On Sunday, Dec. 3, the College Football Playoff selection committee released their decision on who would make this year’s four-team playoff. Shortly thereafter, the NFL kicked off a playoff selection of their own with high stakes matchups and an array of playoff implications. As the NFL playoffs quickly approach, a number of scenarios are played out throughout the remainder of the season. In this article, I plan on looking back at some of my takes from earlier weeks, including which teams are contenders and which are pretenders.
After Week Eight, I provided my opinion on which teams I believe to be contenders and which I believe to be pretenders. I think it is safe to say that it is time to reevaluate these qualifications, starting with our contenders.
Because I had earlier called the Dallas Cowboys pretenders, I was hoping that the Seattle Seahawks would have beaten them last week to provide indisputable evidence for my argument. Still, a one-score 41-35 win for the Cowboys nevertheless supports my original take—the Cowboys are frauds. Prior to this week, every single one of Dallas’ wins have come against teams at or below .500, and they were not necessarily convincing against Seattle. I do not think the Cowboys have a chance at a championship this season, and their matchup against Philadelphia this upcoming week and the Miami Dolphins in two weeks should put Dallas’ weaknesses on display.
Meanwhile, I deemed the Eagles to be contenders. While they lost 19-42 in a high stakes duel against the San Francisco 49ers, the Eagles have displayed dominance all year, entering today’s contest 10-1. The Eagles have shown consistency and strength, but they just do not have the explosive upside necessary to get it done in the postseason. The 49ers have been flaky and unreliable this season, as evidenced by their 6 total offensive yards in the first quarter, but it is clear after this week that of all the top tier teams in the NFL, the 49ers have the highest ceiling. If the 49ers can play to their potential consistently, then, in my opinion, they should plow their way to their sixth Super Bowl title. Nick Miller ’26, San Francisco resident, was impressed with the victory for the 49ers. “I am very proud of the team and looking forward to the playoffs,” he said, clear praise from the longtime fan.
After blowing their matchup against the 6-6 Green Bay Packers on Sunday night, the Chiefs have again failed to convince me to elevate them to contenders. While the Chiefs have shown promise at times, they do not seem to have the consistency to be a certain contender. Still, they have the best player in the league in Patrick Mahomes, so it’s hard to ever count Kansas City out of contention for another championship.
Another team worth noting is the Buffalo Bills, who frankly have fallen flat. Coming into the season, NFL fans expected the Bills to be up in that top tier of NFL teams, but they are sitting as a low tier two team at the moment. The disappointing season from Buffalo is due to a few key things: poor coaching, a lack of player depth and, honestly, bad luck. Head Coach Sean McDermott has made a couple questionable play calls and overall decisions, with most of the Bills’ success relying on quarterback Josh Allen. The Bills have also just been unlucky, with a number of close losses being chalked up to a single coaching decision. The Bills could certainly be in the conversation for contender—they have just not yet been able to get it done. Maybe after only a three-point loss to the Eagles last week and a bye week this week, the Bills can get back on track.
In Houston, the Texans halted the Denver Broncos’ five-game party with a strong showing from Houston’s defense in a big 22-17 win. Rookie quarterback CJ Stroud has continued his streak of dominance, but this week, it came at a cost with emerging star wide receiver Tank Dell fracturing his fibula—an injury that will take him out for the season. The Texans will certainly take a hit with this injury, but if this week has proven anything, it is that the Texans are a well-balanced team that can make some moves in the postseason. Similarly, the Detroit Lions continued their dominance with a 33-28 win against the New Orleans Saints. The Lions are 9-3 and off to their best start since 1962. A year ago, it would have been laughable for the Texans and Lions to be in the hunt for a playoff position at this point in the season, but with their respective squads this year, I think both teams have a serious amount of upside.
The AFC is going to set the stage for a tight playoff race with the AFC South incredibly contested as the Jacksonville Jaguars, Indianapolis Colts and Houston Texans are all within one game of each other. Houston and Indianapolis’ Week 18 matchup could very well be a win-and-in situation. With big wins this week, the Chiefs and Ravens widen their leads of the AFC West and AFC North, respectively, but do not count out a big late-season push from the Broncos and Steelers.