Nfl Playoff Picture 2026 Standings Scenarios Seeds Week 16

Bonisiwe Shabane

-Dec 28, 2025, 1:09 PM

nfl playoff picture 2026 standings scenarios seeds week 16

We have the 2025-26 NFL Playoff picture, current standings, and projected seeds for you. Week 16 delivered massive drama: Eagles repeat as NFC East champs and eliminate Cowboys; Bears rally in OT to lead NFC North; Jaguars stun Broncos; Chargers secure key win; Panthers upset Bucs to take... Monday: 49ers crush Colts 48-27 behind Purdy’s 5 TD passes, improving to 11-4 and keeping NFC top-seed hopes alive. Below is the updated playoff picture as of December 22, 2025 (post-Monday Night Football). Check the official NFL Playoff Picture for real-time updates. Download our free printable 2026 NFL playoff bracket and the NFL Christmas Schedule to track your predictions.

Last updated: December 22, 2025 (after MNF). Stay tuned for Santa Updates. Week 16 delivered drama. You can check out the latest playoff seeds and positioning if the playoffs were set today below. The Broncos (12-3) clinched the AFC West but dropped a game, keeping the top-seed race tight with the Patriots (12-3). Jaguars lead the South; Steelers hold the North edge.

Colts’ loss drops their playoff odds dramatically. Parity has run wild in the NFL in 2025 and while any team in playoff contention can conceivably win the Super Bowl, the postseason picture and who will land where in the standings is... Such is the case after Week 16, where the Seattle Seahawks took over the top seed in the NFC and the Jacksonville Jaguars, and Carolina Panthers put the rest of the league on notice... What is the current playoff picture, who has the inside track to the remaining spots, and who is the odds-on favorite to win the Super Bowl in February? .css-1582m2i{margin:0;font:inherit;font-weight:700;}Division Leaders 1.

x-Denver Broncos (12-3, AFC West; +900) Ahead of Sunday’s Week 16 games, the playoff picture is starting to take shape. Fourteen of the league’s 32 teams have been eliminated. The Denver Broncos, Los Angeles Rams, Seattle Seahawks and Philadelphia Eagles have clinched postseason berths, and a host of other teams — the New England Patriots, Buffalo Bills, Jacksonville Jaguars, Los Angeles Chargers, Chicago... That still leaves a lot of uncertainty about which remaining teams will make the playoffs and what seeds they would land if they do. With the help of our NFL playoff simulator, we created tables that show every possible scenario for each of the 18 teams we could see in the playoffs.

Consider them a starting point for exploration. Each cell in each table links directly to our simulator, which will let you explore any outcome, no matter how heartbreaking or implausible. The Patriots sit atop the AFC East, well-poised to end the Bills’ five-year run as division champions. Their best-case scenario remains the No. 1 seed and the bye week that comes with it. That’s a real possibility if they win all of their remaining games, but they would still need the Broncos to lose two of their last three.

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. Every week for the duration of the 2025 regular season, USA TODAY Sports will provide timely updates to the NFL's ever-evolving playoff picture − typically starting Sunday afternoon and then moving forward for the... And, when the holidays roll around, we'll be watching then, too).

What just happened? What does it mean? What are the pertinent factors (and, perhaps, tiebreakers) prominently in play as each conference's seven-team bracket begins to crystallize? All will be explained and analyzed up to the point when the postseason field is finalized on Sunday, Jan. 4. Here's where things stand with Week 16 underway:

x − 1. Denver Broncos (12-2), AFC West leaders: The first team in the league to 12 wins and first AFC squad to clinch a playoff berth, New England's loss Sunday also boosted the Broncos' odds of... 1 seed. They can claim it in Week 16 if enough things break their way. Remaining schedule: vs. Jaguars, at Chiefs, vs.

Chargers 2. New England Patriots (11-3), AFC East leaders: Their 10-game heater snapped, they failed to clinch the division Sunday and lost valuable ground in their bid for the No. 1 seed. But the Pats are still in driver's seat to win AFC East and can wrap up a playoff spot with a win at Baltimore. Remaining schedule: at Ravens, at Jets, vs.

Dolphins. In a dramatic late-season stretch, the 2025-26 NFL playoff picture underwent a major reshuffle after Week 15. denver secured the AFC West crown and its path to the No. 1 seed, while los Angeles clinched the NFC West but fell behind Seattle on tiebreakers following an overtime loss to the Rams’ rival. Kansas City saw its playoff streak end, opening the door for a tightly contested finish as wild-card races grab center stage. With three weeks left, every matchup matters for seeding, division titles, and postseason positioning.

From coast to coast,teams are racing to lock in home-field advantage and avoid the dreaded “play-in” scenarios. The latest results also intensify the chatter about potential breakouts in Week 16 and beyond. For real-time updates,readers can consult the official playoff picture page from the NFL and cross-check with league-wide projections as the schedule unfolds. The Broncos continued their dominant run, improving to 12-2 and clinching the AFC West. Their record puts them squarely in the driver’s seat for the top seed and home-field advantage throughout the conference playoffs. In the East, the Patriots hold a pleasant lead at 11-3, but a loss could still alter the destiny of the conference’s seeding table.

Across the rest of the conference, the South remains a three-team fight among the Jaguars, Texans, and Colts, each with a legitimate shot at a division title or a wild-card berth. The Chargers and Bills occupy the wild-card spots, while the Ravens hover on the cusp of clinching with some help. The Week 16 slate features key showdowns that could reshape the tally: a potential No.1 seed decision between the Broncos and a high-pedigree foe, a win-and-in scenario for Patriots at baltimore, and a divisional-momentum... Two teams punched their tickets to the postseason in Week 15, with the Denver Broncos and Los Angeles Rams becoming the first teams to secure playoff spots. Nine more teams can join them in Week 16. Let's take a closer look at clinching scenarios around the NFL ahead of this weekend's games.

The Broncos have already clinched a playoff spot. They can also clinch the AFC West when they take on the Jaguars if the following things happen: The Broncos can also clinch the AFC's No. 1 seed if the following happens: The Patriots can clinch a playoff berth when they take on the Ravens on Sunday if the following happens: Denver Broncos (12-2) vs.

Nfl Playoff Picture 2026 Standings Scenarios Seeds Week 16

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