The NFL playoff field is essentially set.
The No. 1 seeds and five of six wild-card contests are locked up ahead of a decisive Sunday Night Football bout between the Baltimore Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers. The league will unveil the full postseason schedule with a date and time for every game later Sunday.
AFC
Matchup
(5) Texans at (4) Ravens/Steelers*
(6) Bills at (3) Jaguars
(7) Chargers at (2) Patriots
The Denver Broncos and New England Patriots took care of business in the late window Sunday to secure the conference’s 1- and 2-seeds, respectively. Denver will rest next week before hosting a divisional-round game against the lowest-seeded team left.
The winner of Sunday night’s win-or-go-home tilt between the 8-8 Ravens and 9-7 Steelers will take the AFC North, become the No. 4 seed, and host the Houston Texans.
The Buffalo Bills will go up against the Jacksonville Jaguars in a battle of top-10 offenses. The Patriots and Los Angeles Chargers – familiar rivals in the Tom Brady and Philip Rivers eras – will see each other in the postseason again. Expect fireworks with Drake Maye and Justin Herbert under center.
AFC playoff standings
Seed
Team
Division
Record
1
Broncos
West
14-3
2
Patriots
East
14-3
3
Jaguars
South
13-4
4
TBD*
North
TBD
5
Texans
South
12-5
6
Bills
East
12-5
7
Chargers
West
11-6
* The AFC’s No. 4 seed will be decided on Sunday Night Football between Baltimore and Pittsburgh
NFC
Matchup
(5) Rams at (4) Panthers
(6) 49ers at (3) Eagles
(7) Packers at (2) Bears
Intriguing NFC wild-card clashes lie ahead. None will feature the Seattle Seahawks, who’ll watch the first round from home as the No. 1 seed.
The Los Angeles Rams will be on the road, but Sean McVay’s outfit will play the 8-9 Carolina Panthers, who won the NFC South despite losing their final two games. The San Francisco 49ers will travel to Philadelphia to face the Eagles in their first playoff meeting since the NFC title game in 2023.
Finally, the Chicago Bears will host the Green Bay Packers in another colossal matchup in the NFL’s oldest rivalry. The Bears and Packers split their season series with two thrilling games in December.
NFC playoff standings
Seed
Team
Division
Record
1
Seahawks
West
14-3
2
Bears
North
11-6
3
Eagles
East
11-6
4
Panthers
South
8-9
5
Rams
West
12-5
6
49ers
West
12-5
7
Packers
North
9-7-1
