By Thanksgiving and early December, you can really start to get an idea of who’s who in the National Football League. In just a couple of weeks we’ll start to see divisions be wrapped up and a fight for conference seeding unfold. My first NFL Power Rankings feature a clear group of contenders at the top, and a tier that I believe has the ceiling of a conference championship appearance. This list is far from perfect, but let’s give it a shot before the homestretch of the season. 

10. Titans (7-4)

They’re not going to blow anyone out, but Mike Vrabel is an incredible coach, and three out of their four losses have come by less than five points. They’ve started to pick things up in the passing game little by little over the last three games since Ryan Tannehill returned to the lineup, and I think Treylon Burks can make a real impact for this team down the stretch. They need to get Derrick Henry, who hasn’t had a 100-yard rushing game since Week 9, going again before the playoff. This team is going to host a playoff game, and I wouldn’t be shocked to find them win one and go on to give a team all they can handle in the divisional round. 

9. Ravens (7-4)

This team has the talent to win multiple playoff games, but they have zero clutch genes right now and that could eventually be their downfall. The Ravens held at least two score leads at some point in all four of their losses (Dolphins, Bills, Giants, Jaguars), so their inability to hold those leads is a red flag. I like their defense, which is top ten in points allowed, and they also force a lot of turnovers. Lamar Jackson wasn’t great Sunday, but I still trust him enough to think he could carry this offense for stretches at a time, and a healthy Gus Edwards returning to the backfield certainly helps them. Don’t be shocked if this team goes 5-1 over their next six games due to a lighter schedule and goes into the playoffs with some momentum. 

8. Vikings (9-2)

One week from now this team could be the NFC North champs and still very much alive for the number one seed in the NFC. The problem and major question is how sustainable their current method of winning is. Kirk Cousins has been incredible in clutch moments, with six game winning drives this season. The Vikings are second worst in the NFL in total defense, which is a major problem, but they should be getting back key contributors at defensive line and cornerback over the next few games. I expect their defense to look better by the end of the season. It was really encouraging to see them put up 33 points in primetime against a great defense in New England. A great group of offensive weapons led by Justin Jefferson (1,232 yards and 5 touchdowns) will continue to be the biggest reason they win games, but they need to start playing four complete quarters of football for me to feel completely comfortable with them. 

7. Bengals (7-4)

The Bengals’ win over a very good Titans team Sunday was very impressive. No Joe Mixon, no Ja’Marr Chase, and they still grabbed a huge road victory to move to a 7-4 tie atop the AFC North. Joe Burrow and Tee Higgins connected well the past two weeks, and the same run that we saw the Bengals go on to end the 2021 season is starting to unfold once again. The average NFL fan probably can’t name too many players on their defense, but they’re opportunistic and for the most part are good in second halves. A running game that currently ranks in the bottom third of the league needs to improve, but we saw flashes of it at its peak in Mixon’s five touchdown game vs. the Panthers three weeks ago. With huge upcoming games against the Chiefs, Bills and Ravens to close out the season, it’ll be very fun to see if this team rises to the occasion or not. 

6. Dolphins (8-3)

Their defense leaves something to be desired, and maybe I’m a little too high on Miami, but man can they score. I understand that it’s the Texans defense, but Tua Tagovailoa had 278 yards and led his team to 30 points in just one half of football on Sunday. Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle are nearly un-guardable, and Jeff Wilson Jr. has been an underrated pickup from San Francisco. Mike McDaniel will have his work cut out for him next week against familiar face Kyle Shanahan, but if things go well against the daunting 49ers defense, the hype train will keep on rolling for the 8-3 Dolphins. 

5. Bills (8-3)

It wasn’t very pretty, but the Bills got it done against the Lions on Thanksgiving. One of the best defenses in the league lost Von Miller indefinitely with an injury, but looking at the bright side, they’re adding Tre White. Stefon Diggs and Josh Allen continue to be one of the best QB-WR duos in the league, and their connection to get into field goal range for the game-winning kick was sweet. This team will continue to have trouble putting teams away unless they can establish a running game with someone other than their quarterback. With three straight divisional matchups coming up, they have a chance to remind everyone why they’ve been the team at the top of the AFC East for the past two seasons. 

4. Cowboys (8-3)

Since losing to the Packers in overtime a few weeks ago, things could not have gone much better for the Cowboys with wins over the Vikings and Giants in their past two games. They have the top scoring offense since Dak Prescott returned from injury (albeit against subpar defenses) and continue to play great defense lead by the dominant Micah Parsons. To make things better, it seems like Odell Beckham Jr. may be on the way in just a few weeks. I still have trouble trusting this team come playoff time, and they sometimes come undone penalty wise under Mike McCarthy, but it’s a championship level roster at the very least. 

3. 49ers (7-4)

Their win over the Saints  Sunday may not  seem like much, but with a shutout on defense this team continues to look even scarier than their record shows. Good luck trying to come from behind on this team, as they haven’t allowed a point in the second half since before Halloween. I haven’t even mentioned their offense yet, which still looks far from what it could be when you consider what Deebo Samuel and Christian McCaffrey can do at their peak. Do I trust Jimmy Garoppolo to outduel other elite QBs in the NFL? No, I don’t. But he’s playing   well as of late and has already shown with good play calling  he can be at the helm of a Super Bowl caliber team. 

2. Eagles (10-1)

For an offense that took a step back against the Commanders and Colts, some nerves were put to bed with the forty-point outburst they dropped on the Packers in primetime. Jalen Hurts continues to show incredible development through the air, and the use of his legs is better than ever, marking 157 rushing yards vs. the Packers. Hurts is certainly in the MVP discussion. I loved to see the Eagles lean on Miles Sanders who had 143 rushing yards against Green Bay. Washington seemed to have a much easier time with them the second time around, so I’m interested to see if Dallas and potential playoff teams can do the same. As for now, Philly is a team that can throw many different options at you (I haven’t even mentioned AJ Brown yet), and they’ll be hard to beat in their place come January. 

1. Chiefs (9-2)

I don’t want to get too ahead of myself, but the AFC Championship game looks like it will be played in Kansas City for the fifth straight season. Patrick Mahomes (3,585 yards and 29 touchdowns) looks poised to win his second NFL MVP award and is once again doing it with plenty of help from Travis Kelce (912 yards and 12 touchdowns). You know they’ve got revenge on their mind heading to Cincinnati next weekend, and if they leave with a victory they may not lose for the rest of the regular season. They’re also making a clear effort to incorporate Isiah Pacheco (22 carries vs. the Rams) into the running game to take some of the pressure off Mahomes. Last year, the Chiefs’ Wild Card matchup vs. the Steelers was “better than a bye,” meanwhile this year I fully expect them to flat out get the bye.