There are just weeks remaining in the 2025 NFL regular season, meaning we are getting closer to finding out who will make the playoffs this year. As the end of the year approaches, we’ll be ranking every playoff contender’s remaining strength of schedule, based on their opponents’ combined win percentages.
No teams have been mathematically eliminated from the playoffs to this point, but for our purposes, we will be looking at the top 10 ranked teams in each conference.
Here is where every NFC playoff contender ranks based on remaining strength of schedule, ranked from most to least difficult.
Next. Ranking Every AFC Contender by Remaining Strength of Schedule. Ranking Every AFC Contender by Remaining Strength of Schedule. light
The Packers have spent much of the 2025 season underperforming against weaker competition, but they will now have to improve their level of play against much higher quality competition.
Five of Green Bay’s seven remaining games are against divisional foes. Though the Vikings are not as great as they were last year, they still provide a challenge for any opponent. The Packers’ most important games though are against the Bears and Lions. Beating the Lions would give the Packers a sweep and a massive tiebreaker edge. Defeating the Bears could help propel them back to the top of the division.
After coming back to beat the Vikings and the Lions losing to the Eagles, the Bears suddenly find themselves leading the NFC North. At 7-3, the Bears hold the lead, but both the Packers and Lions remain close in the standings and division race.
Starting with the Steelers, this stretch will provide a true test for how real this Bears team is. So far, Chicago has feasted on weaker opponents and has yet to beat a team with a winning record. Going forward, six of their seven opponents boast winning records, and even the lone team with a losing one, the Browns, has a tough defense.
The Bears have taken great strides this year, but will it be enough to get through the gauntlet ahead?
At 6-5, the Panthers have found themselves in the playoff race as the current No. 9 seed. With the third-toughest schedule remaining, they will have very little room for error over the rest of the regular season.
Carolina also has a path into the playoffs if they can win the division. Two upcoming games against the Buccaneers gives them an opportunity to win that tiebreaker, but games against the 49ers, Rams and Seahawks might make it too tough to win enough to keep up. Either way, the Panthers have already won more games than they did last year and have taken steps forward as a team.
It feels hard to believe, but with a loss to the Eagles on Sunday, the Lions have temporarily fallen out of the playoff picture and currently are the eighth seed. Detroit is still 6-4 and in the thick of the NFC North race, but winning the remainder of their divisional matchups will be critical for them to try to win the division again.
As of now, the NFC North once again appears to be the most competitive division down the stretch. This leaves little room for error for Detroit going forward.
The Seahawks’ loss to the Rams on Sunday keeps them from gaining the edge in the NFC West. Seattle still has a chance at winning the division—especially if they can beat the Rams at home next month—but otherwise are in strong position to earn a spot in the wildcard round. Outside of their game against the Rams, the final game vs. 49ers could be an important matchup if they do not already have their seeding locked up by that point.
The 49ers’ injuries might have made it too much for them to keep up in the NFC West, but they are in a good spot to earn a wild-card berth. San Francisco has three very winnable games ahead, and if they can take advantage, they will reach 10 wins and be in a good spot to claim a wild-card berth.
The 49ers’ most important game remaining could very well be their matchup against the Bears. Though the Bears are at the top of the NFC North at the moment, that division remains up for grabs, and beating Chicago could potentially give the 49ers an important tiebreaker. Otherwise, sweeping the Seahawks could be provide the 49ers another great opportunity to earn a tiebreaker.
The Cowboys have slim odds and practically no margin for error to try to make the postseason. Their best odds at reaching the playoffs is to lean on their explosive offense to outscore opponents.
The one advantage the Cowboys do have is that four of their five toughest games are at home. If Dallas manages to somehow win at least four of those games, they could be in position to sneak a wild-card berth before facing the Commanders and Giants over the final two weeks. They will need some help and luck, but they still have a chance.
The Rams earned their two most important wins of the season by beating the 49ers and Seahawks in back-to-back weeks, giving them the lead in the ever-competitive NFC West. They likely will need to beat Seattle again next month to clinch the division, but they are in good position heading into the final month and a half and ride a five-game winning streak. They will need to continue this momentum if they hope to keep up with the Eagles for a chance at the No. 1 seed.
With the second-easiest strength of schedule remaining, the Eagles are well on their way to becoming the first back-to-back NFC East champions in over two decades. With wins over the Rams, Lions, Packers and Buccaneers already this year, the Eagles are also in great position to earn the No. 1 seed and a first-round bye. The Cowboys, Bears, Chargers and Bills could all pose challenges to Philadelphia, but so long as they don’t melt down, they should enter January as one of the NFC’s top two seeds.
The Buccaneers have dropped from 6-2 to 6-4 after losing their last two games, but the good news is they have the easiest remaining schedule among NFC playoff contenders. After their game against the Rams this week, the Buccaneers schedule cools down significantly leading into the playoffs.
Tampa Bay’s most important games will be their two games against the Panthers. Carolina has a much tougher schedule than the Buccaneers, but the Panthers are only a half game behind the Buccaneers in the division race.
More NFL on Sports Illustrated
FREE NEWSLETTER. SI BTN Newsletter. Start off your day with SI:CYMI. dark
