Let's Get Dangerous! (Week 13)
A look at the 2025 NFL Playoff Picture entering the final six weeks of the season
Well, ladies and gentlemen, we are here. We have arrived. The first 12 weeks were insane, wild, crazy, and chaotic, but we have now made it to the final one-third of the season. Thanksgiving always kicks off that home stretch in the NFL season, as the holiday begins the league's last stop before it enters the pivotal month of December. This is my fifth year covering the NFL playoff races in this manner on Vocal, and it's also the fifth year of the NFL's current 18-week regular season.
This is actually the sixth year of the current playoff format that allows seven teams per conference (four division champions and three Wild Card teams) into the playoffs, totalling 14 playoff teams overall, with 18 missing out and taking the first 18 picks in the upcoming draft (barring trades). We already saw one elimination when the New York Giants' season came to an end this past Sunday, and we will see 17 more eliminations in the final six weeks.
So with that, here's what the playoff picture looks like as the home stretch begins:
In the American Football Conference, we have the New England Patriots on top at 10-2. Yes, you read that right. The Patriots rebuild ended very quickly, and they are back among the AFC's elite. At #2, the Denver Broncos stand at 9-2 and with a two game lead in the AFC West. At #3, the sputtering Indianapolis Colts are 8-3 and barely hanging on to the AFC South, while the #4 spot is currently occupied by the Baltimore Ravens at 6-5, leading the AFC North via tiebreaker after winning five straight games.
Regarding the Wild Cards, the Los Angeles Chargers, the Jacksonville Jaguars, and the Buffalo Bills are all 7-4, but who is ranked where? The Chargers have the best conference record, so they hold the #5 spot as a result. Between the Jags and Bills, the Jags have a better conference record, so they're at #6, leaving the Bills at #7. Behind the line are three teams at 6-5: the Houston Texans, the Pittsburgh Steelers, and the three-time defending AFC Champions, the Kansas City Chiefs. That's right. The home stretch begins with the Chiefs behind the line. Oh, and the Steelers and Bills will face each other this week, and the winner will receive a two-game pick-up (one in the standings plus the head-to-head).
In the National Football Conference, the Los Angeles Rams lead the way at 9-2, followed by the Philadelphia Eagles and the Chicago Bears at 8-3. Right now, the Eagles hold the #2 position via tiebreaker (7-2 conference record), but they have a pivotal game with the Bears on Black Friday that could change things. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers sit at #4 with a 6-5 record, barely holding on to the NFC South lead.
The NFC Wild Card positions aren't a logjam like the NFC, but it's close. The Seattle Seahawks, at 8-3, currently have the #5 position, while the Green Bay Packers, at 7-3-1, hold the #6 position. At #7, it's the San Francisco 49ers at 8-4 after an ugly win over the Carolina Panthers. Behind the line and closing in, the Detroit Lions at 7-4. Elsewhere, the aforementioned Panthers are 6-6, while the Dallas Cowboys are 5-5-1 and have a slight shot at a Wild Card position--emphasis on slight.
* * *
This is usually the time where I point out any and all clinching scenarios, but there are none. That's nothing new. Week 13 usually doesn't have clinching scenarios unless certain teams are way ahead of certain others. I would think that the Patriots are the closest to clinching right now, but even they will have to wait at least a week. Oh, and I mentioned that 17 teams will be eliminated following the Giants last week. Six of them can be eliminated this week. The Titans, Jets, Raiders, Cardinals, Commanders, and Saints can all see their seasons end this week. Out of all of them, the Titans are the only ones who are lose and out, they're also the only ones who can be eliminated before they even play, and they can be eliminated as early as Thursday.
The home stretch is here, and Thanksgiving is upon us! All I can say is enjoy the push for the playoffs, have a happy Thanksgiving, and have a safe Black Friday before the Bears/Eagles kick off!
About the Creator
Clyde E. Dawkins
I'm a big sports fan, especially hockey, and I've been a fan of villainesses since I was eight! My favorite shows are The Simpsons and Family Guy, etc.
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