NFL playoff picture: Are the Broncos the best team in the NFL?

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NFL playoff picture: Are the Broncos the best team in the NFL?

Bailey Bassett, ClutchPoints · ClutchPoints

Tue, Dec 16, 2025 ·

6 min read

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NFL playoff picture: Are the Broncos the best team in the NFL? appeared first on ClutchPoints . Add ClutchPoints as a Preferred Source by clicking here .

After 15 weeks of action, the NFL playoff picture is becoming much clearer. Thirteen teams have officially been eliminated from postseason contention. Most notably, the Kansas City Chiefs won't be playing postseason ball for the first time since 2014.

Meanwhile, teams that haven't had a lot of success in recent years, such as the Denver Broncos , New England Patriots , Chicago Bears , and Jacksonville Jaguars , are seemingly running the league. With the Chiefs eliminated, the league is more wide open than it has been in a long time. So, how does the playoff picture stack up in both the AFC and NFC?

AFC standings

Denver Broncos, 12-2, AFC West
New England Patriots, 11-3, AFC East
Jacksonville Jaguars, 10-4, AFC South
Pittsburgh Steelers , 8-6, AFC North
Los Angeles Chargers , 10-4, AFC West
Buffalo Bills , 10-4, AFC East
Houston Texans , 9-5, AFC South
Indianapolis Colts 8-6, AFC South
Baltimore Ravens , 7-7, AFC North
Kansas City Chiefs , 6-8, AFC West (eliminated)
Miami Dolphins , 6-8, AFC East (eliminated)
Cincinnati Bengals , 4-10, AFC North (eliminated)
New York Jets , 3-11, AFC East (eliminated)
Cleveland Browns , 3-11, AFC North (eliminated)
Las Vegas Raiders , 2-12, AFC West (eliminated)
Tennessee Titans , 2-12, AFC South (eliminated)

NFC standings

Los Angeles Rams , 11-3, NFC West
Chicago Bears, 10-4, NFC North
Philadelphia Eagles , 9-5, NFC East
Tampa Bay Buccaneers , 7-7, NFC South
Seattle Seahawks , 11-3, NFC West
San Francisco 49ers , 10-4, NFC West
Green Bay Packers , 9-4-1, NFC North
Detroit Lions , 8-6, NFC North
Carolina Panthers , 7-7, NFC South
Dallas Cowboys , 6-7-1, NFC East
Minnesota Vikings , 6-8, NFC North (eliminated)
Atlanta Falcons , 5-9, NFC South (eliminated)
New Orleans Saints , 4-10, NFC South (eliminated)
Washington Commanders , 4-10, NFC East (eliminated)
Arizona Cardinals , 3-11, NFC West (eliminated)
New York Giants , 2-12, NFC East (eliminated)

AFC playoff teams

The Broncos have won 11 straight games. They are still in the running to break the single-season sack record, and the offense is really coming together. Their win over the Green Bay Packers displayed more offensive firepower than perhaps any of their previous performances this season. Bo Nix had 302 yards and four touchdown passes.

The Patriots' winning streak, meanwhile, finally came to a close. They were up big on the Buffalo Bills, but a streaky defense and the team's youth were exposed late. The Broncos now have the clearest path to securing a first-round bye.

The Jaguars will take on the top-ranked Broncos in Week 16. In Week 15, they scored 48 points in what was arguably the best game of Trevor Lawrence's professional career . The former first overall pick went for 330 yards and five touchdowns. The Pittsburgh Steelers are the other divisional leader as of now in the AFC. Their prowess in cold-weather games paid off on Monday Night Football.

The Wild Card teams in the AFC are the Los Angeles Chargers, Buffalo Bills, and Houston Texans. The Chargers put the Chiefs out of their misery. The team has battled injuries all year, but they keep winning games. The Bills' run defense is bad, but the offense keeps leading the way. The Chiefs' elimination from postseason contention opens the door for Buffalo to finally win a Super Bowl. It also makes conversations about Josh Allen , not Patrick Mahomes , as the best player in the NFL easier to discuss. The Texans have arguably the best defense in the NFL . The offense scored 40 points last game, too, so perhaps C.J. Stroud and company are turning a corner.

AFC teams in the hunt

There are only two teams still in the postseason hunt in the AFC. The Indianapolis Colts made a somewhat desperate move and handed the quarterback reins to Philip Rivers, a 44-year-old who had been retired since 2020. It nearly resulted in a win, but the Colts gave up the lead late and have now lost four straight games.

The Ravens beat the Cincinnati Bengals 24-0. Lamar Jackson had another uninspiring game, but the defense has been stellar. The Bengals, Chiefs, New York Jets, Cleveland Browns, Las Vegas Raiders, and Tennessee Titans are the eliminated teams. Not only will Kansas City not be playing postseason ball, but their future is in doubt, too, as Patrick Mahomes suffered a torn ACL in their recent loss.

NFC playoff teams

The Los Angeles Rams were another team that scored a lot of points during Week 15. They won by a score of 41-34, but Davante Adams went down with a hamstring injury . It is unclear how much time the receiver will miss. He forms one-half of the best receiver duo in football with Puka Nacua , and he has helped Matthew Stafford become the MVP frontrunner.

The Chicago Bears shot back up the standings and are currently the two-seed. Caleb Williams is looking more and more like the highly touted prospect he was hyped up to be, and the defense forces lots of turnovers.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers lost their fifth game in six matchups, but they still hold onto the divisional lead in the NFC South, the NFL's worst division. The Philadelphia Eagles, meanwhile, finally got back on track and ended a three-game skid. The Eagles looked like the championship team fans know them to be, as they shut out the Raiders 31-0.

The Wild Card teams are the Seattle Seahawks, San Francisco 49ers, and Green Bay Packers. Jaxon Smith-Njigba is having a historic season for the Seahawk s. It was trade deadline acquisition Rashid Shaheed who came up clutch in Seattle's recent win, though. The Packers suffered a tough loss in Week 15. Not only did they lose to the Broncos, but they also lost Micah Parsons to a torn ACL .

NFC teams in the hunt

Three teams on the outside looking in of the NFL playoff picture are still in contention. The Lions' offense is elite and puts up a lot of points every week, but they just can't seem to beat other playoff-caliber teams, and the defense keeps letting them down. The Carolina Panthers were in a prime position to jump into a postseason position, but they lost to a bad New Orleans Saints team. The Panthers seem to flash playoff potential every other week and follow up their good performances with real letdowns.

The Dallas Cowboys are still in the hunt, too, although their Week 15 loss just about seals their fate. The Minnesota Vikings, Atlanta Falcons, Washington Commanders, Arizona Cardinals, New York Giants, and the Saints are already eliminated.

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