What to Know Heading Into the 2025 NFL Playoffs

The regular season is over, and 14 teams are still standing, some were a surprise, and others not so much. The 2025 NFL Playoffs are locked in, and the bracket is loaded with massive storylines from both conferences. There are sophomore QBs leading top-seeded teams, long-running rivalries firing back up, and more than a few franchises hoping to snap playoff droughts.

With the Wild Card round set to begin January 10, here’s what’s going on around the league heading into the postseason.

Top Seeds — New Faces at the Top

Both #1 seeds bring fresh storylines to the playoffs this year. In the AFC, the Denver Broncos are riding into January with a solid 14-3 record and home-field advantage for the first time since Peyton Manning led them to a Super Bowl win back in 2015. What makes this run different is that they’re doing it behind a sophomore quarterback.

Bo Nix has been remarkably efficient this season with 3,800+ passing yards, 28 TDs, and just 8 picks. The offense was explosive as they racked up 490 points, and the defense is one of the best in the league. Nik Bonitto was a beast with a respectable 14 sacks, good for 5th in the NFL, and the unit gave up only 320 points all year. Denver rested starters in Week 18, so they will have a couple of weeks to get and stay healthy.

In the NFC, it’s the Seattle Seahawks on top at 14-3. It’s their first NFC West title since 2020, and the defense looks like the best in the league. They forced 30 turnovers, allowed just 310 points, and beat 9 of their 12 conference opponents. Jaxon Smith-Njigba went nearly 1,800 receiving yards, and Sam Darnold threw for 4,000+ yards and 25 touchdown passes in a season that has silenced a lot of questions about his long-term role. Seattle will wait to see who advances from the Wild Card round, but they’ll play all their games at home unless they reach the Super Bowl, which is a real probability given that the bookmakers have them as the favorite to win it all at +420.

AFC Outlook — Veterans, Upsets, and a Rookie Surprise

The AFC has a little bit of everything. There are proven veterans like Aaron Rodgers and Josh Allen. There’s an emerging group led by Trevor Lawrence, C.J. Stroud, and Bo Nix — it’s a stacked lineup.

The Jacksonville Jaguars claimed the AFC South and #3 seed at 13-4. It was Lawrence’s best year as a pro — 4,000+ yards and 30 TDs — and the Jaguars were 8-1 at home. They’ll host the Buffalo Bills, who enter at 12-5 with one of the league’s best offenses, with an insane 481 points scored and the top rushing attack, powered by James Cook III, who put up over 1,600 yards. The Jags beat Buffalo earlier this year, but the Bills are coming in healthy and looking for revenge.

Drake Maye had a breakout year, and the Patriots are back in the playoffs — and not just back, but strong. New England also went 14-3, tied with Denver for the AFC’s best record, and Maye threw 31 touchdown passes in his 2nd season in Foxborough. They face the 11-6 Chargers, who surged late after a forgettable 2024. Justin Herbert threw for 3,700+ yards, and the defense finished top-10 in sacks.

Pittsburgh and Houston are rounding out the AFC Wild Card matchups, where the Steelers and Aaron Rodgers, with a 10-7 record, claimed the AFC North with a gritty, defense-first style. Their defense got a huge boost with the return of T.J. Watt, but now they’ll face a Texans team that has grown into a decent offense under Stroud. This might be one of the grittier matchups of the weekend.

NFC Picture — Defense, Redemption, and Chaos in the South

The NFC bracket feels wide open behind the Seahawks. No team comes in without questions, and no matchup feels safe.

Let’s start with the Bears and Packers. Chicago won the NFC North for the 1st time since 2018, thanks to a solid year from Caleb Williams. Of course, he didn’t light up the league, and the Bears still have never had a QB with 4,000+ yards in a season, but he managed games fairly well and avoided mistakes. Green Bay, on the other hand, needed to rest their starters in Week 18 as they went 10-7 after some crushing injuries in the second half of the season. These teams split the season series, but playoff experience often matters — and Jordan Love has more of it now than Williams. Given how close these games were during the regular season, this game could go either way.

The Eagles, at 11-6, are the NFC East champions again and hold the #3 seed. They’re hosting the 49ers, who fell from the No. 1 seed after a Week 18 loss. This is a rematch of the 2022 NFC Championship Game, and emotions will undoubtedly be high. Philadelphia has leaned on a balanced attack this year, where Saquon Barkley went 1,100+ yards and 7 touchdowns, and DeVonta Smith went 1,000 yards in the air with 4 TDs. San Francisco has been stronger on defense, especially against the pass, but Brock Purdy enters the playoffs with questions about his shoulder.

Then there’s the strangest playoff story of them all — the Carolina Panthers. At 8-9, they hold the worst record of any playoff team this year, but thanks to pure chaos in the NFC South — and a late Falcons win over the Saints — they’re in. Carolina’s defense has taken the ball away 21 times, and their divisional record of 5-1 helped them survive a tough season. They’ll host the 12-5 Rams, a team that’s undoubtedly dangerous offensively despite multiple injuries throughout the year. Matthew Stafford, Kyren Williams, and Puka Nacua have led the way, and they’re big favorites to advance to the next round. This is an offensive engine that’s hard to beat.

Who Has the Edge?

Seattle and Denver enter with the best odds to win it all, according to the bookmakers. The Seahawks are at +420, followed by the Rams at +450, the Broncos at +700, and the Eagles at +900. While those are the teams we expected to be at the top, we have to remember that odds and seeds don’t mean much once the games kick off.

The Broncos and Seahawks are home through the conference rounds, and that’s always been a big advantage, especially with Denver’s altitude and Seattle’s crowd noise. Both fields are nightmares for opponents. But several wild card teams — the Rams, 49ers, Bills, and Texans — are coming in with 11+ wins and enough talent to knock off anyone. 

What Comes Next

The action starts January 10th and stretches through the weekend, with MNF wrapping up the Wild Card round between Houston and Pittsburgh. The Divisional games follow on January 16-17, with the Conference Championships set for January 24.

The Super Bowl, scheduled for February 7th at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, could feel like a home game if the 49ers grind it out and make it through the NFC bracket. But the path definitely won’t be easy, and this year’s field is as deep as any in recent memory.

One thing is clear — every team left has real strengths, real flaws, and a reason to believe they can go all the way.