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 South. 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.
As the dust settles on Sunday’s Week 14 action, 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.
NFL Week 14 grades: Chiefs get ‘C-‘ for ugly loss to Texans, Josh Allen carries Bills to ‘B-,’ Rams earn ‘A+’
John Breech
Complete playoff picture
This is the NFL playoff picture as it stands, with the following teams tabbed for postseason spots:
AFC standingsDenver Broncos (11-2)New England Patriots (11-2)Jacksonville Jaguars (9-4)Pittsburgh Steelers (7-6)Buffalo Bills (9-4)Los Angeles Chargers (8-4)Houston Texans (8-5)
1. Denver Broncos (11-2)
Remaining schedule: vs. Packers, vs. Jaguars, at Chiefs, vs. Chargers
After winning their 10th straight game, the Broncos are back atop the AFC as the No. 1 seed. They currently get the edge over New England thanks to a superior conference record (7-2 vs. 6-2). While the conversation is currently about whether or not the Broncos can secure the No. 1 seed, it shouldn’t be overlooked that they have a solid cushion in the AFC West and are primed to win it for the first time since 2015.
2. New England Patriots (11-2)
Remaining schedule: vs. Bills, at Ravens, at Jets, vs. Dolphins
The Patriots were on the bye in Week 14 and have a massive contest against the Buffalo Bills at Gillette Stadium next Sunday. While that game won’t flip the standings in the AFC East in the event that New England loses, a win could effectively lock it up for Mike Vrabel’s club. Beyond fending off Buffalo, a win next week would also keep pace with Denver for the No. 1 seed.
3. Jacksonville Jaguars (9-4)
Remaining schedule: vs. Jets, at Broncos, at Colts, vs. Titans
The Jaguars created some wiggle room for themselves in the AFC South with a win over the Colts on Sunday. That’s the fourth straight win for Jacksonville, which is now set to host the Jets in Week 15. With Daniel Jones now out for the year with an Achilles injury, the division is a two-team race between them and the Houston Texans.
4. Pittsburgh Steelers (7-6)
Remaining schedule: vs. Dolphins, at Lions, at Browns, vs. Ravens
Pittsburgh is back in first place in the AFC North after defeating the Ravens; however, there is still a lot to be determined in this division. The Steelers and Ravens are still only separated by a game and have one more head-to-head matchup in Week 18. Before then, Pittsburgh has some tricky games ahead of it. The Dolphins have been spunky in recent weeks, and then they will have to go on the road in Week 16 and Week 17 against the Lions and Browns.
5. Buffalo Bills (9-4)
Remaining schedule: at Patriots, at Browns, vs. Eagles, vs. Jets
It cannot be overstated how important Buffalo’s comeback win over the Bengals was. After erasing the double-digit, fourth-quarter deficit, the Bills improved to 9-4, which keeps them within range of the Patriots in the AFC East, leading up to their showdown in Foxborough next Sunday. The victory also has them with a solid hold on the top wild card spot.
6. Los Angeles Chargers (8-4)
Remaining schedule: vs. Eagles, at Chiefs, at Cowboys, vs. Texans, at Broncos
Los Angeles still has its Week 14 matchup with Philadelphia on Monday night, but comes out of Sunday holding the No. 6 seed in the AFC. That said, they’ll need to win on Monday or else fall out of the playoff picture due to a head-to-head tiebreaker working against them with the Colts, thanks to a loss in Week 7.
7. Houston Texans (8-5)
Remaining schedule: vs. Cardinals, vs. Raiders, at Chargers, vs. Colts
After starting the year 0-3, the Texans have clawed back into the playoff picture as the No. 7 seed thanks to an impressive win over the Chiefs. Houston is just a game behind the Jaguars for first place in the AFC South, so there is room for this climb to go even higher.
In the hunt
The Colts (8-5) are mathematically still in the hunt, but after losing Daniel Jones for the season due to a torn Achilles, it’s hard to envision them finishing well enough to get into the playoffs. The clock may have struck midnight for the Chiefs (6-7) after falling to the Texans on Sunday night. They continue to be out of the playoff picture, are now under .500 again, and are on the wrong side of a number of key tiebreakers. The team that may have the best chance of this group to make the postseason is the Ravens (6-7). Even after losing to the Steelers, they still have a lane to leapfrog them for first place in the AFC North and still have one more matchup against them in Pittsburgh in Week 18. Surprisingly, the Dolphins (6-7) are still lurking on the outskirts after winning four straight games, but a lot needs to go right. On top of likely needing to win out, Miami would need some wild card contenders to collapse, as they currently lose head-to-head tiebreakers to the Colts, Chargers and Ravens.
NFC standingsLos Angeles Rams (10-3)Green Bay Packers (9-3-1)Philadelphia Eagles (8-4)Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-6)Seattle Seahawks (10-3)San Francisco 49ers (9-4)Chicago Bears (9-4)
1. Los Angeles Rams (10-3)
Remaining schedule: vs. Lions, at Seahawks, at Falcons, vs. Cardinals
The Rams bounced back nicely after their upset loss to the Panthers in Week 13 by blowing out the Cardinals, 45-17. Matthew Stafford looked more like his MVP self as well, throwing for three touchdowns. That win helped push them atop the NFC as the No. 1 seed, but they’ll need to finish strong to hold onto this spot. Specifically, these next two weeks against Detroit and then at Seattle will give us further clarity on where L.A. will ultimately end up.
2. Green Bay Packers (9-3-1)
Remaining schedule: at Broncos, at Bears, vs. Ravens, at Vikings
Green Bay is back atop the NFC North after taking down the Chicago Bears at home. The Packers offense came through in the clutch, particularly some hard running by Josh Jacobs late. While the Packers may have recaptured the top spot in the division, things are still very much up in the air in the NFC North, especially if they fall to the Broncos in Denver next week before taking on the Bears again in Week 16.
3. Philadelphia Eagles (8-4)
Remaining schedule: at Chargers, vs. Raiders, at Commanders, at Bills, vs. Commanders
Philadelphia still has its Week 14 matchup to play on Monday night against the Chargers, but it stands on solid footing at the moment. The Cowboys losing to the Lions on Thursday and dropping to 6-6-1 took a lot of wind out of their sails in their pursuit to catch the Eagles in the NFC East. If Philly pulls off the win on Monday, that creates even more breathing room.
4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-6)
Remaining schedule: vs. Falcons, at Panthers, at Dolphins, vs. Panthers
The Bucs were on the wrong end of arguably the biggest upset of Week 14, losing at home to the New Orleans Saints. While they are still atop the NFC South at the moment, Tampa Bay is now knotted with the Carolina Panthers — who were on the bye in Week 14 — for first place. The Bucs have the momentary edge, but they’ve yet to play any of their two matchups against Carolina, so this division is very much still up for grabs.
5. Seattle Seahawks (10-3)
Remaining schedule: vs. Colts, vs. Rams, at Panthers, at 49ers
Seattle is in a pretty comfortable position coming out of Week 14. The Seahaws are just one of two teams in the entire conference with double-digit wins. However, the problem is that the only other team with 10 wins is the Los Angeles Rams, who beat them out at the moment due to the head-to-head tiebreaker. That said, they still have one more game against L.A. in Seattle, and have a healthy position as a wild card entry if they cannot unseat them for the NFC West crown. They also catch a break in Week 15, facing an Indianapolis Colts team that just lost Daniel Jones (Achilles) for the year.
6. San Francisco 49ers (9-4)
Remaining schedule: vs. Titans, at Colts, vs. Bears, vs. Seahawks
The Niners were on the bye in Week 14, so they’ll be well-rested for the final four games. Out of the gate, it’s pretty favorable for San Francisco, hosting a 2-11 Tennessee Titans team before visiting the Colts, who will be without Jones. That creates a strong path to securing a wild card spot, but there is room for this team to go even higher if the pieces fall into place. The 49ers split the head-to-head series with the Rams and currently have a better division record, so they’d leapfrog them if they find themselves with the same record. Meanwhile, the club also owns the head-to-head tiebreaker over Seattle thanks to a Week 1 win before they square off in the regular-season finale. So, there is a path for the 49ers to win the NFC West and possibly end up as the No. 1 seed.
7. Chicago Bears (9-4)
Remaining schedule: vs. Browns, vs. Packers, at 49ers, vs. Lions
What a difference a week can make, right? Chicago entered Week 14 as the No. 1 seed in the conference and is now clinging to the No. 7 seed after falling to the Packers at Lambeau Field. While that is quite the fall from grace, all isn’t lost. If Chicago takes care of business next week against the Browns and gets some help from the Broncos, who host the Packers, we could be looking at another massive NFC North duel between the Bears and Green Bay in Week 16. If they aren’t careful, however, they do run the risk of falling even further, especially with the Lions looming.
In the hunt
The Lions (8-5) pulled off a key victory over the Cowboys on Thursday, which slots them in as the No. 8 seed. They have a high-octane offense that could help propel them back into the playoff picture, but they have a tall task next week, visiting the Rams. Carolina (7-6) may have the best chance at making the playoffs, despite being the No. 9 seed after Week 14. They are tied with the Bucs for first place in the division and still have both matchups on the horizon. The Cowboys (6-6-1) may have been handed a critical hit with their loss to Detroit. They now likely need to win out and get a lot of help to squeak in either via the NFC East or as a wild card team.