Some NFL seasons are remembered for dominant teams. Others, for superlative players.
The 2025 season will be remembered for the carnage.
With four weeks to play in the regular season, chances are good that your most ardently held preseason beliefs have been proved wrong — because the NFL is currently undergoing a standings shake-up not seen in more than a decade.
Seven of the NFL’s eight divisions enter Week 15 with a team either in first place outright or tied for first that didn’t win the division last year. To say such turnover at the top of a division is unusual is an understatement.
Since the NFL realigned its teams in 2002, there has only been one season (2011) that crowned seven new division winners, according to NBC Sports research.
With four weeks remaining in the regular season, it is already assured a team other than Kansas City will win the AFC West for the first time in 10 years. It gets worse for the Chiefs, though. They could be eliminated from the playoffs as soon as today if:
- Kansas City loses and Jacksonville, Buffalo and Indianapolis all win
- Kansas City loses, and Jacksonville, Buffalo and Houston all win
- Kansas City loses, and Buffalo, Indianapolis and Houston win.
“We know the chances are getting lower and lower, but I know the guys on this team are going to give everything they have every opportunity they get,” quarterback Patrick Mahomes said this week. “You’re just getting late in the season, and you’re not going to get these opportunities back.”
Meanwhile, other teams expected to stand atop their divisions are in jeopardy of falling short. Buffalo, which has won five consecutive AFC East titles, will see that streak snapped if it loses to New England on Sunday. Tampa Bay’s hold on the NFC South, which it has won the last four years, is tenuous at best.
Philadelphia will win the NFC East, and become the first repeat winner of the division since 2004, if it wins three of its last four games. But can the reigning Super Bowl champion (8-5) pull that off after losing its last three games?
Detroit ruled the NFC last year, earning its top playoff seed. If the playoffs started today, the Lions wouldn’t even be in the playoff field. How jumbled is that playoff picture? The Chicago Bears started Dec. 7 in first place in their conference. When the day ended with a loss, they had tumbled all the way to the seventh and final playoff spot.
The same day, the Baltimore Ravens lost their second straight game to fall to 6-7. Yet even with that losing record, they still control their path to winning their division with four weeks to play in the NFL’s regular season. Tampa Bay, meanwhile, was looking to beat lowly division rival New Orleans to boost its NFC South odds — only to lose.
Nine teams are already eliminated from the playoffs:
- Giants (2-11)
- Titans (2-11)
- Raiders (2-11)
- Commanders (3-10)
- Saints (3-10)
- Browns (3-10)
- Cardinals (3-10)
- Jets (3-10)
- Falcons (4-9)
These teams could be eliminated from the playoffs this week:
- Bengals (with a loss)
- Chiefs (with a loss, and other results)
- Miami (with a loss, and other results)
- Minnesota (with a loss)
Though zero teams have yet to clinch a playoff berth, three could do so this week with a win:
- Broncos (11-2)
- Rams (10-3)
- Patriots (11-2)
What else we’re watching in Week 15
Ravens (6-7) at Bengals (4-9): Cincinnati is playing to keep its slim playoff hopes alive. Despite losing its last two weeks, Baltimore can still control a path to winning the AFC North title. But its odds will be strained if quarterback Lamar Jackson’s regression continues. Jackson’s five-game streak without throwing multiple touchdowns is the longest of his career as a starter.
Bills (9-4) at Patriots (11-2): New England has a chance to win 11 straight games for only the third time in franchise history, and if it happens, Mike Vrabel will join Jim Caldwell (2009) and Steve Mariucci (1997) as the only coaches to pull off such a streak in their first season with a team.
Chargers (9-4) at Chiefs (6-7): The Chargers entered this season on a seven-game losing streak versus the Chiefs, but a win today would give L.A. its first season sweep of the Chiefs since 2013.
Browns (3-10) at Bears (9-4): Shedeur Sanders has the opportunity to be the first rookie quarterback in NFL history with consecutive games of 300-plus passing yards and three-plus touchdowns.
Cardinals (3-10) at Texans (8-5): Houston hasn’t allowed more than 200 passing yards in its last 10 games. The last team to do that in 11 straight games was the 1989 Vikings.
Jets (3-10) at Jaguars (9-4): Jacksonville quarterback Trevor Lawrence, turnover-free in his last two games, could go three straight games without a turnover for the first time in his NFL career.
Raiders (2-11) at Eagles (8-5): While it has been a difficult season for Saquon Barkley running the ball, his 52-yard gain last week gives him 15 runs of 50-plus in his career. Only Adrian Peterson (16) has more.
Commanders (3-10) at Giants (2-11): Somebody has to win. The Commanders have lost eight straight games, while New York’s losing streak sits at seven.
Packers (9-3-1) at Broncos (11-2): The potential Super Bowl matchup few saw coming before the season. Green Bay coach Matt LeFleur’s 21-4 record in December is tied with Vince Lombardi (21-4-2) for the highest winning percentage by any coach in history, per NBC Sports research.
Lions (8-5) at Rams (10-3): These offenses each rank in the top-four in scoring this season. Detroit is trying to win consecutive games for the first time since Week 5.
Panthers (7-6) at Saints (3-10): The Panthers are chasing their first playoff berth since 2017. Tyler Shough can become the first rookie quarterback in Saints history to win consecutive games.
Titans (2-11) at 49ers (9-4): Christian McCaffrey (849 rushing yards, 806 receiving yards) is closing in on his second career 1,000-1,000 season, something no other player has ever done.
Colts (8-5) at Seahawks (10-3): Welcome back, Philip Rivers, who could start for the first time since 2020, at 44 years old. Rivers is older than 13 active head coaches.
Vikings (5-8) at Cowboys (6-6-1): Dallas is on the precipice of a rare distinction. It could join the 2001 Rams as the only other team since the 1970 merger to average 29-plus points on offense while also allowing 29 or more points on defense, per NBC Sports research.
Dolphins (6-7) at Steelers (7-6) Monday: It might have gone overlooked, but Miami has won four straight games, and could throw a wrench into the AFC North division race if it can beat Pittsburgh, too.
