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 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 13 underway:
AFC playoff picture
1. New England Patriots (10-2), AFC East leaders: Sunday’s narrow defeat of the Bengals gave the Pats the league’s best record, moving them past Denver and into the conference’s top spot. Good chance they hold onto it when they hit their off week. Remaining schedule: vs. Giants, BYE, vs. Bills, at Ravens, at Jets, vs. Dolphins
2. Denver Broncos (9-2), AFC West leaders: Being idle during Week 12 cost them first place in the conference, but you can bet the break was welcome − especially for a team that will need to be close to fully charged for a brutal four-game stretch at the end of its regular season. Remaining schedule: at Commanders, at Raiders, vs. Packers, vs. Jaguars, at Chiefs, vs. Chargers
3. Indianapolis Colts (8-3), AFC South leaders: They’ve dropped two of their past three to fall off the conference pace … and are now only one game ahead of Jacksonville and two better than Houston in the division. The next two intra-divisional matchups should be crucial. Remaining schedule: vs. Texans, at Jaguars, at Seahawks, vs. 49ers, vs. Jaguars, at Texans
4. Baltimore Ravens (6-5), AFC North leaders: They sleepwalked past the Jets on Sunday … but past Pittsburgh and into first place by virtue of a better record in divisional games − and the Ravens will play in three more over the next three weeks, starting Thanksgiving night against Cincinnati. Remaining schedule: vs. Bengals, vs. Steelers, at Bengals, vs. Patriots, at Packers, at Steelers
5. Los Angeles Chargers (7-4), wild card No. 1: They needed last week off … and Buffalo’s loss granted the battered Bolts improved positioning. Remaining schedule: vs. Raiders, vs. Eagles, at Chiefs, at Cowboys, vs. Texans, at Broncos
6. Jacksonville Jaguars (7-4), wild card No. 2: Wins over the Chiefs and Chargers could serve them well when it’s time to sort out tiebreakers. Despite beating the Bolts in Week 11, the Jags check in behind them because LA’s 6-2 record in AFC games gives it precedence in the current three-way wild-card tiebreaker. Remaining schedule: at Titans, vs. Colts, vs. Jets, at Broncos, vs. Colts, at Titans
7. Buffalo Bills (7-4), wild card No. 3: QB Josh Allen took a beating − as did the Bills’ hopes of catching the Patriots in the AFC East race in last week’s loss to Houston. Now 4-3 in conference games, Buffalo sits behind the Chargers and Jags in the wild-card seeding. Remaining schedule: at Steelers, vs. Bengals, at Patriots, at Browns, vs. Eagles, vs. Jets
8. Pittsburgh Steelers (6-5), in the hunt: Sunday’s loss at Chicago dropped them from first place in the AFC North all the way out of the field. A Bengals ambush of Baltimore on Thanksgiving would definitely help. Remaining schedule: vs. Bills, at Ravens, vs. Dolphins, at Lions, at Browns, vs. Ravens
9. Houston Texans (6-5), in the hunt: They’ve won four of five, including three in a row without injured QB C.J. Stroud. If they want to win the AFC South for a third straight year, the Texans likely need to sweep the Colts while continuing their surge … but the pieces are falling into place for a late charge to the top. Remaining schedule: at Colts, at Chiefs, vs. Cardinals, vs. Raiders, at Chargers, vs. Colts
10. Kansas City Chiefs (6-5), in the hunt: Their nine-year run atop the AFC West appears practically over. Still plenty of time to recover otherwise − and maybe that began last Sunday vs. Indy − for a team that’s never missed the AFC championship game since Patrick Mahomes became the QB1 in 2018. Still, Thursday’s Thanksgiving throwdown at Dallas looms as important … if not quite must-win. Remaining schedule: at Cowboys, vs. Texans, vs. Chargers, at Titans, vs. Broncos, at Raiders
NFC playoff picture
1. Los Angeles Rams (9-2), NFC West leaders: While Philly owns the head-to-head tiebreaker, it doesn’t matter now that the Rams have the better record in the aftermath of the Eagles’ demise in Week 12. Still, LA has scant breathing room between itself and the Seahawks plus 49ers in the division. Remaining schedule: at Panthers, at Cardinals, vs. Lions, at Seahawks, at Falcons, vs. Cardinals
2. Philadelphia Eagles (8-3), NFC East leaders: Last Sunday’s collapse likely won’t cost them the division. But it did drop them behind the Rams and served as another worrisome potential harbinger for the defending champs. Remaining schedule: vs. Bears, at Chargers, vs. Raiders, at Commanders, at Bills, vs. Commanders
3. Chicago Bears (8-3), NFC North leaders: They’ve won eight of nine since an 0-2 start to stunningly take over first place in the division. An inferior record (5-2) in NFC games keeps Chicago behind the Eagles. But the winner of their Black Friday matchup will assume sole possession of second place in the conference. Remaining schedule: at Eagles, at Packers, vs. Browns, vs. Packers, at 49ers, vs. Lions
4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6-5), NFC South leaders: Their divisional lead over Carolina was (barely) restored Monday night, but it might not be worth much if injured QB Baker Mayfield is severely limited on the field. Remaining schedule: vs. Cardinals, vs. Saints, vs. Falcons, at Panthers, at Dolphins, vs. Panthers
5. Seattle Seahawks (8-3), wild card No. 1: All three of the ‘Hawks’ losses are against NFC opponents, including two in the division − defeats that won’t serve them well in the tiebreaker department. Remaining schedule: vs. Vikings, at Falcons, vs. Colts, vs. Rams, at Panthers, at 49ers
6. Green Bay Packers (8-3-1), wild card No. 2: They merely maintained their standing (for now) with their Thanksgiving win at Detroit, but a loss would have dropped them from the field entirely. A thin margin for the Pack to be sure … yet they’ll springboard into first place in the NFC North on Friday if the Bears lose at Philly. Remaining schedule: vs. Bears, at Broncos, at Bears, vs. Ravens, at Vikings
7. San Francisco 49ers (8-4), wild card No. 3: Not a pretty win Monday night, but the Niners will take it as they solidify their hold on the conference’s final playoff spot. Remaining schedule: at Browns, BYE, vs. Titans, at Colts, vs. Bears, vs. Seahawks
8. Detroit Lions (7-5), in the hunt: Getting swept by the Packers further entrenches Detroit, which could have moved into a wild-card slot with a Turkey Day win, on the outside of the field. Remaining schedule: vs. Cowboys, at Rams, vs. Steelers, at Vikings, at Bears
9. Carolina Panthers (6-6), in the hunt: The Panthers (still) only have one win against a team (Green Bay) currently above .500 after losing in Silicon Valley on Monday night. But Carolina has beaten the .500 Cowboys, who they’re otherwise virtually tied with. Remaining schedule: vs. Rams, BYE, at Saints, vs. Buccaneers, vs. Seahawks, at Buccaneers
10. Dallas Cowboys (5-5-1), in the hunt: Two wins in a row continues to fuel fresh postseason hope in Big D. But beating K.C for three in a row would only move Dallas past Carolina − and perhaps just temporarily. Remaining schedule: vs. Chiefs, at Lions, vs. Vikings, vs. Chargers, at Commanders, at Giants