NFL Week 18 power rankings: 49ers are surging, Packers fall again

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The NFL is now entering the final week of the 2025 regular season. It's been an incredible year with a lot of parity, but it is all coming to an end.

For the final week of the season, however, there is still a lot to be decided. A lot of the playoff spots are punched already, but there are a few left. There are also a lot of implications in terms of No. 1 one seeds, along with overall seeding.

There is no one overwhelming favorite to win the Super Bowl. No team in either conference is even the consensus pick to make the trip to Santa Clara for the big game in February. Earning a No. 1 one seed would help anyone's cause, but any team can beat anyone on any given game day.

Here's a look at our Week 18 power rankings:

The Contenders

1. Seattle Seahawks (Last Week: 1)

2. Denver Broncos (Last Week: 3)

3. San Francisco 49ers (Last Week: 8)

4. Chicago Bears (Last Week: 4)

5. New England Patriots (Last Week: 6)

6. Philadelphia Eagles (Last Week: 7)

7. Houston Texans (Last Week: 9)

8. Los Angeles Rams (Last Week: 2)

9. Jacksonville Jaguars (Last Week: 11)

10. Buffalo Bills (Last Week: 5)

11. Los Angeles Chargers (Last Week: 10)

12. Green Bay Packers (Last Week: 12)

The Chicago Bears and San Francisco 49ers put on a show for a national audience on Sunday Night Football. These are two very good teams with offenses that can score points in bunches. Will it sustain in the playoffs? Some have their doubts, but there is no doubting their level during the 2025 regular season.

Who will end in the top spot? Right now, the Seattle Seahawks have the inside track. If they beat the 49ers, they will hang onto the No. 1 seed and the top spot in this ranking. If San Francisco wins, both they and the Denver Broncos will be in consideration.

The Los Angeles Rams, Buffalo Bills, and Green Bay Packers all seem to be free-falling a little bit. Each of them has clinched a postseason berth, but division titles and home playoff games have been forfeited over the last week.

Most of the teams in here believe that they can get to the Super Bowl. That means there is going to be some major disappointment following Wild Card Weekend.

Teams to Watch

13. Carolina Panthers (Last Week: 14)

14. Baltimore Ravens (Last Week: 16)

15. Pittsburgh Steelers (Last Week: 13)

16. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Last Week: 17)

Two of these four teams are going to make the playoffs. The winner of Tampa Bay-Carolina game will be the NFC South champions and face one of the top teams in the NFC West in the wild-card round. The winner of Baltimore-Pittsburgh will determine the AFC North title and a coveted playoff spot. It is a lucky scheduling break for the NFL that these teams will play each other in the final week, and it is making for an incredible finish.

Eliminated from Postseason Contention

17. Minnesota Vikings (Last Week: 19)

18. Detroit Lions (Last Week: 15)

19. Indianapolis Colts (Last Week: 18)

20. Dallas Cowboys (Last Week: 20)

21. Miami Dolphins (Last Week: 22)

22. Atlanta Falcons (Last Week: 23)

23. Kansas City Chiefs (Last Week: 21)

24. Cincinnati Bengals (Last Week: 24)

25. New Orleans Saints (Last Week: 26)

26. Washington Commanders (Last Week: 25)

27. Cleveland Browns (Last Week: 27)

28. Arizona Cardinals (Last Week: 28)

29. Tennessee Titans (Last Week: 31)

30. New York Jets (Last Week: 29)

31. New York Giants (Last Week: 30)

32. Las Vegas Raiders (Last Week: 32)

The teams in this tier are all going to be playing in their final games of the year over the weekend, and they know it going in. Some of them will bounce back in 2026, and some of them have a long road ahead. The most surprising in this group are the Detroit Lions, Minnesota Vikings, Cincinnati Bengals, and Kansas City Chiefs. Some big decisions loom for these franchises as they look to better themselves going into the offseason.

This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: NFL Week 18 power rankings: 49ers are surging, Packers fall again

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