There are only two weeks left in the 2025 NFL regular season. Time is running out for teams to make the playoffs, and one loss can see a team go from eyeing the postseason to preparing for the offseason.
Seven teams will make the playoffs in each conference. Heading into Week 17, five spots in the AFC have already been solidified. The Denver Broncos, New England Patriots, Jacksonville Jaguars, Los Angeles Chargers and the Buffalo Bills have already punched a ticket to the postseason.
That leaves two spots remaining. Either the Pittsburgh Steelers or the Baltimore Ravens will win the AFC North and earn a top-four seed. The final wild card spot is down to the Houston Texans and the Indianapolis Colts, and it could come down to a Week 18 matchup between the two teams.
Here is more on the AFC's playoff picture in Week 17.
MORE: Updated AFC, NFC playoff pictures heading into Week 17
AFC playoff picture
| Seed | Team | Record |
| 1 | Broncos* | 12-3 |
| 2 | Patriots* | 12-3 |
| 3 | Jaguars* | 11-4 |
| 4 | Steelers | 9-6 |
| 5 | Chargers* | 11-4 |
| 6 | Bills* | 11-4 |
| 7 | Texans | 10-5 |
| 8 | Colts | 8-7 |
| 9 | Ravens | 7-8 |
*indicates a team has clinched a playoff berth.
There are only two playoff spots up for grabs in the AFC heading into Week 17. One of them will go to either the Steelers or the Ravens, who will win the AFC North and most likely be awarded the No. 4 seed. The other is the final wild card spot, which projects to come down to either the Texans or the Colts.
While there are only two spots left in the overall playoff picture, there is still ample movement that can happen, with four teams still in the running for the No. 1 seed in the conference. This important spot comes with a first-round bye and also guarantees home-field advantage through the AFC Championship game, provided that the team doesn't lose.
Neither the Steelers nor the Ravens can make the playoffs as a wild-card team. Their only path will be as the AFC North champion. If the Ravens lose to the Green Bay Packers or the Steelers beat the Cleveland Browns in Week 17, Pittsburgh will clinch the division and Baltimore will be eliminated from playoff contention. If the Steelers lose and the Ravens win in Week 17, then their Week 18 rematch will be for the division.
If the Colts lose to the Jaguars in Week 17 or to the Texans in Week 18, they will be eliminated from playoff contention. If Indianapolis wins out and Houston loses each of its remaining games, the Colts will be in the playoffs and the Texans will be eliminated.
How Broncos can clinch No. 1 seed
The Broncos are the only team in the AFC that can clinch the conference's No. 1 seed. Denver needs to beat the Patrick Mahomes-less Kansas City Chiefs and needs a loss/tie by the Chargers, Buffalo Bills and the Jaguars, as well as a loss by the Patriots to clinch the No. 1 seed in Week 17.
The Broncos have a much easier path to clinching the AFC West in Week 17. Denver needs a win and a Chargers loss/tie or a tie against the Chiefs and a Chargers loss to clinch the division, guaranteeing the Broncos a top-four seed. It would be the first time that Denver has won the division since 2015, the year that the Broncos won their most recent Super Bowl.
MORE: Ranking the greatest Broncos of all time
How Patriots can clinch No. 1 seed
The Patriots cannot clinch the No. 1 seed in Week 17. The only thing that New England can clinch in Week 17 is the AFC East. The Patriots can do this by beating the New York Jets and Buffalo losing/tying to the Philadelphia Eagles. New England would also clinch the division with a tie and a Buffalo loss.
New England can clinch the No. 1 seed in Week 18 by winning its final two games of the regular season, and if the Broncos lose one of their final two games.
MORE: Ranking the greatest Patriots of all time
How Jaguars can clinch No. 1 seed
The Jaguars cannot clinch the No. 1 seed in Week 17. Jacksonville can clinch the AFC South with a win and a loss/tie by the Texans. The Jaguars can also clinch the division with a tie and a Texans loss.
To clinch the AFC's No. 1 seed, Jacksonville needs to win its final two games and both the Broncos and Patriots must lose at least one game.
MORE: Updated 2026 NFL Draft order heading into Week 17
How Chargers can clinch No. 1 seed
The Chargers cannot clinch the No. 1 seed in Week 17, nor can they clinch the AFC West. With a specific set of results over the final two weeks, though, Los Angeles can still earn the No. 1 seed in the AFC.
The Chargers can win the AFC West by winning their final two games of the season, as their Week 18 contest is against the Broncos. Los Angeles is still mathematically involved in the race for the No. 1 seed. The Chargers must win out, and they need the Patriots and the Jaguars to each lose one of their final two games.