Chiefs No. 1 but chasing
1. Chiefs 11-1 (1): The Chiefs are still chasing the Steelers for the top seed in the AFC playoffs, and if both finish 15-1, the Steelers would get it because they would be unbeaten in the conference. The Chiefs have to keep the gas pedal pressed down. 2. Saints 10-2 (3): Drew Brees is reportedly set to return from 11 cracked ribs with the Saints in the hunt for a firstround playoff bye. 3. Steelers 11-1 (2): The Steelers are struggling to run the ball, and when Ben Roethlisberger doesn’t have time to throw, the offense can get bogged down. Washington ended their bid for a perfect season. 4. Bills 9-3 (6): Slot receiver Cole Beasley has really stepped up. He caught nine passes for 130 yards and a TD on Monday night at San Francisco. 5. Packers 9-3 (7): Aaron Jones rushed for 130 yards as the Packers topped the Eagles and moved into second in the NFC playoff chase. 6. Browns 9-3 (8): The Browns are off to their best start since 1994. 7. Rams 8-4 (10): A week after coach Sean McVay said QB Jared Goff needed to do a better job of taking care of the ball, Goff responded with 351 passing yards, a TD pass and a sneak for a score.
8. Titans 8-4 (4): The Titans are 7-1 when not facing the AFC North after the Browns blew them out Sunday.
9. Seahawks 8-4 (5): A loss to the Giants could really hurt the Seahawks in the playoff picture. They could lose a tiebreaker with the Rams and end up a wild-card team. 10. Colts 8-4 (9): The Colts rebounded from being whipped by the Titans to beat the Texans .
11. Dolphins 8-4 (11): The Dolphins went to some no-huddle and empty sets and Tua Tagovailoa played well against the Bengals.
12. Buccaneers 7-5 (12): The Bucs loaded up for a Super Bowl run this season by luring Tom Brady. They need to prove in December they’re ready for the postseason.
13. Ravens 7-5 (14): Lamar Jackson returned and the Ravens ran for 294 yards in a win over the Cowboys.
14. Patriots 6-6 (18): The Pats are two games out of the final playoff spot in the AFC, a big hill to climb.
15. 49ers 5-7 (13): Jimmy Garoppolo’s injury provided an opening for Nick Mullens, and he has been OK.
16. Vikings 6-6 (16): The Vikings made about every kind of self-inflicted mistake they could against the Jags and needed OT to win.
17. Raiders 7-5 (17): The Raiders are struggling, and needing a last-second bomb against the Jets to win.
18. Giants 5-7 (23): Joe Judge and Ron Rivera won’t win coach of the year honors, but each has done a terrific job charting new courses for NFC East rivals.
19.Washington 5-7 (24): There aren’t many defenses playing better right now than the one Ron Rivera and Jack Del Rio are operating at a high level.
20. Cardinals 6-6 (15): The Cardinals have lost four of their last five. The defense has no pass rush without Chandler Jones, and Kyler Murray is out of sync on offense. 21.Texans 4-8 (19): Deshaun Watson might be playing the best football of his career. Without DeAndre Hopkins to lean on this season, Watson is spreading the ball around. 22. Broncos 4-8 (25): The Broncos ran for 179 yards and the defense did a really nice job of keeping the team in the game Sunday night in Kansas City.
23. Panthers 4-8 (21): The Panthers have gotten considerable production from their rookie class and young players added the last few years.
24. Lions 5-7 (29): Lions players were universally thrilled for interim coach Darrell Bevell after rallying to win at Soldier Field. We’ll see how he does against the Packers. 25. Falcons 4-8 (20): The Falcons would take way too big of a cap hit to move on from Matt Ryan after this season. That doesn’t mean they shouldn’t consider a QB with their first-round pick.
26. Bears 5-7 (22): The current six-game losing streak is the franchise’s longest since 2002.
27. Eagles 3-8-1 (27): Jalen Hurts replaced Carson Wentz late in a loss in Green Bay. The Eagles have a complete offensive mess, and now Hurts is starting.
28. Cowboys 3-9 (28): Rookie wide receiver CeeDee Lamb has been one of the few bright spots in a lost season.
29. Chargers 3-9 (26): The Chargers lost for the sixth consecutive time as the Pats pounded them 45-0, confusing rookie QB Justin Herbert with a variety of coverages. 30. Bengals 2-9-1 (30): The Bengals have scored 17 offensive points over the last 10 quarters.
31. Jaguars 1-11 (31): The biggest disappointment in Jacksonville wasn’t failing to capitalize on a comedy of errors by the Vikings in an OT loss. It was the Jets blowing their game at the end.
32.Jets 0-12 (32): No one could have been surprised Gregg Williams dialed up a Cover-0 blitz on the deciding play against the Raiders. And no one is mentioning his defensive backs blew Cover-2 on the previous snap.