2026 season · 17-game regular season
NFL Playoff Picture 2026 — Standings, Seeds, Magic Numbers & Clinch Scenarios
Seven teams from each conference make the playoffs. The four division winners take the first four seeds, and the three best of the rest take the wild-card places — so finishing seventh in the conference is not the same as making the playoffs.
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Eisenthesky Productions · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
This week's games (KST) · Week 8
On bye in Week 8: Houston Texans · New York Giants · New Orleans Saints · San Francisco 49ers
Fri, Oct 30 · KSTWeek 8
Mon, Nov 2 · KSTWeek 8
- FinalRavensBaltimore Ravens10 : 36BillsBuffalo BillsBox score →
- FinalTitansTennessee Titans36 : 43BengalsCincinnati BengalsBox score →
- FinalCardinalsArizona Cardinals33 : 30CowboysDallas CowboysBox score →
- FinalVikingsMinnesota Vikings15 : 19LionsDetroit LionsBox score →
- FinalRaidersLas Vegas Raiders38 : 33JetsNew York JetsBox score →
- FinalBrownsCleveland Browns6 : 27SteelersPittsburgh SteelersBox score →
- FinalFalconsAtlanta Falcons0 : 16BuccaneersTampa Bay BuccaneersBox score →
- FinalColtsIndianapolis Colts7 : 42JaguarsJacksonville JaguarsBox score →
- FinalChargersLos Angeles Chargers9 : 24RamsLos Angeles RamsBox score →
- FinalChiefsKansas City Chiefs24 : 28BroncosDenver BroncosBox score →
- FinalPatriotsNew England Patriots24 : 19DolphinsMiami DolphinsBox score →
- FinalEaglesPhiladelphia Eagles10 : 27CommandersWashington CommandersBox score →
Tue, Nov 3 · KSTWeek 8
Playoff picture
Who would be in if the season ended on today's records.
AFC
Division leaders
- 1Buffalo Bills6-1
- 2Denver Broncos6-2
- 3Pittsburgh Steelers6-2
- 4Jacksonville Jaguars5-2
Wild cards
- 5Kansas City Chiefs5-2
- 6Cincinnati Bengals5-2
- 7New England Patriots5-3
NFC
Division leaders
- 1San Francisco 49ers6-1
- 2Minnesota Vikings6-1
- 3New York Giants4-2-1
- 4Carolina Panthers3-4
Wild cards
- 5Detroit Lions5-2
- 6Chicago Bears5-2
- 7Green Bay Packers5-3
Division standings
Data: BALLDONTLIE · · Method →
AFC East
| Buffalo Bills | 6-1 | .857 |
| New England Patriots | 5-3 | .625 |
| New York Jets | 2-6 | .250 |
| Miami Dolphins | 1-6 | .143 |
AFC North
| Pittsburgh Steelers | 6-2 | .750 |
| Cincinnati Bengals | 5-2 | .714 |
| Cleveland Browns | 5-3 | .625 |
| Baltimore Ravens | 4-4 | .500 |
AFC South
| Jacksonville Jaguars | 5-2 | .714 |
| Houston Texans | 2-5 | .286 |
| Indianapolis Colts | 2-6 | .250 |
| Tennessee Titans | 1-7 | .125 |
AFC West
| Denver Broncos | 6-2 | .750 |
| Kansas City Chiefs | 5-2 | .714 |
| Las Vegas Raiders | 4-4 | .500 |
| Los Angeles Chargers | 0-7 | .000 |
NFC East
| New York Giants | 4-2-1 | .643 |
| Dallas Cowboys | 3-5 | .375 |
| Washington Commanders | 2-4-1 | .357 |
| Philadelphia Eagles | 2-6 | .250 |
NFC North
| Minnesota Vikings | 6-1 | .857 |
| Detroit Lions | 5-2 | .714 |
| Chicago Bears | 5-2 | .714 |
| Green Bay Packers | 5-3 | .625 |
NFC South
| Carolina Panthers | 3-4 | .429 |
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 3-5 | .375 |
| Atlanta Falcons | 3-5 | .375 |
| New Orleans Saints | 2-5 | .286 |
NFC West
| San Francisco 49ers | 6-1 | .857 |
| Seattle Seahawks | 4-3 | .571 |
| Los Angeles Rams | 4-4 | .500 |
| Arizona Cardinals | 3-5 | .375 |
Playoff scenarios — the wins that settle it
Arithmetic, not probability: the fewest wins that lock a place whatever rivals do, and who is already out. Early on, nobody can clinch.
Data: BALLDONTLIE · · Method →
AFC
| Team | Record | Left | Possible | Wins to clinch | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buffalo BillsIN | 6-1 | 10 | 1–16 | 9 | In the race |
| Denver BroncosIN | 6-2 | 9 | 1–16 | 9 | In the race |
| Pittsburgh SteelersIN | 6-2 | 9 | 1–16 | 9 | In the race |
| Jacksonville JaguarsIN | 5-2 | 10 | 1–16 | 8 | In the race |
| Kansas City ChiefsIN | 5-2 | 10 | 1–16 | 10 | In the race |
| Cincinnati BengalsIN | 5-2 | 10 | 1–16 | 10 | In the race |
| New England PatriotsIN | 5-3 | 9 | 1–16 | - | In the race |
| Cleveland Browns | 5-3 | 9 | 1–16 | - | In the race |
| Las Vegas Raiders | 4-4 | 9 | 1–16 | - | In the race |
| Baltimore Ravens | 4-4 | 9 | 1–16 | - | In the race |
| Houston Texans | 2-5 | 10 | 1–16 | - | In the race |
| New York Jets | 2-6 | 9 | 1–16 | - | In the race |
| Indianapolis Colts | 2-6 | 9 | 1–16 | - | In the race |
| Miami Dolphins | 1-6 | 10 | 1–16 | - | In the race |
| Tennessee Titans | 1-7 | 9 | 1–16 | - | In the race |
| Los Angeles Chargers | 0-7 | 10 | 1–16 | - | In the race |
NFC
| Team | Record | Left | Possible | Wins to clinch | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Francisco 49ersIN | 6-1 | 10 | 1–16 | 9 | In the race |
| Minnesota VikingsIN | 6-1 | 10 | 1–16 | 9 | In the race |
| Detroit LionsIN | 5-2 | 10 | 1–16 | 10 | In the race |
| Chicago BearsIN | 5-2 | 10 | 1–16 | 10 | In the race |
| New York GiantsIN | 4-2-1 | 10 | 1–16 | 9 | In the race |
| Green Bay PackersIN | 5-3 | 9 | 1–16 | - | In the race |
| Seattle Seahawks | 4-3 | 10 | 1–16 | - | In the race |
| Los Angeles Rams | 4-4 | 9 | 1–16 | - | In the race |
| Carolina PanthersIN | 3-4 | 10 | 1–16 | 10 | In the race |
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 3-5 | 9 | 1–16 | - | In the race |
| Atlanta Falcons | 3-5 | 9 | 1–16 | - | In the race |
| Arizona Cardinals | 3-5 | 9 | 1–16 | - | In the race |
| Dallas Cowboys | 3-5 | 9 | 1–16 | - | In the race |
| Washington Commanders | 2-4-1 | 10 | 1–16 | - | In the race |
| New Orleans Saints | 2-5 | 10 | 1–16 | - | In the race |
| Philadelphia Eagles | 2-6 | 9 | 1–16 | - | In the race |
2026 season · 17-game regular season · 32 teams · 7 playoff spots per conference
Frequently asked questions
How many teams make the NFL playoffs?
Seven per conference, fourteen in all. The four division winners take seeds 1-4 and the three best remaining teams take the wild-card seeds 5-7.
Does seventh in the conference mean a playoff place?
No. Division winners are seeded regardless of record, so a team with a better record can still miss out on a wild card.
Do these numbers use the official tiebreakers?
No. They use win percentage and games left only, and ties are resolved against the team in question, so a clinch may show later here than officially. Head-to-head and division records are not modelled.
What does the number one seed get?
Only the top seed in each conference skips the wild-card round and starts in the divisional round.
Data: licensed data from BALLDONTLIE, tallied by us. Standings and scenarios are our own calculations and may differ from official releases.