Week 15 of the 2025 NFL season wrapped up with a Monday Night Football showdown between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Miami Dolphins. Coming out of the weekend, this is a great time to look at some contenders and pretenders ahead of the 2025 playoffs.
The Seahawks pulled off a tough win over the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday. Indy tempered their high-powered offense, but Seattle showed up when it mattered most. With less than a minute left and down by a point, Sam Darnold drove down the field and set up the game-winning field goal.
Seattle is 11-3, standing atop the NFC West. They’re followed by the Los Angeles Rams (10-3) and the San Francisco 49ers (10-4). Their offense is ranked third in first downs (93) and points (387), while the defense ranks fourth in sacks (41) and fifth in interceptions (15).
The Seahawks have a point differential of 163 points in 2025, the best in the NFL. Sam Darnold’s playoff performance last season is worrisome, but this roster is too talented to be pretenders.
The Eagles put a 31-0 beating on the Las Vegas Raiders. Sometimes an easy win is just what’s needed for momentum, but that’s the important part here; it was an easy win. The Raiders are arguably the worst team in the NFL.
The Eagles have scored more than 30 points in a game just four times, including the win over Vegas. Saquon Barkley only has 940 rushing yards on the season, a far cry from the 1,688 he had coming out of Week 15 last year.
The biggest obstacle for Philly is right in their building. Offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo has taken over a loaded offense and made it extremely mediocre. His playcalling is bland, and it shows every week. It’s hard to take them seriously as Super Bowl contenders while he’s still holding the playsheet.
The Bills have had an inconsistent 2025. They’re not the juggernaut they were expected to be, and they’re not even leading the AFC East. Luckily for them, their path to the Super Bowl might have gotten a whole lot easier.
The Kansas City Chiefs have officially been eliminated from playoff contention for the first time since 2014. Patrick Mahomes suffered a torn ACL in Sunday’s loss to the Los Angeles Chargers.
The Chiefs’ missing the playoffs is huge for Buffalo. Josh Allen’s playoff record is 7-6, with four of those losses coming from the KC. The only other team to eliminate Allen is the Cincinnati Bengals, who are also out of the picture. The Bills’ Super Bowl window is wide open right now.
The Jaguars are 10-4 and sitting atop the AFC South. What Liam Coen has done in his first year as head coach is nothing short of remarkable. This team was 4-13 last season and is now running away with the division.
The reason the Jaguars are pretenders is based on who they’ve defeated and who they’ve lost to. The New York Jets, Tennessee Titans, and Arizona Cardinals aren’t exactly legitimate competition.
Jacksonville’s four losses are from the Rams, Texans, Seahawks, and Bengals. Three of them are current playoff teams. This team is fun to watch, but they’re still a long way away from a Super Bowl run.
The Rams are 11-3, locked into a playoff spot, and tied for the lead in the NFC West. Sean McVay and Les Snead have done impressive work with this team. They took what some expected to be a rebuild and quickly became a contender.
Matthew Stafford might be in the twilight of his career, but he’s playing better than ever. He leads the NFL in touchdown passes (37) and touchdown percentage (7.9%). He’s the front-runner for NFL MVP, and it might not be close at this point.
At 37 years old, any year could be Stafford’s last, and the Rams are putting everything they have into getting him a second ring. The NFL is wide open right now. What’s stopping LA from winning it all?
The NFC North might be the best all-around division in the NFL, but none of them are a Super Bowl contender right now. The Detroit Lions are 8-6, third in the division, and can’t get out of their own way. They were a better team last year, and couldn’t get the job done.
The Green Bay Packers looked like a juggernaut early in the season, but they simply can’t keep the momentum. They’re now missing Micah Parsons and Tucker Kraft for the year. They have the talent, but they’re not at full strength.
It’s easy to get swept up in the Chicago Bears hype. Ben Johnson has transformed this team from the butt of the joke to a legitimate threat. Caleb Williams looks like the Prince that was promised. This team will be a problem in the future, but it’s hard to see them making a run in Johnson’s first year.
There’s a saying that the playoffs feel like a whole new season. They’re right around the corner, and teams are going to need to prove themselves now. The pretenders get exposed, and the contenders are revealed down the stretch.
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