FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. — The final week of the 2025 year has arrived, and with it, the end of the 2025 regular season, too.
This season was one very few saw coming or panning out the way it did. It was an interesting ride, though, and Week 17 was no different. Turnovers saw the tables turn for teams like the Rams, Lions and Buccaneers. While other teams secured their playoff berths. There is still much left to be decided in Week 18, but the top teams are coming into view.
Let's take a look at where each team ranks with one game left to play in 2025.
The Panthers dethroned a different No. 1 team when they faced the Rams last month. The Seahawks, however, are rolling and further secured their No. 1 status with this decisive win.
Drake Maye was clinical and menacing against the Jets, becoming the first quarterback in NFL history with a 90-plus completion percentage, over 250 passing yards and more than five touchdown passes in a single game. He's giving Matthew Stafford a run for MVP status.
Everyone will be talking about Christian McCaffrey's 140-rushing yard day against the Bears, but Brock Purdy was the star of the show for me. Outside of the lone interception he threw, he was masterful against a stout Bears defense.
Speaking of young QBs, Bo Nix is doing some good things for Denver. With this most-recent game-winning drive against the Chiefs, Nix has put together seven such moments this season. That ties for the third-most instances in a single season since 1950. Clutch.
Don't look now but the Jaguars are on a roll, having won eight of their nine games since their Week 8 bye. With the Titans up next for the Jags in Week 18, they are firmly in the driver's seat of the AFC South.
Matthew Stafford came into Monday Night Football having only thrown five interceptions on the year. He threw three alone on Monday. This is a fascinating stat, too, because Stafford averaged a time to throw of 3.24 seconds in Week 17, his second-longest in any game since at least 2016.
Jalen Hurts did not complete a single pass in the second half of this win. This is now the second time this season that has happened. Hurts may have the best job in the NFL, no?
Caleb Williams had a knack for the flash against the 49ers, going a perfect 4-for-4 for 130 yards and two touchdowns on deep throws beyond 20-plus air yards. The Bears may have lost this game but I'd imagine they'll be a force in the postseason.
The Bills offense is one of the streakiest in the league. When an opposing quarterback doesn't complete a single pass in a second half you should be the victor, but not being able to punch it into the endzone will do that to you.
The Texans are the first franchise in NFL history to make the playoffs in multiple different seasons after starting 0-3. They did so in 2018, too. Showing everyone it's not how you start, but how you finish.
With the loss to the Texans, the AFC West title for the Chargers is out of reach. Still, they are preparing for the postseason, sitting Justin Herbert out of their Week 18 finale vs. the Denver Broncos.
Usually not punting means good things are happening. Well, not for the Packers. For the third time in 2025, the Packers did not punt in a game. They are 0-3 when they don't, becoming the first team in the Super Bowl era with three or more such losses in a season. The rest of the NFL? They are 10-0 when they do not punt in a game.
Upset alert! Fascinating enough, perhaps we should have seen this coming. Cleveland has actually won four straight games at home against the Steelers since 2022. Who would have thunk it?
Derrick Henry totaled season highs in carries, rushing yards, touchdowns, missed tackles forced and rushing yards over expected against the Packers. He's an absolute menace.
The Panthers are playing for all the marbles. At 8-8, they face the Bucs next week at 4:30 p.m. ET. If Atlanta beats New Orleans at 1 p.m., though, it won't matter what the Panthers do against the Bucs. They'll be the NFC South champions.
The Lions just couldn't get anything going offensively against the Vikings. Which makes sense. Turnovers tend to stop drives dead in their tracks after all. And the Lions turned the ball over six times on Christmas Day.
Saw a stat this week that said Sauce Gardner has been on two teams in one season that went 1-7. He was with the Jets for the first half of the season, and has been with the Colts since. What a bananas stat.
The Vikings had just three net passing yards in their win against the Lions. That's the fewest net passing yards in a win since Houston had negative-5 in 2006. Turnovers matter.
The Falcons are 3-0 since being mathematically eliminated from playoff contention. Bijan Robinson is capping off a record-breaking season, the pass rush is three sacks away from setting a single-season franchise record, the Falcons (no pun intended) are on the rise.
Since starting the year 6-2, the Bucs have lost seven of their last eight games. They need the Falcons to lose to the Saints and to beat Carolina to sniff the postseason after having firm control of their destiny up to the bye week. That is what you call cratering.
There's a theme in this week's top-20 and it's that turnovers are key contributors to success. That stood true for the Dolphins, too, as they notched three takeaways in their win against Tampa. Fun fact: Miami is 7-2 when they have at least one turnover. They are 0-7 when they don't. I say again: Turnovers matter.
The Cowboys went for it on fourth down six times. They converted all six, becoming just the second team to do so in a game since 1991. The disrespect for a defense is loud.
Without Patrick Mahomes, the Chiefs are pigeon held offensively. Chris Oladokun didn't have a single completion of over 10-plus air yards in the loss. Unless you're the Eagles, that's not a recipe for success. But the Eagles and Jalon Hurts are the exception to the rule, not the rule itself.
The Bengals have won each of their last two games by more than a 20-point margin. They played Miami and Arizona, but still!
Don't look now but between Chase Young and Tyler Shough, the Saints are on an upward trajectory with a little flash to spare.
Myles Garrett generated a team-high six pressures against Aaron Rodgers, but he never got a sack as Rodgers utilized quick, short passes in the loss. Garrett is one sack away from the NFL record. Surprisingly, I am on the edge of my seat about the Browns in Week 18 solely because of this.
Despite keeping it close, the Commanders just couldn't stop the Cowboys' rushing attack and it kept the clock running as Dallas went back to it over and over again, rushing 44 times for a season-high 211 yards.
It's not all bad in Nashville: Chimere Dike broke Tim Brown's record for most rookie all-purpose yards and Cam Ward trails only Hall of Famer Warren Moon for most passing yards in a season by a rookie. Yes, they only have three wins, but hey, they'll probably take whatever they can get right now!
Trey McBride broke the NFL tight end receiving record for a single season with his 10 catches for 76 yards against the Bengals. The Cardinals lost but at least they have McBride, right?
The Jets have not gotten an interception this season. They don't have a receiver with more than 400 yards. They have only recorded four defensive turnovers this season. No Jets quarterback has thrown for more than 10 touchdowns for the fifth time in six years. They haven't had a playoff appearance since 2010. Things are not good in New York.
It was the battle of the bad teams and the Giants came out on top… yay?
The Raiders are the only remaining team in 2025 with two or fewest wins. If they lose to the Chiefs next week they will secure the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft soooo… there's that?
