RADIO
We investigate the NFL playoff contenders as we head into Week 13 of the NFL season. Which teams improved their position and who fell following Week 12? What key games lay ahead as we look toward the postseason?
AFC Contender #1: Denver Broncos
Denver kicked those feet up for a Week 12 bye after beating Kansas City to bump their win streak to eight. It was not only a decisive victory within the division on a head-to-head basis with the Chiefs, but coincided with a Chargers loss to give the Broncos a two-game lead.
They’ll be heavily favored against Washington and Las Vegas in Weeks 13-14 before facing a run of four contenders (GB, JAX, KC, LAC). Even if they don’t wind up with the top seed, they should be near the top of the leaderboard and enjoy some homefield advantages.
AFC Contender #2: New England Patriots
The Patriots’ Week 12 win over the Bengals didn’t look convincing down the stretch, but nine wins in a row and a 10-2 record in the AFC East is the most comfortable position across the NFL. Buffalo’s loss opens up New England’s lead to three games, and several other AFC contenders failed to make a statement.
The Pats will now have to handle a feisty Giants team next Monday night before Weeks 15 and 16 against the Bills and Ravens. But at this rate, they could drop both of those games and still likely ice the division. Now, we’ll be looking forward to seeing this team play a complete 60 minutes and build momentum before the playoffs, potentially locking up homefield advantage in the process.
AFC Contender #3: Indianapolis Colts
The Colts could not seal the win in Kansas City, as Arrowhead Stadium’s fourth-quarter magic once again propelled the home team to a comeback. You can choose to take away the largely stellar first three quarters, especially from the defense. But then the Colts delivered four consecutive three-and-outs, which left the defense unable to hold an 11-point lead.
This drops them to an 8-3 record, including 2-3 on the road, and puts them in some divisional peril, given that both Jacksonville and Houston won. And those two represent Indy’s next two opponents! There is little margin for error, and now Houston’s vaunted defense will put the Colts’ undefeated home record to the test.
AFC Contender #4: Baltimore Ravens
Baltimore’s recent wins haven’t been the most convincing efforts, yet the bottom line is that they’ve ridden a five-game win streak to the top of the division. The 6-5 record is identical to Pittsburgh’s mark, but a perfect 2-0 AFC North mark gives them the current edge over the Steelers’ 2-1 record. Of course, this means four division games lie ahead, with both Pittsburgh and Cincinnati games yet to play out.
This means the fate of playoff seeding likely rests on those two PIT-BAL contests. While the team tends to step up as a unit, there is no denying that Lamar Jackson’s recent play has been off. Since throwing four touchdowns in his Week 9 return, he has averaged roughly 175 yards with one TD and two INTs over the next three games. Can a date with Cincy’s iffy defense be what he needs to get right?
AFC Contender #5: Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh couldn’t overcome Chicago with Mason Rudolph at the helm, as the backup didn’t push the ball, and the defense allowed 31 points. Seven different receivers had between 19-36 yards, but DK Metcalf hasn’t surpassed 50 yards in a month or topped five catches in a game since joining the Steelers.
On the bright side, Aaron Rodgers should return from his wrist injury with critical games on the horizon. At 6-5, they’ll host the Bills before traveling to Baltimore. The game with fellow 6-5 AFC Northers in the Ravens easily looms the largest, and they will face off again in Week 18, but big trouble looms if PIT is 6-7 by Week 15.
AFC Contender #6: Buffalo Bills
There’s no putting lipstick on Thursday’s pig of a loss to Houston. Buffalo’s vulnerabilities were exposed by a supercharged Texans defense, and the lack of weapons surrounding Josh Allen is apparent. At this point, reclaiming the division from 10-2 New England looks like a long shot, and now the question surrounds their standing amongst other Wild Card candidates.
Without any head-to-head games against the other two 7-4 AFC teams, they must reckon with having the worst conference record of the three as well. They’ll look to improve that in Week 13’s road date with the Steelers.
AFC Contender #7: Jacksonville Jaguars
Jacksonville needed overtime to put the Cardinals away, but a second straight win pulls them even with the Chargers and Bills across all three AFC Wild Card slots. There is also a trio of 6-5 clubs nipping at their heels, so holding those wins over teams such as the Chargers and Chiefs could make the difference.
New wideout Jakobi Meyers looks like a good fit for the offense, which is also expecting Brian Thomas Jr. back shortly. That 10-7 benchmark should be within reach thanks to a pair of games against the Titans and a home Jets contest ahead. But if they can’t grab at least one win in two Indy tilts and a road game in Denver, then the playoffs are not going to go well.
AFC Contender #8: Los Angeles Chargers
The Chargers must show that they’ve adjusted for a maligned offensive line after taking a 35-6 drubbing from Jacksonville. They may devote 2-3 blockers per play to Maxx Crosby in Week 13, but if they can’t handle the Raiders, then they were never going to get far in the postseason.
If we give them the benefit of that win, they’ll then be 8-4 going into an extremely difficult stretch to end the regular season. One imagines they’ll have to reach at least 10-7, which means winning at least two against the Eagles, Chiefs, Cowboys, Texans, and Broncos. Can they convince us that they’re up to the task?
AFC Contender #9: Kansas City Chiefs
The Chiefs finally won a one-score game thanks to a gritty comeback over Indianapolis. Down 20-9 to open the fourth quarter, the defense didn’t allow a single first down the rest of the way. We saw the offense push through Kareem Hunt’s late fumble to pull out a win, which improves the Chiefs’ home record to 5-1.
We’ve highlighted the 1-4 road record thus far before, which is going to get put to the test in Dallas against a Cowboys squad that’s riding high after beating Philadelphia. The difference between 7-5 and 6-6 at this juncture could be immense. They’ll need Rashee Rice to be as close to 100% as possible by Thursday to make this fly.
AFC Contender #10: Houston Texans
Houston made Josh Allen’s offense look like a comedy of errors far too often on Thursday, where there’s no choice but to take them seriously down the stretch. The pressure they generate is so effective at limiting the passing game, resulting in the second-lowest yards per attempt (6.2) in the NFL.
Their 10:12 TD:INT ratio is also the best mark in the game, but the tests will only continue to line up for the Texans. The next two games are against the Colts and Chiefs, both on the road. We’ll see if C.J. Stroud can return from concussion protocol, but if this team can draw close in the AFC South with a win over Indy, then the conversation changes quite a bit!
NFC Contender #1: Los Angeles Rams
The Rams dominated the Buccaneers on Sunday night, with Matthew Stafford throwing another three scores as Davante Adams is a true red-zone alpha. That puts another fellow contender (on paper) in the Rams’ rearview mirror on this stellar six-game win streak.
The +127 point margin is tops in the NFL, with that strong offense paired with the stingiest defense in the game (179 points allowed). Heck, they’re even rolling out a backup kicker who hasn’t missed yet in Harrison Mevis. Sitting with a 6-2 record against current playoff teams, the Rams look like the NFL’s most dominant team at the moment.
NFC Contender #2: Philadelphia Eagles
While it is difficult to feel that badly with an 8-3 record, Philadelphia let a chance to secure the NFC East slip away on Sunday afternoon. They had Dallas on the ropes with a 21-0 lead after only 19 minutes of play, but then the offense seemingly forgot how to move the ball. Six punts, a fumble, and a missed field goal later, the Eagles found themselves on the wrong side of the 24-21 ledger.
Saquon Barkley only gained 22 yards on 10 carries as his lousy year on the ground continues, which meant Philly could not ice the game. The playcalling has come under scrutiny, but Kevin Patullo’s job as offensive coordinator appears safe for now. Can he inspire confidence with a strong day against the Bears in Week 13?
NFC Contender #3: Chicago Bears
The Bears edged out the Steelers by a score of 31-28 to give them six wins of five or fewer points. Chicago’s magical run continues, as they now stand at 8-3 despite a -3 point differential. The division means that both Green Bay (7-3-1) and Detroit (7-4) are ready to punish any slip.
As of now, suspicion around Chicago’s form is well-founded given the points and several advanced metrics, but they can put that to rest by beating the reigning NFL champs on the road. Conquering the Eagles in Philly would be an exceptionally vibrant feather in Ben Johnson’s cap!
NFC Contender #4: Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Add a Baker Mayfield shoulder sprain to the list of injuries that the Buccaneers are trying to navigate in 2025. Even before that, the Rams were dancing circles around Tampa. The NFC South remains underwhelming, which has helped the 6-5 Bucs maintain the pole position amidst a three-game losing streak. The good news here is that Mayfield’s early injury prognosis is promising, and Bucky Irving is poised to lead the backfield in Week 13.
They must figure out how to consistently get pressure and sort the secondary out against Arizona, though everything likely lies on the two games against the Panthers. Carolina remains a half-game back, which is well within striking distance with the head-to-heads yet to play out. A healthy Tampa should win that showdown, but that is no given!
NFC Contender #5: Seattle Seahawks
The Seahawks didn’t close out the Titans in convincing fashion, but still secured the win to move to 8-3 with 324 points scored. That’s the third-most in the league, and they’re also one of the only three teams with a +100 or greater point differential.
Jaxon Smith-Njigba is a certified game-changer, and the defense has played swarming football, but Sam Darnold still has questions to answer in the spotlight. They must now deal with the Vikings and Falcons before hosting the Colts and Rams, all while looking to keep pace with a trio of contenders in the division.
NFC Contender #6: Green Bay Packers
Green Bay ran behind Emanuel Wilson, who scored twice with over 100 yards, in an easy win against an overmatched Vikings offense. The addition of Micah Parsons to this defense has really unlocked another caliber of play, with the questions yet to be answered here surrounding how Jordan Love will step up when needed.
They’ll also want to see Josh Jacobs’ knee look healthy on Thanksgiving, though Wilson’s performance is encouraging. Can they deal with Detroit on the holiday before attempting to leapfrog the Bears at home in Week 14? Then, a road game in Denver may provide the biggest test of them all!
NFC Contender #7: San Francisco 49ers
The 49ers overcame three interceptions by Brock Purdy to handle the Panthers on Monday Night Football, improving to 8-4 in the process. Christian McCaffrey has a lowly 3.7 yards per carry part, which is the lowest we’ve seen since his rookie year for Carolina back in 2017, but he’s making up for it with pure volume.
CMC leads the NFL in both rush attempts (217) and receptions (81), so perhaps they give more work to Brian Robinson Jr. against the Browns and Titans in the coming weeks. If they win those, then they will have gone a perfect 8-0 against teams with .500 or worse records. But at 2-4 against winning teams, traveling to Indy before playing the Bears and Seahawks to close the year will speak volumes.
NFC Contender #8: Detroit Lions
Detroit nearly fell to the fighting Jameis Winston’s (aka the Giants), but Jahmyr Gibbs’ Herculean effort led the Lions to a win in the end. They lead the NFC with 326 points scored and will now host the Packers on Thanksgiving. Detroit is looking to avenge the Week 1 loss, and then shift focus to a resurgent Cowboys squad before an uphill road date with the Rams.
Detroit’s secondary needs to step up, and the offensive line has to continue to buy Jared Goff time, but their work is cut out for them. Only one remaining game could be classified as “easy” (at Minnesota), and Detroit is 7-4 in third place, so they’ll need to be better than the team that almost lost to the Giants.
NFC Contender #9: Carolina Panthers
The Panthers looked like anything but contenders in a 20-9 loss to the 49ers on Monday Night Football, yet they’re only a half-game behind Tampa Bay in the NFC South. That division has typically had the lowest threshold in recent years, and 2025 is playing out the same.
The biggest blow to Carolina’s long-term chances was seeing Bryce Young retain none of the gains seen in his electrifying win over Atlanta. Young threw multiple INTs for the first time since Week 1 in the loss to San Francisco, and things are unlikely to improve against the Rams this week. They’ll surely need to pick up a win in New Orleans after the Week 14 bye before the first of two games against the Bucs, which could decide the division.
NFC Contender #10: Dallas Cowboys
Don’t look now, but the Cowboys just knocked off the defending champs, which gives them two straight wins since getting critical defensive reinforcements. They traded for Quinnen Williams and Logan Wilson, and got DeMarvion Overshown and Shavon Revel back from the PUP and NFI lists, respectively. Malik Hooker is also back to practice after his toe and thigh injuries landed him on the IR. The defense is catching up with potent offense and special teams units, but is it too little, too late?
At 5-5-1, they now face the Chiefs and Lions for a pair of games that will decide their season’s fate. If they beat even just one of those two after handling the Eagles, then there’s little question about their playoff readiness if other NFC teams open the door. They’ll end the year against the Vikings, Chargers, Commanders, and Giants, which are all winnable. Would 10-6-1 be enough?
