NFL playoff overview: How Week 9 affected the rankings

November 3, 2025

The NFL made some unexpected moves on Sunday, stirring up confusion regarding the playoff picture.

The team that was earlier in the No. 1 seed in the NFC saw a drop in the standings.

There’s still one more game this week, specifically Monday Night Football, featuring the Dallas Cowboys and the Arizona Cardinals. Both teams are struggling in the standings, which could affect postseason dynamics.

Indianapolis Colts (7-2, 1st place AFC South) Week 10: vs. Atlanta (game in Berlin, Germany)
New England Patriots (7-2, 1st place AFC East) Week 10: vs. Tampa Bay
Denver Broncos (7-2, 1st place AFC West) Week 10: vs. Las Vegas
Pittsburgh Steelers (5-3, 1st place AFC North) Week 10: vs. Los Angeles Chargers
Buffalo Bills (6-2) Week 10: at Miami
Los Angeles Chargers (6-3) Week 10: vs. Pittsburgh
Jacksonville Jaguars (4-3) Week 10: at Houston
Kansas City Chiefs (5-4) Week 10: bye
Houston Texans (3-5) Week 10: vs. Jacksonville
Baltimore Ravens (2-5) Week 9: vs. Minnesota
Cincinnati Bengals (3-6) Week 10: bye
Las Vegas Raiders (2-6) Week 10: at Denver
Cleveland Browns (2-6) Week 10: vs. New York Jets
Miami Dolphins (2-7) Week 10: vs. Buffalo
New York Jets (1-7) Week 10: vs. Cleveland
Tennessee Titans (1-8) Week 10: bye

After the Colts lost to the Steelers and both the Patriots and Broncos secured wins, the three teams ended Week 9 tied at 7-2.

However, Indianapolis remains first in the conference due to a better record in the AFC, boasting a 6-1 record while Denver and New England are 4-2. New England currently holds the tiebreaker over Denver.

Meanwhile, thanks to Jacksonville’s overtime victory against the Raiders and Kansas City’s loss to the Bills, the Jaguars move into the playoff spot while the Chiefs drop to eighth.

At the conference’s lower end, the Jets will face the Browns in a crucial game that could impact the potential for the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.

Philadelphia Eagles (6-2, 1st place NFC East) Week 10: vs. Green Bay
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6-2, 1st place NFC South) Week 10: vs. New England
Seattle Seahawks (6-2, 1st place NFC West) Week 10: vs. Arizona
Green Bay Packers (5-2-1, 1st place NFC North) Week 10: vs. Philadelphia
Los Angeles Rams (6-2) Week 10: vs. San Francisco
San Francisco 49ers (6-3) Week 10: vs. Los Angeles Rams
Detroit Lions (5-3) Week 10: at Washington
Chicago Bears (5-3) Week 10: vs. New York Giants
Carolina Panthers (5-4) Week 10: vs. New Orleans
Minnesota Vikings (4-4) Week 10: vs. Baltimore
Dallas Cowboys (3-4-1) Week 10: bye
Atlanta Falcons (3-5) Week 10: vs. Indianapolis (game in Berlin, Germany)
Washington Commanders (3-6) Week 10: vs. Detroit
Arizona Cardinals (2-5) Week 10: vs. Seattle
New York Giants (2-7) Week 10: vs. Chicago
New Orleans Saints (1-8) Week 10: vs. Carolina

As Week 9 unfolds, the Packers have found themselves at the top of the NFC.

However, following their recent game, they dropped to fourth place.

Green Bay suffered a last-minute loss against the Panthers, leaving their record at 5-2-1 and trailing behind three teams at 6-2. The Buccaneers and the Eagles, who were both on bye, remain at 6-2, alongside the Seahawks, who achieved a victory over the Commanders last night.

Among those teams at 6-2, the Eagles have the upper hand in terms of tiebreakers, maintaining a 5-1 record within the NFC. Tampa Bay stands at 4-2 in conference play, while Seattle holds a 3-2 record in the NFC.

Seattle and the Rams are even at 6-2, yet the Seahawks’ loss in divisional play puts them at a disadvantage in the tiebreaker against Los Angeles.

Looking at the race for the final playoff spot, the Lions currently lead over the Bears, keeping their spot due to a win against Chicago earlier in the season.