The AFC Playoff Picture is now set for the Divisional Round, and both games are going to be absolutely bonkers. The playoffs have not disappointed this year, as all but one game has been close thus far, but we could see all four Divisional Round games very tight.
As we have said for months now, the NFL is wide open, and with the final eight teams now set, you really could make an argument for any one of those teams to win it all this year, and this is truly what makes the NFL great.
Now that the AFC Wild Card Round is over, let's take a quick look at the updated playoff picture approaching the next round of the 2025 playoffs.
Updated AFC Playoff Picture approaching the Divisional Round
(6) Buffalo Bills @ (1) Denver Broncos
The Buffalo Bills were able to get past the Jacksonville Jaguars in the Wild Card Round, and the team's reward is a trip to the Mile High City to face the Denver Broncos, a team that sports the best pass rush and home field advantage in the NFL.
Many people have only amped up their talk that 'this could be Josh Allen's year,' but it's easy to see how the Bills season could come to an end here. The Broncos did get a lot better in the offseason, and I do believe the Bills regressed. If you couple that with an improved QB in Bo Nix from his rookie season and this game being at home for the Broncos, Denver could have a slight advantage.
Denver went into Buffalo in 2023 and beat the Bills, so the teams are 1-1 over their past two matchups. Either way, expect a close game.
(5) Houston Texans @ (2) New England Patriots
The Houston Texans blew out the Pittsburgh Steelers in the Wild Card Round and are now in New England to face the Patriots. This may actually be a tougher matchup for New England, as Drake Maye has been sacked quite a bit this year, so the Texans pass rush could feast.
But on the flip side, CJ Stroud has definitely struggled a bit this year, so I am not sure the Texans have a path to a ton of points, either. Honestly, whoever hits 20 points first probably wins this one. It's a battle of two very good defenses, and that side of the ball is the one that typically prevails in the playoffs.
I would give the edge to the Patriots here.