The crazy reality created by this uncharacteristically bloated season is that the team seeded No. 5 in the NFC playoffs might just be the second-best team in the NFL.
Depends on if you favor the powers atop the NFC or AFC.
The winner of the Lions-Vikings battle Sunday night will clinch the NFC North тιтle, the No. 1 seed, a first-round bye and home-field advantage throughout the NFC playoffs.
The loser will be the No. 5 seed and possibly be on the road for the duration of the playoffs.
It is befitting of a season where a razor-thin line separates the five-best teams in the NFL.
You won’t quite find either the Lions or Vikings listed below in the top-two in The Post’s NFL power rankings for Week 18, but who knows how things will look after the final 16 games are played.
1. Chiefs 15-1 (1)
The regular season is winding down, and the two-time defending Super Bowl champions are rounding into form.
After 11 one-score wins, there was nothing close about a 29-10 rout of the Steelers.
Patrick Mahomes threw for three touchdowns, including one to Travis Kelce to set the franchise’s all-time record with 77 receiving scores, and helped secure the AFC’s No. 1 seed in the playoffs.
2. Bills 13-3 (2)
Josh Allen threw two touchdowns and ran for another in a 40-14 rout of the Jets to become the NFL’s first player ever to account for 40 touchdowns in five straight seasons.
The Bills put the game away with three third-quarter touchdowns in a span of 5:01 on the way to setting franchise records for points scored (509) and touchdowns (63).
3. Lions 14-2 (3)
In a 2023 NFC Championship Game rematch, the Lions flipped the script and were the ones to make a second-half comeback in a 40-34 win against the 49ers.
Jared Goff threw for 303 yards and three touchdowns.
Jahmyr Gibbs provided the winning points with an electric 30-yard touchdown run.
Jameson Williams scored twice, including once off of a lateral from Amon-Ra St. Brown.
4. Vikings 14-2 (4)
What a time for Sam Darnold to throw for a career-best 377 yards.
Darnold hit three different receivers for touchdowns in a 27-25 win against the Packers that kept alive the Vikings’ hopes of catching the front-running Lions in the division.
He also completed two pᴀsses for first downs on the final drive to run out the clock.
5. Eagles 13-3 (5)
Saquon Barkley joined the prestigious 2,000-yard rushing club and moved within 101 yards of breaking Eric Dickerson’s all-time single-season record in a 41-7 victory against the Cowboys.
Down to their No. 3 quarterback after starting the game without Jalen Hurts and losing Kenny Pickett, the Eagles got two touchdown pᴀsses from Tanner McKee to clinch the NFC East.
6. Packers 11-5 (6)
In getting swept by the Vikings, the Packers fell to 0-5 against the NFC’s three best teams (Lions, Vikings and Eagles).
Fourth-quarter touchdowns scored by Emmanuel Wilson on the ground and Malik Heath off a pᴀss from Jordan Love closed a 27-10 deficit but the Packers did not get the ball back.
Josh Jacobs scored a touchdown but lost a fumble.
7. Ravens 11-5 (8)
Lamar Jackson’s 48-yard rushing touchdown was the highlight of a memorable day in which he set the NFL’s career rushing record for quarterbacks during a 31-2 blowout of the Texans.
Jackson also threw a touchdown pᴀss to both of his top two тιԍнт ends (Mark Andrews and Isaiah Likely).
A win this week will clinch the AFC North тιтle.
8. Steelers 10-6 (7)
After getting fat on a soft schedule, the Steelers have dropped three straight — all by at least 14 points — and lost their lead in the AFC North.
Russell Wilson threw an early end-zone interception against the Chiefs that couldn’t be made up for with his second-half rushing touchdown.
The defense didn’t notch a sack or a takeaway.
9. Commanders 11-5 (9)
It took overtime to finish it off, but the Commanders overcame a 10-point halftime deficit to beat the Falcons, 30-24, on Jayden Daniels’ walk-off touchdown pᴀss to Zach Ertz.
Daniels’ third touchdown pᴀss of the game clinched a playoff berth — and was made possible after the Falcons missed a 56-yard field goal at the end of regulation.
10. Chargers 10-6 (10)
Two of Justin Herbert’s three touchdown pᴀsses in a 40-7 pasting of the Patriots went to rookie Ladd McConkey, whose 94-yard total put him over 1,000 for the season.
The Chargers clinched a playoff berth in head coach Jim Harbaugh’s first year back on the NFL sidelines since 2014.
J.K. Dobbins ran for 76 yards and a touchdown.
11. Rams 10-6 (13)
12. Broncos 9-7 (11)
13. Buccaneers 9-7 (14)
14. Bengals 8-8 (18)
15. Texans 9-7 (12)
16. Seahawks 9-7 (15)
17. Dolphins 8-8 (17)
18. Falcons 8-8 (16)
19. Cardinals 7-9 (19)
20. Cowboys 7-9 (20)
21. 49ers 6-10 (22)
22. Colts 7-9 (21)
23. Panthers 4-12 (23)
24. Raiders 4-12 (28)
25. Saints 5-11 (24)
26. Jaguars 4-12 (29)
27. Jets 4-12 (25)
The Jets trailed by 40 when they subbed out Aaron Rodgers for Tyrod Taylor, who threw two garbage-time touchdowns in the loss to the Bills.
Rodgers threw two interceptions and took a safety.
The Jets committed a mind-boggling 16 penalties, including five personal fouls, for 120 yards.
The defense allowed five touchdowns, including four in the second half.
28. Bears 4-12 (26)
29. Giants 3-13 (32)
Where was this performance hiding?
The NFL’s lowest-scoring offense exploded in a 45-33 victory against the Colts.
Drew Lock threw four touchdown pᴀsses — a first for a Giants quarterback since 2019 — and ran for another.
Ihmir Smith-Marsette returned a kickoff for a touchdown.
And it all knocked the Giants out of position to hold the No. 1 pick in the 2025 draft.
