By: Olivia Wallace 

     The NFL season is coming close to an end, and every game is becoming more important. With only three weeks left in the season, many teams need to win to get into the playoffs. 

     So far, 13 teams have been eliminated from the playoffs. At this point, these teams are playing to lose and earn a higher draft pick or to spoil someone else’s season. On the other hand, 19 teams are still alive and trying to earn one of the 14 spots in the playoffs. 

     In the AFC (American Football Conference) the Bengals, Browns, Chiefs, Dolphins, Jets, Raiders, and Titans have been eliminated. The Chiefs and Dolphins have six wins, and the Bengals have four wins. Additionally, the Browns and Jets each have three wins and the Raiders and Titans have two.  

     There are six teams that have been eliminated in the NFC (National Football Conference) including the Cardinals, Commanders, Falcons, Giants, Saints, and Vikings. The Vikings have six wins, and the Falcons have five. Both the Commanders and Saints have four wins, the Cardinals have three, and the Giants only have two wins.  

     Currently, the Tennessee Titans would have the third pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, the Las Vegas Raiders would have the second pick, and the New York Giants would have the first pick. The Squire interviewed Eisenhower football player and NFL fan, Bryce Coleson. He believes, “The Tennessee Titans will have the first pick and will take Jacob Rodriguez.” Although the draft order cannot be determined until the end of the season, many teams are in the general position they will draft at when the draft occurs in April. The last 14 picks cannot be determined until the playoffs happen and every game has a winner. 

     In the AFC, only one team has guaranteed themselves a spot in the playoffs, with that team being the Denver Broncos. They also have a 91% chance of winning their division, the AFC West, according to the CBS Sports app. The Patriots are currently leading the AFC East with a 60% chance of winning the division and the Jaguars are leading the AFC South with a 50% chance of winning their division. Both of these teams have a less than 2% chance of missing the playoffs. The AFC North is currently lead by the Steelers, who have 66% chance of winning the division and a less than 1% chance of making the playoffs without winning the division.  

     Currently holding the wildcard spots of the AFC are the Chargers, Bills, and Texans. The Chargers are also in the AFC West, meaning they only have a small chance of winning their division, but they currently hold the five seed. Although they may not win the division, they still have a 96% chance of making the playoffs. The Bills currently hold the six seed and have a 40% chance of beating out the Patriots for the AFC East division title. Even if they cannot win the division there is a little chance they miss the playoffs with a 99% chance of making the playoffs. Lastly, the Texans hold the last spot of the playoffs in their conference. They still have a 48% chance of winning their division and a 93% chance of making the playoffs overall. 

     There are only two other teams that have a chance to make the playoffs, which are the Colts and the Ravens. The Colts are the first team out of the playoffs and have only a 2% chance of winning the AFC South. They also only have a 14% chance of making the playoffs, which will be difficult after their quarterback suffered a season-ending injury. The Ravens are the last team with a chance of making the playoffs in the AFC. They cannot make it as a wildcard team and must win the AFC North over the Steelers to get in. CBS still gives them a 34% chance of making the playoffs by winning the division. 

     When Coleson was asked about what players have the biggest impact this season, he commented, “I think that quarterbacks get a lot of the credit for having the biggest impact, but I don’t think that is true this year. I believe Myles Garrett has had a huge impact on the Browns. He can singlehandedly ruin an offense and may break the sack record this season.” As of the end of Week 15, Garrett only needs one sack to tie the record and one and a half to break the record currently held by Michael Strahan and T.J. Watt with 22.5 sacks in a season. 

     On the other side, the NFC still has ten teams alive in the playoff race. Similarly to the AFC, the only team that has clinched a playoff berth is the Los Angeles Rams. They are currently the best team in the NFC and have a 56% chance of winning the NFC West. The Bears, Eagles, and Buccaneers are the other division leaders in the NFC. The Bears are leading the NFC North but don’t actually have the best chance of winning the division with only a 45% chance. They still have an 81% chance of getting a wildcard spot in the playoffs. The Eagles are leading the NFC East and have a 99% chance of winning the East and making the playoffs. The Buccaneers are the last division leaders and currently hold a 75% chance of winning the NFC South and will only get into the playoffs if they win the division.  

     The Seahawks, 49ers, and Packers have the current wildcard spots in the NFC. The Seahawks have a 99% chance of making the playoffs and still hold a 31% chance of winning their division, the NFC West. The 49ers are also in the NFC West and have a 13% chance of winning the division. Although winning the division isn’t likely, they have a 97% chance of making the playoffs as a wildcard team. Lastly, the Packers are currently in the wildcard but have a 49% chance of beating out the Bears for the NFC North title. Without winning the division, they still have a 90% chance of making the playoffs.  

     There are three more teams in the NFC that have a small chance of making the playoffs. The Lions have the best chance of getting in with a 34% chance of making the playoffs and they still have a 6% chance of winning the NFC North. Similar to the Ravens, the Panthers have a 25% chance of winning their division over the Buccaneers, but they can only get in if they win. Lastly, the Cowboys are in the same position and must win their division to make the playoffs. With a less than 1% chance of getting in, they could easily be eliminated next week.  

     Coleson was also asked about which team in the hunt from each conference he thought had the best chance of making the playoffs. He said, “I think the Colts in the AFC and the Lions in the NFC.” 

     As the season comes to an end, be sure to watch as many games as possible to see who will make the playoffs. Check standings and play out scenarios on ESPN Playoff Machine. All statistics are as of December 16, 2025 and were taken from CBS Sports.