We’re just past the quarter point of the NFL season, so we have enough data and film to predict which teams can actually make the Super Bowl. Between now and February, it’s nice to talk about which teams have started to separate themselves.

Here’s a list of the top five Super Bowl contenders in the NFL and the reason why.

1. San Francisco 49ers

The San Francisco train is rolling, and Shanahan has his eyes set on Los Angeles.

2. Kansas City Chiefs

Expect Kansas City to be in the mix with Los Angeles, which upsets every other fanbase.

3. Buffalo Bills

Still, the front-seven has the talent to make splash plays from time to time, especially with the defensive line they have. I can’t say the same for Buffalo’s secondary; this unit seems to have limited Leonhard. Coming from Denver, you’d expect to see a lot more pressure packages and match zone coverage in the backend. The Bills haven’t really played into that; they’ve run a lot of invert looks and single-high coverages post-snap. It feels like Leonhard doesn’t trust the guys in his secondary to understand the rules of a match system.

Leonhard has his work cut out for him, with his defense being the one thing that can keep this Buffalo team from lifting the Lombardi Trophy in February.

4. Jacksonville Jaguars

Watching the Jaguars operate on the defensive end, you’ll rarely see the same thing week-to-week. Campanile does a great job mixing up his game plans, making them unique to each team the organization plays. What’s been interesting to note is the Jaguars playing more man coverage this season. Campanile ran man coverage 18.1 percent of the time in 2025; this season he’s up to 25.8 percent.

The jump shows this team doesn’t stay stagnant. They won’t run the same thing over and over again, because it’s working. Each side of the ball is looking to innovate and improve. Don’t be surprised when Jacksonville is in the mix for the No. 1 seed in the AFC come December.

5. Minnesota Vikings

Regardless, this defense will keep the Vikings in games. That’s all that matters, and that’s enough to make a Super Bowl run.

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