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Nfl Playoff Picture And Scenarios For 2026

Bonisiwe Shabane
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nfl playoff picture and scenarios for 2026

We're only three games into Week 17, but we've already seen some significant developments that impact the NFL playoff picture. While Thursday's opener between the Dallas Cowboys and Washington Commanders was largely meaningless, the day's two other contests were playoff-relevant. The Detroit Lions were officially eliminated from playoff contention with their loss against the rival Minnesota Vikings. The Denver Broncos defeated the Kansas City Chiefs in the nightcap to maintain a grip on the AFC's No. 1 seed. Here's a look at where every playoff hopeful stands, what could transpire over the weekend, and some predictions for the 2025-26 postseason bracket.

.css-1582m2i{margin:0;font:inherit;font-weight:700;}Division Leaders The 2025-26 NFL playoffs begin on January 10, 2026. Three Wild card games will be played in each conference. Wild card games are scheduled on Jan 10-12. Divisional games will be played on Jan 17-18. Winners will be advanced to play the Conference Championship game on Jan 25.

The Super Bowl LX is scheduled for Feb 8, 2026. NBC Network will be showing the NFL’s biggest event at 6:30 PM ET at Levi’s Stadium, Santa Clara, CA. We have the top 7 teams of 16 from the AFC Conference and the top 7 teams of 16 from the NFC Conference, who clinched the NFL postseason games. Here are the latest playoff scenarios listed below if the season ends today. No. 1 seed has a byeNo.

2 seed hosts No. 7 seedNo. 3 seed hosts No. 6 seedNo. 4 seed hosts No. 5 seed

The No. 1 seed hosts the lowest remaining seed.The second-highest remaining seed hosts the second-lowest remaining seed. Divisional round winners (higher seed hosts) The top 14 of the NFL’s 32 teams will qualify for the 2026 NFL playoffs, with seven teams advancing from each conference (AFC and NFC). Under the current playoff format, which has not changed, the No. 1 seed in each conference earns a first-round bye and home-field advantage.

The remaining 12 teams compete in the Wild Card round, with seeds 2 through 7 determined by overall win–loss–tie records. In the Wild Card matchups, the second seed hosts the seventh seed, the third seed hosts the sixth seed, and the fourth seed hosts the fifth seed. 2026 AFC playoff picture if the season ended today after Week 16 2026 NFC playoff picture if the season ended today after Week 16 Date: February 8, 2026, at Levi’s Stadium, Santa Clara, California. CBS, Fox, NBC, ESPN, and Amazon Prime Video will be televising the playoffs, and NBC for Super Bowl LX.

The NFL Playoffs are back in 2026 with a full lineup of exciting matchups. Fans across the country are getting ready for the biggest weeks in football. This year’s playoff format sticks to the 14-team setup. Seven teams from each conference will compete for a spot in Super Bowl LX. This guide gives you everything you need to know. You’ll find key playoff dates, the full schedule by round, the current playoff bracket, and how the format works.

We also cover projected matchups and which teams are expected to stand out this year. Stay updated with the latest playoff picture as the road to Santa Clara begins. The NFL regular season ends on Sunday, January 4, 2026. Right after that, the playoff race begins. Here are the important dates: Each round is packed with action and sets the stage for the next.

The road to the Super Bowl moves fast. Fans and teams must stay ready. December still says regular season, but the standings already smell like January, and NFL Playoff Predictions 2026 starts with that truth. Denver owns the conference lead at 12 and 2, and the entire AFC keeps circling one question: who forces the Broncos to play a full four quarters in the cold. A bartender flips RedZone on mute and you can still hear the groans. Fans count wins on their fingers, then count tie breakers like they are reading legal fine print.

That is the part nobody admits out loud: once two teams share a record, the conversation turns to head to head, division record, then conference record, then common games, then strength of victory. Seattle and the Rams drag the NFC West into a three team puzzle, because San Francisco refuses to go away. Tampa Bay and Carolina share the same 7 and 7 mark in the NFC South, which turns every Sunday into a referendum. So yes, the calendar reads mid December. The math reads Wild Card Weekend. Denver leads the AFC West and already locked up a playoff berth, while New England controls the AFC East at 11 and 3 and Jacksonville owns the AFC South at 10 and 4.

Pittsburgh leads the AFC North at 8 and 6, which tells you how chaotic that division has been. Updated: December 24, 2025 at 11:55 am EST The 2025-26 NFL regular season kicked off on Thursday, September 4, 2025. The regular season will conclude after all Week 18 games are played on January 4, 2026. The 2026 NFL playoffs are scheduled to begin January 10 with Super Wildcard Weekend. The 2026 Super Bowl will be played Sunday, February 8, 2026.

The image above – which will be updated after each game of the 2025-26 regular season – displays the NFL playoff bracket after Week 16. You’ll find much more NFL playoff information on this page, including playoff schedule, teams who clinched a playoff berth / have been eliminated from playoff contention, playoff clinching scenarios, and remaining schedules. You can jump to a specific section using the links below: NFL Playoff Picture | NFL Playoff Dates & Schedule | Clinched Playoffs | Clinching Scenarios | Remaining Schedules | Eliminated | NFL Playoff FAQs The top seven teams from the AFC will make the playoffs. The 2025-26 AFC playoff picture looks a lot different than last year!

The Broncos hold the #1 seed, but lost their full-game lead over the Patriots after losing to the Jaguars in Week 16. Denver is still #1 thanks to owning the tiebreaker. 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. x Team has clinched a playoff berth. y Team has clinched their division title. e Team has been eliminated from playoff contention. k Team has been knocked out of division title contention. NFC Teams knocked out of 1 seed contention: NYG, ARI, WAS, NO, ATL, MIN, DAL, CAR, DET, GB, TB AFC Teams knocked out of 1 seed contention: TEN, LV, CLE, NYJ, CIN, MIA, KC,...

PHI has clinched the NFC East division title. GB cannot clinch a playoff berth this week. DAL has been knocked out of NFC East title contention. DAL has been eliminated from playoff contention. 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.

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We're only three games into Week 17, but we've already seen some significant developments that impact the NFL playoff picture. While Thursday's opener between the Dallas Cowboys and Washington Commanders was largely meaningless, the day's two other contests were playoff-relevant. The Detroit Lions were officially eliminated from playoff contention with their loss against the rival Minnesota Viking...

.css-1582m2i{margin:0;font:inherit;font-weight:700;}Division Leaders The 2025-26 NFL Playoffs Begin On January 10,

.css-1582m2i{margin:0;font:inherit;font-weight:700;}Division Leaders The 2025-26 NFL playoffs begin on January 10, 2026. Three Wild card games will be played in each conference. Wild card games are scheduled on Jan 10-12. Divisional games will be played on Jan 17-18. Winners will be advanced to play the Conference Championship game on Jan 25.

The Super Bowl LX Is Scheduled For Feb 8, 2026.

The Super Bowl LX is scheduled for Feb 8, 2026. NBC Network will be showing the NFL’s biggest event at 6:30 PM ET at Levi’s Stadium, Santa Clara, CA. We have the top 7 teams of 16 from the AFC Conference and the top 7 teams of 16 from the NFC Conference, who clinched the NFL postseason games. Here are the latest playoff scenarios listed below if the season ends today. No. 1 seed has a byeNo.

2 Seed Hosts No. 7 SeedNo. 3 Seed Hosts No.

2 seed hosts No. 7 seedNo. 3 seed hosts No. 6 seedNo. 4 seed hosts No. 5 seed

The No. 1 Seed Hosts The Lowest Remaining Seed.The Second-highest

The No. 1 seed hosts the lowest remaining seed.The second-highest remaining seed hosts the second-lowest remaining seed. Divisional round winners (higher seed hosts) The top 14 of the NFL’s 32 teams will qualify for the 2026 NFL playoffs, with seven teams advancing from each conference (AFC and NFC). Under the current playoff format, which has not changed, the No. 1 seed in each conference earns a...