There is a ton of parity in the NFL this year, and it could boil over in a good way when the playoffs roll around in a couple of months. Now about halfway through the 2025 season, many of the current division winners would be the new kids on the block.
And some of the more traditional playoff teams currently have some work to do to make up ground in the standings. What might be neat for the NFL are some new teams emerging as legitimate contenders or potential contenders as the season goes on and the postseason approaches.
We took a brief look at some of the more fun, friskiest potential playoff teams in the NFL right now, so let's talk about them here.
Which potential playoff teams are the friskiest after a wild Week 8?
New England Patriots (6-2, no. 2 seed in AFC)
The New England Patriots are currently the second seed in the AFC and were one of the worst teams in the NFL in the 2024 season, but they remade their coaching staff and are now led by Mike Vrabel. Vrabel brought Josh McDaniels back to the team for yet another stint as the team's offensive coordinator, and McDaniels is a Hall of Famer in that regard.
With second-year QB Drake Maye taking a seismic leap thus far, the Patriots could do some damage in the postseason, but many have wondered if New England is the real deal, as they have beat up on a ton of bad teams this year. They can't control who is on their schedule, but the record speaks for itself.
Denver Broncos (6-2, no. 3 seed in AFC)
Right below the New England Patriots in the AFC standings is the Denver Broncos, a team that has now won five games in a row. Sporting a top-10 scoring offense and defense, Denver is seeing the offense come together. Second-year QB Bo Nix has been responsible for eight total touchdowns over his past two games, and running back JK Dobbins ranks third in the NFL in yards.
Denver made the playoffs last year but got blown out in the Wild Card Round by the Buffalo Bills. With this team another year in the Sean Payton era, more talented, and getting better QB play, it would not be hard to see how the Broncos could win a playoff game or two this year.
Seattle Seahawks (5-2, no. 4 seed in NFC)
Currently the fourth seed in the NFC, the Seattle Seahawks are another balanced team in the NFL. They are very explosive on both sides of the ball, and the biggest story might be QB Sam Darnold still playing his tail off. Seattle won 10 games in the 2024 NFL Season but did not make the postseason. Right now, they feel a lot more secure and are plenty good enough to win the NFC West.
With how deep this conference is, the teams playing late in January will be the ones who are well-built from top to bottom, and the Seahawks fit that mold well.