Updated 12 Nov 2026.
The 2026 NFL playoff picture after Week 9: all 14 seeds, the 5 teams chasing them, the ties that set the order and the schedules still to play.
What does the NFL playoff picture look like after Week 9?
After Week 9 the 2026 NFL playoff picture has the Bills (7-1) and the 49ers (7-1) as the 2 top seeds. Only they hold a first-round bye. In all, 14 of the 32 teams hold a place today, 7 per conference: 4 division leaders seeded 1 to 4 and 3 wild cards seeded 5 to 7.
Every team has played 8 or 9 of its 17 games, so more than half of the season is still to come. The live seeds, updated after every game, are on our NFL playoff picture page, and the full tables are on the NFL standings. This article sets out how the order stands, why, and what each contender still has to play.
Who are the AFC playoff seeds after Week 9?
The AFC playoff seeds after Week 9 run Bills (7-1), Broncos (7-2), Jaguars (6-2) and Steelers (6-2) as division leaders, then Chiefs (6-2), Bengals (6-2) and Patriots (5-4) as wild cards. Four AFC teams sit at 6-2, so 1 result can move 3 or 4 places.
| Seed | Team | Record | Conference | Point diff. | How they are in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Buffalo Bills | 7-1 | 4-1 | +69 | AFC East leader |
| 2 | Denver Broncos | 7-2 | 3-1 | +12 | AFC West leader |
| 3 | Jacksonville Jaguars | 6-2 | 5-2 | +108 | AFC South leader |
| 4 | Pittsburgh Steelers | 6-2 | 3-2 | +36 | AFC North leader |
| 5 | Kansas City Chiefs | 6-2 | 6-1 | +59 | Wild card |
| 6 | Cincinnati Bengals | 6-2 | 4-2 | +65 | Wild card |
| 7 | New England Patriots | 5-4 | 5-1 | +4 | Wild card |
| 8 | Cleveland Browns | 5-4 | 3-3 | -35 | First team out |
| 9 | Las Vegas Raiders | 4-5 | 3-3 | -30 | Out |
| 10 | Baltimore Ravens | 4-5 | 2-4 | -47 | Out |
The Jaguars have the best point differential in the league at +108, having allowed 121 points in 8 games, yet they are only the 3 seed. The Broncos sit 2nd at 7-2 with a differential of +12, the smallest of the top 6 AFC seeds. The AFC standings have every record split by home, road, division and conference.
Who are the NFC playoff seeds after Week 9?
The NFC playoff seeds after Week 9 run 49ers (7-1), Bears (7-2), Giants (5-2-1) and Panthers (3-5) as division leaders, then Lions (6-2), Vikings (6-2) and Packers (6-3) as wild cards. All 3 NFC wild cards come from 1 division, the NFC North.
| Seed | Team | Record | Conference | Point diff. | How they are in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Francisco 49ers | 7-1 | 4-1 | +79 | NFC West leader |
| 2 | Chicago Bears | 7-2 | 5-2 | +57 | NFC North leader |
| 3 | New York Giants | 5-2-1 | 3-2-1 | +10 | NFC East leader |
| 4 | Carolina Panthers | 3-5 | 3-3 | -20 | NFC South leader |
| 5 | Detroit Lions | 6-2 | 4-1 | +33 | Wild card |
| 6 | Minnesota Vikings | 6-2 | 4-1 | +30 | Wild card |
| 7 | Green Bay Packers | 6-3 | 4-3 | +25 | Wild card |
| 8 | Seattle Seahawks | 5-4 | 2-3 | +40 | First team out |
| 9 | Los Angeles Rams | 5-4 | 3-2 | +33 | Out |
| 10 | Dallas Cowboys | 4-5 | 2-4 | +10 | Out |
The Panthers hold the 4 seed with a 3-5 record because division leaders always take seeds 1 to 4. They are the only team among the current 14 with a losing record, and the only one with a negative point differential (-20). The 4 NFC North teams are a combined 25-9, and the NFC North standings show all 4 inside the top 7. The NFC standings have the rest.
Which ties decide the order right now?
Six ties set the 2026 playoff order after Week 9, and each is settled within the first 2 steps of the procedure: head-to-head where the 2 teams have met, otherwise division or conference record. The steps are explained in full in NFL tiebreakers explained.
| Tie | Records | What separates them |
|---|---|---|
| Steelers over Bengals, AFC North | 6-2 and 6-2 | Head-to-head: the Steelers won 30-27 in Week 3 |
| Jaguars over Steelers, seeds 3 and 4 | 6-2 and 6-2 | No meeting yet; conference record 5-2 against 3-2 |
| Chiefs over Bengals, seeds 5 and 6 | 6-2 and 6-2 | No meeting yet; conference record 6-1 against 4-2 |
| Patriots over Browns, seed 7 | 5-4 and 5-4 | No meeting; conference record 5-1 against 3-3 |
| Lions over Vikings, seeds 5 and 6 | 6-2 and 6-2 | Head-to-head: the Lions won 19-15 in Week 8 |
| Panthers over Saints, NFC South | 3-5 and 3-5 | No meeting yet; division record 1-1 against 0-1 |
Several of these are about to be replayed. The Steelers visit the Bengals in Week 10, and the Panthers visit the Saints the same Sunday, with a rematch in Week 14. The Chiefs and Broncos split their 2 meetings (31-10 to Kansas City in Week 1, 28-24 to Denver in Week 8), so the Broncos and Chiefs head-to-head record cannot decide the AFC West.
Who is chasing a playoff place?
Five teams sit within 1 game of a 2026 wild card after Week 9: the Browns (5-4), Raiders (4-5) and Ravens (4-5) in the AFC, and the Seahawks (5-4) and Rams (5-4) in the NFC. The Browns are level with the 7th-seeded Patriots and trail only on conference record.
In the NFC the gap is 1 full game: the Packers are 6-3 and the Seahawks and Rams 5-4, with a +40 and +33 differential that is better than the Packers' +25. The Seahawks and Rams still play each other twice, in Weeks 16 and 18. The Saints (3-5), Buccaneers (3-6) and Falcons (3-6) are chasing the NFC South title rather than a wild card, because the division leader is only 3-5.
Which contenders have the hardest schedules left?
The Bears have the hardest remaining schedule in the NFL after Week 9: their 8 opponents have a combined .631 winning percentage. The Broncos (.426) and Jaguars (.427) have the easiest among the contenders, behind only the Buccaneers (.403) league-wide. Figures use each opponent's record today.
| Team | Games left | Opponents' win % | Rank (1 = hardest of 32) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bears | 8 | .631 | 1 |
| Packers | 8 | .576 | 2 |
| Lions | 9 | .558 | 3 |
| Rams | 8 | .557 | 4 |
| Vikings | 9 | .539 | 6 |
| Patriots | 8 | .530 | 8 |
| Chiefs | 9 | .519 | 12 |
| Seahawks | 8 | .514 | 13 |
| Giants | 9 | .513 | 15 |
| Panthers | 9 | .513 | 14 |
| Browns | 8 | .493 | 20 |
| Bengals | 9 | .480 | 22 |
| Bills | 9 | .474 | 23 (tied) |
| 49ers | 9 | .474 | 25 |
| Steelers | 9 | .474 | 26 |
| Jaguars | 9 | .427 | 30 |
| Broncos | 8 | .426 | 31 |
Part of the Bears' load is their own division: they still play the Lions twice (Weeks 12 and 17), the Packers in Week 16 and the Vikings in Week 18. The 4 NFC North teams have 7 games left against each other, so the division will take wins off its own contenders. The 49ers, Bills and Steelers all face opponents at .474.
Which Week 10 games matter most for the playoff picture?
Four Week 10 games are between 2 teams inside the current 2026 playoff places or level with them. The Steelers visit the Bengals on Sunday night with the AFC North lead at stake, and the Vikings visit the Packers with 2 NFC wild cards on the line.
The Patriots play the Lions in Munich on Sunday morning, a 7 seed against a 5 seed, and the Panthers visit the Saints for first place in the NFC South. The Chiefs visit the Falcons and the Browns host the Texans. The Bears and Broncos, both 7-2, have their bye in Week 10, along with the Buccaneers and Eagles. Every kickoff is on the NFL schedule.
Frequently asked questions
How many teams make the NFL playoffs?
14 teams make the NFL playoffs, 7 from each of the 2 conferences. Each conference sends its 4 division winners, seeded 1 to 4 by record, and 3 wild cards, seeded 5 to 7. Only the 1 seed gets a bye; seeds 2 to 7 play on wild-card weekend, as the NFL playoff bracket shows.
Why are the 3-5 Panthers seeded ahead of the 6-2 Lions?
The 3-5 Panthers lead the NFC South, and all 4 division leaders take seeds 1 to 4 whatever their record. The 6-2 Lions are 2nd in the NFC North behind the 7-2 Bears, so they can only be a wild card, seeded 5 to 7, unless they overtake Chicago.
Who has the best record in the NFL after Week 9?
The Bills and the 49ers share the best record in the NFL after Week 9 at 7-1, a .875 winning percentage. The Broncos and Bears follow at 7-2. The Jaguars have the best point differential (+108), and the Chargers (0-8) are the only team without a win.
When are the 2026 NFL playoff seeds decided?
The 2026 NFL playoff seeds are decided in Week 18, the last of the 18 weeks, when every team has played its 17 games. A team can clinch a place or a seed earlier once no remaining results can catch it, and ties are broken by the steps in the tiebreaker procedure.
Where can I follow the NFL playoff picture each week?
Our NFL playoff picture page updates the 14 seeds after every game, with the teams in the hunt and the games each team has left. The NFL power rankings rate all 32 teams, and the standings show all 8 division tables.