NFL Playoffs 2025: Chiefs, Lions Earn Top Seeds as Wild Card Weekend Begins

The NFL playoffs are officially underway as the 2025 postseason kicks off with wild card weekend. The Kansas City Chiefs and Detroit Lions secured the top seeds in their respective conferences, earning first-round byes and home-field advantage. The Chiefs, aiming for a historic third consecutive Super Bowl title, finished the regular season with a 15-2 record, while the Lions claimed the NFC’s No. 1 seed for the first time in franchise history.

Wild card weekend features six matchups across three days, starting with the Houston Texans hosting the Los Angeles Chargers on Saturday. The Pittsburgh Steelers will travel to face the Baltimore Ravens in a divisional rivalry game, while the Buffalo Bills take on the Denver Broncos on Sunday. The Green Bay Packers will visit the Philadelphia Eagles, and the Washington Commanders will face the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The weekend concludes with the Minnesota Vikings battling the Los Angeles Rams on Monday night.

The Chiefs, led by quarterback Patrick Mahomes, are the favorites to win the Super Bowl with odds of +350, according to ESPN‘s Football Power Index (FPI). The Lions, who finished 15-2, are also strong contenders, with odds of +450. Both teams will await the winners of the wild card round to determine their divisional round opponents.

In the AFC, the Bills (13-4) hold the No. 2 seed and will host the Broncos, who clinched the final playoff spot with a Week 18 win. The Ravens (12-5) and Steelers (10-7) will renew their rivalry in Baltimore, while the Texans (10-7) and Chargers (11-6) face off in Houston. The NFC features a rematch of the season opener between the Eagles and Packers, as well as a showdown between the Buccaneers and Commanders.

Key storylines include the Chiefs’ quest for a three-peat, the Lions’ historic playoff run, and the Bills’ pursuit of their first Super Bowl title. The wild card weekend schedule is packed with high-stakes matchups, setting the stage for an exciting postseason.