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 15 complete:
NFC playoff picture
x − 1. Los Angeles Rams (11-3), NFC West leaders: They became the first team to clinch a playoff spot, barely evading the Lions on Sunday. LA has the inside track for home-field advantage and a first-round bye, largely because the Rams’ Week 11 defeat of Seattle currently remains pivotal. But the rematch comes Thursday night. Remaining schedule: at Seahawks, at Falcons, vs. Cardinals
2. Chicago Bears (10-4), NFC North leaders: How tightly packed is the NFC? One narrow Week 14 loss dropped the Bears from first place in the conference to seventh. Sunday’s win, in conjunction with Green Bay’s loss, put Da Bears back up to second overall. Remaining schedule: vs. Packers, at 49ers, vs. Lions
3. Philadelphia Eagles (9-5), NFC East leaders: Get-right win vs. Raiders gives them some needed breathing room. Win Saturday at Washington, and the division title remains in Philly another year. Remaining schedule: at Commanders, at Bills, vs. Commanders
4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-7), NFC South leaders: Hopefully coach Todd Bowles’ charges care (expletive) enough this week. A fifth loss in their past six games dropped them to .500 on Thursday night, but Carolina’s loss Sunday put the Bucs back in first place. The Bucs’ one-game advantage in the common-games tiebreaker is currently the difference with the Panthers. Beat Carolina twice, and the Bucs will still win the NFC South. Remaining schedule: at Panthers, at Dolphins, vs. Panthers
5. Seattle Seahawks (11-3), wild card No. 1: They barely escaped Colts QB Philip Rivers’ return to the NFL after five years but notched a two-point win. All three of the ‘Hawks’ losses are against NFC opponents, including two in the division − defeats that don’t serve them well in tiebreaker scenarios. But splitting their season series with the Rams on Thursday would actually vault Seattle to top of NFC heap. Remaining schedule: vs. Rams, at Panthers, at 49ers
6. San Francisco 49ers (10-4), wild card No. 2: They’re just behind the Rams and Seahawks for the NFC West lead, yet only a half-game out of the seventh seed. Remaining schedule: at Colts, vs. Bears, vs. Seahawks
7. Green Bay Packers (9-4-1), wild card No. 3: DE Micah Parsons got hurt Sunday, and so did the Pack’s positioning − down from the No. 2 seed to seventh due to their loss at Denver. Remaining schedule: at Bears, vs. Ravens, at Vikings
8. Detroit Lions (8-6), in the hunt: Tough loss to the Rams drops them 1½ games behind the projected playoff field. Yet Detroit remains within striking range of a wild-card berth and maybe the NFC North crown. Remaining schedule: vs. Steelers, at Vikings, at Bears
9. Carolina Panthers (7-7), in the hunt: Had they beaten the Saints on Sunday, they simply would have needed one win over Tampa Bay to win the NFC South. But the Panthers came up light in New Orleans. Carolina and the Buccaneers will decide this on the field with two meetings between Weeks 16 and 18. Remaining schedule: vs. Buccaneers, vs. Seahawks, at Buccaneers
10. Dallas Cowboys (6-7-1), in the hunt: Sunday night’s crushing loss to the Vikings all but eliminated them − Dallas needing to win all its games and hoping the Eagles lose all theirs if ‘America’s Team’ is to win NFC East. Remaining schedule: vs. Chargers, at Commanders, at Giants
AFC playoff picture
x − 1. Denver Broncos (12-2), AFC West leaders: Quite a Sunday, the first team in the league to 12 wins and first AFC squad to clinch a playoff berth. New England’s loss also boosts the Broncos’ odds of winding up with the No. 1 seed. 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. Remaining schedule: at Ravens, at Jets, vs. Dolphins.
3. Jacksonville Jaguars (10-4), AFC South leaders: Win keeps them ahead of surging Houston. Remaining schedule: at Broncos, vs. Colts, at Titans
4. Pittsburgh Steelers (8-6), AFC North leaders: They throttled Miami on Monday night, eliminating the Dolphins from postseason contention. No matter what else happens, sweep the Ravens, and Pittsburgh secures the division. Remaining schedule: at Lions, at Browns, vs. Ravens
5. Los Angeles Chargers (10-4), wild card No. 1: They completed a season sweep of the Chiefs on Sunday, officially eliminating the three-time-defending AFC champions from playoff consideration. The Bolts have now won six of seven. A one-win advantage in AFC games (8-2) keeps them ahead of Buffalo. Remaining schedule: at Chiefs, at Cowboys, vs. Texans, at Broncos
6. Buffalo Bills (10-4), wild card No. 1: Still alive to win their sixth straight AFC East crown following Sunday’s win at Foxborough. Remaining schedule: at Browns, vs. Eagles, vs. Jets
7. Houston Texans (9-5), wild card No. 3: They’ve won seven of eight, including six in a row. Remaining schedule: vs. Raiders, at Chargers, vs. Colts
8. Indianapolis Colts (8-6), in the hunt: Now in the hands of 44-year-old Rivers, they face a steep climb back to relevance − their 7-1 start already starting to seem like ancient history. Rivers gave a valiant effort Sunday in his first NFL action in nearly five years but came up just short. And the Colts’ schedule doesn’t let up the rest of the way. Remaining schedule: vs. 49ers, vs. Jaguars, at Texans
9. Baltimore Ravens (7-7), in the hunt: Sunday’s shutout at Cincinnati could be key in race for AFC North. Remaining schedule: vs. Patriots, at Packers, at Steelers
NFL playoff-clinching scenarios for Week 16 (incomplete)
New England clinches playoff berth with:
Win
Philadelphia clinches NFC East title with:
Win or
Dallas loss
NFL teams eliminated from playoff contention in 2025
x – clinched playoff berth
y – clinched division
z – clinched home-field advantage, first-round bye