The 2025 NFL regular season still has has 27 teams alive in the race to make the playoffs after Week 13. Although some teams are in much stronger postseason positions than others, the top-heavy league parity makes the entire field tough to call over the final five weeks.
Based on what contenders stand now in the division and wild-card races in the AFC and NFC and what kind of schedule every team has going from Weeks 14 through 18, here's making the tough updated playoff predictions:
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AFC playoff predictions for Week 14
AFC East
Current standings
- New England Patriots 11-2
- Buffalo Bills 8-4
- Miami Dolphins 5-7
- New York Jets 3-9
The Patriots have a commanding 2.5-game lead for the Bills going into their late Week 14 bye with only four games left. The Bills also lose the head-to-head tiebreaker from losing at home in Week 5 with the teams set to play again in New England in Weeek 15.
The Bills need to win the rematch to have a real chance to catch the Patriots, Around that game, they play the Bengals, Browns, Eagles and Jets. Buffalo should reach 12 wins, regardless of the New England game outcome.
The Patriots finish with the Bills, Ravens, Jets and Dolphins, with the middle two games on the road. They have won 10 straight games and will be favored in all four. If the Patriots win the other three games, then the Bills would still fall a game short even with a split with the Patriots.
Projected winners: Patriots (14-3) over Bills (13-4)
AFC North
Current standings
- Baltimore Ravens 6-6
- Pittsburgh Steelers 6-6
- Cincinnati Bengals 4-8
- Cleveland Browns 3-9
The Ravens lead the Steelers, whom they host in Week 14, by a common-games tiebreaker. The teams also will close out the season Week 18 in Pittsburgh.
The Bengals, who have split with the Steelers and beaten the Ravens, stand only two games back. They also are 3-1 in the division, while the Ravens and Steelers are both 2-1 in AFC North play.
The Ravens, in addition to the Steelers twice and Bengals again, have tough interdivision games against the Patriots and Packers. The Steelers, in addition to the Ravens twice and Browns again, host the Dolphins and go to the Lions. Pittsburgh would have the slight advantage there with a Baltimore split.
The Bengals draw the Bills in Week 14, but then it gets easier with the Ravens, Dolphins, Cardinals and Browns to close.
It's difficult to see the Ravens getting two wins in their current state of play. The Steelers also haven't been impressive and even three wins look like a stretch. The Bengals, however, have a shot to finish 4-1 with Burrow. A 9-8 mark probably wins the division.
Projected winners: Steelers (9-8) over Bengals (8-9) and Ravens (7-10)
AFC South
Current standings
- Jacksonville Jaguars 8-4
- Indianapolis Colts 8-4
- Houston Texans 7-5
- Tennessee Titans 1-11
The Jaguars and Colts are tied, but the Jaguars lead the division by the common-games tiebreaker before the teams play in Jacksonville in Week 14. The teams play again in Indianapolis in Week 17.
The Colts have a tough schedule otherwise as well, facing the Seahawks, 49ers and Texans. Meanwhile, the Jaguars, in addition to the Colts twice, play the Jets, Broncos and Titans.
The Texans, a full game back of both teams, play at the Chiefs in Week 14 and close at home vs. The Colts. They face Cardinals, Raiders and Chargers in between. Everything points to the Jaguars having the most favorable path to winning the division.
Projected winners: Jaguars (11-6) over Colts (10-7) and Texans (9-8)
AFC West
Current standings
- Denver Broncos 10-2
- Los Angeles Chargers 8-4
- Kansas City Chiefs 6-6
- Las Vegas Raiders 2-10
The Broncos lead the Chargers by two games and the Chiefs by four games. It would take a major collapse for them to lose the division title, including losing to the two other teams down the stretch.
Denver, in addition to Los Angeles and Kansas City, also plays Las Vegas, Green Bay and Jacksonville. There's a chance the Broncos go only 2-3 at best for that stretch, given how much they've depended on winning close games late.
The Chargers have a brutal stretch, closing vs. The Eagles, Chiefs, Cowboys, Texans and Broncos. They also are looking at 2-3 at best.
The Chiefs, around their Chargers and Broncos rematches, also play the Texans, Titans and Raiders. They would have a shot to run the table, but that still likely won't be enough to win their 10th consecutive AFC West crown.
Projected winners: Broncos (12-5) over Chiefs (11-6) and Chargers (10-7)
AFC wild-card teams, playoff seeds
With those division results, the Bills, Chiefs and Colts would be the three wild-card teams in order, with the Chargers being the first team out.
Here's then what the AFC final playoff picture would look like:
- New England Patriots (14-3)
- Denver Broncos (12-5)
- Jacksonville Jaguars (11-6)
- Pittsburgh Steelers (9-8)
- Buffalo Bills (13-4)
- Kansas City Chiefs (11-6)
- Indianapolis Colts (10-7)
MORE: AFC Playoff picture entering Week 14
NFC playoff predictions for Week 14
NFC East
Current standings
- Philadelphia Eagles 8-4
- Dallas Cowboys 6-6-1
- Washington Commanders 3-9
- New York Giants 2-11
The Eagles lead the Cowboys by two games with five games left to play, still giving them a significant edge. The Commanders, five games out, can only win the division to make the playoffs and that requires winning out, including beating the Eagles twice, and then need a ton of help.
The Eagles face the Commanders twice plus the Chargers, Raiders and Bills. Other than Buffalo, they will be favored in every game, trending for 4-1.
The Cowboys, after losing to the Lions in Week 14, still have the Vikings, Chargers, Commanders and Giants. They gives them a good chance for 4-0, but even that likely won't work to catch the Eagles.
Projected winners: Eagles (12-5) over Cowboys (10-6-1)
MORE: Cowboys playoff picture after loss to Lions
NFC North
Current standings
- Chicago Bears 9-3
- Green Bay Packers 8-3-1
- Detroit Lions 8-5
- Minnesota Vikings 4-8
The Bears lead the Packers by a half-game ahead of the teams playing in Green Bay in Week 14. The teams meet again in Chicago in Week 16. The Lions are 1.5 games behind the Bears and a game behind the Packers, which puts their chances of winning a third consecutive division crown in serious jeopardy.
The Bears also play the Browns, 49ers and Lions, while the Packers also play the Broncos, Ravens and Vikings. Chicago would then trend to 2-3, with the Packers set up to go 3-2 or better.
The Lions already got swept the Packers and play at the Bears in Week 18. They still have the Rams, Steelers and Vikings after beating the Cowboys. They can go 3-1 vs. That slate, the key being a sweep of the Bears to win that tiebreaker.
Projected winners: Packers (11-5-1) over Lions (11-6) and Bears (11-6)
MORE: How Jahmyr Gibbs made football history vs. Cowboys
NFC South
Current standings
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers 7-5
- Carolina Panthers 7-6
- Atlanta Falcons 4-8
- New Orleans Saints 2-10
The Bucs are still leading the Panthers, who have a bye in Week 14, by a half-game thanks to one fewer loss. The teams still play each other twice, in Carolina in Week 16 and at Tampa Bay in Week 18.
The Bucs also have games against the Saints, Falcons and Dolphins. The Panthers also will draw the Saints and Seahawks. Assuming the Bucs splitting with the Panthers at worst, they can easily go 4-1. The Panthers would be expected to go 2-2.
Projected winners: Buccaneers (11-6) over Panthers (9-8)
NFC West
Current standings
- Los Angeles Rams 9-3
- Seattle Seahawks 9-3
- San Francisco 49ers 9-4
- Arizona Cardinals 3-9
The Rams lead the Seahawks by head-to-head tiebreaker from winning in Week 11. The 49ers, who have a Week 14 bye, are only a half game behind both teams after beating the Seahawks in Week 1 and splitting with the Rams.
The Rams play the Cardinals twice, in Week 14 on the road and Week 18 at home. In between, they face the Lions, Seahawks and Falcons. That gives them a great chance to go 4-1 or better.
The Seahawks host the Rams in Week 16 and play at the 49ers in Week 18. They also draw the Falcons, Colts and Panthers. They're looking at 3-2 at best.
The 49ers finish with the Titans, Colts, Bears and Seahawks. They're looking at 3-1 or better, but that likely would allow them to jump only the Seahawks
Projected winners: Rams (13-4) over 49ers (12-5) and Seahawks (12-5)
NFC wild-card teams, playoff seeds
Along with the Eagles, Packers, Buccaneers and Rams all returning to the playoffs and winning divisions, the 49ers, Seahawks and Bears would earn the wild card berths, leading to the final NFC playoff picture below:
- Los Angeles Rams (13-4)
- Philadelphia Eagles (12-5)
- Green Bay Packers (11-5-1)
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers (11-6)
- San Francisco 49ers (12-5)
- Seattle Seahawks (12-5)
- Detroit Lions (11-6)