8. Kansas City Chiefs
(10-4. Last week: 9)
A bruised hand? A snowstorm? Neither of those things bothered Kansas City quarterback Patrick Mahomes in Sunday’s 23-3 victory against the Denver Broncos. Mahomes threw for 340 yards and two touchdowns to Tyreek Hill, and the defense turned in a strong effort. The Chiefs have built a miniature dynasty in the AFC West. The Chiefs clinched their fourth consecutive division title last week. On Sunday, they improved their record to 26-3 against division teams in the past five seasons. Head coach Andy Reid is putting together another strong regular season. But the big question about Reid, dating to his Philadelphia days, is whether he can win it all. That reputation is going to eventually become attached to Mahomes as well until he wins it all.
7. Buffalo Bills
(10-4. Last week: 7)
Buffalo’s 17-10 win against Pittsburgh on Sunday was historic on multiple levels. The Bills clinched their first 10-win season of this century and their second playoff berth of the century. They also defeated the Steelers for the first time since 1999. Since they play in a small market, the Bills often fly under the radar of national media. No more. Head coach Sean McDermott should be Coach of the Year, general manager Brandon Beane should be Executive of the Year, and Josh Allen is the most underrated quarterback in the league. The Bills grind it out on the ground while taking some shots downfield and playing solid defense. This is a team that can do some damage in the postseason. But the postseason isn’t here yet. Buffalo has another huge game Saturday at New England.
6. Green Bay Packers
(11-3. Last week: 6)
The Packers clinched a playoff spot Sunday with a 21-13 victory against Chicago. It wasn’t without a frenetic finish, however, as the Bears used multiple laterals on the final play off the game before getting stopped just short of the goal line. It was an ugly win for the Packers, but any division win is a good win. The Packers will need to be better in all areas to win in the postseason. Green Bay’s defense allowed 334 passing yards to Mitchell Trubisky, who has struggled much of the season. Green Bay quarterback Aaron Rodgers threw for only 203 yards and one touchdown. But Rodgers is capable of doing much more than that, and the Packers, who finished the regular season with a 7-1 home record, could end up with a first-round bye.
5. San Francisco 49ers
(11-3. Last week: 2)
By losing to the Falcons on a last-minute touchdown, the 49ers handed off the lead for the NFC’s top playoff seed to Seattle. Is it time for the 49ers to panic? Hardly. They were due for a letdown after facing the Packers, Ravens and Saints. The big problem for the 49ers in this game was that their running game wasn’t as strong as it has been most of the season. Raheem Mostert, who had the hot hand in recent weeks, was held to 54 yards on 14 carries. Still, the 49ers have qualified for the playoffs for the first time since 2013. The 49ers need to re-establish the running game in the final two regular-season games to get ready for the playoffs.
4. New England Patriots
(11-3. Last week: 5)
There’s been a lot of debate about whether or not the Patriots really are a team with the ability to win the Super Bowl. Ordinarily, a 34-13 victory would be enough to silence critics. But that’s not the case for the Patriots this week. They defeated the one-win Bengals and struggled a bit in the first half before taking control of the game. That’s not going to impress anyone. But the bottom line is the Patriots ended a two-game losing streak and stayed on track to earn a first-round bye. Say what you want about an offense that has sputtered at times this season. Tom Brady threw for only 128 yards (and two touchdowns) at Cincinnati. But Brady still is Brady, and Bill Belichick remains the coach. That means the Patriots are capable of anything at anytime.
3. New Orleans Saints
(11-3. Last week: 3)
New Orleans quarterback Drew Brees got his record … and then some. Brees came into Monday night’s victory needing three touchdown passes to break Peyton Manning’s record for career touchdown passes (539). Brees ended up with four touchdown passes. There could be some back and forth on the record, because New England’s Tom Brady has 538 career touchdown passes. But, for now, the record belongs to Brees with 541. He also completed 29 of 30 pass attempts to set an NFL record for best completion percentage in a single game. On a night the Saints honored their Super Bowl championship from the 2009 season, the current edition played like a Super Bowl team. The Saints dominated the Colts in all phases. But there still is work ahead for the Saints. At the moment, they would be the third seed in the NFC behind Seattle and Green Bay based on tiebreakers. For the Saints to get a bye, they need to win their next two games and hope the Seahawks or Packers suffer a loss.
2. Seattle Seahawks
(11-3. Last week: 4)
With a 30-24 win at Carolina, the Seahawks improved to 7-1 on the road this season — and following San Francisco’s loss to Atlanta, the Seahawks moved into position for the No. 1 seed in the NFC. Seattle showed great balance on offense and big-play ability on defense against the Panthers. Although Baltimore’s Lamar Jackson remains the favorite to win the MVP award, Seattle quarterback Russell Wilson kept himself in the conversation. Wilson threw for 286 yards and two touchdowns. The balance came from running back Chris Carson, who rushed for 133 yards and two touchdowns. The Seahawks allowed 24 points, but the defense did pick off Carolina quarterback Kyle Allen three times.
1. Baltimore Ravens
(12-2. Last week: 1)
The Ravens are the best team in the NFL, and Thursday night’s 42-21 victory against the Jets only strengthened that argument. The Ravens won their 10th consecutive game and remained on pace to earn the No. 1 seed in the AFC. Baltimore also clinched its second straight AFC North title. The Ravens have been a machine, outscoring opponents by 215 points. That’s tops in the league — 24 points ahead of the New England Patriots, who rank second in point differential at plus-191. Perhaps the biggest story of the night (and the season) for the Ravens was quarterback Lamar Jackson. If there still were any Jackson doubters out there, they should be convinced after another brilliant performance on national television. Jackson threw for five touchdowns and ran for 86 yards. This game might have cemented the MVP award for Jackson.
Pat Yasinskas has covered the NFL since 1993. He has worked for The Tampa Tribune, The Charlotte Observer and ESPN.com and writes for numerous national magazines and websites. He also has served as a voter for the Pro Football Hall of Fame.