NFL standings: Updated AFC, NFC playoff pictures for Week 16 of 2025 season

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What 14 teams are positioned to make the NFL playoffs in the 2025 regular season, from the eight division winners to six total wild cards?

What would the seeding look like in the race for Super Bowl 60?

Here are the answers in Sporting News' latest look at how the postseason field is coming together in both conferences going into the Sunday and Monday games of Week 16.

MORE WEEK 16 NFL:

NFL playoff picture for Week 16

AFC

1. Denver Broncos, 12-2 (first place, AFC West)

The Broncos, who have clinched a playoff berth, lead the Patriots by a full game for the top playoff seed going into their tough Sunday home game against the Jaguars, whom they lead by two games. The Broncos also still lead the Chargers by two games in the division title race. They will win the division with a win and a Chargers loss and will also lock down this spot if both the Patriots and Bills also lose.

2. New England Patriots, 11-3 (first place, AFC East)

The Patriots are a game behind the Broncos and only a game ahead of the Bills in the division going into Sunday night's tough game against the Ravens. The Patriots can clinch a playoff berth with a win or a loss by either the Colts or Texans.

3. Jacksonville Jaguars, 10-4 (first place, AFC South)

The Jaguars lead the division by a full game over the Texans and by two games over the third-place Colts. The Jaguars can clinch a playoff berth by beating the Broncos and seeing either the Texans or Colts lose.

4. Pittsburgh Steelers, 8-6 (first place, AFC North)

The Steelers lead the Ravens by a game and a head-to-head tiebreaker going into their interconference road game against the Lions. The teams will meet again in Week 18 in Pittsburgh.

5. Los Angeles Chargers, 10-4 (second place, AFC West)

The Chargers also can clinch a playoff spot in Week 16 with a win over the Cowboys and a loss by either the Texans or Colts to at least ensure a wild-card berth. They hold this spot over the Bills because of the conference-record tiebreaker (8-2 vs. 7-3).

6. Buffalo Bills, 10-4 (second place, AFC East)

The Bills also can clinch a playoff spot in Week 16 with a win over the Browns and a loss by either the Texans or Colts to at least ensure a wild-card berth.

7. Houston Texans, 9-5 (second place, AFC South)

The Texans will look to either keep pace with, or match, the Jaguars with a win over the Raiders. If both teams are 10-5, the Texans would take over first place from the Jaguars because of the division-record tiebreaker (4-1 vs. 3-1). They also would stay up at least one game on the Colts.

Who's in the hunt?

8. Indianapolis Colts (8-6)
9. Baltimore Ravens (7-7)

The Colts need to beat the 49ers on Monday and get help. The Ravens also have a handful at home against the Patriots with the wild-card being their only real playoff path.

Who's out?

10. Kansas City Chiefs (6-8)
11. Miami Dolphins (6-8)
12. Cincinnati Bengals (4-10)
13. New York Jets (3-11)
14. Cleveland Browns (3-11)
15. Tennessee Titans (2-11)
16. Las Vegas Raiders (2-12)

The Chiefs and Dolphins were the latest teams to be eliminated after their Week 15 losses.

NFL DRAFT ORDER: Giants, Raiders overtake Titans in race for No. 1 pick

NFC

1. Seattle Seahawks, 12-3 (first place, NFC West)

The Seahawks leapfrogged the Rams by beating Los Angeles at home in Thursday night's overtime thriller to open Week 16 to go up a full game. The Seahawks, who have clinched a playoff berth, lead the Bears by a game in the race for the top seed.

MORE: Updated playoff picture for Seattle Seahawks after victory over Rams

2. Chicago Bears, 11-4 (first place, NFC North)

The Bears beat the Packers, whom they now lead by 1.5 games, at home on Saturday to keep the division lead and this seed position in between the Seahawks and Eagles. They lead the Eagles by one game and a head-to-head tiebreaker coming out of Week 16. The Bears would clinch at least a wild-card berth with a Lions loss.

3. Philadelphia Eagles, 10-5 (champions, NFC East)

The Eagles clinched a repeat for the division title and will stay here after beating the Commanders on Saturday night but remained at No. 3 with the Bears beating the Packers.

4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 7-7 (first place, NFC South)

The Buccaneers need to beat the Panthers, whom they lead only by a a common-games tiebreaker going into the teams' first of two matchups in the closing three weeks on Sunday.

5. Los Angeles Rams, 11-4 (second place, NFC West) 

The Rams, who clinched a playoff berth in Week 15, fell here from No. 1 after losing to the Seahawks on Thursday night. They would fall to No. 6 behind the 49ers if the 49ers beat the Colts on Monday, as the 49ers own the division-record tiebreaker (4-1 vs. 3-2).

MORE: Updated Rams playoff picture after loss to Seahawks

6. San Francisco 49ers, 10-4 (third place, NFC West)

The 49ers will either move up past the Rams with a win or stay here with a loss at 10-5, behind either the 10-5 Bears or 9-5-1 Packers. The 49ers will clinch a playoff spot with either a win or a Lions loss.

7. Green Bay Packers, 9-5-1 (second place, NFC North)

The Packers trail the Bears by 1.5 games after failing to take first place by blowing a late fourth-quarter lead against the Bears on Saturday. Green Bay's lead over Detroit for the final wild card is down to one game and the Lions can cut into that further on Sunday.

Who's in the hunt?

8. Detroit Lions (8-6)
9. Carolina Panthers (7-7)

The Lions have slim margin for error behind the Packers in the North. The Panthers' only real path is taking the South over the Buccaneers.

Who's out?

10. Dallas Cowboys (6-7-1)
11. Minnesota Vikings (6-8)
12. Atlanta Falcons (5-9)
13. New Orleans Saints (4-10)
14. Washington Commanders (4-11)
15. Arizona Cardinals (3-11)
16. New York Giants (2-12)

The Vikings, Falcons and Saints are all playing well for pride as strong spoilers, but now they will get teams they should beat in Week 16 in respective games against the Giants, Cardinals and Jets. The Cowboys were eliminated with the Eagles clinching of the division.

MORE: What to know about NFL sack records and how Myles Garrett can make history

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