The Denver Broncos continue to stack wins and are clearly the best team in the NFL right now. It's hard to find a notable flaw with this roster. Denver is also in the playoffs for the second year in a row, becoming the first AFC team to clinch a spot.
Denver can also clinch the AFC West as early as Week 16 but simply need two more wins to clinch it, so they control their own destiny for the division title. Now that the regular season is winding down, the AFC hierarchy is pretty clear at this point.
Let's dive into our updated AFC power rankings following more wild Week 15 action.
Broncos continue to stand at the top in updated AFC power rankings
16. Las Vegas Raiders
Given the moves that the Las Vegas Raiders made this past offseason, this team being as bad as they are really adds insult to injury. Absolutely nothing has worked for Vegas, and I could argue that this team needs to bring in another new coaching staff and begin to field trade offers for some of their top players to kick start a rebuild.
15. Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans might have something special in Cam Ward, their rookie QB. The Titans are going to build around Ward in 2026, and I could see this team really catch fire in 2027 if all goes well.
14. New York Jets
The New York Jets are horrendous, and I am not sure Aaron Glenn gets 2026. The entire operation has taken a huge step back this year, and it's just hard to believe that the Jets got worse.
13. Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns could see Myles Garrett breaking the single-season sack record, but that's about it - this team needs to get serious on offense and do have two first-round picks in the 2026 NFL Draft to do so.
12. Cincinnati Bengals
The Bengals simply have to hit the reset button and rebuild that defense if they hope to make the playoffs, as they have not been to the postseason since the 2022 campaign. Joe Burrow is also clearly distraught with the situation.
11. Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs saw Patrick Mahomes go down with a torn ACL, so he could miss a part of the 2026 NFL Season. The Chiefs are eliminated from the playoffs and truly have nothing to play for at this point. The average roster caught up to them this year.
10. Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins have been eliminated from the postseason after their Week 15 loss on MNF. Miami had a nice run, but until this team makes some sweeping roster changes, they won't see the playoffs.
9. Indianapolis Colts
Philip Rivers held his own, but the previously 7-1 Colts are now 8-6, and the entire season has just fallen apart. Indy will not be able to do enough to get into the playoffs this year, but the roster that GM Chris Ballard assembled is very good.
8. Baltimore Ravens
The Baltimore Ravens are one of the more interesting teams this year. Once 1-5, the Ravens did battle back and are now 7-7, but the Steelers are ahead of them in the AFC North. This roster has been banged up for most of the season and is in need of a refresh in the offseason
7. Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are not a special team by any means, but they sit at 8-6 and are once again in first in the AFC North. I would expect Pittsburgh to be one-and-done in the playoffs, as nothing they do overwhelms opponents in the slightest.
6. Los Angeles Chargers
The subpar Los Angeles Chargers' offensive line is going to doom them, and Justin Herbert hasn't been great this year and has not played well in the playoffs. The Chargers are one of the most 'good' teams in the NFL in 2025.
5. Jacksonville Jaguars
On paper, the Jacksonville Jaguars are nothing special, but they are well-coached and can not only run the ball well, but they stop the run well. That is a formula for success this year and in the future. Jacksonville is for real.
4. Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills still have some work to do in the AFC East, but this major comeback win tells us that Buffalo isn't going to go away easy and simply does not want to be in a Wild Card seed, where they would be forced to travel. The Bills are Josh Allen-reliant, but he can come through for them for the most part.
3. Houston Texans
The Houston Texans are 9-2 over their past 11 games and could have the best defense in the NFL. Defenses travel well, so Houston is a team to keep an eye on down the line. They are good enough to make a deep playoff run, as the offense is heating up, too.
2. New England Patriots
The New England Patriots blew a 21-point lead to the Buffalo Bills, but they still have the second-best record in the conference and a top-end, young QB in Drake Maye, who has probably been the best passer in the AFC this year. Don't bury the Pats after this bad loss.
1. Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos now have the best record in the NFL by themselves at 12-2 and have not lost since September. Down by two possessions against the Green Bay Packers, Denver mounted yet another comeback and managed to win by eight points. The Broncos are a juggernaut and can do a little bit of everything. Bo Nix is also heating up at the right time.