NFL Playoff Picture 2024-25: Standings, Bracket Scenarios After Ravens vs. Texans
The AFC playoff picture gained some clarity on Christmas Day after the Kansas City Chiefs beat the host Pittsburgh Steelers 29-10 and the visiting Baltimore Ravens took down the Houston Texans 31-2.
Week 17 is a busy one for the NFL, with games on Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday. By the time this stretch is over, we'll have a far greater picture of how the postseason brackets will shake out.
For now, here's a look at the brackets as they stand after the Christmas Day games, the latest standings and a quick discussion on AFC and NFC playoff scenarios.
AFC Standings
1 of 2
AFC Playoff Bracket
1. Kansas City Chiefs (bye)
7. Denver Broncos at 2. Buffalo Bills
6. Los Angeles Chargers at 3. Baltimore Ravens
5. Pittsburgh Steelers at 4. Houston Texans
AFC Playoff Standings
Division Leaders
1. Kansas City Chiefs (15-1; clinched AFC West and No. 1 seed)
2. Buffalo Bills (12-3; clinched AFC East)
3. Baltimore Ravens (11-5; lead AFC North, clinched playoff berth)
4. Houston Texans (9-7; clinched AFC South)
Wild Card Race
5. Pittsburgh Steelers (10-6, clinched playoff berth)
6. Los Angeles Chargers (9-6)
7. Denver Broncos (9-6)
8. Indianapolis Colts (7-8)
9. Miami Dolphins (7-8)
10. Cincinnati Bengals (7-8)
Eliminated
11. New York Jets (4-11)
12. Cleveland Browns (3-12)
13. Jacksonville Jaguars (3-12)
14. Tennessee Titans (3-12)
15. Las Vegas Raiders (3-12)
16. New England Patriots (3-12)
For the fourth time since 2018, the Chiefs have clinched the AFC's No. 1 seed. So the AFC's road to the Super Bowl will go through Arrowhead Stadium, and the Chiefs can rest players on Sunday, Jan. 5 at the Denver Broncos for a two-week bye of sorts before hosting a to-be-determined team in the AFC Divisional Round.
This is certainly a welcome sight for Denver, who will certainly be favored to beat Chiefs backups at home. A win gets Denver into the playoffs, although the Broncos can also solidify their spot on Saturday with a victory at the Cincinnati Bengals.
Cincinnati is one of three 7-8 teams still alive for the playoffs alongside the Indianapolis Colts and Miami Dolphins. However, all three will be knocked out if the Los Angeles Chargers and Broncos win one of their final two games.
That'll be easier said than done, because the Bolts close the year at a pair of 3-12 teams in the New England Patriots and Las Vegas Raiders. The Broncos have a tough matchup against the aforementioned Bengals, but they'll be heavily favored in the Chiefs game.
Speaking of teams that will likely take Week 18 off, the Bills just need a win at the New York Jets on Sunday to lock up the No. 2 seed. If so, they'll likely take the week off at the Patriots the following Sunday. Baltimore can steal the No. 2 seed with a home win over the Browns and two Bills losses, although chances are Buffalo gets it done.
Baltimore is in the driver's seat for the AFC North and should likely get it done against the 3-12 Browns, losers of four straight and six of their last seven. Cleveland did beat Baltimore at home 29-24 earlier this year, but that was with Jameis Winston at quarterback. The Browns have since turned to Dorian Thompson-Robinson
In the AFC South, Houston is getting the No. 4 seed no matter what now.
NFC Standings
2 of 2
NFC Playoff Bracket
1. Detroit Lions (bye)
7. Washington Commanders at 2. Philadelphia Eagles
6. Green Bay Packers at 3. Atlanta Falcons
5. Minnesota Vikings at 4. Los Angeles Rams
NFC Playoff Standings
1. Detroit Lions (13-2; lead NFC North; clinched playoff berth)
2. Philadelphia Eagles (12-3; lead NFC East; clinched playoff berth)
3. Los Angeles Rams (9-6; lead NFC West)
4. Atlanta Falcons (8-7; lead NFC South)
Wild Card Race
5. Minnesota Vikings (13-2, clinched playoff berth)
6. Green Bay Packers (11-4, clinched playoff berth)
7. Washington Commanders (10-5)
8. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (8-7)
9. Seattle Seahawks (8-7)
Eliminated
10. Dallas Cowboys (7-8)
11. Arizona Cardinals (7-8)
12. San Francisco 49ers (6-9)
13. New Orleans Saints (5-10)
14. Chicago Bears (4-11)
15. Carolina Panthers (4-11)
16. New York Giants (2-13)
The Detroit Lions and Minnesota Vikings both control their own destiny for the NFC North title and the No. 1 seed. Minnesota hosts the 11-4 Green Bay Packers on Sunday, and Detroit plays at the San Francisco 49ers on Monday.
Wins by both teams set up a huge matchup on Sunday, January 5 with the Lions hosting the Vikings for the No. 1 seed. Detroit beat host Minnesota earlier this season, 31-29.
Philadelphia had a chance to steal the NFC's No. 1 seed, but those chances have fallen by the wayside after a 36-33 loss to the Washington Commanders. At 12-3, they can still get there but need home wins against the 7-8 Dallas Cowboys and 2-13 New York Giants (very doable) but need Detroit to lose out and Minnesota to fall to Green Bay for that to happen.
The Eagles can still lose the NFC East but would need to lose out and have the Commanders win out for that to happen.
In the South, the 8-7 Atlanta Falcons control their own destiny by virtue of the head-to-head tiebreaker over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Atlanta finishes the year at the 10-5 Washington Commanders and home versus the 4-11 Carolina Panthers.
It's not an easy stretch, especially with the Panthers looking frisky of late and most recently spoiling the Cardinals' season with a 30-27 overtime win last Sunday. But rookie Michael Penix Jr. breathed new life into the Falcons in his first pro start last Sunday in a 34-7 win over the New York Giants.
Tampa Bay, meanwhile, needs to win one more game than the Falcons down the stretch to take the division. The Bucs no longer control their fate after a 24-22 road loss to the Dallas Cowboys. They do finish the season at home against the Panthers and the 5-10 New Orleans Saints, so the table is set for a 2-0 finish. Tampa Bay needs Atlanta to slip up once, though.
In the West, the Rams are in the driver's seat at 9-6. They'll clinch the NFC West with a win at home against the 7-8 Arizona Cardinals on Sunday and a Seattle Seahawks' road loss to the Chicago Bears on Thursday. The Bears may be home, but they've also lost nine straight, so Seattle is favored there. L.A. hosts Seattle on Sunday, Jan. 5 for a potential unofficial NFC West championship showdown.
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