NFL Playoff Picture 2025-26, Standings, Bracket Scenarios After Cowboys vs. Lions

Week 14 of the 2025 NFL season is officially underway after the Detroit Lions defeated the Dallas Cowboys 44-30. Running back Jahmyr Gibbs continued his dominant season with 120 yards from scrimmage and three touchdowns to lead the way.

The Lions-Cowboys matchup is one of six games this week that feature two teams with .500 records or better. In other words, Week 14 has more than a few matchups with serious playoff implications as the regular season begins winding down.

The rest of the week kicks off on Sunday at 1 p.m. ET. Until then, here's a look at how the playoff picture looks following Detroit's victory.

AFC Playoff Picture

AP Photo/Greg M. Cooper

Division Leaders

1. New England Patriots (11-2, leads AFC East)
2. Denver Broncos (10-2, leads AFC West)
3. Jacksonville Jaguars (8-4, leads AFC South)
4. Baltimore Ravens (6-6, leads AFC North)

The New England Patriots currently lead the AFC, but the Denver Broncos can tie them at 11-2 with a win at the 2-10 Las Vegas Raiders. The first tiebreaker is head-to-head, but the two teams haven't (and won't) play each other this regular season.

The next tiebreaker is conference record. Both New England and Denver are 6-2, but that tie will be broken one way or another when the Broncos visit the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday.

If the Pats and Broncos are tied atop the AFC and have the same conference record, the next tiebreaker is common opponents between the two teams. As of now, Denver is 5-0 on that front, and New England is 4-1. The Pats' lone loss was to the Raiders, and the Broncos can jump up to 6-0 on that front Sunday.

Wild-Card Race

5. Los Angeles Chargers (8-4)
6. Indianapolis Colts (8-4)
7. Buffalo Bills (8-4)

All three of these teams are still in the hunt to win their divisions, but the Colts are the only one that controls their own destiny. Indianapolis plays the AFC South-leading Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday, and a win puts the Colts a game ahead with the head-to-head tiebreaker in hand. Indianapolis also closes the year against the Jags in Week 18 at home.

The Bills' spot is the most tenuous here because they lost to the first team outside the current playoff picture, the Houston Texans. In the competitive AFC, the Bills need to keep winning. A home date looms against a rejuvenated (albeit 4-8) Cincinnati Bengals team that has superstar quarterback Joe Burrow back under center after he missed nine-plus games with a Grade 3 turf toe injury.

In the Hunt

8. Houston Texans (7-5)
9. Pittsburgh Steelers (6-6)
10. Kansas City Chiefs (6-6)
11. Miami Dolphins (5-7)
12. Cincinnati Bengals (4-8)
13. New York Jets (3-9)
14. Cleveland Browns (3-9)

Can the Texans pull this off? After an ugly 0-3 start, Houston has bounced back to win seven of nine. A punishing defense that's stellar up front and in the secondary has been the catalyst here, and it's led to victories over four teams that currently have eight or more wins. The good news for Houston is that it's only a game back of the Colts and Jags for first, so the team realistically has paths to the playoffs via the division and wild card.

The Pittsburgh Steelers and Kansas City Chiefs are both 6-6, but the former team has a much better chance to make the playoffs than the latter. For starters, the Steelers are tied for first atop the AFC North with the Ravens, but they have two games with them still, beginning Sunday in Baltimore. It wouldn't be surprising to see a record around .500, perhaps 9-8, be good enough to win the division.

Meanwhile, the Chiefs have a tough schedule ahead, with three of their final five games against the 7-5 Texans, the 8-4 Los Angeles Chargers and the 10-2 Denver Broncos. All of them are at home, and it's possible Kansas City will need to win all three to have a chance at making the playoffs. It also doesn't help that the Chiefs have dropped some games against potential wild card competitors in the Chargers, Jaguars and Bills.

Ultimately, their tough division is a problem, with the 10-2 Broncos running away with it and the 8-4 Bolts solidly in second (with a head-to-head tiebreaker currently in hand over the Chiefs by virtue of their Week 1 win). The Chiefs also sit two games behind in the wild card, an unfathomable thought given their incredible success in the Patrick Mahomes era.

Eliminated
15. Las Vegas Raiders (2-10)
16. Tennessee Titans (1-11)

This group is lonely for the time being with only two teams eliminated heading into Week 14, but the 3-9 Cleveland Browns and 3-9 New York Jets could join them after this week's games.

NFC Playoff Picture

AP Photo/Matt Slocum

Division Leaders

1. Chicago Bears (9-3, leads NFC North)
2. Los Angeles Rams (9-3, leads NFC West)
3. Philadelphia Eagles (8-4, leads NFC East)
4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-5, leads NFC South)

Led by first-year head coach Ben Johnson, the Chicago Bears have won five games by five or fewer points this year. They've lived on the edge, but this is a team that's shown a propensity to excel in the clutch. Now the Bears will face some big tests up ahead with two matchups against the 8-3-1 Green Bay Packers.

The Los Angeles Rams are coming off a heartbreaking 31-28 loss to the Carolina Panthers, but they are still in good shape. Their schedule is manageable with two matchups against the 3-9 Arizona Cardinals and another at the 4-8 Atlanta Falcons among their five remaining contests. Their biggest game is at the 9-3 Seattle Seahawks on Dec. 18. L.A. notably beat Seattle 21-19 this year.

The Philadelphia Eagles are spiraling fast after blowing a 21-0 lead to the Dallas Cowboys en route to a 24-21 loss and then sputtering versus the Bears, losing 24-15. Tough tests await at the 8-4 Los Angeles Chargers and at the 8-4 Buffalo Bills, but the Eagles will be heavy favorites against the 3-9 Washington Commanders (twice) and the 2-10 Las Vegas Raiders at home. Here's the simple math: If the Eagles win those three games, they are going to the playoffs no matter even if Dallas, at 6-6-1, wins out.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have the 7-6 Carolina Panthers breathing down their necks. It's not a comfortable feeling, especially since the two teams face each other twice in the final three weeks. But the Bucs are home against weaker squads (2-10 New Orleans Saints, 4-8 Atlanta Falcons) over the next two weeks and can create some space between them and Carolina.

Wild-Card Race

5. Seattle Seahawks (9-3)
6. Green Bay Packers (8-3-1)
7. San Francisco 49ers (8-4)

The Seattle Seahawks have been excellent on both sides of the ball this year at times, but they are about to encounter a daunting task. After a road game against the 4-8 Falcons, Seattle closes with the 8-4 Colts at home, the 9-3 Rams at home, the 7-6 Carolina Panthers on the road and the 9-4 San Francisco 49ers on the road. That's not an easy task, but Seattle is a tough team that can weather the storm.

The Packers control their own destiny thanks to two games against the Bears, and as winners of three straight, this team could be getting hot at the right time. Green Bay has a couple other tough ones, though, at the 10-2 Denver Broncos and home vs. the 6-6 Baltimore Ravens. Even a closing matchup against an NFC North rival, the 4-8 Minnesota Vikings, shouldn't be overlooked even though that squad's offense has struggled all year.

The 49ers have been sensational despite a host of injuries, and they can still get the NFC's No. 1 seed despite it all. They have an easy one on paper next vs. the 1-11 Tennessee Titans following the bye, but it gets tough after that with a road game against the 8-4 Colts and home games with the 9-3 Bears and 9-3 Seahawks.

In the Hunt

8. Detroit Lions (8-5)
9. Carolina Panthers (7-6)
10. Dallas Cowboys (6-6-1)
11. Atlanta Falcons (4-8)
12. Minnesota Vikings (4-8)
13. Washington Commanders (3-9)

The top three teams here all have viable paths to the playoffs. The Lions can make it via the NFC North or the wild card but probably need to win three of four just to have a chance. A road game at the 9-3 Rams looms large up next.

The Panthers' season will likely depend on their results in two games against the Bucs. This is a tough team with wins over two of the NFC's best in the Rams and Packers, so they can never be counted out.

The Cowboys need to win out just to have a chance here. The problem is that 10-6-1 may not be good enough to win the NFC East (given the Eagles' current record and manageable remaining schedule) or earn a wild card berth (considering that the last team in the field right now is already at nine victories).

Eliminated

14. Arizona Cardinals (3-9)
15. New Orleans Saints (2-10)
16. New York Giants (2-11)

These teams are playing out the string. The Cardinals and Giants hoped for better seasons in 2025 but will be looking forward to next year. The Saints' results are less of a surprise as they continue their rebuild in the first season of head coach Kellen Moore's era, but they've fought hard and even took a game from the 7-6 Carolina Panthers.