There are eight teams remaining in the NFL Playoffs as the Divisional Round approaches, and it's clear that some teams have a lot more at stake than others. A few teams like the New England Patriots and Chicago Bears are honestly playing with house money a bit.
But teams like the Buffalo Bills and Los Angeles Rams seem to have a ton at stake. Either way, the urgency is only getting greater for these teams, as the Super Bowl is slowly getting in view. There are four games in the second round of the playoffs, two in the championship round, and one for the Super Bowl.
With seven games left of the 2025 NFL Season, we're almost at the end, and the remaining teams surely feel that. Let's talk about why the Denver Broncos and Chicago Bears have the most to gain as the Divisional Round approaches.
The Denver Broncos and Chicago Bears have the most to gain as the Divisional Round approaches
The Denver Broncos have the most to gain, as all we have heard for multiple years now is how bad the team messed up by taking Bo Nix and how 'not good' he is, but all Nix and the Broncos have done since is win, and win some more. The Broncos are just two home wins away from clinching a berth in the Super Bowl, and this team has truly come a long way.
Just two regular seasons ago, the 2023 Denver Broncos were 1-5 with Russell Wilson under center. Not only have they gotten out of that mess, but Nix looks to be the real deal, and Wilson's contract is totally off the books following 2025. Denver has already accomplished a lot more in the playoffs this year than they did last year, so wins in the Divisional Round and beyond is kind of a cherry on top.
The Chicago Bears have done a total 180 and were among the most dysfunctional teams in the NFL last year. They're also guaranteed one more home playoff game after a major win over the Green Bay Packers. Heck, the Bears could get blown out and it really would not matter, as this franchise has come very far.
And what this year one coaching staff has been able to do really paints a great picture for the future. Most importantly, it's abundantly clear that Ben Johnson is going to be a very good head coach in this league for a long time. Chicago doesn't need to win any more games this year, to be honest. Their future is extremely bright, and that's why this team has the most to gain in the NFC.