NFL Playoff Standings 2025: Updated AFC, NFC Records and Power Rankings for Bracket
The wild card round of the NFL playoffs may not have quite lived up to its name—in every matchup save for the Washington Commanders–Tampa Bay Buccaneers game, the higher-seeded team ousted the lower-seeded team, typically by a large margin.
But the divisional round could deliver some compelling football.
The No. 6 Commanders are the lowest seed remaining in the postseason. The NFC is rounded out by the No. 1 Detroit Lions, No. 2 Philadelphia Eagles and No. 4 Los Angeles Rams, the latter team having punched its ticket to the divisional round after a dominant 27-9 victory over the Minnesota Vikings on Monday Night Football.
In the AFC, the No. 1 Kansas City Chiefs, No. 2 Buffalo Bills, No. 3 Baltimore Ravens and No. 4 Houston Texans remain alive.
Let's make some power rankings for both conferences heading into the second round of the playoffs.
Divisional Round Schedule
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AFC Divisional Round Schedule
Saturday, Jan. 18, 4:30 p.m. ET (ESPN/ABC, ESPN+): No. 1 Kansas City Chiefs vs. No. 4 Houston Texans
Sunday, Jan. 19, 6:30 p.m. ET (CBS): No. 2 Buffalo Bills vs. No. 3 Baltimore Ravens
NFC Divisional Round Schedule
Sunday, Jan. 19, 3:00 p.m. ET (NBC): No. 2 Philadelphia Eagles vs. No. 4 Los Angeles Rams
Saturday, Jan. 18, 8:00 p.m. ET (Fox): No. 1 Detroit Lions vs. No. 6 Washington Commanders
AFC Rankings
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1. No. 1 Kansas City Chiefs (15-2)
No big surprises here; the AFC is top-heavy, while the NFC has deep parity. The best teams in the AFC shake out exactly in the order of their seeding.
The Chiefs finished with the most wins in the conference, two wins ahead of the next-winningest team, the Bills. They earned a first-round bye—but many of their starters haven't played since Christmas Day.
Will the more than three weeks' rest cause the Chiefs to start slow in their divisional game against the Texans? We'll have to wait and see. But for now, it's hard to argue against results. The Chiefs took the Week 16 matchup between these two teams 27-19.
2. No. 2 Buffalo Bills (13-4)
Buffalo assuredly did not look sluggish in its 31-7 walloping of the Denver Broncos in the wild card round, scoring 31 unanswered points. The Bills didn't even have to force a turnover, which has been a huge part of their game this season; in the regular season, they ranked first in the league with a +24 differential.
The Bills will no doubt have a bitter taste in their mouth as they prepare to face the Ravens, the team that handed them an embarrassing 35-10 loss in Week 4.
3. No. 3 Baltimore Ravens (12-5)
The Ravens generated the most offense in the league this season, averaging 424.9 yards per game. They can beat teams on the ground, with Derrick Henry and Lamar Jackson, and through the air with the latter as well.
A big question mark facing the Ravens ahead of the divisional round is the availability of top wide receiver Zay Flowers, who is nursing a knee injury. His absence could make the team one-dimensional enough for the Bills defense to capitalize.
4. No. 4 Houston Texans (10-7)
The Texans weren't always firing on all cylinders in the regular season, but they certainly were in their 32-12 wild card win over the Los Angeles Chargers. C.J. Stroud threw for 282 yards; Joe Mixon rushed for 106 yards. The defense notched four interceptions. Defeating the Chiefs is a tall order for the Texans, but they're getting hot at exactly the right time.
NFC Rankings
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No. 1 Detroit Lions (15-2)
The Lions generate a lot of offense. And they score a lot of points. Sometimes, that's all you need.
Detroit was second in the league and first in the conference this season in total offense, averaging 409.5 yards per game, and second in EPA per play (0.17). And now they're optimistic they'll get top rusher David Montgomery, who missed the last three games of the regular season with a knee injury, back for the divisional round.
The Lions scored 33.2 points per game this year, the most in the league. It's hard to imagine any team, much less the No. 6 Commanders, stopping this offensive juggernaut.
No. 2 Philadelphia Eagles (14-3)
Jalen Hurts returned to the Eagles after suffering a concussion in December just in time to help the team—along with a smothering defense, of course—best the Green Bay Packers 22-10 and advance to the divisional round.
Hurts only notched 131 passing yards in the outing, but he didn't need more. That may not be the case in Philly's next game against the Rams, who sacked Sam Darnold nine (yes, nine) times Monday night. But factor in Saquon Barkley and the defense, which ranked second in EPA per play allowed (minus-0.05) this season, and there's still plenty to fear about this Eagles team.
No. 4 Los Angeles Rams (10-7)
The Rams remained hot on Monday night, putting together a complete performance on offense and defense to smother the Minnesota Vikings.
Los Angeles has the look of a team that can hang with anyone, but after getting run over by the Eagles in Week 13 (Barkley rushed for 255 yards with two touchdowns in the first meeting between these teams), the Rams will have to show they can contain and keep up with the conference's best.
No. 6 Washington Commanders (12-5)
It's very impressive that the No. 6 Commanders have fought their way to the divisional round, but this David now has to face Goliath in the Lions.
Washington's hopes rest on the shoulders of rookie signal-caller Jayden Daniels, the odds-on favorite to be named Offensive Rookie of the Year. He will be difficult for the Lions to contain. But the Commanders overall may not be balanced enough to advance beyond the second round.
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