NFL Playoff Picture Week 15 AFC, NFC Bracket Outlook and Predictions

Erik BeastonDec 12, 2025

Week 15 in the 2025 NFL season brings with it more than a handful of games with playoff implications, including several blockbuster showdowns like the Los Angeles Rams vs. Detroit Lions, Green Bay Packers vs. Denver Broncos, New England Patriots vs. Buffalo Bills, and Seattle Seahawks vs. Indianapolis Colts.

The outcomes could decide who gets in, who does not, and which races will go down to the wire.

Ahead of the all-important slate of games, here is a look at the current playoff pictures, including playoff odds for each team still in chase, and predictions for the entire schedule.

NFC Playoff Picture

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AP Photo

Division Leaders

1. Los Angels Rams (10-3, NFC West; -10000 odds to make the playoffs)

2. Green Bay Packers (8-3-1, NFC North; -2500)

3. Philadelphia Eagles (8-4, NFC East; -1800)

4. Carolina Panthers (7-6, NFC South; +110)

The Panthers are the little team that could, a squad that runs the football effectively and plays good defense, even if the uneven offense puts in in unenviable positions. The teams' ability to stay in games, and the scrappiness with which they play, makes them a potentially dangerous team should they make it into the playoffs. Tampa Bay is still a better team on paper and should be considered the favorite of the two to make the postseason, but given their recent defensive crisis and a banged up offense, this could be the season that former No. 1 overall pick Bryce Young, running back Rico Dowdle, and rookie wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan get their team to the postseason.

Wild Card Teams

5. Seattle Seahawks (10-3; -10000)

6. San Francisco 49ers (9-4; -1600)

7. Chicago Bears (9-4; -200)

By the time the regular season comes to a close, should they still be sitting in this position, this Seattle team may go down in NFL history as one of the best Wild Card teams ever. The passing offense, rushing offense, defense, and special teams have all contributed to big wins this season, and, against an Indianapolis Colts team limping into Sunday's game, with a formerly retired grandfather at quarterback, it could extend its record to a previously unpredictable 11-3.

In the Hunt

8. Detroit Lions (8-5; -115)

9. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-7; -130)

10. Dallas Cowboys (6-6-1; +600)

11. Minnesota Vikings (5-8; +25000)

This is a talented crop of under-performing teams, headlined by a Detroit Lions squad that has given up 27, 30, and 31 points in their last three games to the Giants, Cowboys, and Packers, respectively. The offense remains clever and explosive, but the defense has taken a significant step back and put the rest of the team in an unenviable position of having to play catch-up. If that is the case against the Rams Sunday, it will be a long afternoon for a squad once considered a Super Bowl contender.

The Bucs, it should be noted, are still -130 favorites to win the NFC South over the Carolina Panthers (+110).

Eliminated

12. Atlanta Falcons (5-9)

13. Arizona Cardinals (3-10)

14. New Orleans Saints (3-10)

15. Washington Commanders (3-10)

16. New York Giants (2-11)

AFC Playoff Picture

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AP Photo

Division Leaders

1. Denver Broncos (11-2, AFC West; odds to make playoffs not available)

2. New England Patriots (11-2, AFC East; odds to make playoffs not available)

3. Jacksonville Jaguars (9-4, AFC South; -10000)

4. Pittsburgh Steelers (7-6, AFC North; -185)

The Broncos and Patriots have been the class of the AFC all season and with two losses and in a deadlock for the top of the conference, they will pull out all stops to keep pace with each other through the rest of the season. Both teams have unenviable tasks in Week 15, with the Pats hosting the Buffalo Bills in a huge AFC East showdown while the Broncos host the NFC's No. 2 seed, the Green Bay Packers. Both teams are talented enough to pull out victories despite the competition, but it would not be a surprise to see one of the two teams take a one-game advantage in the all-important chase for home field and a first-round bye.

Wild Card Teams

5. Los Angeles Chargers (9-4; -340)

6. Buffalo Bills (9-4; -10000)

7. Houston Texans (8-5; -2500)

The Texans have surged back into playoff contention, thanks to an elite defense and quality, mostly mistake-free offense. A Week 15 showdown with Arizona will determine if DeMeco Ryans' squad is for real, though, as legitimate playoff teams beat the opponents they are supposed to and do it big. A loss to the Cardinals, missing several key players, will only further solidify the perception that they are not among the best teams in the league, regardless of what their record or playoff standings may suggest.

In the Hunt

8. Indianapolis Colts (8-5; +330)

9. Baltimore Ravens (6-7; +185)

10. Kansas City Chiefs (6-7; +550)

11. Miami Dolphins (6-7; +10000)

12. Cincinnati Bengals (4-9; +1400)

Could Week 15 against the Chargers be Kansas City's last stand? It sure looks that way following a loss to Houston at home last week. Patrick Mahomes and Co. have not missed the playoffs in his career as the starting quarterback, but the veterans on the team have played an incredible amount of football over the last decade when factoring in playoffs and Super Bowls and teams are destined to be fatigued at some point. This year's squad resembles that, with uncharacteristically sloppy play from the offense and defense that has been a liability at times. A loss Sunday essentially seals their fate.

Eliminated

13. New York Jets (3-10)

14. Cleveland Browns (3-10)

15. Las Vegas Raiders (2-11)

16. Tennessee Titans (2-11)

Can the Bills Win the AFC East?

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AP Photo

The answer, in short, is yes.

To do so, defending league MVP Josh Allen will have to lead his team to victory Sunday against New England, no small feat considering this Patriots team has not lost in 10 weeks and have already defeated the Bills, 23-20, in Buffalo this year.

As we witnessed in Week 14, though, this Bills team with Allen under center is always in any game they play. They scored 28 second-half points against Cincinnati to win the game and keep themselves in the hunt for a division crown.

The only problem for Buffalo is that the New England defense is hardly as leaky as the Bengals'. The Pats have the seventh-best defense in the league, allowing just 296.4 total yards per game. They are even stingier in points surrendered, giving up the fifth fewest at 18.5.

While it is not officially a playoff game, it will have that feel, especially in front of fans in Gillette Stadium for the highest-stakes game the home team has played since Tom Brady was under center.

How Allen adapts to that crowd and the moment will ultimately determine the Bills fate, as will his skill players' ability to get open and make those game-defining plays. He will need a big game out of Khalil Shakir, Josh Palmer, or new addition, Brandin Cooks or at the very least, will have to depend on running back James Cook to be a factor in the pass game.

If one of them can step up and take some of the pressure off of Allen to be the guy every week, Buffalo can knock off the Patriots, get their win back, and set themselves up to go on a run, with winnable games against the Browns and Jets sandwiching one last, big-time match-up against Philadelphia in their final three games.

Even with all of that said, the Patriots are a complete team that can beat you offensively, defensively, and on special teams. They are the better of the two teams.

Prediction: New England bests Buffalo in another close game, 26-23

Other Week 15 Predictions:

Ravens over Bengals

Eagles over Raiders

Texans over Cardinals

Chiefs over Chargers

Jaguars over Jets

Giants over Commanders

Bears over Browns

Panthers over Saints

Rams over Lions

Seahawks over Colts