NFL Playoff Picture 2024-25: Standings, Bracket Scenarios After Ravens, Bengals Wins
The AFC playoff picture received a little more clarity Saturday after the Baltimore Ravens crushed the Cleveland Browns 35-10 before the Cincinnati Bengals snuck by the Pittsburgh Steelers 19-17.
Baltimore clinched the AFC North title and the conference's No. 3 seed after its win. The Bengals remain alive for the playoffs but need the Miami Dolphins and Denver Broncos to lose Sunday to sneak in. Pittsburgh is in the playoffs but will head there as either the No. 5 or No. 6 seed on the heels of a four-game losing streak.
Now attention turns to Sunday, which features a 13-game slate with plenty left at stake. And with that, here's a look at the latest bracket, standings and some division-by-division scenarios.
AFC Standings
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Current AFC Playoff Bracket
1. Kansas City Chiefs (15-1): Bye to the Divisional Round
2. Buffalo Bills (13-3) vs. 7. Denver Broncos (9-7)
3. Baltimore Ravens (12-5) vs. 6. Pittsburgh Steelers (10-7)
4. Houston Texans (9-7) vs. 5. Los Angeles Chargers (10-6)
Current AFC Standings
1. Kansas City Chiefs: 15-1, clinched AFC West title and AFC's No. 1 seed
2. Buffalo Bills: 13-3, clinched AFC East title and AFC's No. 2 seed
3. Baltimore Ravens: 12-5, clinched AFC North title and AFC's No. 3 seed
4. Houston Texans: 9-7, clinched AFC South title and AFC's No. 4 seed
5. Los Angeles Chargers: 10-6, clinched playoff berth
6. Pittsburgh Steelers: 10-7, clinched playoff berth
7. Denver Broncos: 9-7
Still Alive
8. Cincinnati Bengals: 9-8
9. Miami Dolphins: 8-8
Eliminated
10. Indianapolis Colts: 7-9
11. New York Jets: 4-12
12. Las Vegas Raiders: 4-12
13. Jacksonville Jaguars: 4-12
14. Tennessee Titans: 3-13
15. New England Patriots: 3-13
16. Cleveland Browns: 3-14
AFC East
The Buffalo Bills will assuredly rest their starters Sunday at the New England Patriots (1 p.m. ET) with the AFC East title and No. 2 seed in hand.
The biggest question is who the Bills will play in the Wild Card round. It could be the Miami Dolphins, who visit the New York Jets (4:25 p.m.) to end the season.
Miami needs a win and a Denver Broncos loss to the Kansas City Chiefs (4:25 p.m.) in order to do that. The Dolphins are fortunate to play the struggling 4-12 Jets, but the Broncos will host a Chiefs team with no incentive to play their starters after locking in the No. 1 seed.
AFC North
The Baltimore Ravens roll into the playoffs as the No. 3 seed after winning their final four games by a combined 92 points.
They await the eventual No. 6 seed, which will be the Los Angeles Chargers or the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Right now, Pittsburgh is in the No. 6 seed after losing to the Bengals on Saturday. However, they'll bump back up to No. 5 if the Chargers fall to the host Las Vegas Raiders (4:25 p.m.). Both teams would be 10-7, but Pittsburgh earned the head-to-head tiebreaker after beating L.A. 20-10 earlier this season.
Meanwhile, the Bengals have to play a nervy waiting game. They need Miami to lose to the Jets and Denver to fall to Kansas City. That's a lot easier said than done, given the Jets' 4-12 record and the Chiefs' lack of incentive to play their starters, plus Denver being at home.
AFC South
The Houston Texans clinched the AFC South three weeks ago and will be the AFC's No. 4 seed. However, they are going into Week 18 on a cold stretch after going 3-5 in their last eight games, capped by a 31-2 defeat to the Baltimore Ravens on Christmas Day.
Houston has one more opportunity to go into the playoffs in any sort of rhythm on Sunday when it visits the Tennessee Titans (1 p.m.).
AFC West
The Chiefs have earned the No. 1 seed and will host a Divisional Round matchup on either January 18 or 19.
The Chargers clinched a playoff berth after crushing the New England Patriots 40-7 last Saturday. They'll finish the season against the team they started it against, the Raiders. L.A. beat Las Vegas 22-10 in Week 1 and will go to Vegas this time.
A win secures the No. 5 seed and a date with a reeling Texans team. A loss means a trip to Baltimore, which can make a case for being the NFL's best team at the moment given how it's played the last four weeks.
Denver's destiny is in its own hands. It's win-and-in for the Broncos, who will go to Buffalo for the playoffs if they beat Kansas City.
If they lose, it's over. If Miami loses to the Jets, the Broncos would lose the head-to-head tiebreaker against the Bengals by virtue of their 30-24 overtime loss last Saturday. If Miami beats the Jets, then the Dolphins win a three-team conference record tiebreaker (7-5 Miami, 6-6 Cincinnati, 5-7 Denver).
NFC Standings
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Current NFC Playoff Bracket
1. Detroit Lions (14-2): Bye to the Divisional Round
2. Philadelphia Eagles (13-3) vs. 7. Green Bay Packers (11-5)
3. Los Angeles Rams (10-6) vs. 6. Washington Commanders (11-5)
4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (9-7) vs. 5. Minnesota Vikings (14-2)
Current NFC Standings
1. Detroit Lions: 14-2, current NFC North leaders
2. Philadelphia Eagles: 13-3, clinched NFC East title and NFC's No. 2 seed
3. Los Angeles Rams: 10-6, clinched NFC West title
4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 9-7, lead NFC South
5. Minnesota Vikings: 14-2, clinched playoff berth
6. Washington Commanders: 11-5, clinched playoff berth
7. Green Bay Packers: 11-5, clinched playoff berth
Still Alive
8. Atlanta Falcons: 8-8
Eliminated
9. Seattle Seahawks: 9-7
10. Dallas Cowboys: 7-9
11. Arizona Cardinals: 7-9
12. San Francisco 49ers: 6-10
13. New Orleans Saints: 5-11
14. Chicago Bears: 4-12
15. Carolina Panthers: 4-12
16. New York Giants: 3-13
NFC East
The Philadelphia Eagles can rest easy Sunday at home agains the New York Giants (1 p.m. ET) knowing they already own the conference's No. 2 seed.
The only intrigue in this division is whether the Washington Commanders will have the No. 6 or No. 7 seed. The latter means a rubber match on the road with the Eagles, who split a pair with the Commanders this year (26-18 home win, 36-33 road loss). The former means a visit to the Los Angeles Rams or Tampa Bay Buccaneers, both of whom are easier matchups on paper.
The Commanders will stay at No. 6 if they beat the host Dallas Cowboys (1 p.m.) or the Green Bay Packers lose at home to the Chicago Bears (1 p.m.). They'll fall to No. 7 with a loss and a Packers win.
NFC North
The winner of the Minnesota Vikings at Detroit Lions matchup (8:20 p.m.) will be the NFC's No. 1 seed, and the loser will drop to No. 5.
The Packers currently own the No. 7 seed and finish the season versus the Chicago Bears (1 p.m.). They'll stay there with a loss or a Commander win over the Dallas Cowboys (1 p.m.).
Both teams are 11-5, but Washington owns the conference record tiebreaker (8-3 vs. 6-5). Green Bay moves to No. 6 (and avoids a potentially tougher matchup with the 13-win Eagles) with a win and a Washington loss.
NFC South
The Buccaneers will clinch the division with a home win over the New Orleans Saints (1 p.m. ET). If they lose, then the Atlanta Falcons will take the NFC South if they defeat the visiting Carolina Panthers (1 p.m.). Atlanta owns the head-to-head tiebreaker over Tampa Bay after beating the Bucs in both regular-season matchups.
If the Falcons win the division, they'll slot in as the No. 4 seed and host the loser of the Vikings at Lions matchup in the NFC Wild Card round.
NFC West
The Rams have wrapped up the division title and currently own the NFC's No. 3 seed. They'll remain there with a home victory over the Seattle Seahawks (4:25 p.m.).
However, the Bucs will push the Rams down to the No. 4 seed with a win and an L.A. loss. Tampa Bay and L.A. would both be 10-7, but the Buccaneers would get the No. 3 seed thanks to a better conference record (8-4 vs. 6-6).
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