Sun Dec 28 19:40:00 UTC 2025: Okay, here’s a summary of the text and a rewritten version as a news article:

Summary:

Jeffri Chadiha’s “The First Read” column on NFL.com analyzes the Super Bowl viability of 18 NFL playoff contenders heading into Week 17 of the 2025 season. The column evaluates each team’s strengths, weaknesses, and playoff potential, highlighting key players and coaching performances. Teams like the Broncos, Patriots, Jaguars, Bills, Texans, and Seahawks are presented as legitimate contenders, while others like the Chargers, Colts, Ravens, Bears, Eagles, Panthers, 49ers, Rams, Packers, Lions, and Buccaneers face significant hurdles. The analysis covers recent game performances, player injuries, and overall team dynamics to assess each team’s chances of making a deep playoff run. Chadiha also provides updates on MVP rankings and offers his Super Bowl pick.

News Article:

NFL Playoff Picture Sharply Focuses as Week 17 Looms: Chadiha Sizes Up Contenders

NEW YORK – With the NFL regular season nearing its end, the Super Bowl landscape is taking shape. NFL.com columnist Jeffri Chadiha, in his latest “The First Read,” dissects the 18 teams vying for a playoff spot, offering a candid assessment of their championship prospects.

“This league has been wide open all year, and that parity is still resonating throughout most of what we witness each weekend,” Chadiha notes. “This is why it’s also important to start defining which teams to believe in when it comes to making a run at a championship.”

Emerging Contenders:

  • Jacksonville Jaguars: After defeating the Broncos, the Jaguars now find themselves as the team to watch. Quarterback Trevor Lawrence looks like a No. 1 pick.
  • Buffalo Bills: The Bills, armed with the dynamic Josh Allen and emerging running back James Cook, are considered strong contenders in a conference without Patrick Mahomes or Joe Burrow in the playoffs.
  • Seattle Seahawks: Quarterback Sam Darnold has the opportunity to avoid the postseason horrors and can focus on the mental toughness to take the NFC West crown. The elite defense will carry the team a long way.
  • Houston Texans: The defense can take the team a long way, as long as quarterback C.J. Stroud can handle his business on offense.
  • New England Patriots: After defeating the Ravens, the New England Patriots proved they could handle adversity.
  • Los Angeles Rams: Quarterback Matthew Stafford has been playing at an MVP level for most of this season. As long as the hamstring injury doesn’t linger into the postseason, this offense is primed to do damage.

Facing Uphill Battles:

  • Los Angeles Chargers: Despite resilience and the play of Justin Herbert, injuries are likely to derail a deep playoff run.
  • Indianapolis Colts: Injuries and a tough schedule have derailed what was once a promising season.
  • Baltimore Ravens: Injuries to quarterback Lamar Jackson, combined with overall struggles, make a deep run unlikely.
  • Green Bay Packers: Injuries on the defense and to the quarterback have the team’s chances looking slim.
  • Detroit Lions: A terrible record as of late, combined with reliance on Green Bay failing, will likely send the team home.
  • Tampa Bay Buccaneers: The more key players the team returns to the field, the worse it ends up looking.

Dark Horses:

  • Denver Broncos: Despite a recent loss, the Broncos’ strong defense and the emergence of Bo Nix at quarterback keep them in the Super Bowl conversation.
  • San Francisco 49ers: The 49ers are dealing with several injuries, but head coach Kyle Shanahan has kept the team afloat.
  • Carolina Panthers: The Panthers must answer whether they can finish.

Chadiha acknowledges the unpredictable nature of the NFL, where “crap sometimes happens.” He notes that recent wins might be misleading, and injuries could play a significant role in determining which teams ultimately contend for the Lombardi Trophy. The article concludes with his updated Super Bowl pick: Rams over Bills.

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