Just like that, we are on to Championship Sunday!
Although the matchups weren’t nearly as entertaining (or close) as Wild Card weekend, it’s hard not to feel like the best four teams in football have made it to next Sunday. With the “alive” column dwindling, we’ll dissect the four remaining teams while providing some parting thoughts on the other four teams that were eliminated on the weekend in this installment of our WCG Power Rankings, Championship Week edition.
Ranking The Remaining 4-Team Playoff
Field Heading Into Championship Sunday
1. Seattle Seahawks (14-3)
If Saturday night was any indication of how good the Seahawks are, they might be the favorites to win the Super Bowl heading into Championship weekend. There were plenty of questions surrounding quarterback Sam Darnold, especially with the injury. The good news for Seattle is that they didn’t need to rely too heavily on him in a game that dominated from the opening whistle on. We already know this defense is elite, but the offense is a Top 10 unit as well. Having home-field advantage for next weekend might be the difference-maker, no matter the opponent.
2. New England Patriots (14-3)
Stop me if you’ve heard this before, but the Patriots are back in the AFC Championship Game. This time, with a much younger quarterback, led by former player Mike Vrabel as the head coach. This is a well-rounded team that showed on Sunday that they can overcome turnovers against elite defenses and control the majority of the game in the process. Drake Maye hasn’t been at his best in either game, but the defense has continued to play well, and when Maye has needed to make a play, he’s been able to do it. Considering the Broncos’ quarterback situation, the Patriots are primed for yet another Super Bowl appearance.
3. Los Angeles Rams (12-5)
Round three of the Rams vs Seahawks will happen on Sunday, but it wasn’t without a heart-racing finish on the road against the Cardiac Bears. For a second-straight week, it took until the final offensive possession of the game for the Rams to come out on top, yet it’s easy to see how this team could still win the Super Bowl. Although the defense struggled early, they forced three takeaways and held a high-scoring Chicago offense to just 17 points in almost 75 minutes of gametime. Quarterback Matthew Stafford will need to play better on Sunday in order for the Rams to come out on top, but of all the potential matchups, it’s easy to argue that the two best teams in the NFC are exactly who is playing on Championship weekend.
4. Denver Broncos (14-3)
Less than an hour after Denver’s most impressive win in close to a decade, head coach Sean Payton broke the news that quarterback Bo Nix will miss the remainder of the postseason with a broken bone in his high ankle. I can’t even imagine the high and the immediate low that Broncos fans experienced between the 33-30 overtime thriller and then the heartbreaking news of Nix’s fate. Their defense will keep them in any game versus any opponent, but it’s hard to overlook that Jared Stidham did not take a single snap during the regular season. If Payton can pull this off, this might end up being a more impressive performance than what he did in New Orleans, leading the Saints to the Super Bowl.
Parting Thoughts (In Descending Draft Order)
28. Houston Texans (12-5)
Parting Thought: C.J. Stroud’s continued struggles should be cause for serious concern in Houston.
Considering this year’s playoff landscape, there was no good reason for the Texans not to have made it further in the postseason. Well, I guess there was, and that was their quarterback play. Despite having an elite defense and being well-coached, Stroud’s postseason failures were alarming to say the least. With even average quarterback play, they might be the AFC favorites to make the Super Bowl. Instead, they’ll be sitting at home wondering what their next step is. This is already an outstanding roster, but without better quarterback play, what’s their ceiling? That’s what I keep getting stuck on, even after a 12-win season.
27. San Francisco 49ers (12-5)
Parting Thought: All good things must come to an end, and for the 49ers, the future can still be bright.
By all realistic expectations, the 49ers should have never made the playoffs, much less advanced to the Divisional Round. Of any team in the league, San Francisco lost more star power than anyone over the course of the season, yet finished with 12 wins. That’s a testament to their roster construction and, more importantly, the coaching staff. The NFC West is going to be a gauntlet for years to come, but considering the low expectations at the start of the season, there’s no reason to think that they can’t be in the mix for a division title in 2026.
26. Buffalo Bills (12-5)
Parting Thought: No Patrick Mahomes or Lamar Jackson? Still a problem. Why the Bills need to overhaul a portion of their roster this offseason.
Now, let me be clear- The biggest issue for the Bills in Saturday’s loss was their quarterback. Any time you turn the ball over four times, you’re highly unlikely to win the game. Allen does well when he puts on the Superman cape, but sometimes there’s no need for him to do it. That said, he’s the primary reason they made the playoffs in the first place. Injuries played their part, but this is a roster that has bled talent for multiple offseasons. They need to get Allen more help and figure out why it is that once the playoffs roll around, Sean McDermott’s defense couldn’t help but give up 30-plus point performances, but I’m not sure firing him in this shallow of a coach cycle was the right move to make. Suddenly, the Bills have more questions than answers.
25. Chicago Bears (11-6)
Parting Thought: Chicago’s Cinderella season might be over, but the future can be bright with another aggressive offseason.
If you polled 100 people heading into the regular season, it’s hard to imagine a scenario where even five of them had the Bears winning the NFC North, much less winning a playoff game, and being a few less self-inflicted mistakes away from playing in the NFC Championship game. Fans in Chicago have seen this story before. One year, they surprise the league, and the next, they are trending downward with little to no hope of a bright future. This doesn’t feel like a repeat of those scenarios, but the front office must ensure they are doing everything they can to improve this roster’s overall talent level. The defense needs to be the focus, but no one should be surprised if head coach Ben Johnson pushes for another offensive weapon or two.
