Every week for the duration of the 2025 NFL regular season, USA TODAY Sports will provide timely updates to the league’s ever-evolving playoff picture − typically starting after Sunday afternoon’s late games and then moving forward for the remainder of the week (through Monday’s and Thursday’s games or Saturday’s, if applicable. 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 11 of the 2025 season nearly complete:
NFC playoff picture
1. Philadelphia Eagles (8-2), NFC East leaders: Something catastrophic (not uncommon in Philly) would have to occur for the defending champs not to be the first back-to-back winners of this division since they last did it … 21 years ago. After Sunday night’s win over Detroit, a Week 3 escape from the Rams currently confers the No. 1 seed to Philly. Remaining schedule: at Cowboys, vs. Bears, at Chargers, vs. Raiders, at Commanders, at Bills, vs. Commanders
2. Los Angeles Rams (8-2), NFC West leaders: They beat Seattle to notch their fifth straight win while taking over first place in the division. But the Rams effectively remain a game back of Philly in the conference standings. Remaining schedule: vs. Buccaneers, at Panthers, at Cardinals, vs. Lions, at Seahawks, at Falcons, vs. Cardinals
3. Chicago Bears (7-3), NFC North leaders: They’ve won seven of eight since an 0-2 start to stunningly take over first place in the division. And now it appears they’ll draw a weakened Pittsburgh team in Week 12. Remaining schedule: vs. Steelers, at Eagles, at Packers, vs. Browns, vs. Packers, at 49ers, vs. Lions
4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6-4), NFC South leaders: Their divisional lead is down to a half game over Carolina, but the Bucs’ schedule will soon get quite manageable. Remaining schedule: at Rams, vs. Cardinals, vs. Saints, vs. Falcons, at Panthers, at Dolphins, vs. Panthers
5. Seattle Seahawks (7-3), wild card No. 1: Tough loss to the Rams drops them out of first place in the NFC West. All three of the ‘Hawks’ losses are against NFC opponents. Remaining schedule: at Titans, vs. Vikings, at Falcons, vs. Colts, vs. Rams, at Panthers, at 49ers
6. Green Bay Packers (6-3-1), wild card No. 2: They got awfully banged up in Sunday’s victory over the Giants yet eventually advanced one rung in the NFC seedings. Remaining schedule: vs. Vikings, at Lions, vs. Bears, at Broncos, at Bears, vs. Ravens, at Vikings
7. San Francisco 49ers (7-4), wild card No. 3: Detroit’s latest setback moves a third NFC West team into the projected seven-team NFC playoff field. And maybe the Niners can start building some momentum with QB1 Brock Purdy back in the lineup. Remaining schedule: vs. Panthers, at Browns, BYE, vs. Titans, at Colts, vs. Bears, vs. Seahawks
8. Detroit Lions (6-4), in the hunt: The offense crashed back to earth Sunday night in Philly as Detroit crashed out of the playoff picture … for now. Had they won in Philly, the Lions would have been the No. 2 seed − illustrative of how tightly packed the conference currently is. Remaining schedule: vs. Giants, vs. Packers, vs. Cowboys, at Rams, vs. Steelers, at Vikings, at Bears
9. Carolina Panthers (6-5), in the hunt: In addition to closing in on the Bucs, they’re only a game back of the Niners (whom they play next) for the final wild-card spot in the NFC. Remaining schedule: at 49ers, vs. Rams, BYE, at Saints, vs. Buccaneers, vs. Seahawks, at Buccaneers
10. Dallas Cowboys (4-5-1), in the hunt: Monday’s mauling of the Raiders gave this team a needed lift, both emotionally and in the standings − Dallas moving back into the playoff periphery. Remaining schedule: vs. Eagles, vs. Chiefs, at Lions, vs. Vikings, vs. Chargers, at Commanders, at Giants
AFC playoff picture
1. Denver Broncos (9-2), AFC West leaders: Sunday’s win over Kansas City gave them a chokehold on the AFC West throne the Chiefs have sat upon since 2016. It also moved the Broncos past the Patriots for the conference’s top spot − Denver’s record in AFC games (6-2) currently a half-game better than New England’s. Remaining schedule: BYE, at Commanders, at Raiders, vs. Packers, vs. Jaguars, at Chiefs, vs. Chargers
2. New England Patriots (9-2), AFC East leaders: The first team in the league to reach nine wins Thursday night, they’re in prime position to win the division for the first time since Tom Brady led them to first place in 2019 and maybe their first No. 1 playoff seed since 2017. Remaining schedule: at Bengals, vs. Giants, BYE, vs. Bills, at Ravens, at Jets, vs. Dolphins
3. Indianapolis Colts (8-2), AFC South leaders: The schedule was Charmin soft before their bye, but you can’t control whom you play. But the second-half lineup seems much less forgiving. Remaining schedule: at Chiefs, vs. Texans, at Jaguars, at Seahawks, vs. 49ers, vs. Jaguars, at Texans
4. Pittsburgh Steelers (6-4), AFC North leaders: Only one game up on Baltimore for the division lead and now possibly facing life without QB Aaron Rodgers in the short term. Remaining schedule: at Bears, vs. Bills, at Ravens, vs. Dolphins, at Lions, at Browns, vs. Ravens
5. Buffalo Bills (7-3), wild card No. 1: QB Josh Allen’s big game Sunday moved Buffalo up one spot in the seeding but got the Bills no closer to the AFC East lead. Tough game in Houston looms Thursday night. Remaining schedule: at Texans, at Steelers, vs. Bengals, at Patriots, at Browns, vs. Eagles, vs. Jets
6. Los Angeles Chargers (7-4), wild card No. 2: The week off arrives right on time for a battered team that was bludgeoned in Duval County on Sunday. Remaining schedule: BYE, vs. Raiders, vs. Eagles, at Chiefs, at Cowboys, vs. Texans, at Broncos
7. Jacksonville Jaguars (6-4), wild card No. 3: They continue to collect potentially critical head-to-head tiebreakers, Sunday’s defeat of the Bolts added to the Jags’ wins over the Chiefs. Remaining schedule: at Cardinals, at Titans, vs. Colts, vs. Jets, at Broncos, vs. Colts, at Titans
8. Houston Texans (5-5), in the hunt: They’ve won three of four, including two in a row without injured QB C.J. Stroud. If they want to win the AFC South for a third straight year, the Texans probably need to sweep Colts while continuing their surge. Remaining schedule: vs. Bills, at Colts, at Chiefs, vs. Cardinals, vs. Raiders, at Chargers, vs. Colts
9. Kansas City Chiefs (5-5), in the hunt: Their nine-year run atop the AFC West appears practically over following Sunday’s loss at the gun in Denver. Still plenty of time to recover otherwise for a team that’s never missed the AFC championship game since Patrick Mahomes became the QB1 in 2018. Remaining schedule: vs. Colts, at Cowboys, vs. Texans, vs. Chargers, at Titans, vs. Broncos, at Raiders
10. Baltimore Ravens (5-5), in the hunt: They’ve won four in a row in their return to relevance. But their best hope to reach postseason is to win a third consecutive AFC North crown given they’ve already lost to K.C. and Houston. Their upcoming three-game homestand seems … sweepable? Remaining schedule: vs. Jets, vs. Bengals, vs. Steelers, at Bengals, vs. Patriots, at Packers, at Steelers
NFL teams eliminated from playoff contention in 2025
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