NFL Playoff Standings 2026 Updated AFC, NFC Records and Power Rankings for Bracket

The wild-card round of the 2025-26 NFL playoffs certainly lived up to its name. The weekend was filled with compelling games, tight finishes, and a few remarkable upsets.

The weekend even featured a massive comeback, as the Chicago Bears erased an 18-point halftime deficit to move past the rival Green Bay Packers. The Houston Texans closed out the weekend with a blowout win over the Pittsburgh Steelers.

With one round in the books, only eight teams remain alive with a chance to reach Super Bowl LX. Now that the divisional-round schedule has been set, let's power rank those teams based on factors like regular-season record, recent results, team strengths, weaknesses, and roster health.

First, though, let's take a look at what's in store for the coming weekend.

Divisional Round Schedule

AP Photo/Chris O'Meara

Bills QB Josh Allen

Saturday, January 17

AFC

6. Buffalo Bills at 1. Denver Broncos at 4:30 p.m. ET on CBS

NFC

6. San Francisco 49ers at 1. Seattle Seahawks at 8 p.m. ET on Fox

Sunday, January 18

AFC

5. Houston Texans at 2. New England Patriots at 3 p.m. ET on ABC/ESPN

NBC

5. Los Angeles Rams at 2. Chicago Bears at 6:30 p.m. ET on NBC

AFC Power Rankings

AP Photo/Adam Hunger

Patriots QB Drake Maye

1. New England Patriots (14-3)

The New England Patriots didn't win the AFC's No. 1 seed, but they did tie for the best record in the conference. They also have few glaring weaknesses on a roster that finished the regular season ranked second in scoring and fourth in points allowed.

While New England had a relatively easy regular-season schedule, it faced a very talented Los Angeles Chargers team on Sunday and won convincingly, 16-3. That Chargers team, by the way, beat the Denver Broncos early in their one meaningful matchup of the regular season.

The Patriots aren't better than the Broncos by any considerable margin, but they deserve a slight edge for having a viable MVP candidate in quarterback Drake Maye.

2. Denver Broncos (14-3)

There's a lot to like about the Broncos, who claimed the AFC's top seed via tiebreakers. It starts with a championship-caliber defense that finished the regular-season second in yards allowed and third in points allowed. Denver has a particularly potent pass rush that can make life miserable for any opposing quarterback.

With a week to rest and home-field advantage, the Broncos have the easiest path to the Super Bowl in the AFC, which can't be discounted.

The one concern with Denver is an inconsistent offense led by second-year quarterback Bo Nix. While Nix has had his bright moments, the Broncos' 14th-ranked scoring offense could become a liability in an offensive battle. With a seasoned head coach in Sean Payton leading the charge, though, Denver will be a tough out regardless.

3. Houston Texans (12-5)

Offensive inconsistencies prevent the Texans from being ranked higher here. However, Houston's defense is good enough that it wouldn't be a major surprise to see it carry the Texans to the Super Bowl.

During the regular season, the Texans' defense ranked first in yards allowed and second in points allowed. On Monday night, Houston's defense helped deliver a 30-6 win on a night that C.J. Stroud played poorly and had three turnovers.

The big question is whether an offense that ranked just 18th overall can play efficiently enough to win a game or two if the defense has an off night.

4. Buffalo Bills (12-5)

The Buffalo Bills outlasted the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday, thanks in large part to some late-game heroics by reigning MVP Josh Allen. His presence alone makes Buffalo a team that cannot be discounted in the remaining playoff bracket.

With Patrick Mahomes, Lamar Jackson, and Joe Burrow all missing the playoffs, Allen is widely considered the top quarterback in the entire AFC bracket.

Unfortunately, the rest of Buffalo's roster is less impressive. The Bills don't have a true No. 1 receiver, and their 12th-ranked scoring defense leaves plenty to be desired. The fact that Allen and star running back James Cook were both banged-up against Jacksonville—both also returned to the game—is less than ideal going into the game in Denver.

NFC Power Rankings

AP Photo/Jed Jacobsohn

Seahawks QB Sam Darnold

1. Seattle Seahawks (14-3)

The Seattle Seahawks claimed the No. 1 seed in the NFC, and there really isn't a more dangerous team in the remaining conference field.

Seattle featured the league's top-ranked scoring defense in the regular season, a unit that smothered several other top contenders. And while questions about Sam Darnold's ability to go deep in the postseason remain, offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak constructed the league's third-ranked scoring offense.

The Seahawks won seven straight games to finish the regular season, and while they did lose games to the Los Angeles Rams and San Francisco 49ers, they beat both NFC West rivals in the final month.

2. Los Angeles Rams (12-5)

If there's a team that should concern Seattle, it's the Rams. They did lose Round 2 against the Seahawks, but the Rams also took that one to overtime after winning the first meeting. In two games against Seattle, the Rams' defense picked off Darnold six times.

Los Angeles finished the regular season with the league's top-ranked offense and 10th-ranked scoring defense. While L.A. had some trouble putting away the Carolina Panthers on Saturday, the team has a tremendous overall roster.

The Rams also have an elite quarterback in Matthew Stafford, who is playing the best football of his career, and a Super Bowl-winning coach in Sean McVay. Another battle between Los Angeles and Seattle in the NFC title game should be surprising to no one.

3. Chicago Bears (11-6)

The Bears won the NFC North, and by doing so, they claimed the conference's No. 2 seed. However, they actually had a worse record than every other team remaining in the NFC field.

That said, the Bears can be a threat. Caleb Williams and the Chicago offense have taken off under first-year coach Ben Johnson. The team ranked sixth in total offense and ninth in scoring during the regular season, while Williams led a league-high six fourth-quarter comebacks.

Chicago mounted yet another comeback against Green Bay in the wild-card round.

The only real concern with Chicago is a defense that is heavily dependent on turnovers. The Bears frequently generated takeaways during the regular season, but they ranked 29th in total defense and 23rd in scoring defense.

4. San Francisco 49ers (12-5)

We're placing the 49ers at the bottom of our NFC power rankings, which is a testament to just how loaded the conference is. San Francisco won 12 games during the regular season and just knocked off the defending champion Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday.

Unfortunately, it's hard to see the 49ers' injured roster holding together through a Super Bowl run. San Francisco lost a number of key contributors to injury during the regular season—including defensive stars Fred Warner and Nick Bosa—and they lost tight end George Kittle to a torn Achilles against Philly.

Of course, Kyle Shanahan's team just keeps finding ways to fight through adversity. It won't be a total shock if the 49ers defy the odds and get back to the Super Bowl anyway.