NFL Power Rankings: Bills, Packers Notch Huge Wins to Bring Playoff Picture Into Focus

Buffalo won in the snow and Green Bay took control of the NFC North as we enter the home stretch of the NFL's regular season.

Bills quarterback Josh Allen went 21-for-28 and accounted for four touchdowns in Sunday's 39–34 win over the Bengals. / Tina MacIntyre-Yee/Democrat and Chronicle / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

I’m in the middle of the incredible Stephen King novel 11/22/63, which is a little bit about the Kennedy Assassiation and a lot about time travel. And, because King is so good, he makes even the most common stitches in time—a character singing a Rolling Stones song to his girlfriend that won’t come out for another three years, for example—seem not just like a humorous gaffe but a horrifying mistake that sends a chill down your spine because of the potential ramifications. 

And so when I heard Philip Rivers was potentially coming out of retirement on Monday, I was most certainly happy. But, I was also just a little bit scared. The past is obdurate.  

Anyway, onto the rankings…

1. Los Angeles Rams (10–3)

Last week’s ranking: No. 1
Last week’s result: beat Cardinals, 45–17
This week: vs. Lions

While I don’t hold PFF rankings up as a statistic that should define a career or even an afternoon, seeing that Puka Nacua had the service’s single highest grade ever against the Cardinals on Sunday was worth a second look. And…the tape does not disappoint. 

2. Seattle Seahawks (10–3) 

Last week’s ranking: No. 2
Last week’s result: beat Falcons, 37–9
This week: vs. Colts

Here’s the list of rookies who had a sack, blocked kick, multiple tackles for loss and a pick in the same game: 

3. Buffalo Bills (9–4) 

Last week’s ranking: No. 4
Last week’s result: beat Bengals, 39–34
This week: at Patriots

My takeaway from Sunday’s game is that, so long as the Bills have Josh Allen, the team can never play in a closed-roof stadium in Buffalo in the winter. Against a pocket passer—even one as good as Burrow—he is like riding a tank into a demolition derby. 

4. Green Bay Packers (9–3–1)

Last week’s ranking: No. 5
Last week’s result: beat Bears, 28–21
This week: at Broncos

More than any aspect of this game, the totally legitimizing interior run stuffs and play of the team’s secondary was what made me reconsider my belief that this team wasn’t quite ready for serious deep playoff run consideration. 

5. New England Patriots (11–2) 

Last week’s ranking: No. 3
Last week’s result: idle
This week: vs. Bills

New England gets Buffalo coming off the Bengals game and, as of Monday night, the Ravens flexed into Sunday night football. I’m less and less absorbed by my New England soft schedule take, but I am very interested to see how the team handles these two weeks in particular. 

6. Denver Broncos (11–2)

Last week’s ranking: No. 7
Last week’s result: beat Raiders, 24–17
This week: vs. Packers

Broncos fans are so jacked up that they are currently taking over … a Monday night football game in L.A. between the Eagles and Chargers. SoFi, of course, is easier to take over than Yakutsk on a Risk board. 

Broncos fans take over SoFi Stadium even when the Broncos aren’t playing lmao pic.twitter.com/ZLEn5Xx8Hq

— Zac Stevens (@ZacStevensDNVR) December 9, 2025

7. Chicago Bears (9–4) 

Last week’s ranking: No. 6
Last week’s result: lost to Packers, 28–21
This week: vs. Browns

Column thanking Ben Johnson for giving me a real deal Packers-Bears rivalry, instead of the fairy tale we’ve been fed over the past few decades. 

8. Detroit Lions (8–5)

Last week’s ranking: No. 9
Last week’s result: beat Cowboys, 44–30
This week: at Rams

As we watch the NFC South again produce a division winner that could enjoy a more advantageous path to the Super Bowl than 50% of the NFC North, I think about the withdrawn Lions proposal to give home field to only the division winner with the best record in each conference.

9. San Francisco 49ers (9–4)

Last week’s ranking: No. 8
Last week’s result: idle
This week: vs. Titans

The 49ers signed Mac Jones to a two-year, $8 million deal this offseason. With up to 11 NFL teams in need of a possible veteran bridge starter next year, does this look like one of the smartest contracts in recent NFL history?

10. Jacksonville Jaguars (9–4)

Last week’s ranking: No. 12
Last week’s result: beat Colts, 36–19
This week: vs. Jets

As wrong as I was about how Ben Johnson’s demeanor was going to translate to leading an NFL locker room, I may have been equally wrong about Liam Coen. Just look at the immaculate vibes taking place here: 

LIAM COEN IS ON FIRE IN THE JAGS LOCKER ROOM 😤😤😤😤 pic.twitter.com/2uXJRaP7BR

— NFL on CBS 🏈 (@NFLonCBS) December 7, 2025

11. Houston Texans (8–5) 

Last week’s ranking: No. 16
Last week’s result: beat Chiefs, 20–10
This week: vs. Cardinals

The Texans, through almost a complete NFL season, have more interceptions than total touchdowns surrendered. The team has also allowed just 16 points per game. Sixteen. While I refuse to be a prisoner of the moment amid these Texans-to-the-Super Bowl takes, I think I can be convinced. 

12. Los Angeles Chargers (9–4)

Herbert rushed for a team-high 66 yards in Monday's overtime win over the Eagles. / Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

Last week’s ranking: No. 14
Last week’s result: beat Eagles, 22–19 (OT)
This week: at Chiefs

This has been a fairly outsized sample of quarterbacks playing with significant injuries this year, from Daniel Jones to Carson Wentz to Jordan Love to Aaron Rodgers. But watching Justin Herbert get absolutely smashed behind a perforated offensive line and finishing as the team’s leading rusher a week after surgery was as close to peak heroism at the position we’ve seen this year. 

13. Philadelphia Eagles (8–5)

Last week’s ranking: No. 10
Last week’s result: lost to Chargers, 22–19 (OT)
This week: vs. Raiders

So much ink spilled on the Eagles’ faultiness at the offensive coordinator position when the reality is that A.J. Brown has missed big catches when he got opportunities, like he did on Monday night. Jalen Hurts can get into deeply problematic habits when he tries to do too much, like he did on Monday night. And Saquon Barkley, minus the tush push variant 50-plus yard touchdown, has not been a game-changer. 

14. Pittsburgh Steelers (7–6)

Last week’s ranking: No. 20
Last week’s result: beat Ravens, 27–22
This week: vs. Dolphins

I don’t have many thoughts on Pittsburgh and have not really moved off my take that the team seems ineffective over the latter portion of games. But Aaron Rodgers nabbing his own tipped ball with a broken wrist, piling his way into a pack of Ravens defenders … that is a gamer. 

15. Dallas Cowboys (6–6–1)

Last week’s ranking: No. 15
Last week’s result: lost to Lions, 44–30
This week: vs. Vikings

You can say the same about Baltimore as you can about the Cowboys: tucked underneath a moment defined by an inexcusably bad call are some even worse situational decisions, both in terms of clock management and play design. The Cowboys were hosed. But also hosed themselves.

16. Carolina Panthers (7–6)

Last week’s ranking: No. 18
Last week’s result: idle
This week: at Saints

As much as I’ve openly despised the NFL’s turn toward broadcast-satiating schedule making, having Carolina play Tampa Bay twice in the final month of the season is turning out to be an absolute masterstroke. 

17. Baltimore Ravens (6–7)

Last week’s ranking: No. 17
Last week’s result: lost to Steelers, 27–22
This week: at Bengals

Column on the Isaiah Likely catch (catch?) and why we can’t have common sense officiating in the NFL. 

18. Kansas City Chiefs (6–7)

Last week’s ranking: No. 13
Last week’s result: lost to Texans, 20–10
This week: vs. Chargers

Tired: The Kansas City Chiefs’ dynasty is over

Wired: The Kansas City Chiefs should fire Andy Reid

Conor: I think Patrick Mahomes just had a really bad football game, played frustrated, passed up a handful of open reads and did all of this against the best defense in the NFL. 

19. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7–6) 

The Bucs have lost five of their last seven games, with Mayfield completing just 57.7% of his passes with a 75.0 passer rating during that stretch. / Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

Last week’s ranking: No. 19
Last week’s result: lost to Saints, 24–20
This week: vs. Falcons

The backsliding of the Buccaneers since the team’s bye week—and especially Baker Mayfield—is one of the more stunning developments of this NFL season. Can the team pull itself together to fend off the Panthers?

20. Indianapolis Colts (8–5)

Last week’s ranking: No. 11
Last week’s result: lost to Jaguars, 36–19
This week: at Seahawks

Here’s a column on Philip Rivers’ potential return. And why we—or, perhaps just me—need it to happen. 

21. Miami Dolphins (6–7) 

Last week’s ranking: No. 22
Last week’s result: beat Jets, 34–10
This week: at Steelers

Winning out gives the Dolphins a 16% chance of making the playoffs … and Mike McDaniel a 100% chance of being a head coach in the NFL next season, either in Miami or somewhere else. 

22. Cincinnati Bengals (4–9)

Last week’s ranking: No. 21
Last week’s result: lost to Bills, 39–34
This week: vs. Ravens

We talked a lot about how the way the AFC is shaking out presents an all-time opportunity for the Bills to reach the Super Bowl without many of the stalwart quarterbacks. But I wonder if that is even more true of the Bengals after neither Pittsburgh nor Baltimore showed any interest in taking hold of the North on Sunday. 

23. Minnesota Vikings (5–8)

Last week’s ranking: No. 24
Last week’s result: beat Commanders, 31–0
This week: at Cowboys

I thought Kevin O’Connell’s message the night before the Vikings decimated the Commanders was worth repeating. Here’s Harrison Smith fighting back tears trying to relay it: 

Damn. Pretty cool message today from Harrison Smith postgame. pic.twitter.com/0ngjC5Ifqe

— Alec Lewis (@alec_lewis) December 8, 2025

24. New Orleans Saints (2–10)

Last week’s ranking: No. 29
Last week’s result: beat Buccaneers, 24–20
This week: vs. Panthers

While I thought that the elements conspired to make this a winnable game for Atlanta, Tyler Shough was impressive on the ground—and is possibly inching his way toward being considered the best (statistical) quarterback of the 2025 draft class so far? 

25. Atlanta Falcons (4–9) 

Last week’s ranking: No. 27
Last week’s result: lost to Seahawks, 37–9
This week: at Buccaneers

Will the Falcons pack it in? I thought this was a thoughtful answer from one of my favorite defensive players in the NFL—Kaden Elliss—on the matter. 

26. Tennessee Titans (2–11)

After failing to top 100 rushing yards in any game this season, Pollard ran for a career-high 161 yards in the win against Cleveland. / Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

Last week’s ranking: No. 31
Last week’s result: beat Browns, 31–29
This week: at 49ers

Prayers up to everyone who needed to qualify for their fantasy football playoffs but got waxed by a team that hasn’t updated its roster since Week 4 starting Tony Pollard at running back. 

27. Cleveland Browns (3–10)

Last week’s ranking: No. 28
Last week’s result: lost to Titans, 31–29
This week: at Bears

Lost in the absolutely ridiculous and manufactured fervor over taking Shedeur Sanders off the field for a critical 2-point conversion is the fact that … this play design is awesome and if Quinshon Judkins just flips it when he’s supposed to, that’s a lock for a score. 

Browns took Shedeur off the field for the game-tying 2PT conversion...

They did not get it.

(via @NFLonFOX)pic.twitter.com/DbiylJcAKH

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) December 7, 2025

28. New York Jets (3–10)

Last week’s ranking: No. 26
Last week’s result: lost to Dolphins, 34–10
This week: at Jaguars

JETS INTERCEPTION WATCH has reached threat-level red. Already in the history books as the team that has gone the longest without an interception, the club coached by a defensive back with 41 career interceptions is aiming to make it an entire season. What fun!

29. Washington Commanders (3–10)

Last week’s ranking: No. 23
Last week’s result: lost to Vikings, 31–0
This week: at Giants

We overreact in so many ridiculous ways to a season that includes an outsized number of quarterback injuries. Here’s a newsflash: Joe Burrow, Lamar Jackson and Jayden Daniels are not going to change the way they play. Let’s stop asking them to, and let’s also stop legislating the game in a way that attempts to keep them safe for no reason. 

30. Arizona Cardinals (3–10)

Last week’s ranking: No. 25
Last week’s result: lost to Rams, 45–17
This week: at Texans

The Michael Wilson Star Rise in Arizona is among the more confounding and uniquely Cardinals-esque developments over the back half of this season. But at the very least, he’s helping Jacoby Brissett play himself into an incredibly generous 2026 contract, as veteran QB talent is at desperately thin levels of inventory. 

31. New York Giants (2–11)

Last week’s ranking: No. 30
Last week’s result: idle
This week: vs. Commanders

The player who has been five minutes late to a pair of meetings (Abdul Carter) is getting advice in the media from the player who once showed up to a meeting locked in handcuffs because, and I quote, “he was with a couple of women the night before and they didn’t have the key.” Only in New York baby. 

32. Las Vegas Raiders (2–11)

Last week’s ranking: No. 32
Last week’s result: lost to Broncos, 24–17
This week: at Eagles

The day after literally inciting a miniature riot from conspiratorial problem gamblers who experienced one of the worst back door covers in recent history, Pete Carroll says he kicked a time-expiring field goal down 10 points because he was pleading with the official to give him more time. People will understand this, right?

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