New England Patriots v Buffalo Bills - NFL 2025

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When we look back at the 2025 regular season, Week 15 may stand out as the pivotal moment that shapes the playoff picture.

Heading into the weekend, CBS is set to air one of the most impactful late-season slates in recent NFL history. It marks the first CBS lineup in the past 10 years to feature teams with a combined winning percentage of .600 or better in December or later. Sunday also represents the first time in four years — since Week 14 of the 2021 season — that Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson and Joe Burrow will all start games on CBS.

Week 15 CBS Slate (all times ET)

  • 1 p.m. — Ravens (6-7) at Bengals (4-9)
  • 1 p.m. — Chargers (9-4) at Chiefs (6-7)
  • 1 p.m. — Bills (9-4) at Patriots (11-2)
  • 1 p.m. — Jets (3-10) at Jaguars (9-4)
  • 4:25 p.m. — Packers (9-3-1) at Broncos (11-2)
  • 4:25 p.m. — Colts (8-5) at Seahawks (10-3)

Beyond those heavyweight matchups, the Lions (8-5) travel west to face the NFC’s top seed, the Rams (10-3), in another Jared Goff–Matthew Stafford revenge game. Meanwhile, 44-year-old Philip Rivers is set to make his first start in 1,800 days for the Colts, marking the longest layoff by a quarterback over 40 before starting an NFL game, as Indianapolis takes on the Seahawks (10-3).

With an epic Week 15 slate on deck, now is the perfect time to reset the playoff picture. Below, we’ll break down who’s currently in and out of the postseason, along with the full standings and remaining schedules for each primary contender — providing context for what’s truly at stake this weekend.

Remaining schedule: vs. Packers, vs. Jaguars, at Chiefs, vs. Chargers

After winning their 10th straight game, the Broncos are back atop the AFC as the No. 1 seed. They currently have the edge over New England thanks to a superior conference record (7-2 vs. 6-2).

While the conversation is currently about whether or not the Broncos can secure the No. 1 seed, it shouldn’t be overlooked that they have a solid cushion in the AFC West and are primed to win it for the first time since 2015.

2. New England Patriots (11-2)

Remaining schedule: vs. Bills, at Ravens, at Jets, vs. Dolphins

The Patriots were on the bye in Week 14 and have a massive contest against the Buffalo at Gillette Stadium on Sunday. While that game won’t flip the standings in the AFC East in the event that New England loses, a win would lock it up for Mike Vrabel’s club.

Beyond fending off Buffalo, a victory would also keep pace with Denver for the No. 1 seed.

3. Jacksonville Jaguars (9-4)

Remaining schedule: vs. Jets, at Broncos, at Colts, vs. Titans

The Jaguars created some wiggle room for themselves in the AFC South with a win over the Colts last week. That’s the fourth straight win for Jacksonville, which is now set to host the Jets in Week 15.

With Daniel Jones now out for the year with an Achilles injury, the division is a two-team race between them and the Houston Texans.

4. Pittsburgh Steelers (7-6)

Remaining schedule: vs. Dolphins, at Lions, at Browns, vs. Ravens

Pittsburgh is back in first place in the AFC North after defeating the Ravens; however, there’s still a lot to be determined in this division. The Steelers and Ravens are still only separated by a game and have one more head-to-head matchup in Week 18.

Before then, Pittsburgh has some tricky games ahead of it. The Dolphins have been spunky in recent weeks, and then they will have to go on the road in Week 16 and Week 17 against the Lions and Browns.

5. Los Angeles Chargers (9-4)

Remaining schedule: at Chiefs, at Cowboys, vs. Texans, at Broncos

The Chargers won a sloppy overtime game against the Eagles on Monday night. This was a huge game for Los Angeles, as a loss would have dropped them out of the playoff picture altogether due to a head-to-head tiebreaker working against them with the Colts, due to a loss in Week 7.

Instead, they’re the No. 5 seed in the AFC with four games to play. They take on the Chiefs on Sunday.

6. Buffalo Bills (8-4)

Remaining schedule: at Patriots, at Browns, vs. Eagles, vs. Jets

It cannot be overstated how important Buffalo’s comeback win over the Bengals was. After erasing the double-digit, fourth-quarter deficit, the Bills improved to 9-4, which keeps them within range of the Patriots in the AFC East, leading up to their showdown in Foxborough on Sunday. The victory also has them with a solid hold on the top wild card spot.

7. Houston Texans (8-5)

Remaining schedule: vs. Cardinals, vs. Raiders, at Chargers, vs. Colts

After starting the year 0-3, the Texans have clawed back into the playoff picture as the No. 7 seed thanks to an impressive win over the Chiefs.

Houston is just a game behind the Jaguars for first place in the AFC South, so there is room for this climb to go even higher.

In the hunt

The Colts (8-5) are mathematically still in the hunt, but after losing Jones for the season due to a torn Achilles, it’s hard to envision them finishing well enough to get into the playoffs.

The clock may have struck midnight for the Chiefs (6-7) after falling to the Texans last Sunday night. They continue to be out of the playoff picture, are now under .500 again, and are on the wrong side of a number of key tiebreakers.

The team that may have the best chance of this group to make the postseason is the Ravens (6-7). Even after losing to the Steelers, they still have a lane to leapfrog them for first place in the AFC North and still have one more matchup against them in Pittsburgh in Week 18.

Surprisingly, the Dolphins (6-7) are still lurking on the outskirts after winning four straight games, but a lot needs to go right. On top of likely needing to win out, Miami would need some wild card contenders to collapse, as it currently loses head-to-head tiebreakers to the Colts, Chargers and Ravens.