Week 16 is one of the highest-leverage weeks of the 2025 NFL season, and there have already been results with huge playoff implications.
Leading up to Sunday’s action, there was plenty of jockeying, particularly in the NFC. The Seahawks beat the Rams to move atop the division and the NFC on Thursday night, and Saturday’s action saw the Philadelphia Eagles clinch the NFC East with a win over the Commanders, while the Chicago Bears pulled off a comeback for the ages and took control of the NFC North with an overtime victory over the Green Bay Packers.
That was quite the appetizer for the full Sunday slate, which has had its fair share of drama as well. In the early window, the Carolina Panthers notched a key win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to move into first place in the NFC South. Meanwhile, in the AFC, the Buffalo Bills escaped with a win in Cleveland to keep their hopes of winning the AFC East alive. As we migrated to the later afternoon slate, the playoff picture continued to get turned on its head. The Jacksonville Jaguars took down the Denver Broncos to keep the door to the No. 1 seed ajar as the Steelers held on against the Lions, dwindling Detroit’s chances of sneaking in.
And there’s still more to go as Monday’s matchup between the San Francisco 49ers and Indianapolis Colts have plenty of playoff implications. As we continue to monitor the latest movements in the playoff standings, here is an up-to-date look at where things stand heading into “Monday Night Football.”
AFC standings
- x-Denver Broncos (12-3)
- x-New England Patriots (12-3)
- Jacksonville Jaguars (11-4)
- Pittsburgh Steelers (9-6)
- Los Angeles Chargers (11-4)
- Buffalo Bills (11-4)
- Houston Texans (10-5)
x-clinched playoff berth
1. Denver Broncos (12-3)
Remaining schedule: at Chiefs, vs. Chargers
Denver’s 11-game winning streak was snapped in Week 16 as the Jaguars rolled into Mile High and pulled off a convincing 34-20 win. While the Broncos are still the No. 1 seed in the conference and in first place in the AFC West, the door is now open slightly for them to fall from that perch if they aren’t careful over these next two weeks.
2. New England Patriots (12-3)
Remaining schedule: at Jets, vs. Dolphins
The Patriots secured their spot in the playoffs after rallying for an 11-point deficit against the Ravens to move to 12-3 on the season. The victory not only clinched their spot in the postseason, but it continued to keep the Bills at arms length for first place in the AFC East. New England loses the tiebreaker to Denver for the No. 1 seed at the moment due to a subpar win percentage in common games.
3. Jacksonville Jaguars (10-4)
Remaining schedule: at Colts, vs. Titans
The Jaguars made a statement in Week 16 that they are a serious player in the AFC playoff race after beating the Broncos on the road. That extends Jacksonville’s winning streak to six games, as the Jaguars seem to be peaking at the right time. The Jags will clinch a playoff berth if the Colts lose to the 49ers on Monday night.
4. Pittsburgh Steelers (9-6)
Remaining schedule: at Browns, vs. Ravens
The Steelers have won three straight and continue to give themselves breathing room in the AFC North playoff race, especially after taking down the Lions. On top of that, the Ravens fell to the Patriots, which means the only way Baltimore can leapfrog them is if they win out and Pittsburgh loses out.
5. Los Angeles Chargers (11-4)
Remaining schedule: vs. Texans, at Broncos
The Chargers have now won four straight games after taking down the Cowboys in Dallas on Sunday. Currently, they are the top wild card in the AFC, but have some stiff competition behind them. That includes the Houston Texans, who they’ll see next week at SoFi Stadium. The Chargers will clinch a playoff berth if the Colts lost to the 49ers on Monday night.
6. Buffalo Bills (11-4)
Remaining schedule: vs. Eagles, vs. Jets
It was a bit closer than they may have liked, but the Bills came away with a win in Cleveland to push them to 11-4 on the season. That keeps them on the heels of the Patriots in the AFC East race and firmly in wild card position. Week 16 was the final time Buffalo will be on the road during the 2025 regular season, as they’ll wrap up the year at Highmark Stadium. Meanwhile, if the Colts lose or tie on Monday night, Buffalo will have clinched a playoff berth.
7. Houston Texans (10-5)
Remaining schedule: at Chargers, vs. Colts
After starting the year 0-3, the Texans have won seven straight games to put themselves in a comfortable position inside the playoff picture. Houston extended that winning streak with a victory over the Raiders at home that was much closer than anticipated, but they are knocking on the door of clinching.
In the hunt
The Colts (8-6) are mathematically still in the hunt, but have a difficult road forward as they take on the San Francisco 49ers on Monday night.
The Ravens (7-8) saw a massive dent get put into their playoff hopes with their loss to the Patriots in Week 16. Baltimore’s only path to the playoffs is via the AFC North, which they can win if Pittsburgh loses out and they win out.
NFC standings
- x-Seattle Seahawks (12-3)
- x-Chicago Bears (11-4)
- z-Philadelphia Eagles (10-5)
- Carolina Panthers (8-7)
- x-Los Angeles Rams (11-4)
- x-San Francisco 49ers (10-4)
- Green Bay Packers (9-5-1)
x-clinched playoff berth; z-clinched division
1. Seattle Seahawks (12-3)
Remaining schedule: at Panthers, at 49ers
Seattle pulled off an incredible, come-from-behind win over the Rams on “Thursday Night Football,” elevating itself to the No. 1 seed in the conference in the process. If the Seahawks win out against the Panthers and Niners, they will clinch the top spot in the NFC and a bye in the first round of the playoffs.
2. Chicago Bears (11-4)
Remaining schedule: at 49ers, vs. Lions
The Bears are coming off a stunning comeback win over the Packers in Week 16, and they remain in the hunt for the NFC’s No. 1 seed. Thanks to the Pittsburgh Steelers taking down the Detroit Lions on Sunday, Chicago has officially clinched a playoff berth, but the division is still yet to be clinched.
3. Philadelphia Eagles (10-5)
Remaining schedule: at Bills, vs. Commanders
Philadelphia punched its playoff ticket on Saturday night with a commanding victory over the Washington Commanders. The defending Super Bowl champions become the first team to win back-to-back NFC East crowns since 2004.
The Eagles’ win also eliminated the Cowboys from playoff contention, marking the second straight season they’ll miss the postseason.
4. Carolina Panthers (8-7)
Remaining schedule: vs. Seahawks, at Buccaneers
Carolina has jumped up to the No. 4 seed after leaping over the Buccaneers for the NFC South lead thanks to a head-to-head victory in Week 16. While this does vault the Panthers atop the division for the moment, there’s still plenty that can happen between now and the end of the regular season, especially with another matchup on deck for Week 18 in Tampa.
5. Los Angeles Rams (11-4)
Remaining schedule: at Falcons, vs. Cardinals
The Rams are still a playoff lock thanks to their win in Week 15, but their chances of winning the NFC West and claiming the No. 1 seed in the conference were dramatically reduced by their loss to the Seahawks on Thursday night. They need Seattle to lose at least one more game, but also can’t have the 49ers win out. Otherwise, San Francisco would be the top seed in the conference by virtue of having the best division record among the three teams.
6. San Francisco 49ers (10-4)
Remaining schedule: at Colts, vs. Bears, vs. Seahawks
The Niners are quietly lurking in the NFC playoff race, and just clinched a playoff berth after the Lions fell to the Steelers. Despite being the No. 6 seed, San Francisco is 10-4 and ready to pounce if its division rivals slip up down the stretch. The team split the head-to-head series with the Rams, but does currently have the advantage over Seattle, which the 49ers face again in Week 18.
Following L.A.’s loss to Seattle on Thursday night, the Niners control their own destiny in the race for the No. 1 seed in the conference. If they win out, they get the top spot.
7. Green Bay Packers (9-5-1)
Remaining schedule: vs. Ravens, at Vikings
Green Bay saw a considerable fall from grace entering Week 16. After coming into Week 15 as the No. 2 seed and leading the NFC North, the Packers dropped all the way to the No. 7 seed following a loss to the Denver Broncos. That defeat allowed Chicago to jump ahead of Green Bay for first place in the division.
Things got even worse Saturday night. Not only did Green Bay give up a double-digit lead in the final two minutes — eventually falling in overtime to the Bears — but it also lost Jordan Love to a concussion.
Luckily for the Packers, they hold the tiebreaker over the Lions, their primary competition for a playoff spot, after sweeping Detroit earlier this season. Still, with games remaining against the Ravens and Vikings, it’s far from a foregone conclusion that Green Bay will reach the postseason.
In the hunt
The Lions (8-7) have their backs against the wall after falling to the Steelers in Week 16. They already had an uphill climb coming into this slate, particularly as they are on the wrong end of the head-to-head tiebreaker against the Packers. To reach the postseason, the Lions need to win out and hope the Packers lose out.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-8) have fallen out of first place in the NFC South after falling to the Panthers on Sunday. The only path for Baker Mayfield and Co. to make the playoffs at this point is to win the division, so there is zero margin for error over these final two weeks. They’ll need to take care of business next week in Miami against the Dolphins before hosting the Panthers in what could be a win-and-in scenario in Week 18.
