NFL Playoff Picture Week 14, Bracket Scenarios and AFC, NFC Standings

The NFL Playoffs are rapidly approaching, with teams jockeying for position and a chance to compete for the Lombardi Trophy and a Super Bowl LX victory.

With a bracket brimming with the usual suspects and some surprise teams thrown in for good measure, the first 13 weeks of the season have proven anything can happen in the NFL in 2025.

What is the current bracket situation and which teams are currently on the outside looking in?

Find out with this look at the playoff picture ahead of Week 14.

AFC Playoff Picture

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The AFC playoff picture is:

The current AFC playoff picture is:

1. New England Patriots (11-2, East)

2. Denver Broncos (10-2, West)

3. Jacksonville Jaguars (8-4, South; Wins tie break over Indianapolis based on best win percentage in common games.)

4. Baltimore Ravens (6-6, North; Wins tie break over Pittsburgh based on best win percentage in common games.)

5. Los Angeles Chargers (8-4, Wildcard; Wins tie break over Buffalo and Indianapolis based on best win percentage in conference games.)

6. Indianapolis Colts (8-4, Wildcard; Wins tie break over Buffalo based on best win percentage in conference games.)

7. Buffalo Bills (8-4, Wildcard)

8. Houston Texans (7-5)

9. Pittsburgh Steelers (6-6; Wins tie break over Kansas City based on best win percentage in conference games.)

10. Kansas City Chiefs (6-6)

11. Miami Dolphins (5-7)

12. Cincinnati Bengals (4-8)

13. New York Jets (2-9; Wins tie break over Cleveland based on head-to-head win percentage.)

14. Cleveland Browns (3-9)

15. e-Las Vegas Raiders (2-9)

16. e-Tennessee Titans (1-11)

e - eliminated from playoffs

NFC Playoff Picture

AP Photo

The NFC playoff picture is:

1. Chicago Bears (9-3, North; Wins tie break over LA Rams based on best win percentage in conference games.)

2. Los Angeles Rams (9-3, West; Wins tie break over Seattle based on head-to-head win percentage.)

3. Philadelphia Eagles (8-4, East)

4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-5, South)

5. Seattle Seahawks (8-3, Wild card)

6. Green Bay Packers (8-3-1, Wild card)

7. San Francisco 49ers (9-4, Wildcard)

8. Detroit Lions (7-5)

9. Dallas Cowboys (6-5-1)

10. Carolina Panthers (7-6)

11. Atlanta Falcons (4-7; Wins tie break over Minnesota based on head-to-head win percentage.)

12. Minnesota Vikings (4-7)

13. e-Arizona Cardinals (3-9; Wins tie break over Washington based on best win percentage in conference games.)

14. Washington Commanders (3-9)

15. e-New Orleans Saints (2-10)

16. e-New York Giants (2-11)

e - eliminated from playoffs

Tiebreaker scenarios via ESPN.

Will The Real Super Bowl Contenders Please Stand Up?

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The 2025 NFL season has been one defined by parity, with no team stepping up and establishing dominance, despite a handful of squads sitting with just two or three losses.

The New England Patriots and Denver Broncos sit atop the AFC with two losses apiece, but one would be hard-pressed to find anyone that considers either a sure-fire Super Bowl contender.

The Los Angeles Rams looked like one in the NFC before they rolled into Carolina and were upset by a so-so Panthers team. The Philadelphia Eagles appeared to be poised for a Super Bowl repeat but consecutive losses to the Dallas Cowboys and Chicago Bears, have the team reeling entering the final stretch of the season.

The AFC North is a mess, with two 6-6 teams vying for the top spot in Pittsburgh and Baltimore, while the Los Angeles Chargers, Indianapolis Colts, and Buffalo Bills are all 8-4 and competing for wildcard spots.

The Rams, Seattle Seahawks, and San Francisco 49ers are all potential NFC West champions. Los Angeles has a game against Seattle in Week 16.

The 49ers wrap up the season against that same Seahawks team and face a tough road against the Chicago Bears and Indianapolis Colts before that.

Seattle also has three playoff match-ups upcoming, against the Rams, Colts, and the 49ers, and a game against the Panthers, who will likely be competing for their own playoff lives by that point.

Jacksonville is an under-the-radar 8-4, and leading the AFC South, but injuries on offense have some doubting that they can make the postseason, let alone compete for a Super Bowl.

The parity makes for a more dramatic, interesting product, but it also calls into question the quality of play. Is anyone truly great and by extension, is the current product great?

The answer should reveal itself sooner rather than later, as the regular season draws to a close and the playoffs approach.