Week 13 in the NFL is in the books, and the playoff race is heating up. Surprising contenders and intriguing potential matchups are beginning to fill out the bracket, giving fans a taste of what this year’s path to Super Bowl 60 could look like.
With so much still to be decided, the NFL playoff picture is shifting weekly, but let’s take a peek at where things stand now. Here’s a look at the current NFL postseason bracket, plus a look at which teams are rising and falling in PFSN’s NFL Playoff Predictor.
Week 13 NFL Standings and Playoff Picture
AFC Playoff Picture
1. New England Patriots, 11-2
2. Denver Broncos, 10-2
3. Jacksonville Jaguars, 8-4
4. Baltimore Ravens, 6-6
5. Los Angeles Chargers, 8-4
6. Indianapolis Colts, 8-4
7. Buffalo Bills, 8-4
In the Hunt
8. Houston Texans, 7-5
9. Pittsburgh Steelers, 6-6
10. Kansas City Chiefs, 6-6
11. Miami Dolphins, 5-7
12. Cincinnati Bengals, 4-8
13. New York Jets, 3-9
14. Cleveland Browns, 3-9
Eliminated
15. Las Vegas Raiders, 2-10
16. Tennessee Titans, 1-11
NFC Playoff Picture
- Chicago Bears, 9-3
2. Los Angeles Rams, 9-3
3. Philadelphia Eagles, 8-4
4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 7-5
5. Seattle Seahawks, 9-3
6. Green Bay Packers, 8-3-1
7. San Francisco 49ers, 9-4
In the Hunt
8. Detroit Lions, 7-5
9. Dallas Cowboys, 6-5-1
10. Carolina Panthers, 7-6
11. Atlanta Falcons, 4-8
12. Minnesota Vikings, 4-8
Eliminated
13. Arizona Cardinals, 3-9
14. Washington Commanders, 3-9
15. New Orleans Saints, 2-10
16. New York Giants, 2-11
NFL Teams on the Rise
Carolina Panthers
Perhaps no team in the NFL has had as confusing of a 2025 season as the Panthers. That hasn’t always been a bad thing, though, and it certainly wasn’t a bad thing on Sunday. They improved to 7-6 with a surprise victory over the Rams, intercepting MVP candidate Matthew Stafford two times.
The Panthers are still trailing the Buccaneers in the NFC South, but they’re right on their tail. Whether or not they actually win the division, a key win over a Super Bowl contender like Los Angeles will help out Carolina’s chances of making the postseason, as a division champion or as a wild card team.
MORE: Latest 7-Round 2026 NFL Mock Draft
Carolina now has a 38.9% chance of making the playoffs and 36.0% odds of winning the division (while the Bucs have a 65.6% chance of making the playoffs and 63.8% odds to win the NFC South), according to PFSN’s NFL Playoff Predictor.
Houston Texans
C.J. Stroud made his return to the Houston Texans’ starting lineup this week, and the result was the same as their previous three games: a victory. The Texans marched into Indianapolis to beat the Colts 20-16, improving to 7-5 and winning their fourth game in a row.
After a slow start to 2025, the Texans have picked things up in recent weeks. Their current winning streak includes victories over teams like the Jaguars, Bills, and Colts. In the games they haven’t won, they’ve often played legitimate Super Bowl contenders tightly all year. Don’t sleep on Houston to potentially make noise in the NFL postseason this year.
Houston now has a 64.8% chance of making the playoffs and 13.8% odds of winning the division, per PFSN’s NFL Playoff Predictor. Their odds of making the playoffs increased by 17.6 percentage points with their massive win over the Colts.
NFL Teams on the Decline
Indianapolis Colts
There’s room for Indianapolis Colts fans to be concerned with their team’s play in recent weeks. Their loss to the Texans on Sunday marked their third loss in their last four games, bringing them down to an 8-4 record for the 2025 NFL season.
As a result of their recent slump, the Colts no longer hold the tiebreaker for first place in the AFC South. Perhaps most interestingly is the fact that Jonathan Taylor has been held to just 4.0 yards per carry or fewer in each of those losses. Have NFL teams finally figured out how to stop the Indianapolis offense?
The Colts still have an 81% chance of making the playoffs and 41.5% odds of winning their division in PFSN’s model, but they are looking significantly less scary.
Pittsburgh Steelers
Due to the lack of top-notch play within their division, the Pittsburgh Steelers are still in a tight competition to win the AFC North. Though the Ravens losing provided an opportunity for Pittsburgh to take control of the division, their 26-7 loss to the Bills on Sunday blew up that chance.
The Steelers held a 7-3 lead going into halftime, but the second half was all Buffalo. Pittsburgh’s lack of offensive explosion has come back to hurt them several times this season, and even in a weak division, they might not be able to come away with the crown.
Pittsburgh has a 51.7% chance of making the playoffs and a 51.5% chance of winning the division (thanks in part to the Ravens losing to the Bengals on Thanksgiving), per PFSN’s model.
