Nfl Playoff Picture Updated Afc Nfc Playoff Seedings After Week 15

Bonisiwe Shabane

-Dec 25, 2025, 8:15 PM

nfl playoff picture updated afc nfc playoff seedings after week 15

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 Week 16: POWER RANKINGS: Rams edge Broncos for No. 1; Bills & 49ers rise as Packers fade for Week 16 1.

Denver Broncos 12-2 (first place, AFC West) The Broncos lead the Patriots for No. 1 by a full game and conference-record tiebreaker (7-2 vs. 6-3) after winning a tough interconference game over the Packers at home on Sunday. They also still lead the division by two games over the Chargers, whom they play again at home in Week 18. The Broncos and Rams became the first two teams to clinch playoff berths on Sunday, and they have the inside track to the No.

1 seeds in the AFC and NFC. Here’s how the NFL playoff picture looks after Monday Night Football in Week 15: 1. Broncos (12-2) If they win out, they’re the No. 1 seed in the AFC. 2.

Patriots (11-3) Their lead in the AFC East still looks safe, but they’ll have a tough time catching the Broncos for the No. 1 seed. 3. Jaguars (10-4) The clear favorites in the AFC South. 4. Steelers (8-6) Have a one-game lead over the Ravens in the two-team race for the AFC North.

There are now just three weeks left in the 2025 NFL regular season, with this past Week 15 action seeing a large percentage of the league eliminated from playoff contention. The battles for postseason positioning and a shot at competing for the Super Bowl are coming down to the wire, with a few teams having a chance to clinch this weekend. Let’s dive into the NFL playoff picture after Week 15, examining where things stand for AFC and NFC clubs entering Week 16. We’ve sorted our list by the seeding in each conference right now, starting with the AFC. The Denver Broncos have already clinched a playoff spot, guaranteeing that they will make the playoffs for the second consecutive season with head coach Sean Payton and quarterback Bo Nix. Entering Week 16, Denver has an opportunity to clinch its first AFC West crown since 2015.

If the Broncos beat the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday and the Los Angeles Chargers lose or tie against the Dallas Cowboys, Denver wins the division and earns a home playoff game. If on the off chance the Chargers, New England Patriots and Buffalo Bills all lose, then Denver clinches the AFC’s No. 1 seed and a first-round bye. Related: NFL Week 16 Power Rankings, Evaluating all 32 Teams after Week 15 The New England Patriots had the AFC East crown in hand on Sunday in the first half and then blew a 21-point lead over the Buffalo Bills. It means a season-split in the series, but New England is still a game up on Buffalo right now.

Heading into a Week 16 matchup on Sunday Night Football against the Baltimore Ravens, the Patriots can clinch a playoff berth with a win or an Indianapolis Colts loss to the San Francisco 49ers... Entering Week 15, no team in the NFL had clinched a playoff spot. However, that changed on Sunday. The Broncos and Rams secured playoff berths following their respective victories, keeping them in the driver's seat for the No. 1 seed in each conference as well. The Patriots could've joined them, but they'll have to wait at least another week to possibly secure a playoff berth.

Here's the latest look at the NFL's playoff picture as Week 15 develops. In the hunt: Indianapolis Colts (8-6), Baltimore Ravens (7-7) || Sound Smart: 6 Observations From Week 15 When we look back at the 2025 regular season, we may be pointing to Week 14 as the pivotal moment that sculpted the playoff picture. Coming into the weekend, the slate had the promise of being an inflection point with multiple divisional matchups on deck between clubs in the thick of the playoff race. That included Steelers-Ravens duking it out for first place in the AFC North, along with Bears-Packers squaring off at Lambeau Field in an NFC North duel, and Colts-Jaguars jockeying for position atop the AFC...

And those games did not disappoint. Pittsburgh and Green Bay both pulled off wins to jump back into first place in their respective division. Meanwhile, Jacksonville held its spot atop the AFC South after taking down Indy, but the headline from that contest was Daniel Jones leaving the game due to an Achilles injury. That further shakes up the playoff picture in the AFC. With Week 14 complete, let's take a look at this latest snapshot and see who would be in and out of the playoffs. On top of the standings, we'll also run through the entire playoff picture, including the remaining schedules for each primary contender.

This is the NFL playoff picture as it stands, with the following teams tabbed for postseason spots: Several high-stakes games with playoff implications headlined Sunday's slate, with divisional leads and playoff seeding at stake. Which teams landed where in the updated NFL playoff picture and what awaits those hanging onto their postseason hopes by a thread? Find out with this look at the current bracket. .css-1582m2i{margin:0;font:inherit;font-weight:700;}Division Leaders 1.

x-Los Angeles Rams (11-3, NFC West; +320 .css-wrcrjw{margin:0;font-size:1.6rem;-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;font-family:Proxima Nova,Proxima Nova Fallback Helvetica,Proxima Nova Fallback Arial;font-weight:700;font-style:normal;letter-spacing:0rem;line-height:1.92rem;color:var(--br--palette-foreground__link__secondary__default-mainChannel);font-size:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;white-space:normal;}.css-3nqh9c{-webkit-text-decoration:underline;text-decoration:underline;text-decoration-color:rgba(var(--br--palette-primary-mainChannel) / 0.4);margin:0;font-size:1.6rem;-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;font-family:Proxima Nova,Proxima Nova Fallback Helvetica,Proxima Nova Fallback Arial;font-weight:700;font-style:normal;letter-spacing:0rem;line-height:1.92rem;color:var(--br--palette-foreground__link__secondary__default-mainChannel);font-size:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;white-space:normal;}.css-3nqh9c:hover{text-decoration-color:inherit;}.css-lu48cp{margin:0;font:inherit;color:var(--br--palette-primary-main);-webkit-text-decoration:underline;text-decoration:underline;text-decoration-color:rgba(var(--br--palette-primary-mainChannel) / 0.4);margin:0;font-size:1.6rem;-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;font-family:Proxima Nova,Proxima Nova Fallback Helvetica,Proxima Nova Fallback Arial;font-weight:700;font-style:normal;letter-spacing:0rem;line-height:1.92rem;color:var(--br--palette-foreground__link__secondary__default-mainChannel);font-size:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;white-space:normal;}.css-lu48cp:hover{text-decoration-color:inherit;}odds to... The NFL playoff picture is heating up in both the AFC and NFC standings. Ahead of Sunday’s Week 16 matchups, four teams had clinched playoff spots. The Denver Broncos and New England Patriots are the two AFC franchises to punch their ticket to the postseason. As for the NFC, the Seattle Seahawks, Philadelphia Eagles and Los Angeles Rams have all already clinched playoff berths. The San Francisco 49ers clinched a postseason berth as well amid the Week 16 results, becoming the fifth franchise to secure a postseason spot.

As a reminder, each division winner is guaranteed a top-four seed and homefield for the team’s first-round matchup, even if their opponent has a better record. For example, this means that the NFC West teams who do not win the division will likely be playing on the road despite potentially holding better records than their opponents. The No. 1 seed in each conference will get a first-round bye and are guaranteed homefield advantage throughout the NFL playoffs. Let’s take a look at the current NFL playoff standings for the NFC and AFC. Teams in bold have already clinched a playoff berth, while franchises in italics would make the postseason if it started today.

🏈 5 AFC playoff spots available • 2 NFC playoff spots available 14 teams make the NFL playoffs each season – 7 from the AFC and 7 from the NFC. Each conference’s playoff bracket includes four division winners (seeded 1-4) and three wild card teams (seeded 5-7). The top seed in each conference earns a first-round bye. Playoff seeding is determined by win-loss record, with tiebreakers applied when necessary. The four division winners are seeded 1-4 based on their records, regardless of wild card team records.

Seeds 5-7 go to the three non-division winners with the best records. Tiebreakers include head-to-head results, division record, common games, conference record, and strength of victory. “In The Hunt” refers to the seven teams in each conference that currently hold playoff positions. If the regular season ended today, these teams would qualify for the postseason. However, with games remaining, these positions can change weekly based on game results and tiebreakers. “On The Bubble” describes teams currently outside the playoff picture but still mathematically alive for a postseason berth.

These teams (typically seeds 8-16) need to win games and have other results fall their way to climb into a playoff spot before the regular season ends. 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 Sunday, Jan. 4. Here's where things stand with Week 17 underway: x − 1. Seattle Seahawks (12-3), NFC West leaders: Splitting their season series with the Rams in Week 16's classic means they'll wind up with the No. 1 seed if they win their final two games.

Remaining schedule: at Panthers, at 49ers y − 2. Chicago Bears (11-4), NFC North champions: Green Bay's loss Saturday night was doubly sweet, wrapping up the division title for Da Bears, who are still in play for the No. 1 seed, too. Remaining schedule: at 49ers, vs. Lions

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