Nobody really knew what to expect out of the NFC West in the 2025 NFL season. Sure, the Los Angeles Rams were supposed to be good, but how would Sam Darnold fare in his debut season with the Seattle Seahawks? Would the San Francisco 49ers be healthy enough to take advantage of a weak schedule on paper? Would this finally be the year that the Arizona Cardinals put it all together?
Well, the division power rankings heading into Week 16 show just how dominant the NFC West has been.
8. NFC South
Rank | Team | Record |
|---|---|---|
1 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 7-7 |
2 | Carolina Panthers | 7-7 |
3 | Atlanta Falcons | 5-9 |
4 | New Orleans Saints | 4-10 |
The NFC South is the worst division in the NFL right now, and it's hard to make an argument against that claim. Not only is this division devoid of talent when compared to the others, but not a single team currently has a record above the .500 mark. It's really hard for a division not to be ranked last on a power ranking without a single team above .500 through 15 weeks.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are probably the team to beat in this division, but they've been incredibly banged up and haven't played well of late. The Carolina Panthers had a chance to seize control of the division in Week 15, but a crushing loss to the New Orleans Saints put a crimp in their postseason odds. Both the Saints and the Atlanta Falcons have already been eliminated from postseason contention.
There's a lot more bad than good in this division.
7. AFC North
Rank | Team | Record |
|---|---|---|
1 | Pittsburgh Steelers | 8-6 |
2 | Baltimore Ravens | 7-7 |
3 | Cincinnati Bengals | 4-10 |
4 | Cleveland Browns | 3-11 |
The Pittsburgh Steelers lead the way, and that's more of an indictment on the rest of the division if anything. Their offense is better than it's been in years past, but the defense has taken a step back, and things under Mike Tomlin have just become stale. They look primed for another early postseason exit, if they can get there.
The Baltimore Ravens ran into some bad luck with Lamar Jackson suffering an injury earlier this season, but even when he's played, he hasn't been at his usual MVP form. The Cincinnati Bengals also ran into some bad injury luck with Joe Burrow, but nothing about how this team has played the last two weeks with him suggests they deserve to be close to the playoffs anyway.
As for the Cleveland Browns, well, they're about what we thought they'd be. At least Shedeur Sanders looks kind of decent?
6. NFC East
Rank | Team | Record |
|---|---|---|
1 | Philadelphia Eagles | 9-5 |
2 | Dallas Cowboys | 6-7-1 |
3 | Washington Commanders | 4-10 |
4 | New York Giants | 2-12 |
The NFC East is another extremely disappointing division. Seeing the Philadelphia Eagles at the top isn't a surprise, but at 9-5 and having lost three of their last four games, just how good are the Eagles? The offense, in particular, has been an issue all year. They don't look anything close to a team capable of getting to, let alone winning, another Super Bowl.
For a brief period, it looked as if the Dallas Cowboys were going to push for an unlikely playoff berth, but back-to-back losses have all but ended their season. At 4-10, the Washington Commanders are arguably the NFL's biggest disappointment this season, even if their record has a lot to do with Jayden Daniels battling injuries.
As for the New York Giants, there's some promise with Jaxson Dart under center, but 2-12 speaks for itself. If the season ended today, they'd be picking No. 1 overall in the 2026 NFL Draft. This division should be a lot better, assuming the Giants improve, the Eagles figure out their issues and Jayden Daniels finds a way to stay healthy, but as for 2025, this is a bottom-three division in the NFL.
5. AFC West
Rank | Team | Record |
|---|---|---|
1 | Denver Broncos | 12-2 |
2 | Los Angeles Chargers | 10-4 |
3 | Kansas City Chiefs | 6-8 |
4 | Las Vegas Raiders | 2-12 |
The AFC West was a popular pick for the best division in football entering the year. Legitimate arguments could be made for all four of the teams in this division to be playoff-bound. Well, while two teams might get in, the other two have already been eliminated.
The Denver Broncos have won 11 in a row and certainly look like legitimate Super Bowl contenders. The Los Angeles Chargers are 10-4, just ended the Kansas City Chiefs' season, and have a defense as formidable as any in the NFL. Those two teams are very good, even with all of the injuries the Chargers are dealing with.
The Kansas City Chiefs are unequivocally the most disappointing team in the NFL, as not only did they fail to extend their playoff streak, but they were eliminated in Week 15. Patrick Mahomes is also out for the year, raising the question of whether the Chiefs will win another game. The same can honestly be said about the Las Vegas Raiders, who have won two games all year, benched Geno Smith, and have shown zero signs of life lately.
4. AFC South
Rank | Team | Record |
|---|---|---|
1 | Jacksonville Jaguars | 10-4 |
2 | Houston Texans | 9-5 |
3 | Indianapolis Colts | 8-6 |
4 | Tennessee Titans | 2-12 |
The AFC South is probably the most surprising division in the NFL this season. Three teams have records over .500, and there's a good chance that at least two of those teams will make the playoffs. That's a really good division no matter how you slice it.
The Jacksonville Jaguars look like a different team under Liam Coen, and are playing their best football of the season right now. The Houston Texans' defense is as good as it gets in the NFL, and it wouldn't be surprising to see C.J. Stroud get going down the stretch.
The reason the AFC South dipped a bit ultimately has to do with the Indianapolis Colts losing Daniel Jones for the year. With Jones, the Colts were legitimate playoff contenders. Without him, I'm not sure they win another game. With the Colts and the laughing stock that the Tennessee Titans are in this division, the AFC South can't crack the top three.
3. AFC East
Rank | Team | Record |
|---|---|---|
1 | New England Patriots | 11-3 |
2 | Buffalo Bills | 10-4 |
3 | Miami Dolphins | 6-8 |
4 | New York Jets | 3-11 |
Did we just see the two best teams in the AFC play in Week 15? No disrespect to the Broncos, but it felt like it. The Buffalo Bills stormed back from a huge early deficit to upset the New England Patriots on the road and keep their AFC East division chances alive. Drake Maye might be the NFL MVP this season, and Josh Allen is the best quarterback in the NFL. Need I say more?
Yes, this division is watered down a ton by the bottom feeders. The Miami Dolphins' season ended on Monday night, and they just benched Tua Tagovailoa, showing how big a mess they are. The New York Jets, as always, are a disaster.
Still, with how good the Patriots and Bills are, it feels disingenuous to not have this division as the best in the AFC.
2. NFC North
Rank | Team | Record |
|---|---|---|
1 | Chicago Bears | 10-4 |
2 | Green Bay Packers | 9-4-1 |
3 | Detroit Lions | 8-6 |
4 | Minnesota Vikings | 6-8 |
If the AFC West wasn't the preseason favorite to be the best division in the NFL, the NFC North certainly was. This division had three playoff teams last season, and there was reason to believe that'd be the case again in 2026.
This could happen. The Chicago Bears are near locks, completely turning their franchise around with the Ben Johnson hire. The Green Bay Packers will probably get in even after Micah Parsons' heartbreaking injury. A question worth asking is, do the Detroit Lions still have life? They're a good team, but a brutal Week 15 loss dropped their record to 8-6 on the year. They're now 1.5 games out of a playoff spot. They aren't eliminated yet, but can't afford another loss.
The one true disappointment in this division is the Minnesota Vikings. They let Sam Darnold, a player who fit perfectly, walk in free agency, and replaced him with rookie J.J. McCarthy, assuming Kevin O'Connell could get the most out of any quarterback. Well, the early returns with McCarthy aren't pretty. The Vikings are probably the best last-place team, and the Lions are good too, but only two playoff teams and a team as disappointing as Minnesota have this division away from the top spot.
1. NFC West
Rank | Team | Record |
|---|---|---|
1 | Los Angeles Rams | 11-3 |
2 | Seattle Seahawks | 11-3 |
3 | San Francisco 49ers | 10-4 |
4 | Arizona Cardinals | 3-11 |
Shoutout to the NFC West. This division has been dominant all season long, and at this point, they deserve everyone's respect. Through 15 weeks, this division has three 10+ win teams. That's impressive!
The Los Angeles Rams are Super Bowl favorites, and proved that yet again after clinching a playoff berth with their win over the Lions. The Seattle Seahawks have been on their tails all season long, led by Sam Darnold and a ferocious defense. They aren't favorites, but they're darn close. Despite an absurd list of injuries, the San Francisco 49ers continue to find ways to win. Say what you want about their schedule, but the Niners deserve immense credit for the season they've had.
Admittedly, the Arizona Cardinals are a disaster. They're 3-11, and there's a real chance Kyler Murray has played his last down with the team. However, this one awful team isn't bad enough to discredit the rest of the division that will likely have three playoff teams when all is said and done.
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