As the countdown comes closer to kickoff of the 2015-16 NFL playoffs, Senior Contributing John Vomhof has taken a stab at ranking the participants.

It’s one man’s opinion. Do you agree? Disagree? Tell us why below.

Rank Team Record Comments
1 Carolina Panthers 15-1 The Panthers were the NFL’s best team from start to finish, turning in a near-perfect season. There’s no question they enter the postseason as the team to beat, led by soon-to-be-MVP Cam Newton and a stingy defense.
2 Seattle Seahawks 10-6 The Seahawks limped out of the gates in 2015 to start 2-4, but they’re peaking at the right time now. They’ve won six of their last seven games, beating three playoff clubs along the way. Russell Wilson and the defense have regained the form that led them to back-to-back Super Bowls.
4 Arizona Cardinals 13-3 The Cardinals have had a fantastic season on both sides of the ball, and they had won nine straight before dropping the season finale to Seattle. Carson Palmer and the offense can pile on points in a hurry, and the defense is among the league’s best.
3 New England Patriots 12-4 The Patriots are limping into the postseason, having lost four of their past six games. That said, it’s really hard to bet against Belichick and Brady at this time of the year.
5 Denver Broncos 12-4 The Broncos defense can carry this club deep into the postseason, especially with home-field advantage locked down. But can Denver really count on Peyton Manning (or Brock Osweiler) to take them all the way?
6 Kansas City Chiefs 11-5 The NFL’s hottest team, the Chiefs haven’t lost a game since Week 6 in Minnesota. Let that sink in for a minute. The defense is playing spectacularly well, and Alex Smith is doing enough on offense to get the job done.
7 Pittsburgh Steelers 10-6 The Steelers defense is one of the league’s most dangerous units, capable of dropping 30 or 40 points in any game. The defense has been better than expected, too, but it’s still allowing 363 yards per game, second worst among the playoff teams.
8 Minnesota Vikings 11-5 Mike Zimmer quickly transformed this Vikings defense unit into one of the NFL’s best, allowing just 18.9 points per game. The offense remains a big question mark, however, with Teddy Bridgewater remaining way too inconsistent. And, of course, drawing a first-round matchup against a Seahawks team that pummeled Minnesota just one month ago doesn’t help.
9 Cincinnati Bengals 12-4 The Bengals started the year hot, but they’ve lost their last four games against playoff teams. And it’s hard to bet on a team with A.J. McCarron as its starting quarterback–yes, even harder than it is to bet on a team with Andy Dalton at the helm.
10 Washington Redskins 9-7 Kirk Cousins and the Redskins have won five of their last six games, but, let’s face it, there wasn’t a lot of top-notch competition during that stretch. And the Skins’ defense still remains among the league’s worst units, hemorrhaging 380 yards per game.
11 Houston Texans 9-7 JJ Watt and the Texans have been absolutely outstanding on defense, allowing 10 points or less in six of their last nine games. But can Brian Hoyer and the offense do enough to win when it counts?
12 Green Bay Packers 10-6 The Packers entered the year as a top Super Bowl contender, but limped into the playoffs, losing six of 10 games after the bye. Even if they get past the very beatable Redskins, it’s hard to see them getting much further, especially in the star-studded NFC.