NFL Playoff Picture 2025-26, Standings, Bracket Scenarios After Jets vs. Patriots

The New England Patriots temporarily moved up to the No. 1 seed in the AFC standings with their Thursday night triumph over the New York Jets.

Drake Maye and Co. extended their winning streak to eight games, and at minimum, they will be the No. 2 seed by the end of Week 11.

The Denver Broncos are the only team that can topple the Patriots with a win on Sunday, but a ninth victory is no guarantee to come from a matchup with the Kansas City Chiefs.

The Denver-Kansas City showdown will have a major affect on the AFC West race, especially if Kansas City wins and brings Denver back to the pack.

AFC Standings

AP Photo

Division Leaders

New England (9-2)

Indianapolis (8-2)

Denver (8-2)

Pittsburgh (5-4)

Wild-Card Race

Los Angeles Chargers (7-3)

Buffalo (6-3)

Jacksonville (5-4)

Kansas City (5-4)

Houston (4-5)

Baltimore (4-5)

Cincinnati (3-6)

Miami (3-7)

Las Vegas (2-7)

Cleveland (2-7)

New York Jets (2-8)

Tennessee (1-8)

New England owns the top seed in the AFC for at least a few days.

With the Indianapolis Colts on a bye, Denver is the only team that can leap over the Patriots. If Denver beats Kansas City, it would go to the top on the conference record tiebreaker.

New England, who hasn't lost since Week 3, has two games left before its Week 14 bye. It is expected to win both of those contests against the Cincinnati Bengals and New York Giants.

Thursday's win put more pressure on the Buffalo Bills to keep pace in the AFC East, or to keep winning to stay in front in the wild-card standings.

Buffalo is three games back of New England in the win column with only one head-to-head matchup left in Week 15.

The Bills have a tough three-game slate against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Houston Texans and Pittsburgh Steelers in which they must go 3-0 to keep pace with the Pats, or at least 2-1 to maintain their position in the wild-card race with the Chiefs and Baltimore Ravens ready to pounce.

Kansas City can put the AFC West title within its reach with a win over Denver on Sunday.

The Chiefs and Ravens are both rooting for the Los Angeles Chargers to beat the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 11 so that the Jags drop further in the loss column.

NFC Standings

AP Photo

Division Leaders

Philadelphia (7-2)

Seattle (7-2)

Detroit (6-3)

Tampa Bay (6-3)

Wild-Card Race

Los Angeles Rams (7-2)

Chicago (6-3)

Green Bay (5-3-1)

San Francisco (6-4)

Carolina (5-5)

Minnesota (4-5)

Dallas (3-5-1)

Arizona (3-6)

Atlanta (3-6)

Washington (3-7)

New Orleans (2-8)

New York Giants (2-8)

Three games could alter the entire complexion of the NFC playoff race on Sunday.

Tampa Bay's visit to Buffalo is the first of those three. The Bucs have held it together atop the NFC South despite dealing with a slew of injuries.

The late-afternoon clash between the Seattle Seahawks and Los Angeles Rams will throw another wrinkle into the NFC West title race.

Sunday night's battle between the Detroit Lions and Philadelphia Eagles is massive in the fight for home-field advantage.

Philadelphia owns the easiest path to a division title since the other three NFC East teams have two or three victories.

If the Eagles beat Detroit, they will have wins over the Lions, Bucs, Rams, Packers and Chiefs. That's a resume that few Super Bowl contenders can match.

Detroit needs a win on Sunday night to stay in front of the Packers and Chicago Bears. The Packers should beat the New York Giants, while Chicago faces a tough road test against a desperate Minnesota Vikings team.

The San Francisco 49ers could be the biggest winner of Week 11 in the NFC if they beat the Arizona Cardinals. The Niners will gain ground on at least one of the Rams and Seahawks and could move up in the wild-card order depending on other results.