As we enter the final three weeks of the regular season, the Los Angeles Rams remain top of the Power Rankings pile. The Denver Broncos are the new top dog in the AFC following their big win over Green Bay on Sunday.
- LOS ANGELES RAMS --
The Rams became the first NFC team to qualify for the playoffs and they remain the top seed in their conference following their high-scoring win over Detroit. Matthew Stafford was excellent once again and now comes the massive re-match with Seattle in the NFC West.
- DENVER BRONCOS +3
The Broncos sent an emphatic message to those who doubted them. Their defense did what it normally does by making big plays against Green Bay. But Bo Nix was the star as he threw four touchdown passes in guiding Denver to an 11th win in a row and a spot in the playoffs.
- SEATTLE SEAHAWKS -1
The Seahawks remain a well-built, powerful team and their 11-3 record matches the Rams for the NFC's best. But they do get bogged down on offense for stretches of games and went all four quarters without scoring a touchdown in Sunday's nail-biting win over the Colts.
- BUFFALO BILLS +2
Despite being a wild ride during their past three games against Pittsburgh, Cincinnati and New England, the Bills have at least found consistency in the win-loss column with three straight victories. The magic of Josh Allen and James Cook could carry this team a long way.
- NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS -2
The Patriots are not the first to become a victim of Allen's brilliance… and they won't be the last. With 11 wins, they belong at the AFC's top table with Drake Maye and TreVeyon Henderson leading the way. But blowing a 21-point lead with the division on the line stings.
- CHICAGO BEARS +1
The Bears bounced back nicely from their defeat in Green Bay with a comfortable home win against Cleveland. And they looked complete in reaching 10 wins for the year. They ran the ball well, Caleb Williams was sharp and the defense continued to produce key takeaways.
- GREEN BAY PACKERS -3
Things can change quickly in the NFL. Less than two weeks ago, the Packers were riding high and had the look of a Super Bowl contender after beating Chicago. But a loss to Denver and injuries to star defender Micah Parsons and WR Christian Watson have changed the picture.
- JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS +3
The Jaguars have won five in a row and quarterback Trevor Lawrence is enjoying a really good run of form. He has thrown nine touchdown passes and no interceptions in the last three outings. Now comes a real test in Week 16 in the form of Denver and their elite defense.
- SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS --
While they should be credited for fighting to a 10-4 record with so many injuries, there is no doubt that the 49ers have benefited from a soft schedule. They have beaten the likes of Arizona, Cleveland, Tennessee, NY Giants and New Orleans. We'll find out more before the playoffs begin as the Niners end with Indianapolis, Chicago and Seattle.
- HOUSTON TEXANS --
The Texans took their winning streak to six games with a comprehensive victory over Arizona on Sunday. The defense is one of the best in the business and continues to play at a high level. The significant improvements have come on offense – that unit is much more efficient.
- LOS ANGELES CHARGERS +1
The Chargers may have lost both offensive tackles – which means Justin Herbert takes a lot of hits every week – but this team is happy to get down in the mud and fight. That is why head coach Jim Harbaugh loves his squad that has now reached 10 wins on the season.
- PHILADELPHIA EAGLES +1
The Eagles found some form against Las Vegas last week, snapping a three-game losing streak in the process. But I don't think a win against one of the worst teams to grace the NFL in many a year is proof that all is now well in Philadelphia. They still have much to prove.
- DETROIT LIONS -5
The Lions are staring down the distinct possibility of missing the playoffs one season after securing the one seed in the NFC. There are very few problems on the offensive side of the ball, but this defense is riddled with key injuries in the secondary and is struggling to hold up.
- PITTSBURGH STEELERS --
The Steelers have won two in a row to stay on top of the AFC North, but they face a challenging run-in with the Baltimore Ravens breathing down their necks. A tricky trip to Detroit beckons on Sunday and they meet the Ravens for a likely division decider in Week 18.
- BALTIMORE RAVENS --
The Ravens turned in a complete performance last Sunday, albeit against a dispirited Cincinnati team that had fallen out of the AFC playoff race the week before. Lamar Jackson took steps back to his usual form and the defense produced its best showing of the year.
- INDIANAPOLIS COLTS --
The Colts have fallen badly after their 7-1 start. Indy have lost five of their last six and four in a row. Philip Rivers did not let this team down in Week 15 and should start against San Francisco. The D will need to play at a similar high level after not allowing a TD in Seattle.
- TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS +1
The Buccaneers have lost five of their last six but were gifted top spot in the NFC South after Carolina lost to New Orleans. Now the Bucs and Panthers meet twice in three weeks to decide the division. How will Tampa respond after being called out by coach Todd Bowles?
- CAROLINA PANTHERS +1
The Panthers are much-improved at 7-7 but they are also maddeningly inconsistent, alternating wins and losses for the past eight weeks. This team has to show it is ready to truly contend. I don't trust them yet, but 2025 will go down as a season of growth, regardless.
- DALLAS COWBOYS -2
Like the Packers, things have changed rapidly for the Cowboys. I walked out of AT&T Stadium on Thanksgiving night having witnessed Dallas beating Kansas City to win a third straight. Playoff dreams were alive. What has followed is defeats to Detroit and Minnesota and the shipping of 78 points by a defense that seemingly had found itself.
- MINNESOTA VIKINGS +3
The Vikings will be hoping quarterback JJ McCarthy has turned a corner in leading wins against Washington and Dallas. He threw five TD passes, one interception and had a QB rating of 120.3. In his first six starts, he tossed six TDs, 10 interceptions and a mark of 57.9.
- MIAMI DOLPHINS -1
Prior to Monday's tame effort against Pittsburgh, Miami had won five of six. But that run was powered by the rushing attack and not by Tua Tagovailoa. He was very poor in the loss to the Steelers and you have to wonder if he is the long-term answer in Miami? I would say he's not.
- ATLANTA FALCONS +2
Kirk Cousins will put himself in the 2026 shop window if he has more displays like last Thursday, when he threw for more than 370 yards and three touchdowns against Tampa. And tight end Kyle Pitts also emerged in a massive way, offering hope for 2026 and beyond.
- KANSAS CITY CHIEFS -1
Just when you thought Kansas City's season could not get any more demoralising, they get knocked out of the AFC playoff race and Patrick Mahomes tears his ACL on the same day. It's time for a mini-rebuild because this team has relied on magic from its star QB for too long.
- CINCINNATI BENGALS -3
The Bengals had the stuffing knocked out of them when losing to Buffalo in dramatic fashion in Week 14. That effectively ended their playoff hopes and it showed because they failed to turn up on Sunday, losing 24-0 at home to Baltimore. Joe Burrow is losing patience in Cincy.
- NEW ORLEANS SAINTS +1
The Saints have not given up on the 2025 season and have played the spoiler role to perfection in the past two weeks, defeating Tampa Bay and Carolina. New Orleans also beat the Panthers in early November. It lays down a cultural foundation under Kellen Moore.
- WASHINGTON COMMANDERS +1
The Commanders got a much-needed win against the New York Giants last week, snapping an eight-game losing streak in the process. They followed that victory by making the correct decision to sit banged-up quarterback Jayden Daniels for the remainder of the year.
- ARIZONA CARDINALS -2
The Cardinals have lost six in a row and have won just a single contest since Week 2. They have very little going for them right now outside of tight end Trey McBride. This team is going to come under a harsh spotlight in the offseason, especially at head coach and quarterback.
- CLEVELAND BROWNS +1
It's all eyes on Myles Garrett for the final three games of the year. He currently stands on 21 ½ sacks and is chasing down the single-season mark of 22 ½ set by Michael Strahan (in 2001) and TJ Watt (in 2021). After that, there will be more head coach/quarterback questions.
- NEW YORK JETS -1
Sunday's 48-20 loss to Jacksonville marked the third time this season that the 3-11 Jets had lost a game by at least 20 points. Head coach Aaron Glenn is trying to keep the energy levels high, but it's hard when his team has very little on the talent front and continues to lose.
- NEW YORK GIANTS --
There was a period where the Giants were blowing big leads in tough losses. They cannot even get into such positions now and have lost eight in a row. New York are 5-26 since the start of last season and currently hold the first pick in the NFL Draft. Sell that for picks!
- TENNESSEE TITANS --
The Titans could not build on their victory against the Browns and reverted to losing ways against San Francisco. Cam Ward was not sacked, but he remained under great duress. This team that has to make massive offseason improvements to even approach respectability.
- LAS VEGAS RAIDERS --
The 2-12 Raiders are embarrassing themselves and I'm not sure past successes across the league are going to be enough to earn Pete Carroll a second season. Would he even want it? The Raiders gained just 75 total yards at 1.8 yards per play in Sunday's loss to Philadelphia.
