Buffalo Bills v Cleveland Browns - NFL 2025
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Over the last few months, the main question when it comes to the playoffs revolved around who'll actually get in. Now, the playoff picture is set in stone with the 2025 regular season in the books, which opens up a slew of other questions. Namely, what kind of teams make up this year's group of candidates to reach Santa Clara for Super Bowl LX? 

After a wild regular season that saw some rather bizarre developments unfold, like the Kansas City Chiefs outright missing the playoffs and Phillip Rivers coming out of retirement to relieve the Daniel Jones-less Indianapolis Colts, it feels like anything is possible during this latest mad dash toward a Lombardi Trophy. Right now, there doesn't seem to be one dominant team that is heads-and-shoulders above the rest of the competition. While that does bring a certain level of mystery to the playoffs, it also means that there is a wide array of questions surrounding each club that is vying for a championship. 

2026 NFL playoff schedule and bracket: Dates, times, and TV for every round from wild card to Super Bowl
John Breech
2026 NFL playoff schedule and bracket: Dates, times, and TV for every round from wild card to Super Bowl

Below, we're going to highlight the key narrative surrounding every organization that has reached the playoffs before they begin their title run. 

AFC playoff picture

1. Denver Broncos

Narrative: How much of an X-factor will Mile High be? 

The Broncos have secured the No. 1 seed in the conference and will be on the bye over the opening round of the playoffs. Just as important as the rest, Denver has also locked up home-field advantage, meaning the road to Super Bowl LX in the AFC will go through Mile High. That's quite the advantage with Denver being one of the toughest environments in the NFL due to the elevation and rabid fanbase. This season, the Broncos were also stellar at home, but not unbeatable. They finished the year 8-1 at Mile High, and that one loss does show that they can be had on the wrong day. That defeat came back in Week 16 in a 34-20 thumping by the Jaguars. Was that just a one-off, and they'll continue their dominance at home, or is that a sign that teams can enter Mile High with confidence? 

2. New England Patriots

Narrative: Will success continue vs. better competition?

The Patriots have enjoyed a remarkable turnaround in 2025, finishing with a 14-3 record and winning the AFC East. That's a 10-game improvement from their 4-13 campaign in 2024. Two big pieces of the puzzle for this turnaround have been Drake Maye ascending into an MVP candidate and Mike Vrabel coming aboard and turning the tide. Another piece has been their schedule, which was the easiest in the NFL this season. That has led to some doubting how legit they are, so the playoffs will be an arena for New England to either prove the doubters right or wrong as the competition ramps up. 

3. Jacksonville Jaguars

Narrative: Can Trevor Lawrence stay hot?

The Jaguars are another team to burst onto the scene with a new head coach as Liam Coen led the franchise to a 13-4 season that won them the AFC South and made them the No. 3 seed. One of Coen's greatest accomplishments this season has been reviving Trevor Lawrence, as the former No. 1 overall pick has been on a tear to end the regular season. Lawrence's 38 total touchdowns this season are the most in franchise history, and he's specifically turned it on down the stretch. Over his last six games, Lawrence has 19 total touchdowns and just one turnover. If he plays to that level in the postseason, they could continue to surprise us. 

4. Pittsburgh Steelers

Narrative: Is this the same old Steelers who'll be one-and-done? 

Pittsburgh narrowly escaped a do-or-die matchup against the Ravens to win the AFC North. With their postseason ticket punched, it's fair to wonder what they'll do when they get there. In years past, the Steelers have been known to be just competitive enough to sneak into the playoffs, but then falter right out of the gate. In the team's last four trips to the playoffs, they were one-and-done in the wild card round, and their last playoff win came back in the 2017 season when Ben Roethlisberger was still under center. Will this version of the Steelers be different, or will it be more of the same, which includes another early playoff exit? 

5. Houston Texans

Narrative: Is Houston the scariest team in the AFC playoff picture?

There's an argument to be made that the Texans might be the scariest team in the conference, despite being a wild-card entry. Coming into Week 18, Houston's defense led the NFL in points allowed (16.6) and total yards allowed (272.4). While allowing 30 points to the Colts in the regular season finale (while resting key players for a bulk of the game) may throw a wrench into those numbers, they are one of the most lethal defenses when firing on all cylinders. When you pair that with C.J. Stroud coming on strong in the second half, the Texans have the makings of a wild-card team that is eager to pull off some upsets. 

6. Buffalo Bills

Narrative: Can Josh Allen finally break through?

Josh Allen has the most playoff wins (7) without a Super Bowl appearance by any quarterback all-time. At points this season, it looked like the seas were finally parting for him; however, with the likes of Patrick Mahomes and Joe Burrow non-factors this go around in the postseason. Buffalo was unable to secure the AFC East, though, which has Allen forced to go on the road throughout the playoffs en route to that elusive Super Bowl berth. That's easier said than done, as he's 0-4 on the road in his playoff career (7-2 at home). Even with this hurdle, one could make the case that this is one of his prime opportunities for a ring with his main rival (Mahomes) out of the picture.  

7. Los Angeles Chargers

Narrative: Does Justin Herbert turn into a puddle again? 

Justin Herbert is widely considered to be one of the most talented quarterbacks we have in the NFL. However, one of the big knocks on him has been his inability to elevate or simply play at his normal level come playoff time. He's 0-2 in his playoff career, and those two defeats were headlined by miscues from the QB. During the 2022 season, Herbert and Co. blew a 27-point lead to the Jaguars. Then, last season, Herbert melted down and tossed four interceptions in a loss to Houston. While injuries will be a central storyline surrounding Los Angeles this postseason, so will the ghosts of Herbert's playoff past. 

NFC playoff picture

1. Seattle Seahawks

Narrative: What will Sam Darnold look like in the playoffs?

The Seahawks earned the No. 1 seed in the NFC thanks to their dominating win over the 49ers on Saturday night. While the defense looks like it's clicking at the right time and the rushing attack is as potent as ever, their playoff success will be determined by Sam Darnold. The veteran quarterback did redeem himself a bit with this Week 18 win to clinch the No. 1 seed after faltering in that exact spot a year ago with the Vikings. However, does Darnold regress and look like the QB we saw late in the season last year, including in a wild-card loss to the Rams, where he led his offense to just nine points scored?

2. Chicago Bears

Narrative: Will defensive regression bleed into the playoffs?

Chicago is another club that enjoyed a quick turnaround under a first-year coach, as Ben Johnson has lifted them up to the No. 2 seed in Year 1. While he has worked his magic throughout the organization, it's worth pointing out that the defense has regressed a bit. Back in Week 17, they allowed the 49ers to drop 42 points against them and then saw the Lions move the ball with relative ease in Week 18, albeit only scoring 19 points. The Bears have largely depended on takeaways throughout the regular season, and that'll need to continue for them to make a run. If the turnovers dry up and the defense continues to let opposing offenses cruise up and down the field, that's putting a lot of pressure on Caleb Williams' shoulders to ask him to keep up. 

3. Philadelphia Eagles

Narrative: Will Philly repeat as Super Bowl champions?

Despite all the drama surrounding Philly at points this season, they were able to win the NFC East and are the No. 3 seed, which has them in a prime spot to push for a second-consecutive Super Bowl title. The big question in that pursuit, however, will be the offense. At points down the stretch, it looked as if something clicked for Jalen Hurts' unit. However, confidence was shaken in the second half of their Week 17 matchup against the Bills. Despite winning the game, the offense scored no points, had just 16 total yards, and one first down. Philadelphia's defense has shown it can carry the load and grind out low-scoring games, but if it finds itself in a shootout, its chances to repeat could be a serious risk. 

4. Carolina Panthers

Narrative: Can we take Carolina seriously?

Carolina essentially won the NFC South by default. They lost their Week 18 matchup against the Buccaneers, which forced them into rooting for the Falcons to win their game against the Saints to trigger a three-way tiebreaker, which they came out the right side of. The Panthers are just the seventh team in NFL history to make the playoffs with a losing record. They also own the third-worst point differential (-69) by a division champion since 1970. With all that in mind, are we really expected to look at them as a serious threat this postseason?

5. Los Angeles Rams

Narrative: Is L.A. a sleeping giant in the NFC? 

Similar to how we described Houston in the AFC, the Rams have a case to be the most feared team in the conference, despite not being one of the top four seeds. They have an MVP candidate at quarterback in Matthew Stafford, who just wrapped up his regular season with a four-touchdown performance. On top of that, Sean McVay is one of the best coaches in the NFL, and L.A. has a defense that can get after the quarterback. They need to get Davante Adams (hamstring) back healthy, but this team has all the makings of a club that can go deep, provided they stay healthy, and Stafford doesn't have any of the multi-turnover games we saw at points this regular season. 

6. San Francisco 49ers 

Narrative: Will San Francisco get healthy enough?

The Niners have seen the injury bug take multiple bites out of them this season. On defense, they lost pillars like linebacker Fred Warner and pass rusher Nick Bosa for the season. More recently, they've been without star offensive tackle Trent Williams and top wideout Ricky Pearsall. Their absences were abundantly apparent in Week 18, where the offense mustered just three points, and Brock Purdy was sacked three times. If they can get those guys back in the fold and see the rest of the roster get a smidge healthier, they could be dangerous. If not, they simply may not have the firepower to make a substantial push. 

7. Green Bay Packers

Narrative: Can Green Bay's defense turn it around?

The Packers have lost four straight games to wrap up the regular season. While Week 18 saw them rest their key starters, the prior three games over this losing streak saw this defense struggle mightily. Over that stretch, they surrendered 32.3 points per game. The loss of Micah Parsons (torn ACL) has, of course, been massive, but it might even prove to be their fatal flaw in these playoffs. On top of losing Parsons, this is an entirely different defense when they are forced to go on the road, like they will be tasked with this postseason as the No. 7 seed. This season, Green Bay is giving up 24.1 points per game on the road compared to just 17.9 points per game at Lambeau Field. Defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley will need to dial something up to see their season go beyond Wild Card Weekend.