Week 12 of the 2025 NFL season comes to an end tonight as the Carolina Panthers visit the San Francisco 49ers on Monday Night Football. With that game still pending, we can take a look at the latest AFC
and NFC playoff pictures and the standings ahead of tonight’s game, as well as what the results from tonight will do to the standings.
This week featured the first elimination of the year, with the New York Giants leaving the NFC playoff picture. No teams have been able to clinch a playoff position yet.
Here are the current standings and the AFC and NFC playoff pictures as we await Week 12’s Monday Night Football game.
AFC Playoff Picture
(Standings through Sunday Week 12)
1 – New England Patriots (10-2) [AFC East Leader]
2 – Denver Broncos (9-2) [AFC West Leader]
3 – Indianapolis Colts (8-3) [AFC South Leader]
4 – Baltimore Ravens (6-5) [AFC North Leader]
5 – Los Angeles Chargers (7-4) [Wildcard 1]
6 – Jacksonville Jaguars (7-4) [Wildcard 2]
7 – Buffalo Bills (7-4) [Wildcard 3]
Pittsburgh Steelers (6-5)
Houston Texans (6-5)
Kansas City Chiefs (6-5)
Miami Dolphins (4-7)
Cincinnati Bengals (3-8)
Cleveland Browns (3-8)
Las Vegas Raiders (2-9)
New York Jets (2-9)
Tennessee Titans (1-10)
Tiebreaks:
- Ravens over Steelers based on AFC North record (2-0 vs. 2-1)
- Chargers over Jaguars and Bills based on AFC record (6-2 vs. 4-2 vs. 4-3)
- Jaguars over Bills based on AFC record (4-2 vs. 4-3)
- Steelers and Texans over Chiefs based on AFC record (5-2 vs. 5-2 vs. 3-4); Steelers over Texans based on strength of victory (.448 vs. .439)
- Texans over Chiefs based on AFC record (5-2 vs. 3-4)
- Bengals over Browns based on head-to-head results
- Raiders over Jets based on strength of victory (.478 vs. .273)
NFC Playoff Picture
(Standings through Sunday Week 11)
1 – Los Angeles Rams (9-2) [NFC West Leader]
2 – Philadelphia Eagles (8-3) [NFC East Leader]
3 – Chicago Bears (8-3) [NFC North Leader]
4 – Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6-5) [NFC South Leader]
5 – Seattle Seahawks (8-3) [Wildcard 1]
6 – Green Bay Packers (7-3-1) [Wildcard 2]
7 – San Francisco 49ers (7-4)* [Wildcard 3]
Detroit Lions (7-4)
Carolina Panthers (6-5)*
Dallas Cowboys (5-5-1)
Atlanta Falcons (4-7)
Minnesota Vikings (4-7)
Arizona Cardinals (3-8)
Washington Commanders (3-8)
New Orleans Saints (2-9)
Eliminated:
New York Giants (2-10)
*The Panthers and 49ers face off on Monday night. A 49ers win/Panthers loss does not impact the standings, with both teams remaining in their current positions. A Panthers win/49ers loss jumps Carolina into the fourth seed, taking over the NFC South lead from the Buccaneers, while the 49ers would drop to eighth, one spot out of the playoffs, with the Lions moving into the final wildcard position.
Tiebreaks:
- Eagles over Bears based on NFC record (7-2 vs. 5-2)
- Buccaneers over Panthers based on NFC South record (2-0 vs. 2-1)
- 49ers over Lions based on NFC record (7-2 vs. 4-3)
- Falcons over Vikings based on head-to-head results
- Cardinals over Commanders based on NFC record (3-5 vs. 1-6)
