Six NFL teams I’m keeping an eye on in the second half of the 2025 NFL season

With the NFL’s playoff race slowly starting to take shape, which teams will play big roles in the season’s second half? And could we still see some shakeup in terms of the division leaders after a stunning first half of NFL football?

(Image Credit to Sean Thomas-Imagn Images.)

With the NFL season’s first half having come and gone, we’ve been able to see which teams have surprised (Cincinnati does fall under this in the worst possible way unfortunately) and which have not (looking at you Dallas). I’m breaking down the six teams that are going to play the biggest role in determining the final playoff picture heading into January. 

Denver Broncos

Of the six teams I’m analysing, there’s a good chance the Broncos play the biggest role in this year’s playoff picture. In my AFC West preview, I said that Denver would need to get off to at least a 5-3 start to have a chance. Not only did they exceed that expectation with a 7-2 start (potentially 8-2 depending on the result of their game against Las Vegas this week), but they got some external help with Kansas City going 5-4 in their first nine games. 

While the Broncos are only a game ahead of the Los Angeles Chargers for the division lead, it’s the gap to Kansas City that matters most right now. Denver currently has a two-game lead on Kansas City in the AFC West; regardless of the result of the Broncos’ Week 10 encounter with Las Vegas, they will have a multi-game advantage on the Chiefs heading into a massive Week 11 encounter at the Empower Field at Mile High Stadium. Win that, and it’s a two-and-a-half game lead on Kansas City plus the tiebreaker, which would essentially put Denver’s playoff and division title destiny in their hands. 

New England Patriots

To say the Patriots are living up to the hype is a little bit of an understatement. Despite a 1-2 start to the season, New England has rattled off six straight wins, building a one-and-a-half game advantage in the AFC East. 

The one big reason for New England’s success? Mike Vrabel. I have him atop my list of favourite NFL head coaches mainly because he’s more than capable of working with any roster and imposing a physicality-first and team-focused approach to winning football games. Not only has that shown defensively (look no further than New England’s win last week against Atlanta), but it has seen the Patriots become the second-highest scoring team in the AFC, behind only the Indianapolis Colts. 

While the Patriots have done well to put themselves in a position to get back to the playoffs for the first time since 2022, they have a chance to challenge Buffalo down the stretch for the AFC East. Before a crucial rematch against Buffalo in Boston’s suburbs, the Patriots have to play Tampa Bay, the New York Jets, Cincinnati, and the New York Giants. Considering that stretch, there’s a good chance the Patriots can maintain or even extend their lead on Buffalo for the division before that crucial game. 

Mr Brightside may play to Bills fans' content at Highmark Stadium, but I wouldn’t exactly play it in celebration of another AFC East title just yet. 

Baltimore Ravens

A 1-5 start was less than ideal for a Ravens team looking to not only get back to the AFC Championship Game, but to also get to the Super Bowl for the first time since 2013. However, they’ve since rattled off two straight wins and gotten quarterback Lamar Jackson off of injury. 

The Ravens also enjoy a very favourable stretch before their first of two games against the Pittsburgh Steelers, who currently enjoy a two-game lead on the Ravens for first in the AFC North. While away games against Minnesota and Cleveland won’t necessarily be cakewalks, playing the Jets and Bengals to conclude that stretch should give the team some confidence heading into a pivotal December. 

Much of the Ravens’ early-season struggles can be attributed to poor defensive play and injury. Baltimore is slowly but surely improving on the defensive side of the ball, and getting Lamar Jackson back should be a massive boost for the team. But with head coach John Harbaugh arguably on the hot seat, and with the aforementioned struggles finding resolution in some way, there are now no more excuses for a Ravens team that has lacked permission for excuses for much of the last three seasons. They now have to perform and get back in this division title race, or else risk the need for change in order to get back on track. 

Chicago Bears

I thought the Bears would be a little more competitive this year with Ben Johnson joining the team as head coach. 

After the team’s 5-3 start, I’m happy to say I’m surprised at how they’ve done so far. 

Not only has quarterback Caleb Williams done a complete 180 on his 2024 rookie season, but key players like running back D’Andre Swift and tight end Colston Loveland have made their mark throughout the 2025 season. To make things all the more optimistic for the Bears and their fans, the team is tied for second with Detroit and only a tie back on the Green Bay Packers for first in the NFC North. 

That said, if the Bears are to establish themselves as firm playoff contenders, their next four games will be key:

Vs New York Giants

At Minnesota Vikings

Vs Pittsburgh Steelers

At Philadelphia Eagles

Not only should the Bears take a winnable game against the Giants, but considering that the four NFC North teams are only separated by a win and a tie, they will also need to beat Minnesota the following week in order to establish themselves. Therefore, a split should be the bare minimum for the Bears over the next four games; if things pan out in their favour with other divisional rivals, the Bears will have a chance over the next three weeks to make up some ground on their rivals. This is because the Bears will play the Green Bay Packers, who lead the NFC North, twice over a three-game span from December 7th to December 20th. While splitting the series would still keep the Bears in range of a playoff spot, a sweep could give the Bears a foothold in the playoff picture. 

Carolina Panthers

I boldly predicted the Panthers would finish 9-8 this season and just shy of a playoff berth. The latter half of 2024 saw quarterback Bryce Young play some of his best football, while head coach Dave Canales helped to establish some confidence in a Carolina squad that was devoid of it for much of the last three seasons. 

Say what you will about the Panthers’ disastrous first four games, but the team has rebounded incredibly well, winning four of their last five games. The only loss in that stretch came in a blowout to the Buffalo Bills. 

While there is still plenty of work to be done if the Panthers are to push for their first playoff berth since 2017, a 5-4 first half is something worth celebrating in Charlotte. The Bryce Young-led offence was behind Carolina’s first three wins of the season, while the defence had its chance in the spotlight in securing a win against the New York Jets and then a massive upset of the Green Bay Packers. 

The Panthers’ 2025 season concludes with two of their last three games being played against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who have a slender-but-healthy lead atop the NFC South. Before then, the Panthers play five games; two of those games are against the New Orleans Saints, while one comes against the Atlanta Falcons. With San Francisco and the Los Angeles Rams being the team’s other two opponents, Carolina will need to win two or even all three of the aforementioned matchups to keep themselves in striking distance of both the playoffs and Tampa Bay. The Buccaneers’ upcoming six games before the first Carolina game include matchups against New England, Buffalo, and the Los Angeles Rams. 

A division title may be unlikely for Carolina, but should they at least maintain the current gap to Tampa Bay for the next month-and-a-half, I expect the Panthers to be major contributors to the NFC playoff drama down the stretch. 

Seattle Seahawks

Much of the Minnesota Vikings’ success last season was due to a strong season from beleaguered quarterback Sam Darnold. The USC product threw for over 4000 yards and 30 touchdowns, helping the Vikings to a 14-3 regular season record and a second playoff berth in three seasons under head coach Kevin O’Connell. 

With Sam Darnold signing in Seattle, there was doubt as to whether he could keep his form up. 

After eight games, it’s safe to say there should be no more doubt. 

Through Seattle’s first eight, Sam Darnold has thrown for just north of 2000 passing yards and 15 touchdowns. He’s also well ahead of his yards per completion measure from 2024 (7.9 last year vs 9.6 this year). Translate those statistics over a seventeen-game season, and there is a chance that Sam Darnold’s 2025 season will be just as good, if not better, than 2024. 

His second second-coming also has the Seahawks at a 6-2 record and tied with the Los Angeles Rams for the NFC West lead. That said, Week 11 will see the Seahawks travel to SoFi Stadium to play that same Rams team for the first time this season. Not only that, but their last three games will come against NFC playoff contenders, with Los Angeles, Carolina, and San Francisco awaiting Seattle over that final stretch, one that could not only determine Seattle’s playoff aspirations, but also play a role in deciding whether Seattle wins the NFC West or has to go on the road in the Wild Card round. 

-------------------------------------------------------------

Article written by Noah Guttman