With the 2025 NFL season at the midway point, every game takes on even greater significance as the playoff picture takes shape.

The World Series ending on a Saturday created this tidy timeline where we got one day to process, and then with this new week comes offseason action. Eligible players have now officially become free agents, and even a casual fan can glean that this class is solid.

The New York Jets likely took the Cincinnati Bengals out of the AFC North hunt with their upset win. The Dallas Cowboys' playoff chances took a massive hit with their loss to the Denver Broncos, while the Tampa Bay Buccaneers appear to be cruising toward their fifth straight NFC South title.

The Chiefs have head-to-head losses to the Los Angeles Chargers and Jacksonville Jaguars, the two teams directly ahead of it in the wild-card standings. Patrick Mahomes and Co. still have to play the Denver Broncos twice, with the first meeting coming out of Kansas City's bye in Week 11.

The Chiefs and Bills are surging ahead of their Week 9 showdown. But can either of them catch the Colts and Patriots to take the No. 1 seed?

The Carolina Panthers are one of the hottest teams in the NFL. And thanks to a no-name offensive line that continues to whip opponents in the ground game, they just might hang around far longer than most would have expected.

It's Halloween, so let's take a look at the teams who should be scared about what awaits them on the second half of their schedule

Racing Louisville FC and North Carolina Courage were vying for the final spot, which ultimately went to Louisville after it earned a 1-0 win over Bay FC. Despite a 3-0 win over Gotham FC, North Carolina fell just short of a playoff spot.

The 2025 NFL Playoffs are still a ways off, but even this early in the season, every win counts and tie-breakers are on the line. Check out the NFL Playoff Picture if the playoffs were to start today:

KC Joyner looks at rest-of-season schedules to locate trade targets and players to ship out before their value plummets.