There is an argument to be made that December is the best month of the NFL season. Obviously, January features the playoffs and brings a high level of entertainment. However, December’s mix of mostly consistent 16-game slates (side note: what are we doing with bye weeks in Week 14?) that lends itself to all the scoreboard watching, whether it be for the top seed, division races, wild-card spots or draft positioning, makes for phenomenal theater.
You even start welcoming back some players who were lost for a significant chunk of time because of an early-season injury, such as Joe Burrow and Bucky Irving already back on the field and practice windows open for Mike Evans, Jayden Reed, Omarion Hampton and others. Trey Benson technically falls in the latter category, though at this point, we need some confirmation he still exists and isn’t just a figment of our imagination.
As you look at the playoff brackets today, there are some startling realities. If the postseason began today, the Kansas City Chiefs and Detroit Lions are among the teams that would be left on the outside looking in.
Fortunately for them, the playoffs do not begin today. The hope for postseason football is still alive for 27 teams in the league, and that’s where we begin this week’s What’s Trending in the NFL.
Bonus five: Teams outside of the playoff picture that could be a problem if they get in
5. Cincinnati Bengals: It feels odd to associate a team that was 3-8 a week ago with any playoff conversation, but that’s the kind of season it’s been in the AFC North. The Baltimore Ravens, who were 1-5 less than two months ago and are coming off a loss to the Bengals, lead the division at 6-6. The Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers still have a couple of games to beat up on each other, and Cincinnati has the sixth-easiest schedule remaining in the NFL and a head-to-head at home against Baltimore. Putting them on this list has everything to do with Joe Burrow’s return to the lineup because with Burrow and a full complement of playmakers around him, the Bengals can hang with most teams. However, the struggling defense makes it hard to take them too seriously.
4. Detroit Lions: The only reason they’re not one spot higher is because Detroit will likely have to go on the road in the playoffs as a wild-card team, and Jared Goff on the road makes me nervous. However, this Lions core has been around for a while and understands the stakes of the postseason and the spotlight that comes with it. Most importantly, they have an elite run game and should be getting healthier.
3. Houston Texans: A lot gets made of the quality of resumes (looking at you, New England Patriots), and the Texans are an interesting case in that regard. They began the season 0-3, but all three games were one-possession losses to teams leading their divisions. Their other two losses were also one-possession losses, by 3 points to the Denver Broncos and by 8 points to the Seattle Seahawks. They also have wins against the Jacksonville Jaguars, Buffalo Bills, Indianapolis Colts, Baltimore Ravens and San Francisco 49ers, and Davis Mills was the starting quarterback for four games. They’re essentially the anti-Bengals, with an offense that has question marks, albeit finding somewhat of a groove, but an elite defense that ranks No. 2 in the league in defensive EPA through 13 weeks. That has the potential to hold up in January football.
2. Kansas City Chiefs: I understand NFL fans are tired of seeing the Chiefs in this “watch out for them in the playoffs” angle when they’ve been sitting outside of the playoff picture for weeks now, and the losses continue to pile up. But if they do turn it around and get some help and get in, this is a solid team. They’re a battle-tested, veteran bunch. If they make it to the postseason, that means they hit their stride to end the regular season. They have Patrick Mahomes and a relatively healthy cast around him that boasts the No. 2 offense by EPA in the league right now and a decent defense. The only way the Chiefs are not a scary team in the playoffs is if they’re watching from the couch.
1. Dallas Cowboys: The Cowboys are coming off of back-to-back games in which they defeated last year’s Super Bowl participants, with the win over the Chiefs coming on a short week. Their offense has been elite for most of the season, but the defense has become formidable since the acquisition of Quinnen Williams at the trade deadline, and key players are getting healthy. Dallas’ putrid start to the season still means the Cowboys need help down the stretch but a wild-card spot or division title are both in play, and they have the third-easiest schedule remaining in the league. The last 30 years of postseason embarrassments make them an understandably easy punching bag, but looking at this year’s team alone, there is reason for optimism.
Not ranked: San Francisco 49ers — The 49ers are in the playoff picture as the No. 7 seed, and it’s incredible they’ve been able to rack up a 9-4 record, given their injuries and lack of a bye week up to this point. They’ve suffered injuries at almost every key position, except for running back, where Christian McCaffrey has been spectacular and leads the league in yards from scrimmage. They still have a tough road ahead, but if they maintain their spot in the playoffs, this will be as battle-tested as any team that makes it in.
The one constant this season for the 49ers has been star running back Christian McCaffrey. (Jason Miller / Getty Images)
Road to Santa Clara
The five teams with the best chance at winning the Super Bowl.
5. Green Bay Packers: The Packers have three losses this season, all by a field goal, in games that the offense scored less than 14 points. In the last three weeks, the Packers are 3-0 and have the league’s top offensive EPA in that span. Jayden Reed is on the cusp of coming off injured reserve and Jordan Love is looking a lot more comfortable spreading the ball around to his receivers. The defense has consistently been legit, but after losing Tucker Kraft for the season when the offense was already not great, things looked bleak on that side of the ball. Suddenly, things have changed. The offense is finding its groove.
4. Denver Broncos: It’s a game of inches, and if Marcus Mariota — that’s MarioTa — gets a little more air on the 2-point conversion in overtime, the winning streak might have ended. But as it stands, the Broncos have won nine consecutive games and are keeping pace with the Patriots for the top seed in the AFC. A win over the Las Vegas Raiders this week would tie them with the Patriots at 11-2, with both teams’ last loss coming in Week 3.
3. Seattle Seahawks: The Seahawks are the No. 5 seed, but winning the division and the conference is very much in play. With the way the defense has been playing, it would not be easy for teams to come to Seattle and win a playoff game. Jaxon Smith-Njigba has been the best wide receiver in the league this year, but how far they go in the playoffs could come down to how Sam Darnold performs in the biggest games.
2. New England Patriots: The Patriots have a legitimate case for having the league MVP playing quarterback and the front-runner for Coach of the Year. Tom Brady has officially taken the cloning technology a step too far.
1. Los Angeles Rams: Last week’s game between the Rams and the Carolina Panthers was one of the best games of this season. Losing to the Panthers obviously is not ideal, but there was nothing from that game that would indicate troubling times ahead for the Rams. Matthew Stafford had an off game by his standards, and history suggests that won’t happen often.
Not ranked: Chicago Bears — Friday’s win was a big one for the Bears, but the Eagles are struggling right now, so it’s hard to assess what exactly that means. One thing is for sure, though, any ambiguity you have about Chicago will be gone when the playoffs begin. They have two games left against the Packers, one against the 49ers, one against the Lions and one against the stout Cleveland Browns defense.
Bottom five
The five teams with the best chance to land the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.
5. New York Jets: The Jets finished the month of November with more wins than the Chiefs. Hang the banner.
4. New York Giants: The Giants have the easiest remaining schedule in the NFL, including games against the Minnesota Vikings and the Raiders. They have a decent chance of falling into another win or two down the stretch.
3. New Orleans Saints: If the Saints come out of 2025 having seen enough from Tyler Shough to feel good about him as the starter, this season will have been a success.
2. Las Vegas Raiders: How many assistant coaches need to get fired before the Raiders realize the problems begin way above that level?
1. Tennessee Titans: Just issuing a PSA before this weekend: There will be a lot of talk about the rookie quarterbacks Cam Ward and Shedeur Sanders when the Titans play the Browns. I have no idea how each quarterback will fare in the game, but I do know rationality will be extremely optional when the takes are being delivered.
Not ranked: Atlanta Falcons — You could argue the Falcons are the team that is having the worst 2025 in the NFL. The starting quarterback is out for the season, the star wide receiver is banged up, the team is bad, and their first-round draft pick in 2026 goes to the Rams.