It's always weird to see teams with a winning record that don't make the playoffs. Last year, the 10-7 Seattle Seahawks were the only team to win double-digit games that didn't make the playoffs. This year, every team that won at least 10 games did make it to the postseason.
But there were still two teams that finished with a winning record but aren't in the 14-team playoff field. And when you look deeper into these teams, it's definitely a tale of two stories, and as the playoffs begin, we'll quickly highly the two winning teams that aren't there.
Let's dive into these two teams here.
The Detroit Lions and Minnesota Vikings both finished 9-8 and missed the 2025 playoffs
After going 15-2 in the regular season in 2024, the Lions got off to a solid 5-2 start in 2025, and it seemed like another NFC North title was in the works. However, the defense never really got fully healthy, as the secondary became a massive issue.
Even with the best offense in the NFL and a top-5 QB in Jared Goff, that defense really ruined things. Here are the point totals given up in the Lions' eight losses this year, in order:
27
30
27
16
31
41
29
23
At the end of the day, this was the issue. Detroit ranked 4th in points scored but 22nd in points allowed. They did have a positive point differential and really only needed one more win to make the playoffs. Heading into the 2026 offseason, most of what would help the Lions is simply seeing some of their key defensive players getting healthy.
The 9-8 Minnesota Vikings were a bit of a different story, as this team ranked 26th in points scored and 7th in points allowed. Like the Lions, they also had a positive point differential. Minnesota was just 4-8 through 12 games, though, as the subpar QB play was getting to them. Somehow, the Vikings won five games in a row to end the season.
All of JJ McCarthy, Carson Wentz, and Max Brosmer combined to throw 17 touchdown passes this year against 21 interceptions. Even with average QB play, Minnesota would have won at least 10 or 11 games this year. Heading into 2026, the Vikings have to desperately get some clarity with this position.
The defense is plenty good enough, and there are enough weapons on offense to field a strong unit. The two 9-8 teams in the NFL were both very close to making the playoffs, but they actually couldn't be more different.