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NFL · 2026 season · Free

NFL Playoff Picture
2026.

Who is on top?

If the season ended today, the top seeds would be the Buffalo Bills (6-1) in the AFC and the San Francisco 49ers (6-1) in the NFC. Each would get the first week off.

Through games played Nov 1, 2026. Regular season only. We count this from final scores, so it is not the NFL's official order.

Ties are broken by head-to-head, then division record, here; the NFL uses more steps.

AFC
playoff picture.

AFC playoff seeds
SeedTeamRecordGames backGames left
1BUFBuffalo BillsLeads the AFC East6-1In10
2DENDenver BroncosLeads the AFC West6-2In9
3PITPittsburgh SteelersLeads the AFC North6-2In9
4JAXJacksonville JaguarsLeads the AFC South5-2In10
5KCKansas City ChiefsWild card5-2In10
6CINCincinnati BengalsWild card5-2In10
7NENew England PatriotsWild card5-3In9

AFC in the hunt

AFC teams in the hunt
TeamRecordGames backGames left
CLECleveland BrownsAFC North5-309
LVLas Vegas RaidersAFC West4-419
BALBaltimore RavensAFC North4-419
HOUHouston TexansAFC South2-52.510
INDIndianapolis ColtsAFC South2-639
NYJNew York JetsAFC East2-639
MIAMiami DolphinsAFC East1-63.510
TENTennessee TitansAFC South1-749
LACLos Angeles ChargersAFC West0-74.510

NFC
playoff picture.

NFC playoff seeds
SeedTeamRecordGames backGames left
1SFSan Francisco 49ersLeads the NFC West6-1In10
2MINMinnesota VikingsLeads the NFC North6-1In10
3NYGNew York GiantsLeads the NFC East4-2-1In10
4CARCarolina PanthersLeads the NFC South3-4In10
5DETDetroit LionsWild card5-2In10
6CHIChicago BearsWild card5-2In10
7GBGreen Bay PackersWild card5-3In9

NFC in the hunt

NFC teams in the hunt
TeamRecordGames backGames left
SEASeattle SeahawksNFC West4-30.510
LARLos Angeles RamsNFC West4-419
TBTampa Bay BuccaneersNFC South3-529
ARIArizona CardinalsNFC West3-529
DALDallas CowboysNFC East3-529
ATLAtlanta FalconsNFC South3-529
PHIPhiladelphia EaglesNFC East2-52.510
NONew Orleans SaintsNFC South2-52.510
WSHWashington CommandersNFC East1-4-12.511

How the NFL
playoffs work.

  1. 7
    Teams from each side

    The AFC and the NFC each send seven teams. That is the four division winners, then the three best teams left, called wild cards.

  2. 1
    Team gets a week off

    The top seed in each conference skips the first round and waits for the second.

  3. 3
    Games in round one

    Seed 2 hosts seed 7, seed 3 hosts seed 6, and seed 4 hosts seed 5. Lose once and your season is over.

  4. 2
    Teams left at the end

    The AFC winner and the NFC winner meet in the Super Bowl.

How we
count it.

How we count it

We use the same final scores as our NFL standings. Teams are sorted by win percentage, and a tie game counts as half a win.

Level teams are split by the games they played each other, then by division record. If they are still level, we list them A to Z.

Our standings page also looks at conference record and points, so level teams can sit in a different order there.

Games back is how far a team sits behind the last wild card spot. One more win and one fewer loss than a team is one game. Games left is 17 minus the games played.

In the hunt means a team has enough games left to catch the last spot or its division leader, going by today's records.

Today's NFL
picks.

See the NFL games we like, with the chance in plain words.

See our NFL picks

More
NFL numbers.

NFL standingsEvery division, wins and lossesNFL team statsOffense and defense by teamNFL picksThe games we like this week

Good
questions.

How many teams make the NFL playoffs?

Fourteen. Seven come from the AFC and seven from the NFC: the four division winners in each, then three wild cards.

When do the NFL playoffs start?

The 2026 regular season ends on January 10, 2027. The playoffs start with the wild card round on January 16 to 18, 2027. Super Bowl LXI is on February 14, 2027 at SoFi Stadium.

What is a wild card?

A wild card is a playoff spot for a team that did not win its division. Each conference has three, and they go to the best teams left after the four division winners.

Who gets a week off in the NFL playoffs?

The top seed in each conference. It skips the first round and plays in the second round.

Who is the top seed right now?

If the season ended today, the top seeds would be the Buffalo Bills (6-1) in the AFC and the San Francisco 49ers (6-1) in the NFC. Each would get the first week off.

What does games back mean?

It is how far a team sits behind the last wild card spot. One more win and one fewer loss than a team is one game.

Is this the official NFL playoff picture?

No. We work it out from final scores, so it is our own count, through Nov 1, 2026. The NFL's full tiebreak rules can put level teams in a different order.

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