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2025 26 Nfl Playoff Predictions Who S In The Race Sportsnaut

Bonisiwe Shabane
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2025 26 nfl playoff predictions who s in the race sportsnaut

Five weeks of the NFL schedule are in the books, which means just over 27% of the season is done. Is that enough to make NFL playoff predictions? We don’t see why not. Several teams are not where they expected to be, such as the Baltimore Ravens, Indianapolis Colts, and Kansas City Chiefs. Which of that trio, plus others have shown enough to reach the postseason this year? Below we predict the AFC and NFC playoff brackets for the 2025-26 season.

While the defense is still coming around, the Buffalo Bills are back to having an elite offense, as expected. Yet, the pass defense has ranked as a top ten unit thus far, which makes us believe they’ll do just fine in the playoffs against most teams. Plus, Josh Allen and James Cook look unstoppable. Daniel Jones has helped completely transform the Indianapolis Colts‘ franchise. Jonathan Taylor is back to being a top five running back and Lou Anarumo has the Colts’ defense allowing the NFL’s third-fewest points per game. Add it all up and the Colts look like surefire playoff contenders.

Aaron Rodgers has helped create a mini-spark for the Pittsburgh Steelers‘ offense, now we’re just waiting for a 25th-ranked rushing attack to come around. With a young offensive line, this group should continue to improve throughout the season, and we expect Mike Tomlin’s defense to continue rounding into form too. The 2025-26 NFL postseason party just received its first RSVPs. On Sunday, the Denver Broncos and Los Angeles Rams became the season's first teams to clinch playoff berths. Nothing else has been officially decided yet, though, save for the growing list of bottom-feeders who've been knocked out of postseason contention. While things will inevitably change again, it's always good to get a snapshot of where things stand, so we'll update the playoff picture on both sides of the bracket.

Then, we'll close with a fresh batch of postseason predictions. .css-1582m2i{margin:0;font:inherit;font-weight:700;}Division Leaders 2. New England Patriots (11-3, AFC East) The 2025 NFL regular season is entering its final weeks, and teams are beginning to secure playoff berths and even division titles. Ten teams have clinched playoff berths.

So far in the AFC it's the Denver Broncos, New England Patriots, Jacksonville Jaguars, Los Angeles Chargers and Buffalo Bills. In the NFC, the playoff teams are the Seattle Seahawks, Los Angeles Rams, San Francisco 49ers, Chicago Bears and Philadelphia Eagles. Only the Eagles have clinched their division, but more are expected to claim their respective division titles in Week 17. There are four more playoff spots up for grabs; two more teams from each conference will join the fray before we set our playoff field. The final two weeks of the season kick off with a tripleheader of games on Christmas. The outcomes will provide more clarity for the playoff picture.

The NFL playoffs will begin in three weeks, and while there are still four playoff spots up for grabs, here's an early look at some predictions and picks for who will win the AFC,... Week 16 delivered historic playoff drama across both conferences as ten teams clinched postseason berths. The Seahawks rallied from a 30-14 fourth quarter deficit to stun the Rams 38-37 in overtime on Thursday night and clinched a playoff berth while taking over the NFC’s No. 1 seed at 12-3. The Bears mounted a miraculous comeback to beat the Packers 22-16 in overtime on Saturday after recovering an onside kick and clinching a playoff berth at 11-4. The Broncos hold the AFC’s No.

1 seed at 12-3. The Patriots clinched at 12-3. The Jaguars clinched at 11-4 with their sixth straight victory. Five AFC teams and five NFC teams have clinched playoff berths. Updated: After Monday Night Football, Week 16 (December 23, 2025), 2025 season Fourteen teams make the postseason with seven from each conference.

The top seed gets a first round bye and home field advantage. The Broncos clinched a playoff berth and hold the AFC’s No. 1 seed at 12-3. The Patriots clinched at 12-3 and hold the No. 2 seed. The Jaguars clinched at 11-4 and hold the No.

3 seed. The Chargers and Bills both clinched at 11-4. The Seahawks clinched and hold the NFC’s No. 1 seed at 12-3. The Bears clinched at 11-4 and hold the No. 2 seed.

The Eagles clinched the NFC East at 10-5. The 49ers and Rams both clinched at 11-4. Ten teams have clinched playoff berths with one week remaining. Want to test different scenarios? Check out our Free Playoff Picture Simulator for Week 17 to see how each game impacts the playoff race. We're all about NFL, CFB, NBA, and MLB news, rumors and lists.

Sportsnaut.com prides itself on being #NautOpinionated. Five weeks of the NFL schedule are in the books, which means just over 27% of the season is done. Is that enough to make NFL playoff predictions? We don’t see why not. Several teams are not where they expected to be, such as the Baltimore Ravens, Indianapolis Colts, and Kansas City Chiefs. Which of that trio, plus others have shown enough to reach the postseason this year?

Below we predict the AFC and NFC playoff brackets for the 2025-26 season. While the defense is still coming around, the Buffalo Bills are back to having an elite offense, as expected. Yet, the pass defense has ranked as a top ten unit thus far, which makes us believe they’ll do just fine in the playoffs against most teams. Plus, Josh Allen and James Cook look unstoppable. Get exclusive sports stories delivered to your inbox. Sign up for our newsletter today.

What 14 teams are positioned to make the NFL playoffs in the 2025 regular season, from the eight division winners to six total wild cards? What would the seeding look like in the race for Super Bowl 60? Here are the answers in Sporting News' latest look at how the postseason field is coming together in both conferences going into the Sunday night and Monday night games of Week 16. 1. Denver Broncos, 12-3 (first place, AFC West) The Broncos, who have clinched a playoff berth, lead the Patriots by only a common-games tiebreaker for the top playoff seed after their tough Sunday home loss against the Jaguars, whom they lead by...

The Broncos still lead the Chargers by one game in the division title race. The 2025-26 NFL regular season kicks off in just three months. It’s always fun to take a shot at predicting which team will win the Super Bowl, and some of the top contenders seem apparent heading into the season. Four teams made it to the playoffs last season that didn’t make it the previous year. That total includes the Washington Commanders, who ended up making it to the NFC Championship Game after going 4-13 in 2023. Will the Philadelphia Eagles be the 10th back-to-back Super Bowl champions in NFL history?

Which team could shock the world this coming postseason? Without further ado, let’s reveal the picks. The Chiefs’ presence makes it tough for the Broncos to win the AFC West, but they improve their playoff seeding and get out of the Wild Card round. Houston wins the AFC South in a weak division, but questions still surround their offensive line. A Jim vs. John Harbaugh playoff game is the kind of storyline fans everywhere would love.

While the Chargers have plenty to look forward to in 2025, their roster isn’t as complete as Baltimore’s just yet. The Packers have clinched a playoff berth and the Lions are eliminated after losing to the Vikings on Christmas. That means 11 teams have punched their playoff tickets, and three spots remain. Here's how the NFL playoff picture looks after the Lions were eliminated in Week 17: 1. Broncos (12-3) If they win out, they're the No.

1 seed in the AFC. 2. Patriots (12-3) Would lose the common-games tiebreaker to the Broncos. 3. Jaguars (11-4) The clear favorites in the AFC South. 4.

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