2025 NFL Power Rankings – Super Wild Card Edition (Who’s #1?)
This article was originally published on Total Pro Sports.
And then there were 14! Week 18 of the regular season brought more drama than many of us had anticipated. Shout-out to the Baltimore Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers for putting a sweet cherry on top with an all-time thriller. With the 14-team playoff field set, let’s dive into our wild-card round edition of the 2025 NFL power rankings.
Which NFL team is on top of our wild-card round edition of the power rankings?
14. Carolina Panthers (15)
The Panthers owe an outstanding debt of gratitude to the Atlanta Falcons.
After blowing their own opportunity to clinch the NFC South with a loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the Panthers were saved with a Falcons’ victory over the New Orleans Saints. Incredibly, Carolina won the NFC South on a three-way tiebreaker over the Bucs and Falcons.
Carolina can also thank the Bucs, who inexplicably collapsed with losses in seven of their final nine games. So ends an eight-year playoff drought, with the Panthers also claiming their first division title since 2015.
Not that anyone will give Carolina much of a chance. A minus-69 point differential? A mushy-middle defense? It’d be a shocker if they even advanced to the Divisional Round.
The Panthers’ reward for winning the NFC South is a home clash with the Los Angeles Rams, a team many view as the team to beat in the NFC. But remember, Carolina beat LA here back in Week 13, recording two interceptions off Matthew Stafford.
Hey, whatever happens, returning to the playoffs is special enough for Carolina. It’s a significant step forward after the disappointing start under the David Tepper era. Beating the Rams would just be gravy.
13. Green Bay Packers (12)
With the seventh seed locked up, the Packers wisely played it safe and sat the starters against the Minnesota Vikings. With the Bears and Eagles both falling on Sunday, Green Bay was assigned a trip to Chicago for the Wild Card Round.
We’ll assume most Packers fans are happy with that. Jordan Love is 0-3 against the Eagles, but 4-2 against the Bears with nine touchdowns and two interceptions.
The Bears aren’t a joke anymore, but this is certainly a more favorable Wild Card matchup than when they had to take on the Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field last year. Chicago may be a slight favorite here, but there’s a lot of pressure on Green Bay as well. A third one-and-done in their last four playoff trips would not reflect well on Matt LaFleur.
For neutral fans, this is your first Bears-Packers playoff game since 2010. A long time coming. Enjoy it, because there will be drama!
12. Pittsburgh Steelers (13)
Not sure who’s luckier between the Steelers and Panthers. But anyway, congrats to Mike Tomlin’s squad on barely gutting out the AFC North division crown.
A turbulent season culminated in a 10-7 finish and an up-and-down standing in the NFL power rankings, which was enough to secure a home playoff game. Aaron Rodgers’ career lives to fight at least another week. Next obstacle? The Houston Texans.
This will be the first playoff meeting between the two franchises. Having spent the bulk of his career in the NFC, Rodgers and Houston have little familiarity. Pittsburgh may have the advantage at quarterback, but Houston unquestionably has the better defense. Something will have to give when they meet on Monday night.
Either Houston reaches the elite eight for the third straight year, or Pittsburgh wins its first playoff game since 2016. Giddy up.
11. Los Angeles Chargers (11)
Instead of fighting for wild-card seeding, the Chargers played it safe and rested several key starters against the Denver Broncos. With the Bills and Texans both winning, the Bolts fell to the No. 7 seed and must take on the second-seeded Patriots at Gillette Stadium.
Finishing 11-6 was no small feat for Jim Harbaugh’s squad, given the ridiculous amount of injuries, especially on the offensive line. Now, we see if Justin Herbert can finally get that long-awaited first playoff win.
Herbert vs. Drake Maye could be one of the best AFC quarterback rivalries of this generation. Philip Rivers went 0-3 against Tom Brady in the playoffs, so it’d be a funny storyline if Herbert could reverse history here.
10. Philadelphia Eagles (8)
The Eagles also chose to play it safe in the regular season finale, despite an opportunity to move up to the No. 2 seed. Decide among yourselves if it was the right call, but Philly surely would have preferred a playoff game against the Packers over the 49ers.
It certainly wasn’t pretty for the defending Super Bowl champions this year. But despite a roller-coaster of a ride, they finished 11-6 to claim the NFC East crown. They’re also just one home win away from getting back to the Divisional Round.
And yet, for large stretches of the NFL season, especially in their standing in the power rankings, Eagles fans wanted you to think the sky was falling. What a world.
As always, it’s championship or bust in Philadelphia. You think this fanbase is really okay with two championships in the previous eight seasons? No chance.
See ya at the Linc on Sunday, folks.
9. San Francisco 49ers (4)
The 49ers knew they had to turn the page quickly. However, we can understand if any of their fans are still moping over that loss to Seattle. An utter embarrassment.
San Fran needed one more win at home to secure the NFC’s top seed and first-round bye. Instead, they were humiliated 13-3 by the Seahawks in their own barn, coughing up the NFC West and home advantage.
Then again, perspective matters. If someone told you at the start of the year these guys would go 12-5 with Nick Bosa and Fred Warner missing most of the season, and with Brandon Aiyuk not playing a single snap, you’d take it.
The 49ers also get a matchup against a vulnerable Philadelphia Eagles squad in the Wild Card Round. Philly’s run defense was a weakness, and it doesn’t get scarier than Christian McCaffrey.
As the defending champs with home advantage, the pressure’s on Philly here. But we’ll see if Brock Purdy and company can relish an opportunity they aren’t accustomed to: Being an underdog for a playoff game.
8. Los Angeles Rams (10)
A blowout victory over the Arizona Cardinals, coupled with a 49ers loss to Seattle, allowed the Rams to jump into the No. 5 seed. That means the luxury of playing the NFC South champion.
Matthew Stafford put a nice finishing touch on his regular-season campaign. He finishes as the NFL leader in both passing yards with 4,707 and touchdowns with 46. And to think he and the Rams almost split up last year.
We know it’s the Cardinals, but a blowout victory had to feel good after crapping the bed in Weeks 16 and 17. They have every advantage in the book against Carolina…though, as previously mentioned, the Panthers won at LA in Week 13.
The Rams were this-close to beating the Eagles in the Divisional Round last year. Anything less than an NFC Championship will be a letdown for Sean McVay’s squad. Record aside, there’s a case to be made that they’re the NFC’s most dangerous team.
7. Chicago Bears (6)
We know they had the NFC North locked up already, but man. You don’t want to go into the postseason on a two-game losing streak, especially when your wild-card opponent has far more playoff experience.
A week after losing to the 49ers in a thrilling Levi’s Stadium shootout, the Bears fell 19-16 to the Detroit Lions at Soldier Field. With the Eagles also losing, Chicago at least maintained its hold on the No. 2 seed.
So after a thrilling regular season under rookie head coach Ben Johnson, the Bears have locked in their first division crown since 2018. Plus, a good finish in the weekly NFL power rankings, too. Now it’s time to win the franchise’s first playoff game since 2010.
The Bears are deeper and healthier than the Packers. But as we know, Jordan Love has had Chicago’s number. And Green Bay definitely has the playoff experience factor working in its favor.
At his Bears’ introductory conference last year, Ben Johnson said he enjoys beating Matt LaFleur twice a year. The rubber match is upon us. Time for Johnson to put his money where his mouth is.
6. Buffalo Bills (9)
The Bills reminded everyone just how bad the New York Jets are, blowing out Gang Green 35-8 despite resting their top players. With the Chargers happily conceding a defeat to the Broncos, Buffalo moved up to the No. 6 seed to set up a showdown with Jacksonville.
The 12-5 Bills certainly weren’t that flashy compared to previous teams in the Josh Allen-Sean McDermott era. With the surprising Patriots taking the AFC East crown, Buffalo must settle for a wild-card spot for the first time since 2019.
At any rate, Josh Allen is a renowned wild-card round master, having won his last five opening-round matchups. But none of those opponents will be tougher than the 13-win Jacksonville Jaguars, folks.
If you ask us, Buffalo vs. Jacksonville is the premier matchup of wild-card weekend. Does Buffalo’s playoff heartbreak continue, or do they take early advantage of an AFC playoff field that lacks Patrick Mahomes, Joe Burrow, AND Lamar Jackson?
Time will tell, but man, we can’t wait for this game.
5. Houston Texans (7)
Well, the Texans couldn’t enter the postseason any hotter.
Houston was supposed to be done for when it dropped its first three games. But even a mid-season injury to CJ Stroud could not stop DeMeco Ryans’ squad, which closed out the year on a nine-game winning streak.
The 12-5 mark stands as the second-best in franchise history, behind only the 2012 team that went 12-4. Houston finished No. 1 in total defense AND scoring defense and had the third-most takeaways.
Finishing as the top wild card team means a favorable first-round matchup against the Aaron Rodgers-led Steelers. Let’s see if Houston can hold off the four-time MVP, and if the “A” version of CJ Stroud will show up.
4. Jacksonville Jaguars (5)
The Jaguars put a beautiful final stamp on their AFC South division-winning season with a 41-7 blowout win over the lowly Tennessee Titans. We’ll go ahead and assume the Jags would have preferred a different wild-card opponent, but their obstacle to an Elite Eight appearance is Josh Allen and the Bills.
Liam Coen’s first season was nothing short of special. The Jags finished 13-4 for their second-best finish in franchise history, only trailing the 1999 squad that went 14-and-2. And they did this without two-way phenom Travis Hunter for most of the year. And with Brian Thomas Jr. enduring a brutal sophomore slump. They were very good in the NFL power rankings all season long.
Trevor Lawrence is 2-1 against Josh Allen. But…the Bills crushed Jacksonville 47-10 in their most recent meeting in Week 3 of the 2024 campaign.
The Jags had the better regular-season and have home advantage, but it would be quite a statement to the rest of the AFC if they eliminated the conference’s best quarterback in the Wild Card Round.
Regardless, this game should be a real doozy.
3. Denver Broncos (3)
The Chargers gave the Broncos a kind gift: A guaranteed Week 18 win by sitting Justin Herbert. That means the AFC rides through Denver, which went on to play in the Super Bowl the last two times it held the No. 1 seed.
A first-round bye also means Denver will play its first home playoff game since the 2015 AFC Championship Game — when Peyton Manning beat Tom Brady in their final showdown before winning Super Bowl 50.
The Patrick Surtain-led defense did most of the heavy lifting to secure a 14-win season for the Broncos. Now, we wait and see who travels to Mile High City in the Divisional Round.
2. New England Patriots (2)
They may not have the No. 1 seed, but Drake Maye and the Pats still require just two home wins to reach the AFC Championship Game.
Two hundred forty-three rushing yards and four rushing touchdowns led New England to a 38-10 blowout over Miami. The Patriots locked down the No. 2 seed over the Jaguars, though the Chargers’ benching of star players meant handing the No. 1 seed to Denver.
Pats fans are probably feeling lucky they avoided the Bills in the Wild Card Round. Jim Harbaugh’s Chargers aren’t slouches,but the injuries on the o-line give Mike Vrabel a much easier path here.
Maye had a surprising MVP-caliber season in his sophomore year. Vrabel likely locked up Coach of the Year honors with Sunday’s blowout win over Miami. The goodwill built up to this point could end quickly if they lose to the Bolts, though. The Pats have to stay locked in and focused.
1.Seattle Seahawks (1)
Seattle made one more big-time regular-season statement to cap off a tremendous second season under Mike Macdonald. Their weekly standing in the NFL power rankings is a testament to that. The ‘Hawks can also send the Vikings one giant “Thank you” basket for choosing JJ McCarthy over Sam Darnold.
The Seattle defense put up a “Legion of Boom”-like performance in their Week 18 shellacking of the 49ers on the road. That meant securing the NFC West title for the first time since 2020. And by the way, Seattle went to the Super Bowl the last three times it occupied the NFC’s top seed.
Darnold is on fire. Jaxson Smith-Njigba won his first receiving crown. Kenneth Walker and Zach Charbonnet can both take over a game at any point. And the defense hasn’t looked this good since, well, the peak of the Legion of Boom in the mid-2010s.
All Macdonald’s Seahawks need now: Two home wins to reach the NFC Championship Game. If the Panthers, Bears, and Eagles somehow ALL win on wild card weekend, Seattle will have a clear-as-day path to Super Bowl 60.
For now, they can reflect on a surprisingly successful 2025 regular season and rest up their bodies. It was a nice four-month grind to get to this point, but there is plenty of work ahead in Emerald City.
But entering the postseason as the team to beat? Nothing to scoff at.
