Los Angeles Rams v Seattle Seahawks
Getty Images

14 teams entered the postseason, and with a snap of a finger, nearly half have fallen into the abyss of the offseason after Wild Card Weekend. Soon enough, we'll be down to less than a handful of teams still vying for a trip to Santa Clara for Super Bowl LX. Before we get to that point, however, we still have the divisional round to watch unfold. 

As we gear up for another jam-packed weekend of playoff football, it's a fascinating time to take a snapshot of the remaining eight teams left in the race. Of course, each one of them is among the very best in the NFL, but who stands above the rest in this elite bunch? Below, you can find our rankings of the final eight playoff teams before the divisional round commences. 

8. San Francisco 49ers

If San Francisco were firing on all cylinders and healthy, they'd likely rival for the top spot on these rankings as opposed to being at the bottom. That's just not the case, however. The Niners have been snakebitten all season with injuries, and were just dealt a crushing blow on offense as tight end George Kittle went down with a torn Achilles against Philadelphia. Among the playoff teams this year, San Francisco has endured the most player games missed due to injury (including playoffs). Kyle Shanahan has put together an impeccable coaching performance to persevere through these injuries to this point, but the talent on the roster is starting to become remarkably thin. While Brock Purdy and Christian McCaffrey will spearhead the offense, Purdy will now have to throw to the likes of Demarcus Robinson and Jake Tonges to advance beyond the divisional round.

7. Chicago Bears

If we just told the Bears that every quarter was the fourth quarter, they'd be No. 1. For whatever reason, Chicago really only seems to come alive just when their backs are pressed firmly to the wall. Ben Johnson has pulled the strings of his team masterfully to get them atop the NFC North and to the divisional round, but there are some cracks. Caleb Williams has, at times, made throws that I'm not sure any other quarterback could make, including a sensational fourth-down pass to Rome Odunze that went for 27 yards to help spark the comeback against Green Bay last week. Then there are some moments where he badly misses a layup throw, which is puzzling. The biggest concern for Chicago's prospects to move beyond the divisional round, however, comes on defense. Lost in the glory of the comeback over Wild Card Weekend was Jordan Love throwing four touchdowns to four different pass catchers. As Chicago faces greater offenses -- like this week against the Rams -- the more those deficiencies on defense could be highlighted. Or they simply do what they always do and bend but not break en route to a chaotic comeback. The Bears are truly a roll of the dice. 

6. Houston Texans

Houston's defense is top-notch, and its dominance was on full display on Monday night against Pittsburgh. Taking away anything that the Texans offense did in that playoff matchup, the Houston defense won, 13-6, thanks to two turnovers going back the other way for touchdowns. The fact that one side of the ball can singlehandedly win you a game is a scary proposition for the rest of the league, particularly after a regular season where they allowed 17.4 points per game (second-lowest in the NFL). We stop short of putting the Texans inside the top-five remaining playoff teams, however, because of an array of questions on offense. Because Houston was superb defensively on Monday, it shaded how poorly C.J. Stroud played. The third-year quarterback was completely out of sync and had five fumbles on the night (two lost). He also had a brutal interception in the red zone, giving him three turnovers over the contest. The defense bailed him out and allowed just three points off of those turnovers, but that type of play is not sustainable for a deep playoff run. Houston may also be down top wideout Nico Collins due to a concussion for the divisional round, which would hurt the offense even further.  

5. Buffalo Bills

Josh Allen is the great equalizer of these NFL playoffs. While Buffalo may be ranked fifth on this list, it wouldn't be shocking to see them in the winner's circle and with a Lombardi Trophy in their hands when it's all said and done. Why? Because they have the best quarterback left in the playoffs in Allen, who can seemingly will his team to victory at a moment's notice. Against the Jaguars, it felt like Jacksonville had them in the crosshairs. That was until Allen put on the Superman cape in the fourth quarter. He completed 9 of his 11 pass attempts in the final period for 103 yards through the air, one passing touchdown, and added 21 yards and another score on the ground. When you have a quarterback capable of that, the sky is the limit. That said, the rest of the roster still does have some questions. James Cook is a strong running mate for Allen in the backfield, but the pass-catching group is lacking, needing to lean on the likes of Brandin Cooks, who arrived in late November. Defensively, Buffalo is weak against the run, which could be their undoing at some point as well.  

4. Los Angeles Rams

The Rams offense has been on an absolute heater. Since Week 7, L.A. leads the NFL in points per game (34.3), total yards per game (405.8), and passing yards per game (269.8). That's large in part thanks to Matthew Stafford playing at an MVP level over that stretch and Puka Nacua continuing to put himself atop the conversation as the best receiver in the NFL. The wideout was once again clutch in the Rams win over the Panthers on Wild Card Weekend, catching 10 balls for 111 yards and two touchdowns (one rushing and one receiving). Nacua's 108.3 receiving yards per game average in the playoffs is the most all-time (min. four games played). With that kind of firepower and Sean McVay pressing the button on the sideline, the Rams are as scary as it gets this time of the year. 

One aspect of Los Angeles that prevents them from vaulting much higher, however, is questions on defense. While they have a formidable pass rush headlined by Jared Verse, you can throw against them when given enough time in the pocket, as evident in Bryce Young posting 31 points last week, along with Jalen Coker and Tetairoa McMillan combining for 14 catches, 215 yards, and a touchdown. That requires Stafford and Co. to be perfect on offense. For the bulk of the season, they have been, but if they're knocked off kilter, it could be disastrous for the Rams hopes of another Lombardi Trophy. 

3. Denver Broncos

Denver enters the playoffs as the No. 1 seed in the AFC and boasts one of the best defenses in the NFL. This year's unit notched a franchise record 68 sacks, which is tied for the fifth-most in league history. They also had the third-highest pressure rate among teams this season. With that elite play on the defensive side of the ball in their back pocket and the comfort of playing at Mile High through the AFC Championship, thanks to earning the top seed in the conference, Denver doesn't need to ask its offense to do too much other than not turn the ball over. That said, Bo Nix has been able to make plays, particularly when falling a bit out of structure. The Broncos second-year QB has the most completions out of the pocket (80) since Patrick Mahomes in 2018. He was also 11th among all quarterbacks this season in EPA per dropback, so we're looking at a signal-caller knocking on the door of being top-10 in the league. Denver's rushing attack will need to improve with RJ Harvey, as they've struggled in the aftermath of losing J.K. Dobbins, but there are enough pieces in place for the offense to put up enough points and carry the baton from the defense. 

2. New England Patriots

New England checks a lot of boxes for a team that can advance far in the playoffs, if not win it all. Drake Maye is a legit MVP candidate and is coming off a regular season where he led the league in completion percentage, yards per attempt, and passer rating. Meanwhile, Mike Vrabel is among the top coaches remaining in the playoffs and has orchestrated a remarkable turnaround with New England now 15-3 this season (including playoffs) after a 3-14 campaign under a previous regime in 2024. While New England has the coach and quarterback combo necessary for playoff success, maybe the biggest development in their hopes of a Super Bowl trip came on Sunday night when the defense ignited. The unit was not bad throughout the regular season, but it certainly leveled up to elite status over Wild Card Weekend, holding the Chargers to a mere field goal and sacking Justin Herbert six times in the contest. If that is what New England's defense is evolving into, it's the third pillar to a bona fide championship contender. 

1. Seattle Seahawks

Seattle is the betting favorite to win Super Bowl LX at DraftKings Sportsbook, and for good reason. The Seahawks defense is second-to-none, ranking first in the NFL in points per game allowed (17.2), yards per rush allowed (3.7), and third down efficiency (32.1 conversion rate allowed). They were also second in the league with 4.6 yards per play allowed. That's the type of play defensively that Seattle has seen get to Super Bowls in the past. Meanwhile, the offense has been humming under offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak, who is among the hottest head coaching candidates this cycle. Seattle averaged 28.4 points per game over the regular season, which ranked third in the league. 

Seahawks have the NFL's best defense again: How the fall of the 'Legion of Boom' led to the 'Dark Side'
Douglas Clawson
Seahawks have the NFL's best defense again: How the fall of the 'Legion of Boom' led to the 'Dark Side'

Sam Darnold does provide a little bit of uneasiness when thinking about their championship aspirations due to his history, but the Seahawks quarterback has been largely stellar this year.  He was top-10 in the NFL in completion percentage (67.7), passing yards (4,048), and passing touchdowns (25) during the regular season. He has one of the top receiving weapons at his disposal in Jaxon Smith-Njigba and a backfield duo of Keneth Walker III and Zach Charbonnet. With that defense holding it down on the other side, there is enough offense to make them the Super Bowl favorite.