Who would be in the 2024-2025 NFL playoffs ahead of Super Bowl 59 based on the current AFC and NFC standings?
With seven-plus weeks left in the regular season, here's an updated look at who would be in, who would be out, and where all the potential postseason teams would be seeded going into the Sunday and Monday action of Week 12:
MORE: SN's NFL Power Rankings for Week 12
NFL standings for Week 12
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AFC playoff picture
1. Kansas City Chiefs 10-1 (first place, AFC West): The Chiefs are looking to get closer to nailing down the top seed, lone bye, and home-field advantage, and they rebounded from their first loss to regain their one-game lead and go up two on Pittsburgh.
2. Buffalo Bills 9-2 (first place, AFC East): The Bills are only a half-game behind the Chiefs after earning the head-to-head tiebreaker with their thrilling win in Buffalo in Week 11 before their Week 12 bye.
3. Pittsburgh Steelers 8-3 (first place, AFC North): The Steelers missed a chance to jump up to No. 2 ahead of the Bills after getting upset by the Browns in Cleveland to open Week 12. Their lead over the Ravens is down to one game, but they will still be in first place after Week 12 regardless because of beating the Ravens in Week 11.
4. Houston Texans 7-5 (first place, AFC South) The Texans still have a strong two-game lead on the Colts, who they beat twice, and are positioned to cruise to a second straight division title. It's looking tougher, however, to finish above No. 3, after their upset loss to the Titans in Week 12.
5. Los Angeles Chargers 7-3 (second place, AFC West): The Chargers jumped the Ravens by a half-game with their win over the Bengals on Sunday night in Week 11. Now they will look to increase that lead to 1.5 games head-to-head vs. the Ravens in Week 12.
6. Baltimore Ravens 7-4 (second place, AFC North): The Ravens need to work on making up ground on the Steelers in the division race over the final seven weeks after losing in Pittsburgh in Week 11, but first they need to beat the Chargers on Monday to get back into the top wild-card spot.
7. Denver Broncos 7-5 (third place, AFC West): The Broncos won again by rallying to beat the Raiders on the road in Week 12. They refuse to give up the final wild-card sport easily and can still move up to No. 5.
Who's in the hunt?
- 8. Miami Dolphins 5-6 (second place, AFC East)
- 9. Indianapolis Colts 5-7 (second place, AFC South)
- 10. Cincinnati Bengals 4-7 (third place, AFC North)
The Dolphins' three-game winning streak has made them the team to watch here ahead of the fading Colts and struggling Bengals.
Who's left?
- 11. Cleveland Browns 3-8 (fourth place, AFC North)
- 12. New York Jets 3-8 (third place, AFC East)
- 13. Tennessee Titans 3-8 (third place, AFC South)
- 14. New England Patriots 3-9 (fourth place, AFC East)
- 15. Jacksonville Jaguars 2-9 (fourth place, AFC South)
- 16. Las Vegas Raiders 2-9 (fourth place, AFC West)
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NFC playoff picture
1. Detroit Lions 10-1 (first place, NFC North): The Lions hold this spot for home-field advantage and the lone bye over the Eagles with both teams winning in Week 12.
2. Philadelphia Eagles 9-2 (first place, NFC East): The Eagles increased their division lead over the Commanders to two games and also kept pace with the winning Lions with their dominant, Saquon Barkley-fueled victory over the Rams on the road on Sunday night.
3. Seattle Seahawks 6-5 (first place, NFC West): The Seahawks jumped the Cardinals with their key win in Seattle in Week 12 by virtue of a head-to-head tiebreaker, which they also hold over the Falcons.
4. Atlanta Falcons 6-5 (first place, NFC South): The Falcons are 4-1 in division play and leading the NFC South by 1.5 games over the Buccaneers, who they already have swept this season. A Week 11 loss in Denver dropped them here but did little else to affect their playoff chances as the leaders of a weak division during their Week 12 bye.
5. Minnesota Vikings 9-2 (second place, NFC North): The Vikings have fallen a game behind the Lions in the division race, but they kept strengthening their great NFC wild-card position with another win over the Bears in Week 12.
6. Green Bay Packers 8-3 (third place, NFC North): The Packers, after a Week 10 bye, got back to strengthening their own wild-card position by surviving the Bears in Chicago in Week 11. They took care of another wild-card hopeful by beating the 49ers at home in Week 12.
7. Washington Commanders 7-5 (second place, NFC East): The Commanders fell down a spot after losing at the Eagles in Week 11 and are now longshots to win the division, leaving them to focus more on the final wild card after failing to rebound vs. the Cowboys in Week 12. They are only a half-game ahead of the Cardinals.
Who's in the hunt?
- 8. Arizona Cardinals 6-5 (second place, NFC West)
- 9. Tampa Bay Buccaneers 5-6 (second place, NFC South)
- 10. Los Angeles Rams 5-5 (third place, NFC West)
- 11. San Francisco 49ers 5-6 (fourth place, NFC West)
The Cardinals, Rams, and 49ers all have a better path to the playoffs by getting ahead of the Seahawks in the NFC West. The Buccaneers can still grab the final wild card given they beat the Commanders in Week 1.
Who's left?
- 12. New Orleans Saints 4-7 (third place, NFC South)
- 13. Chicago Bears 4-7 (fourth place, NFC North)
- 14. Dallas Cowboys 4-7 (third place, NFC East)
- 15. Carolina Panthers 3-8 (fourth place, NFC South)
- 16. New York Giants 2-9 fourth place, NFC East)
