NFL Playoff Bracket Scenarios 2025-26 Week 12, Standings After Cowboys vs. Raiders
The Dallas Cowboys' Monday night win over the Las Vegas Raiders didn't change anything in the NFC playoff race.
However, it did keep the Cowboys on the fringe of the wild-card race. Dallas needs Monday's result to serve as the catalyst for a late-season push.
For Dallas to make a surge, it needs to beat a handful of Super Bowl contenders, starting with the NFC-leading Philadelphia Eagles in Week 12.
Philadelphia is on top of the NFC through its head-to-head tiebreaker over the Los Angeles Rams. The Eagles also own victories over the Detroit Lions, Green Bay Packers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
One of the two teams to beat the Eagles, the Denver Broncos, sit atop the AFC standings going into Week 12.
AFC Standings
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Division Leaders
Wild-Card Race
Denver's Week 11 win over the Kansas City Chiefs sent shockwaves through the AFC.
The Broncos declared they are for real and could be the No. 1 overall seed. They have a bye in Week 12 before two easy games against the Washington Commanders and Las Vegas.
Denver's closing stretch is concerning for its chase of home-field advantage. It hosts the Jacksonville Jaguars, visits the Chiefs and then welcomes the Los Angeles Chargers to Denver.
The New England Patriots should be there to pounce if the Broncos struggle. The AFC East leader has a significantly easier schedule down the stretch.
As for the Chiefs, they are 5-5 with losses to all three teams currently in the wild-card positions.
The good news for Kansas City is three of its next four games are at Arrowhead Stadium, but the Indianapolis Colts, Chargers and Houston Texans are the opponents.
Wins over the Texans and Chargers are imperative for the Chiefs to chase the wild-card spots in the final few weeks of the regular season.
The Baltimore Ravens are in better shape to hunt down the wild-card teams. They are on a four-game winning streak with three home games coming up against the New York Jets, Cincinnati Bengals and Pittsburgh Steelers.
Baltimore still has two matchups left with Pittsburgh, so it could easily win the AFC North and drop the Steelers into the wild-card madness.
NFC Standings
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Division Leaders
Wild-Card Race
Dallas has a very small outside chance to qualify for the postseason.
The Cowboys are three games back of the San Francisco 49ers in the win column. They do have the benefit of playing at home in four of the next five games.
Dallas plays Philadelphia, Kansas City, the Minnesota Vikings and Chargers in that home swing. It also visits the Detroit Lions in Week 14.
That's as daunting of a schedule as any team has at this point in the regular season, but if the Cowboys somehow go 3-2 or 4-1 in that span, they might have a shot.
Philadelphia can kill all of Dallas' momentum on Sunday. The Eagles defense shut down the Lions and Packers in the last two weeks.
The Eagles have the inside track to the No. 1 seed thanks to their Week 3 win over the Rams.
Sean McVay's team faces the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Carolina Panthers in the next two weeks and still has to face Detroit and the Seattle Seahawks.
Philadelphia's schedule eases up in December, so it will have a chance to pull away from the pack.
Three of the four division races should go down to the wire. The Sunday and Monday night games in Week 12 will throw two more twists into those competitions. The Rams host the Bucs on Sunday night and then the Panthers visit the 49ers on Monday night.
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