3 NFL Super Bowl contenders (and pretenders) entering December

With just five weeks left in the NFL regular season, we're getting a clear picture of which teams are in contention for the playoff picture and which aren't. And among those teams with playoff hopes, it's clear some of them will be the beneficiary of the rule that every division gets one team in the postseason – we're looking at you, AFC North and NFC South.

Among those teams that seem to be in that top-third of the league, let's say the ones with eight-or-more wins: who are the true Super Bowl contenders, and who will be potentially make the playoffs but still be calling it a season several weeks before the biggest Sunday of the year? Here's a look at our pretenders and our contenders entering Week 14.

Contenders:

Chicago Bears: The Bears started their season 0-2, with divisional losses to the Lions and the Vikings, who are now in third-place and fourth-place in the NFC North. Since then, they've looked like an entirely different team, going 9-1 to establish an outright lead in their division. The Bears have now reeled off five consecutive victories, going over one month without a loss, and just came out in Week 13 and beat the Philadelphia Eagles, who are the defending Super Bowl Champions and currently lead the NFC East. With two match-ups with the Packers in the next three weeks, with the NFC North likely on the line, we'll see if they can remain in this category.

Denver Broncos: After defeating the Commanders on Sunday night, the Broncos became just the second NFL team this season to hit the 10-win mark. They started 1-2 this season, but are now on a nine-game winning streak

New England Patriots: Maybe it's premature to put New England on this list, given that they still have their Week 13 showdown with the Giants tonight on Monday Night Football. But given they are one of four teams yet to take their bye week, we do have a slightly larger sample size. The Patriots have won nine consecutive games after starting the season 1-2, and Drake Maye has looked better than any Patriots quarterback since Tom Brady himself. Granted, the wins haven't come against the strongest competition, but the remaining schedule doesn't pose much of a threat, aside from one showdown with the Buffalo Bills.

Pretenders:

Buffalo Bills: The Bills bolstered their season further with a win over the Steelers on Sunday, but it was a Steelers team missing its starting quarterback that is fighting for first place in the worst division in the NFL. They have also lost two of their last four games against opponents they should have beaten at this point in the season. The Bills have a strong history of terrific seasons that never fully pan out, and this could be another one of those years.

Indianapolis Colts: The Colts started their season 7-1 and looked for some time like one of the best teams in the AFC, but have since gone 1-3 in their last four games and are on a two-game losing streak after falling to the Texans. Their recent loss to defending AFC Champions Kansas City looks worse now that the Chiefs have dropped to 6-6, and the remaining schedule is quite difficult, with five of the six games left on the slate against teams with 8 or more wins this season. So if the Colts aren't careful, this could crash and burn entirely.

Philadelphia Eagles: You hate to put the defending Super Bowl Champions here, but it's time to admit they might not measure up to the best teams this year. They are now also on a two-game losing streak, and their win over the Lions the week before looks less impressive. It's clear the Eagles' offense has regressed this season, and they don't have the same firepower as some of the best offenses in the NFL.

This article originally appeared on Touchdown Wire: 3 NFL Super Bowl contenders (and pretenders) entering December