The Kansas City Chiefs keep losing, and the Chicago Bears keep winning. Those are two things that may come off as shocking to many NFL fans. Week 13 is over, and the last week of byes will take place during Week 14. So, how does the NFL playoff picture stack up in both the AFC and NFC with just over a month left in the regular season?
AFC standings
- New England Patriots, 11-2, AFC East
- Denver Broncos, 10-2. AFC West
- Jacksonville Jaguars, 8-4, AFC South
- Baltimore Ravens, 6-6, AFC North
- Los Angeles Chargers, 8-4, AFC West
- Indianapolis Colts, 8-4, AFC South
- Buffalo Bills, 8-4, AFC East
- Houston Texas, 7-5, AFC South
- Pittsburgh Steelers, 6-6, AFC North
- Kansas City Chiefs, 6-6, AFC West
- Miami Dolphins, 5-7, AFC East
- Cincinnati Bengals, 4-8, AFC North
- New York Jets, 3-9, AFC East
- Cleveland Browns, 3-9, AFC North
- Las Vegas Raiders, 2-10, AFC West
- Tennessee Titans, 1-11, AFC South
NFC standings
- Chicago Bears, 9-3, NFC North
- Los Angeles Rams, 9-3, NFC West
- Philadelphia Eagles 8-4, NFC East
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 7-5, NFC South
- Seattle Seahawks, 9-3, NFC West
- Green Bay Packers, 8-3-1, NFC North
- San Francisco 49ers, 9-4, NFC West
- Detroit Lions, 7-5, NFC North
- Dallas Cowboys, 6-5-1, NFC East
- Carolina Panthers, 7-6, NFC South
- Atlanta Falcons, 4-8, NFC South
- Minnesota Vikings, 4-8, NFC North
- Washington Commanders, 3-9, NFC East
- Arizona Cardinals, 3-9, NFC West
- New Orleans Saints, 2-10, NFC South
- New York Giants, 2-11, NFC East
AFC playoff teams
The New England Patriots' league-leading offseason spending spree has paid off, as they are atop the AFC. Some claim that the Patriots have had an easy schedule thus far, but that doesn't change the fact that they have won 10 straight games. Now, they get some much-needed rest during a Week 14 bye. The Patriots are pretty banged up right now.
The Denver Broncos could take advantage of the Patriots' bye week and leapfrog them with another win. The 10-2 Broncos have won nine straight games in their own right, including most recently an overtime thriller in which Nik Bonitto had the game-winning pass deflection. The Broncos' defense is elite due to their ability to sack the quarterback, and Bo Nix's offense always seems to turn it up late, which is why they keep winning these close games.
With Travis Hunter sidelined and Brian Thomas still struggling, the Jakobi Meyers trade is starting to really pay off for the Jacksonville Jaguars. The team's rushing attack has improved in recent weeks, and that has helped Jacksonville jump up from being a Wild Card team to a divisional leader after Week 13.
The Baltimore Ravens of the AFC North are the fourth divisional leaders in the conference. They seemed completely down and out earlier in the season when Lamar Jackson was sidelined. They've since rallied behind their leader, but their success isn't necessarily a direct result of Jackson's performance. Jackson hasn't thrown a touchdown in three straight weeks. His rushing isn't as effective as usual, either, and it is clear that he is playing some of the worst football of his career. Jackson might still be dealing with lingering injury effects. If he can get back to being his normal self, the Ravens could be scary. If not, then they are vulnerable.
The Los Angeles Chargers, Indianapolis Colts, and Buffalo Bills are currently the three Wild Card teams. Justin Herbert just had surgery to fix a break in his non-throwing hand, and it is unclear if he will miss any time. The Chargers have been surviving injuries all season long, but missed time from their quarterback would be tough to overcome.
The Colts aren't looking as dominant as they were earlier in the season, and now their prized trade deadline acquisition, Sauce Gardner, will miss time with a calf injury. Even so, the Colts are still the number one scoring offense in the NFL. The Bills have had some dominant wins and some inexcusable losses this season. The streaky team will seemingly go as far as Josh Allen takes them.
AFC teams in the hunt
The Houston Texans have arguably the best defense in the NFL, and that has been on display in recent weeks as the team has inched closer and closer to a playoff spot. The Pittsburgh Steelers, meanwhile, are trending the other way. They've lost three of their last four games, and their 42-year-old quarterback, Aaron Rodgers, is playing hurt.
The Chiefs are still in the running, too. Their situation has been desperate for weeks, and fans have regularly assumed they will figure things out, but that hasn't happened yet. Now the team led by Patrick Mahomes will not only likely need to win out, but they will need a little help to get in the playoffs.
The Miami Dolphins and Cincinnati Bengals would have a long way to go to make the playoffs, but there is still ever so slight hope for those two teams. The Bengals, in particular, could make another late-season run, as they did last year. The team plays at a whole different level with Joe Burrow under center, and the quarterback just returned from injury. The AFC North is still wide open.
The New York Jets and Cleveland Browns aren't mathematically eliminated yet, but there is next to no chance that they will make the playoffs. The Las Vegas Raiders and Tennessee Titans have already been knocked out, so they will be vying for the number one pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.
NFC playoff teams
Caleb Williams was touted as one of the best draft prospects in recent memory and someone who could get the Bears into contention status right away when he was coming out of USC. Expectations were tempered after a somewhat underwhelming rookie year, but now, Williams is living up to his pre-draft billing. The Bears are the one seed, but improved defense and a solid running game have led to their success as well.
The Los Angeles Rams have an elite receiver duo in Puka Nacua and Davante Adams, and Matthew Stafford is currently the odds-on favorite to win MVP. They lost in Week 13, but they are still clearly one of the best teams in the NFL. The Philadelphia Eagles spent the better part of the last two seasons being unbeatable in the regular and postseason. They've now lost two games in a row, though. The defending champions need to quickly right the ship if they want to repeat as champions.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers seemingly did just that when they ended a three-game skid with a win over the Arizona Cardinals. The Buccaneers are finally getting healthier, which is allowing them to reestablish themselves as Super Bowl contenders.
The Seattle Seahawks, Green Bay Packers, and San Francisco 49ers are currently slated to make the Wild Card. The Seahawks rank third in both points for and points against in the entire NFL. The 49ers are still overcoming a surplus of injuries. Fred Warner and Nick Bosa, for example, are out for the year. This team is resilient, and Christian McCaffrey is having a historic season when it comes to both running and catching the football. McCaffrey has a league-leading 1,655 scrimmage yards, and he became the third player ever with 800-plus receiving yards and 800-plus rushing yards through 13 games.
NFC teams in the hunt
The Detroit Lions' Week 13 loss to the Packers was a tough pill to swallow. The team's offense is elite, but these divisional losses may cost them a playoff spot. Speaking of great offenses, the Dallas Cowboys are surging late thanks to their high-scoring potential. The team's passing attack was on display in their Thanksgiving win over the Chiefs.
Bryce Young has now won more games through 13 weeks than he did in his first two seasons combined with the Carolina Panthers. The NFC South is wide open, and the Panthers could make a surprising playoff push. In all likelihood, there isn't much the Atlanta Falcons, Minnesota Vikings, or Washington Commanders can do to make the playoffs. All three teams were down to their backup quarterbacks in Week 13. The Arizona Cardinals, New Orleans Saints, and New York Giants are already statistically eliminated from playoff contention.
