Boy oh boy, have the 2025 NFL playoffs been interesting. Let’s take a minute to reflect on the last month, shall we?
The postseason began as follows: The Seahawks were in charge of the No. 1 seed in the NFC, despite failing to make the playoffs since 2022. And in the AFC, the Broncos had that honor thanks to second-year QB Bo Nix, who last season helped the team snag its first postseason berth in almost ten years. Even crazier, missing from the field were the Patrick Mahomes-led Chiefs, who crashed and burned this season despite three consecutive Super Bowl appearances, as well as Lamar Jackson and Baltimore, who lost their longtime head coach after a disappointing season.
Now, we are all the way to the post-conference championship stage. On Sunday, the Patriots eliminated the No. 1-seeded Broncos, who turned to backup QB Jarrett Stidham in the wake of Bo Nix’s tragic ankle injury, and the Seahawks nixed the Rams in a legendary performance from long-doubted Sam Darnold. Both teams clinched their respective conference titles, which means both teams—one with a second-year QB and first-year head coach, and the other with a semi-journeyman signal-caller—have punched their ticket to the Super Bowl.
So, as we head into what is hopefully a thrilling championship game, let’s take a look back at both the road that led us here and the path ahead, including the original playoff seeding, the scores of every previous layoff matchup, and the info you need to know to enjoy the season finale at Levi’s Stadium on Feb. 8.
2025 NFL final playoff picture
Here’s a look at how the seeding shook out for each conference, plus the final regular-season records for each team:
AFC Playoff Picture:Broncos (14–3)Patriots (14–3)Jaguars (13–4)Steelers (10–7)Texans (12–5)Bills (12–5)Chargers (11–6)NFC Playoff Picture:Seahawks (14–3)Bears (11–6)Eagles (11–6)Panthers (8–9)Rams (12–5)49ers (12–5)Packers (9-7-1)Final 2025 NFL playoff bracket
After a thrilling postseason (remember how fun wild card weekend was?), the No. 1-seeded Seahawks and the No. 2-seeded Patriots are heading to Super Bowl LX. For New England, this will be the team’s first Super Bowl appearance since the 2018 season, when they defeated the Rams 13–3. And for Seattle, this will be the first Super Bowl appearance since the 2014 campaign, when the group lost to—you guessed it—the Patriots, 24–28.
For a better visual of how each round shook out, take a peek below:
The Seahawks and Patriots are heading to the Super Bowl after clinching both the NFC and AFC titles, respectively. | Sports Illustrated
2025 NFL playoffs: Full scheduleWild-card roundSaturday, Jan 10No. 5 Rams 34, No. 4 Panthers 31 | Story: Rams Hold Off Panthers’ Comeback Bid in Dramatic Opener to NFL PostseasonNo. 2 Bears 31, No. 7 Packers 27 | Story: Bears Take Down Packers Despite Not One Bounce Going Their WaySunday, Jan. 11Monday, Jan 12No. 5 Texans 30, No. 4 Steelers 6 | Story: Texans Defense Dominates Aaron Rodgers, Steelers in Blowout Wild-Card WinDivisional RoundSaturday, Jan. 17No. 1 Broncos 33, No. 6 Bills 30 OT | Story: Bo Nix Out for Season With Shock Injury After Leading Broncos to AFC Title GameNo. 1 Seahawks 41, No. 6 49ers 6 | Story: Kenneth Walker III Joins Seahawks Legend With Historic Three-Touchdown GameSunday, Jan. 18No. 5 Texans 16, No. 2 Patriots 28 | Story: C.J. Stroud Had Sad Quote After Throwing Four Interceptions in Loss vs. PatriotsNo. 5 Rams 20, No. 2 Bears 17 OT | Story: Bears Have a Bright Future Despite Crushing Loss to Rams Conference ChampionshipsSunday, Jan 25AFC championship game: No. 2 Patriots 10, No. 1 Broncos 7 | Story: Sean Payton Passed Up Three Points That Could’ve Swung an AFC Championship GameNFC championship game: No. 5 Rams 27, No. 1 Seahawks 31 | Story: How the Seahawks Embraced the ‘Dark Side’ and Became Super Bowl FavoritesSuper BowlSunday, Feb. 8Super Bowl LX: No. 1 Seahawks vs. No. 2 Patriots—6:30 p.m. ET, NBC, Levi’s StadiumMore NFL on Sports Illustrated