1. Patriots (last week No. 3; 11-2): The post-Brady/Belichick doldrums are officially over.
2. Broncos (No. 2; 10-2): The No. 1 seed is inching within reach.
3. Rams (No. 1; 9-3): After a visit to the Cardinals, two huge games — Lions, at Seahawks — are looming.
4. Seahawks (No. 5; 9-3): Minnesota’s abysmal offense masked the fact that the Seahawks struggled a bit with the ball, too.
5. Bears (No. 7; 9-3): Their locker-room celebrations make everyone else’s seem boring by comparison.
6. Packers (No. 9; 8-3-1): It’s been a long time since the Bears-Packers rivalry had significant implications for both teams.
7. Colts (No. 4; 8-4): It’s hard for Daniel Jones to play like Daniel Jones if he can’t run.
8. Bills (No. 10; 8-4): A wild-card berth still isn’t a layup.
9. Jaguars (No. 11; 8-4): They’re quietly surging, with the biggest game yet coming this weekend against the Colts.
10. 49ers (No. 12; 9-4): If they finish first or second in the division, Kyle Shanahan deserves serious consideration for coach of the year.
11. Eagles (No. 6; 8-4): They’d better stop the bleeding before the season bleeds out.
12. Texans (No. 15; 7-5): Can they finally beat the Chiefs in Kansas City?
13. Lions (No. 8; 7-5): They miss Ben Johnson more than they’ll ever admit.
14. Chargers (No. 16; 8-4): Without Justin Herbert, they wouldn’t have much of a chance.
15. Panthers (No. 20; 7-5): What a difference running the ball makes.
16. Cowboys (No. 17; 6-5-1): They’re currently the league’s most fun team to watch.
17. Buccaneers (No. 19; 7-5): The schedule softens going forward, but for two upcoming games against the Panthers.
18. Chiefs (No. 13; 6-6): If it was any other team, we’d say they have no chance. The Chiefs aren’t any other team.
19. Ravens (No. 14; 6-6): Lamar Jackson continues to not look like his usual self.
20. Steelers (No. 18; 6-6): Would a fresh start be the best thing for both team and coach?
21. Bengals (No. 26; 4-8): If Joe Burrow had played against the Patriots, they might be only one game behind the division leaders.
22. Dolphins (No. 22; 5-7): One game at a time, Mike McDaniel and Tua Tagovailoa are earning another year.
23. Falcons (No. 21; 4-8): One game at a time, the winds of change are blowing more and more strongly.
24. Vikings (No. 23; 4-8): The Vikings haven’t had many disastrous seasons since 1968. This is one of them.
25. Jets (No. 27; 3-9): How different will the roster look next year?
26. Browns (No. 24; 3-9): They can make any changes they want. The chronic problems with this team flow from the top.
27. Cardinals (No. 25; 3-9): It feels like only a late-season winning streak will deliver a fourth season for Jonathan Gannon.
28. Commanders (No. 29; 3-9): Tomato, tomaTAH.
29. Giants (No. 28; 2-10): Jaxson Dart still doesn’t understand the connection between his playing style and his health.
30. Saints (No. 30; 2-10): When a brief flirtation with Justin Tucker is the biggest news of the week, the team has become completely irrelevant.
31. Titans (No. 31; 1-11): At least they’re getting a new stadium.
32. Raiders (No. 32; 2-10): Lost in the question of whether Pete Carroll will be given a second year is why he would want one?
