14) #7 LOS ANGELES CHARGERS

The Chargers were reluctant to make the postseason but had no chance against the AFC champ Patriots. With a fragile offensive line, Justin Herbert didn’t have the time, protection, or confidence to execute his plays. He was hit constantly and Los Angeles only got 3 points out of it. I also wasn’t a fan of them going for it on 4th down knowing what they were up against. They head towards the offseason needing desperate help up front to protect their franchise quarterback. Luckily, the hiring of Mike McDaniel could bring quick resolution to the offensive front.

13) #4 PITTSBURGH STEELERS

The game was close for 3 quarters, but Pittsburgh couldn’t produce more than 6 points. It was really difficult getting past Houston’s staunch defense. Pittsburgh had a lucky break against Baltimore to make the postseason, but not against Houston. Pittsburgh may have some optimism after hiring Mike McCarthy with a possibility of an Aaron Rodgers return. Rebuild? I guess it can eat its heart out for at least another season.

12) #7 GREEN BAY PACKERS

Green Bay had this game until they didn’t. They were dominating all first half until the missed field goal before half. Second half, they had little to no answer for anything and nearly gave away a turnover on special teams with Josh Jacobs returning kicks??? Their season went from deep postseason run optimism to falling short without Micah Parsons and questionable 2nd half offensive playcalling. I wouldn’t be surprised if Matt LaFleur has hot seat written all over in the 2026 season.

11) #4 CAROLINA PANTHERS

Carolina deserves a lot more respect now. After a humorous NFC South division finish, Carolina wasn’t glad to just be in the playoffs. They came in with the intent to win a game. After a slow, struggling start on offense, they answered against the Rams and made it a thriller. They were minutes away from an upset until Matt Stafford found Colby Parkinson for a sensational touchdown play. Despite the loss, Carolina should be proud and optimistic. That might make them just a bit better than their NFC South foes next season.

10) #3 PHILADELPHIA EAGLES

It was an ugly game, but there were moments of success and inconsistency. Philly drives the field before petering out and must find ways to be more consistent. AJ Brown had opportunities downfield but was unable to haul it in. Maybe GEICO must remove the AJ Brown commercial because it wasn’t a great showing by him. Defense did possibly everything to stop the Niners, but San Fran proved to be hard to kill. There will be questions about Philly’s future and potential roster changes in the offseason…or they might find some way to bounce back into Super Bowl contention, but I doubt it this time.

9) #6 SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS

San Fran had a good run, but their run petered out along with key injuries that included George Kittle against Philly and Christian McCaffrey against the Seahawks. It sucks witnessing my favorite team losing to that garbage team (yep, I’m searing with hate against Seattle). Kyle Shanahan had so much to coach through. He won’t get Head Coach of the Year honors, but he should be an honorable mention. What must be addressed is the injuries. What also must be addressed is positions that haven’t worked out for the past few seasons that needed fine-tuning. If nothing’s addressed with good cap space, San Fran will be in injury limbo. I won’t deal with this any further if they want to be the St. Mary’s Hospital 49ers where the locker room is an injury ward. Not tolerating it.

8) #5 HOUSTON TEXANS

It was nice seeing Houston win 10 straight games with their championship caliber defense. That saved their season in ways that couldn’t be explained except for that side. Unfortunately, they petered out no thanks to CJ Stroud and the offensive line. But how can we blame them? They battled injuries while losing their top pass catchers and tight ends prior to and during the playoffs. The run game was non-existent, but not having an offensive line to open gaps doesn’t help their cause. CJ Stroud had a total 5 interceptions and 5 fumbles forced with 2 lost. His lack of protection led to his awful production. The offensive line was a problem, so that’s a high priority in the offseason.

7) #2 NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS

Sometimes, you gotta wonder if the Patriots Super Bowl run was a lot of luck and a lot of breaks. New England’s defense carried the postseason until it finally dropped on them. The offensive line cost them, and it made Drake Maye look so young and human against Seattle. It was a good season by the Patriots, but there’s so much exposure and holes that still must be filled.

6) #3 JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS

Jacksonville came in with a lot of optimism for a deep postseason run. They knew Buffalo was a tough customer. Despite Josh Allen getting beat up everywhere, this kid’s built different. Everything Jacksonville tried to do to end the Bills ended in failure. Trevor Lawrence, Bayshul Tuten, and Parker Washington, and the defense had a good day, but it wasn’t enough to beat a team that’s been to the postseason every season since Josh Allen’s second season of his career.

5) #6 BUFFALO BILLS

Buffalo played as hard as they could. They overcame 5 turnovers and the defense played as well as they could until late in the fourth quarter and overtime with penalties going against them. Josh Allen made plenty of mistakes during his postseason run and still atoned for most of them. But this one against Denver was hard to overcome. Buffalo once again falls short, and this is the third time they lose to a non-Chiefs opponent in the postseason. Buffalo plays in their new stadium next season, but what’s the vibe like for it and can Allen stop making costly mistakes under new coach Joe Brady in 2026?

4) #2 CHICAGO BEARS

Bears defense held on while Chicago’s offense tried keeping up with the Rams. Once again, Caleb Williams comes through clutch to force overtime, but luck ran out when he threw a costly interception that led to their overtime loss. The Bears had something similar to Washington. They were an up-and-coming improved team that we were curious to see how far they would go. It was a nice run, but can they turn the offense’s luck into complimentary consistency moving forward…or were they a fluke like Washington???

3) #1 DENVER BRONCOS

The Broncos had a great run this season, but it’s very unfortunate that they lost Bo Nix prior to the most crucial game possible for a Super Bowl appearance. The team played tough, but the blame goes to Sean Payton on for bypassing a field goal that could’ve kept them alive before the snow rolled right through. Instead, they went for it too early and lost by 3 in snowy conditions with their backup quarterback. The team could bounce back for another opportunity, but it might be tough depending on the division’s progress as a whole.

2) #5 LOS ANGELES RAMS

Things looked bleak for LA during the game. Heck, it looked like they were going to be as overwhelmed as the 49ers. But they stuck it out and kept churning. They had opportunities, but one costly mistake prevented them from a Super Bowl opportunity: A massive, botched punt return catch by Xavier Smith. Not a way to end the season knowing they added pieces for a run. Will Matt Stafford return next season (or create another Stafford clone to keep going)? They also must address special teams. That was the bane of their season.

1) #1 SEATTLE SEAHAWKS

Seattle’s defense (especially defensive backs), Kenneth Walker III, and Jason Myers were the reason Seattle won the Super Bowl. If anything, the defense and run game with Sam Darnold having a great game against the Rams carried them all the way there. The Super Bowl wasn’t their best, offensively, but they were surgical and complimentary throughout. They are (to my heavy dismay) the Super Bowl champs.