If Jaxson Dart doesn’t start protecting himself, he’ll be out of this league by the end of next season. And, as a quick aside…Abdul Carter needs a coach who is a disciplinarian…Bill Belichick? I’d walk in with Lawrence Taylor at the first practice to “take care of” him.
31. Tennessee Titans: The Titans remain the sole one-win team in the league, and 1-16 is probable, along with the no.1 pick in the draft.
30. Las Vegas Raiders: It will be interesting to see how Pete Carroll and Tom Brady improve this team next year.
29. New Orleans Saints: Other than the Brees/Payton years, is there a more historically ineffective team than the Saints?
Something To Build On:
28. Arizona Cardinals: Arizona fans want to see them finish games and have their stars succeed.
27. Cleveland Browns: How many starting QBs have the Browns had? It appears they are going to have to go back into the QB in next year’s draft.
26. New York Jets: Did anyone see the stands at this weekend’s Jets-Falcons game?
25. Atlanta Falcons: The Falcons went into the Meadowlands with the stadium half full, at best, and laid an egg.
24. Minnesota Vikings: Can Kevin O’Connell feel good about his QB room heading into 2026?
23. Washington Commanders: For a team on the verge of playoff elimination, they played extremely hard against the Broncos. Good for them for going for the win in OT.
Still Hope?
22. Cincinnati Bengals: Can Joe Burrow lead this team to a 9-8 record? The Bengals have a brutal game this week, heading to Buffalo against a Bills team that feels a bit like a cornered animal themselves.
21. Pittsburgh Steelers: The crowd was chanting for Mike Tomlin to be fired…again. The Steelers are .500…again. And the team is on the cusp of the playoffs…again. At the moment, they are on the outside looking in.
20. Miami Dolphins: The Dolphins are now 5-7, and showing some life. And inexplicably, they are still fighting for a playoff spot. If they could win out, they’ll be 10-7, which still probably won’t be enough.
19. Carolina Panthers: The Panthers defeated the NFC favorite to go to the Super Bowl, beating the Rams 31-28. They are now only a half-game behind the Buccaneers.
18. Kansas City Chiefs: The Chiefs went to Dallas on Thanksgiving, and the Cowboys were not great hosts. In nearly a must-win game, the Chiefs again came up short. They are nearly in a must-win situation from here on out.
17. Dallas Cowboys: The Cowboys have defeated the two Super Bowl teams of a year ago. If they can pull off a win this Thursday in Detroit, it will be time to truly take them seriously.
Pushing For The Postseason:
16. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: What looked like an easy division title just a few weeks ago has become a dogfight the rest of the year. They will do everything they can to hold off the Panthers.
15 Houston Texans: The Texans are the hottest team in the league over the last month, and they are doing it with defense. They are currently out of the playoffs, but they are set up perfectly to win their division and make a deep run in the playoffs. They are my team to come out of the AFC.
14. Jacksonville Jaguars: The Jags have had a string of cupcakes, and I said that the season starts in wk.14. They are in first place and will be hosting the Colts, who share an 8-4 record.
13. Detroit Lions: The Lions are currently out of the playoffs and are in deep trouble in the NFC. They host the Cowboys on Thursday in what feels like a must-win for both teams.
12. Baltimore Ravens: The Ravens were clicking on all cylinders and back in first place in the AFC North. But an underwhelming loss against the Bengals has set them back. They are still in first thanks to the Steelers dud, but the Bengals are suddenly back in the mix.
Good, Not Great
11. Buffalo Bills: The Bills didn’t look great, but they managed to beat the hapless Steelers. With five weeks to go, they are two losses behind the Patriots. For any chance at the division, they face a must-win game in wk.15 against the Patriots in New England.
10. Green Bay Packers: I’ve said it a couple of times this year…the tie is going to come back and bite the Packers. They are sitting at 8-3-1, while the Bears are at 9-3.
9. Los Angeles Chargers: At 8-4, the Chargers seem to be firmly entrenched in a playoff spot, but they are two games behind the Broncos, with five weeks left. Justin Herbert had surgery on his left hand, and his status this week remains uncertain.
8. Indianapolis Colts: All hands on deck…since Daniel Jones hurt his ankle, the team has gone sideways. They have a huge game this week against the Jaguars.
7. Seattle Seahawks: Earlier in the year, the NFC West boasted three teams in the top 10. Here we are again, entering wk.14, with the Seahawks, 49ers, and Rams all within the top seven teams in the league. It feels like a solid bet that one of these teams will represent the NFC in the Super Bowl.
6. Philadelphia Eagles: The Eagles cannot get out of their own way this season. Having to feed and placate AJ Brown has hurt the team this year and negatively impacted Saquon Barkley.
5. San Francisco 49ers: With five weeks left in the season, the 49ers find themselves only one loss away from the Rams and Seahawks. While it will be tough to overtake them both, it’s not out of the question.
The Favorites:
4. Los Angeles Rams: It seems like every team has hit a speed bump this year. Week 13 was the Rams’ turn. The Panthers gave them a very tough loss. It hurts them in the division as well as for playoff seeding.
3. Chicago Bears: Don’t look now, but Ben Johnson has the Bears playing great football. They currently hold the no.1 seed in the NFC…nobody had that on their bingo card.
2. New England Patriots: The Patriots are about as close to a No. 1 seed as you’ll ever see. I just can’t get past their opponents’ records this year. The teams they’ve played have been historically bad. They have a bye and then host the Bills and go to Baltimore. Even splitting will be an accomplishment.
1. Denver Broncos: Again, the Broncos just eek out a win, but it counts the same in the standings. They are still ahead in the AFC West and the second seed in the AFC.
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