Week 18 of the 2025-26 NFL regular season is officially in progress. In the two games played on Saturday, the Seattle Seahawks secured the No. 1 seed in the NFC, and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers kept their playoff hopes alive with a win over the Carolina Panthers.
These games, among others, led to movement in our PFSN power rankings this week compared to last.
Please note that these rankings are decided entirely by PFSN’s analytical model, rather than the author’s opinion of the teams.
32) New York Jets
- Last Week’s Ranking: 31
- Eliminated from playoff contention
The New York Jets will end the 2025-26 NFL regular season on a five-game losing streak, which is no surprise given the clear rebuilding mode their roster is in. They lost decisively to the Bills 35-8 in Week 18, ending the year at 3-14.
On the bright side, the Jets will have the No. 2 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. The opportunity to select a top quarterback without trading up should be incredibly beneficial for their rebuild. They’ll surely be hoping that Oregon QB Dante Moore ends up declaring for the draft.
31) Las Vegas Raiders
- Last Week’s Ranking: 32
- Eliminated from playoff contention
Before the end of their Week 18 game against the Chiefs, the Las Vegas Raiders already had the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft locked up. It was a nice added bonus, then, when they beat the Chiefs at home 14-12 to bump their record up to 3-14 for the year.
As of this writing, it remains to be seen if the Raiders fire head coach Pete Carroll. This certainly wasn’t the year they were hoping for going into the regular season. That said, being able to acquire their franchise quarterback with presumed top pick Fernando Mendoza should be a big win for their future.
30) Tennessee Titans
- Last Week’s Ranking: 30
- Eliminated from playoff contention
Going into Week 18, the Tennessee Titans’ season was long over. An injury took Cam Ward out of the game on Sunday against the Jaguars, and at that point, they had nothing more to play for other than pride. They didn’t succeed in doing that, either, losing 41-7.
The Titans have now put together consecutive 3-14 seasons. 2025 was hardly expected to be a competitive season for them with a rookie quarterback, and they’ll have the offseason to hire a new head coach and add new talent on both sides of the ball. Expectations should be higher in 2026, however.
29) Cleveland Browns
- Last Week’s Ranking: 29
- Eliminated from playoff contention
Neither of their last two wins have been pretty, but the Cleveland Browns have generated some momentum heading into the 2026 NFL offseason. They ended the year with a 5-12 record with a last-second victory over the Bengals in Week 18.
Most notably, Myles Garrett broke the NFL’s single-season sack record on Sunday. It’s been a phenomenal campaign for Cleveland’s star defensive end, and seeing him etch his name into football history is a rewarding accomplishment.
28) Arizona Cardinals
- Last Week’s Ranking: 28
- Eliminated from playoff contention
Heading into Week 18 with an eight-game losing streak, it didn’t really feel like the Arizona Cardinals had much of a chance against the Rams, especially with Matthew Stafford still in the starting lineup. The result was a 37-20 loss, extending Arizona’s loss streak to nine.
Having the No. 3 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft should allow the Cardinals to load up on high-end talent to get them over the hump. They had some close matchups over the course of the regular season, but coaching played a big role in their inability to finish when it mattered most.
27) New York Giants
- Last Week’s Ranking: 27
- Eliminated from playoff contention
Coming out of a nine-game losing streak, the New York Giants have ended their 2025-26 NFL season with two wins in a row. They bumped their record up to 4-13 with an emphatic 34-17 victory at home over the Cowboys.
The Giants end the year with a combined 68 points in their final two games, and they’ll have the No. 5 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. They have some talented young players on the roster, and this offseason will allow them to add to that mix. They just have to find a new head coach first.
26) Carolina Panthers
- Last Week’s Ranking: 25
- Playoff appearance clinched
Going into Saturday, the Carolina Panthers had the chance to secure first place in the NFC South and pick up their first winning season since 2017. Unfortunately for them, they lost to the Buccaneers 16-14 and dropped to 8-9.
Fortunately for the Panthers, though, the Falcons’ win on Sunday clinched them the NFC South. They enter the 2026 NFL postseason as easily the weakest of the 14 playoff teams, but anything can happen. Carolina has shown they can pull off some upsets over the course of the year.
25) Miami Dolphins
- Last Week’s Ranking: 22
- Eliminated from playoff contention
A 7-10 record isn’t the flashiest result for the Miami Dolphins’ regular season, but given how it started, it could’ve gone a lot worse. Still, they ended the year with a blowout loss to the Patriots, giving up 38 points in defeat on the road.
Miami’s bounce back from a 1-6 start to the season could be enough to save Mike McDaniel’s job as the head coach. That said, whoever they hire as their new general manager could want to start from scratch.
24) Washington Commanders
- Last Week’s Ranking: 24
- Eliminated from playoff contention
Going into Week 18, the Washington Commanders had lost nine of their previous ten games. It was a brutal regular season for them amidst poor play and injuries to several key contributors, but the year ended well with a 24-17 victory over the Eagles in Philadelphia on Sunday.
Above all else, the Commanders need to make sure their stars stay healthy when the 2026 season rolls around. They’ll have the No. 7 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, which should give them the ability to add some high-level young talent, which they’re currently lacking in outside of quarterback Jayden Daniels.
23) New Orleans Saints
- Last Week’s Ranking: 25
- Eliminated from playoff contention
The New Orleans Saints’ four-game winning streak came to an end on Sunday, as they fell just short to the Falcons in a 19-17 battle. They end the 2025-26 NFL regular season with a  6-11 record after starting the year at 1-8.
All told, the Saints’ turnaround once they moved to Tyler Shough as their starting quarterback gives their fanbase plenty to be excited about going into 2026. This roster is still a work in progress, but if they draft well enough, they could be competitive in a weak NFC South sooner rather than later.
22) Kansas City Chiefs
- Last Week’s Ranking: 23
- Eliminated from playoff contention
The Kansas City Chiefs relied on the gunslinging duo of Shane Buechele and Chris Oladokun to pick up the win over the Raiders in Week 18. I say that sarcastically, of course, and the results brought about a 14-12 loss for the Chiefs.
For the first time since they traded up for Patrick Mahomes in 2017, the Chiefs will be picking in the top ten of the NFL Draft in 2026. Sitting at No. 9 overall this year, this marks the first time they’ll be picking in the top ten with their own selection since they had the No. 1 pick back in 2013.
21) Cincinnati Bengals
- Last Week’s Ranking: 20
- Eliminated from playoff contention
Sunday was a weird outing for the Cincinnati Bengals. Joe Burrow threw for 236 yards and three passing touchdowns, but Evan McPherson missed two of his extra points. That, combined with a failed two-point conversion, saw them fall just two points short of the Browns in a 20-18 loss.
The Bengals end the year with a 6-11 record, which isn’t all that bad when you consider how much of the season Joe Burrow missed. Their biggest priority this offseason should be fixing a defense that ranked as the second-worst unit in the league.
20) Indianapolis Colts
- Last Week’s Ranking: 18
- Eliminated from playoff contention
The emergence of Riley Leonard as the Indianapolis Colts’ starting quarterback was a fun series of events, as he threw for 270 yards with three total touchdowns in his NFL debut. However, the Colts still fell short in a 38-30 loss to the Texans on Sunday.
After looking like a Super Bowl contender in the first half of the year, the Colts suffered one of the most humiliating late-season collapses in recent memory. They’ll be keeping head coach Shane Steichen and general manager Chris Ballard, but there will be a lot of soul-searching in the organization this offseason.
19) Dallas Cowboys
- Last Week’s Ranking: 19
- Eliminated from playoff contention
The Dallas Cowboys’ bizarre adventure came to an end with a defeat on Sunday, dropping to the Giants 34-17 to close out the regular season. They’ll end the year with a 7-9-1 record and finish in second place in the NFC East.
As of this writing, the Cowboys haven’t fired defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus. That feels like the easy first move to start off the 2026 NFL offseason, and they’ll have two first-round picks to presumably invest on that side of the ball.
18) Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Last Week’s Ranking: 21
- Eliminated from playoffs
It wasn’t a pretty win, but the Tampa Bay Buccaneers picked up a key victory in the rain over the Panthers on Saturday to break their four-game losing streak and improve to 8-9. Unfortunately for them, the Saints’ loss to the Falcons on Sunday means that Tampa Bay will miss the playoffs this year.
It’s the first time the Buccaneers have missed the playoffs since 2019, and it’s the first time they’ve missed the postseason with Todd Bowles as their head coach. Their strong beginning of the year shows they have a lot of talent to work with, but their late-season collapse could point to questionable coaching.
17) Atlanta Falcons
- Last Week’s Ranking: 17
- Eliminated from playoff contention
With four consecutive wins to close out the regular season, the Atlanta Falcons are arguably the hottest team in the NFC South right now. Though they improved to 8-9 with their win on Sunday against the Saints, they had already been eliminated from playoff contention, earning the more inconsistent Panthers the division crown by tiebreaker.
The Falcons’ turnaround in the second half of the year has them as the highest-ranked team in the NFC South, despite not winning the division. It’s also worth noting that their win-loss record was much better with Kirk Cousins at quarterback, as opposed to 2024 first-round pick Michael Penix Jr.
16) Baltimore Ravens
- Last Week’s Ranking: 18
- Eliminated from playoff contention
It came down to the very last play, and it seemed at many different points like the Baltimore Ravens were in position to put the game on ice. In the end, Tyler Loop’s 44-yard game-winning field goal attempt went wide right, and the Ravens’ playoff hopes were instantly dashed.
All things considered, the fact that the Ravens were able to stay alive in the postseason conversation as long as they were is impressive. They started the year 1-5, with Lamar Jackson’s availability issues playing a role in the rough start. That said, an 8-9 record falls far short of their preseason expectations.
15) Los Angeles Chargers
- Last Week’s Ranking: 14
- Playoff appearance clinched
In spite of a 19-3 loss to the Broncos on Sunday, the Los Angeles Chargers found themselves already locked into a playoff spot before Week 18. The Chargers close out their regular season with consecutive losses, though their 11-6 record is still more than respectable.
As the No. 7 seed in the AFC, the Chargers head on the road to face a red-hot Patriots team in the Wild Card round next week. That said, Los Angeles has a more playoff-experienced roster, which could be their key to picking up the upset.
14) Pittsburgh Steelers
- Last Week’s Ranking: 13
- Playoff appearance clinched
Aaron Rodgers turned back the clock with a clutch performance on Sunday night, and though a missed extra-point attempt by Chris Boswell kept things up for grabs, the Pittsburgh Steelers pulled it off. With their season on the line, they beat the Ravens to win the AFC North.
This marks the first time since 2020 that the Steelers have won the AFC North, though they’ve made the playoffs in four of those five seasons since. The Texans will be a tough Wild Card matchup for them, but having the Pittsburgh crowd behind them in their home-field advantage should help.
13) Green Bay Packers
- Last Week’s Ranking: 11
- Playoff appearance clinched
Going into the postseason, the Green Bay Packers are losers of four games in a row. They finished the 2025-26 NFL regular season with a 9-7-1 record due to their 16-3 loss to the Vikings. The Packers admittedly sat a lot of their starters, but there’s still a lack of momentum to close out the year.
The Packers will take on the Bears in the Wild Card round of the postseason. It’s a series the two teams have split this year, and both teams have picked up wins in front of their respective home crowds. This playoff game will take place in Chicago, but Green Bay will look to break the tie and advance to the divisional round.
12) Minnesota Vikings
- Last Week’s Ranking: 15
- Eliminated from playoff contention
To close out the 2025-26 NFL regular season, the Minnesota Vikings won each of their final five games. In particular, they end their season with consecutive wins against divisional rivals, beating the Lions in Week 17 and beating the Packers in Week 18.
When you consider how unstable the Vikings’ quarterback situation was this year, the fact that they ended the year with a 9-8 record is pretty impressive. They have a talented roster and a loaded coaching staff, so they could be dangerous in 2026 if J.J. McCarthy takes a leap in Year 3.
11) Detroit Lions
- Last Week’s Ranking: 11
- Eliminated from playoff contention
It may have been a disappointing season for the Detroit Lions to go from a 15-2 record to barely surpassing 9-8 and missing the playoffs entirely. They ended the year on a high note, though, beating the Bears in Chicago off a last-second, game-winning field goal.
As their recent success outside of 2025 would indicate, the Lions are an extremely talented and well-built football team. That said, they’ll have some coaching adjustments to make this offseason; not firings, per se, but changes to their strategy to maximize their roster like previous coordinators did in the past.
10) San Francisco 49ers
- Last Week’s Ranking: 9
- Playoff appearance clinched
Though the San Francisco 49ers had already clinched a playoff spot going into Week 18, they still had the No. 1 seed in the NFC to play for. Hosting the Seahawks on Saturday night, their offense failed to get the job done in a 13-3 loss.
The 49ers end the year with a strong 12-5 record, but their offense looked lackluster just one week after a stellar outing against the Bears. There’s plenty of talent on this San Francisco roster, and they shouldn’t be taken lightly in the postseason. That said, they’re definitely not unbeatable, especially as a Wild Card team playing on the road.
9) Chicago Bears
- Last Week’s Ranking: 8
- Playoff appearance clinched
Sunday was a disappointing result off the field for the Chicago Bears, but because of what happened off the field, it all worked out for them. They ended the regular season with a three-point loss to the Lions, but because of the Eagles’ Week 18 loss, they were still able to secure the No. 2 seed in the NFC.
Chicago will face the Packers in the Wild Card round, which should be an even matchup between two heated divisional rivals. Picking up the No. 2 seed in the conference is extremely helpful, as they’re guaranteed at least two games at Soldier Field in the postseason if they make it to the Divisional round.
8) New England Patriots
- Last Week’s Ranking: 10
- Playoff appearance clinched
Drake Maye didn’t play enough to put up monster numbers on Sunday, but his strong play on a limited sample size will help his NFL MVP case. He helped lead the New England Patriots to a dominant 38-10 win over the Dolphins to close out the regular season.
The Patriots’ flip from a 4-13 record in 2024 to a 14-3 record in 2025 under Mike Vrabel has been nothing short of amazing. They’ll take on the Chargers in the Wild Card round next week, and they’ll have the chance to play at least two home games in the playoffs if they advance to the Divisional round.
7) Philadelphia Eagles
- Last Week’s Ranking: 6
- Playoff appearance clinched
Thanks to a Week 18 loss to the Commanders, the Philadelphia Eagles lost out on the No. 2 seed in the NFC and secured their spot with the No. 3 seed. Considering the Eagles benched a lot of their starters in the game, however, it doesn’t seem like they were willing to risk injuries to key performers with relatively unlikely odds.
The Eagles will host the 49ers in the Wild Card round, which figures to be one of the most enticing matchups in the first round of the playoffs. The defending Super Bowl champions have had some bumps along the way, but their roster is too talented to ignore as a potential threat.
6) Houston Texans
- Last Week’s Ranking: 5
- Playoff appearance clinched
The Houston Texans continued their hot streak on Sunday with their ninth win in a row on Sunday, overcoming an uncharacteristically poor defensive performance with an even more stellar offensive performance. Their win over the Colts bumped them up to 12-5.
Houston is now a lock for the AFC’s No. 5 seed, granting them a matchup against the Steelers in the Wild Card round. As far as playoff matchups go, it’s as favorable as you can get in that conference. The Texans’ pass rush should be tough to stop in the postseason.
5) Buffalo Bills
- Last Week’s Ranking: 7
- Playoff appearance clinched
The Buffalo Bills have won five of their last six games, and that only loss came by one point against another playoff team in the Eagles. They ended the year on a high note with a dominant 35-8 victory over the Jets.
Heading into a playoff matchup with the Jaguars, the Bills have a difficult task ahead of them going on the road in the postseason. That said, the albatross that is beating the Chiefs in the playoffs won’t be an issue this year. Could this be the season Buffalo finally wins the Super Bowl?
4) Jacksonville Jaguars
- Last Week’s Ranking: 4
- Playoff appearance clinched
With eight wins in a row heading into the postseason, the Jacksonville Jaguars are playing their best football at just the right time. They throttled the Titans on Sunday, ending the regular season with a 13-4 record and first place in the AFC South locked down.
The Jaguars have a tough task ahead of them in the Wild Card round, as they take on the Bills. That said, the game being played in Jacksonville and the Jaguars’ recent win streak indicates it’s absolutely a game they can win.
3) Denver Broncos
- Last Week’s Ranking: 3
- Playoff appearance clinched
It’s been a regular season to remember for the Denver Broncos, and it ended on a high note. They defeated the Chargers on Sunday, improving their record to 14-3. As a result, they’ve earned the No. 1 seed in the AFC with a first-round bye.
The AFC now runs through Denver, and given their staunch defense, the thin air, and the winter weather in Colorado, that won’t be an easy environment for a road opponent to win in. We’ve seen that this season, as the Broncos have only lost once at home all season.
2) Los Angeles Rams
- Last Week’s Ranking: 1
- Playoff appearance clinched
On the backs of Matthew Stafford’s four passing touchdowns, the Los Angeles Rams finished their regular season with a strong win over the Cardinals on Sunday. They drop out of the top spot in PFSN’s power ranking metrics, but they’re still firmly ahead of most of the competition.
The Rams get to take on the Panthers in the first round of the playoffs. Though Carolina has the higher seed due to their status as division champions of the NFC South, it’s clear Los Angeles is the more talented team. It’s just a matter of whether or not they’ll execute.
1) Seattle Seahawks
- Last Week’s Ranking: 2
- Playoff appearance clinched
With their win on the road over the 49ers on Saturday, the Seattle Seahawks secured the No. 1 seed in the NFC. They finish the regular season with a 14-3 record, and they’ve now locked down both a first-round bye and home-field advantage through the entirety of the playoffs.
The Seahawks’ defense ranks third in the NFL in Defense Impact. A dynamic rushing duo, a strong quarterbacking season from San Darnold, and an OPOY-caliber year from Jaxon Smith-Njigba have carried their offense. The NFC runs through Seattle this postseason, which is a daunting prospect for opposing teams to consider.
