The final week of the 2025 NFL season has arrived, and the league's playoff picture looks a lot different from what most anticipated it would when thePhiladelphia Eagleshosted the Dallas Cowboys to open the season.
Notably, theKansas City Chiefswere eliminated from playoff contention in Week 16, marking the first time since 2015 they failed to win the AFC West. Instead, theDenver Broncoshave emerged with that division title. They will be battling the New England Patriots – who had a terrific turnaround in Mike Vrabel's first season working withDrake Mayeand Co. – and theJacksonville Jaguarsfor the conference's No. 1 seed.
If that isn't topsy-turvy enough, the NFC's No. 1 seed from 2024, theDetroit Lions, failed to make the playoffs.Instead, the No. 1 seed will go to either the Seattle Seahawks, who have emerged as a legitimate Super Bowl threat after inkingSam Darnoldin free agency, or theSan Francisco 49ers, who are back in the postseason for the third time in the last four seasons.
Week 1: Detroit Lions wide receiver Isaac TeSlaa (18) makes a catch for a touchdown against the Green Bay Packers during the fourth quarter at Lambeau Field. The play was originally ruled an incomplete pass, but the call was overturned. Despite TeSlaa's effort, the Packers won the game 27-13." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
Best images of the 2025 NFL season
Week 1: Detroit Lions wide receiver Isaac TeSlaa (18)makes a catch for a touchdownagainst the Green Bay Packers during the fourth quarter at Lambeau Field. The play was originally ruled an incomplete pass, but the call was overturned. Despite TeSlaa's effort, the Packers won the game 27-13.
A total of 12 playoff berths have been wrapped up entering Week 18. The final two will be decided by head-to-head matchups in the season's final week, while many teams are playing for seeding scenarios as the campaign closes.
Here's how the NFL's playoff picture and bracket look ahead of Week 18.
NFL playoff picture
*=team has clinched a playoff berth.
AFC playoff picture
Denver Broncos (13-3, AFC West winners)*
New England Patriots (13-3, AFC East winners)*
Jacksonville Jaguars (12-4, AFC South leaders)*
Pittsburgh Steelers (9-7, AFC North leaders)
Houston Texans (11-5, wild card No. 1)*
Los Angeles Chargers (11-5, wild card No. 2)*
Buffalo Bills (11-5, wild card No. 3)*
In the hunt:Baltimore Ravens(8-8)
While six of the AFC's playoff berths have been clinched entering Week 17, none of the teams have yet clinched a specific seed. That means the conference's pecking order could change quickly during the final week of the 2025 NFL season.
NFC playoff picture
Seattle Seahawks (13-3, NFC West leaders)*
Chicago Bears (11-5, NFC North winners)*
Philadelphia Eagles (11-5, NFC East winners)*
Carolina Panthers (8-8, NFC South leaders)
San Francisco 49ers (12-4, wild card No. 1)*
Los Angeles Rams (11-5, wild card No. 2)*
Green Bay Packers (9-6-1, wild card No. 3)*
In the hunt: Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-9)
The Packers are the lone team to clinch a specific seed in the NFC playoff race. They are locked into the No. 7 slot. Week 18 results could change the rest of the standings.
NFL wild-card matchups, full bracket
Here are the wild-card round games in each conference entering Week 18.
AFC wild-card matchups
No. 1 Denver Broncos: BYE
The Broncos can clinch the No. 1 seed in the AFC and a coveted first-round bye with a victory over the Chargers in Week 18. Los Angeles is planning to sit some of its starters, including top quarterbackJustin Herbert, with the team locked into a wild-card berth, which should benefit Denver in its quest.
No. 2 New England Patriots vs. No. 7 Buffalo Bills
The Patriots have won the AFC East for the first time since 2019 and will be guaranteed a top-three seed in the conference. They would need the Broncos to lose (or tie) to overtake them for the No. 1 seed, so New England seems more likely to play on wild-card weekend.
Currently, the Patriots are set to face the Bills in what would be the third matchup between the teams this season. New England won the first meeting 23-20 in Week 5 before Buffalo bounced back with a come-from-behind 35-31 victory in Week 15 to snap a 10-game Patriots winning streak.
The Bills can be seeded anywhere from No. 5 to No. 7 in the AFC. It isn't yet clear whether they will play starters in Week 18 against the New York Jets asJosh Allen nurses a lingering foot injury.
No. 3 Jacksonville Jaguars vs. No. 6 Los Angeles Chargers
The Jaguars have an outside chance to catch the Broncos for the No. 1 overall seed, but they will likely be more focused on staving off the Texans for the AFC South title. So long as Jacksonville can beat the 3-13 Tennessee Titans, Liam Coen's team will have at least one home playoff game.
Meanwhile, the Chargers are set to rest their starters in Week 18, so it's unclear whether they will be able to hold onto the No. 6 seed. If they do, they will get a chance to avenge their 31-30 loss to the Jaguars in the 2022 wild-card round. Los Angeles held a 27-0 lead in that game before Jacksonville came storming back to earn the narrow victory.
No. 4 Pittsburgh Steelers vs. No. 5 Houston Texans
The Texans have a wide variety of potential outcomes in Week 18. They could be seeded as high as No. 3 overall in the conference, while they could slip all the way to No. 7, pending the results of the Week 18 games. Houston has a lot for which to play, as the Texans can catch the Jaguars in the AFC South race, so they will likely keep their starters in for Week 18.
Meanwhile, the Steelers are playing a winner-take-all game against the Ravens. The winner will take home the AFC North title and the conference's No. 4 overall seed. The loser will go home. Pittsburgh would make it into the postseason field in the event of a tie, but it appears to be a true 50-50 proposition for Mike Tomlin's squad to make the playoffs.
NFC wild-card matchups
No. 1 Seattle Seahawks: BYE
The Seahawks are playing the San Francisco 49ers in Week 18. The winner of that game will be the NFC West champion and the No. 1 seed in the NFC playoffs. The loser will lock down either the No. 5 or No. 6 seed in the conference. The Seahawks have a slight edge in the contest, as they will be the No. 1 seed in the event of a tie.
No. 2 Chicago Bears vs. No. 7 Green Bay Packers
The Bears' narrow loss to the 49ers on "Sunday Night Football" in Week 17 guaranteed they would be either the No. 2 or No. 3 seed in the NFC playoff race. A win over the Detroit Lions would set the Bears up with their third date against the Packers, who are locked into the conference's No. 7 seed.
Chicago and Green Bay have split their season series to date. The Packers won the first game 28-21 afterCaleb Williamsthrew an interception in the end zone while trying to mount a game-tying drive in the game's final minute. A couple of weeks later, Williams threw a 46-yard touchdown toDJ Moorein overtime to cap off a big-time fourth-quarter comeback that positioned the Bears to win the NFC North for the first time since 2018.
The Packers and Bears last met in the postseason in 2011. Aaron Rodgers led the No. 6-seeded Packers to a 21-14 victory en route to Green Bay winning its fourth Super Bowl title.
No. 3 Philadelphia Eagles vs. No. 6 Los Angeles Rams
The Eagles will be either the No. 2 or No. 3 seed in the NFC playoff picture, while the Rams will be either the No. 5 or No. 6 seed. It all depends on how they fare in Week 18 and how the teams ahead of them in the standings – the Bears, Seahawks and 49ers – fare.
An Eagles-Rams matchup would be a repeat of the teams' Week 3 meeting. Philadelphia won that one 33-26, but it's worth noting that Los Angeles led in the fourth quarter. However, a couple of field goal blocks allowed the Eagles to stave off defeat and improve to 3-0.
Would the Eagles be so lucky again? Maybe, but the game would figure to be tight. The two teams did meet in the playoffs last season, after all. Philadelphia earned a 28-22 win amid snowy conditions at Lincoln Financial Field but Los Angeles nearly executed a 13-point comeback over the final five minutes before the Eagles came up with one final stop.
No. 4 Carolina Panthers vs. No. 5 San Francisco 49ers
The NFC South title remains up for grabs. The winner will likely be the victor of the Panthers vs. Buccaneers game in Week 18, but there remains a scenario in which Tampa Bay wins and the Atlanta Falcons beat the New Orleans Saints head-to-head to create a three-way tie in the division that will send Carolina to the postseason. Either way, the Panthers have the edge to win the divisional crown.
Meanwhile, the No. 5 seed is also in flux. All that's presently known is it will belong to one of the three NFC West teams. The 49ers are presently slotted in there, but they could move up to the No. 1 seed with a win over the Seahawks.
If the Panthers and 49ers meet in this game, it would be a rematch of their "Monday Night Football" meeting in Week 12. San Francisco won that defensive slog 20-9, a game in which it forcedBryce Younginto multiple turnovers.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:NFL playoff picture: Projected AFC, NFC brackets in Week 18
