With December football in full swing, the NFL playoff picture is starting to take shape-but this year, the lines between contenders and pretenders are blurrier than usual. We're used to seeing a few dominant teams rise above the pack by now, but 2025 has thrown us a curveball. The standings are tight, the margins are thin, and the race for the postseason is as wide open as it's been in years.
At the top of the AFC and NFC, it's not the usual suspects. New England and Denver are leading the way in the AFC, while Chicago and Seattle hold the top seeds in the NFC.
That’s not just a breath of fresh air-it’s a sign of how much parity has taken hold across the league. Even the Wild Card race is a logjam, with several teams still very much in the hunt and no one quite pulling away.
Two of those teams still scrapping for playoff position are the Kansas City Chiefs (6-6) and the Houston Texans (7-5), who are set to square off in a high-stakes Sunday night showdown. It’s a matchup that carries real playoff implications-and maybe even a glimpse into who could make a deep run if they get in.
Let’s start with Kansas City. Sure, their 2025 resume doesn’t scream “AFC powerhouse.”
But this is still the team that’s represented the conference in the last three Super Bowls. When you’ve got that kind of pedigree, people are going to give you the benefit of the doubt.
The Chiefs haven’t looked like their usual dominant selves, but history tells us they’re always a threat once the postseason rolls around-if they can get there.
On the flip side, you’ve got a Texans team that’s quietly building something real. Back-to-back 10-7 seasons might not jump off the page, but this year’s squad has a different feel.
At 7-5 and currently sitting third in their division, Houston doesn’t look like a juggernaut on paper. But if you’ve been watching them closely, you know this team has the tools to make noise-especially if they can grab one of those seven playoff spots in the AFC.
And it’s not just analysts taking notice. Russell Wilson, currently on a bye week with the Giants, stepped into the CBS studio on Sunday and made a bold claim: Houston might just be the most dangerous team in the AFC.
"The most dangerous team? I'm actually gonna go with the Texans," Wilson said.
"They may lose tonight, but they're gonna win the rest of them, and they're gonna get back in the playoffs, I think. Find a way to get in, and if they get in, with that defense, they're a problem."
That’s high praise coming from a former Super Bowl champ-and it’s not without merit. Houston’s defense has been flying under the radar but playing with real bite, and their offense has shown flashes of the kind of balance and explosiveness that wins games in January.
Of course, losing to Kansas City on Sunday night would put a dent in Houston’s playoff push. But even then, the door wouldn’t be closed. If they can take care of business in the final four weeks and finish 11-6, they’d be right back in the mix-possibly even a team no one wants to face.
That said, pulling off a win at Arrowhead would be a statement. Not just because it would give Houston a critical head-to-head win over another AFC hopeful, but because it would deal a serious blow to the Chiefs’ own playoff hopes. A victory in that environment would be the kind of moment that galvanizes a team and sends a message to the rest of the conference: Houston’s not just in the hunt-they're coming.
So while the standings are still sorting themselves out, and while the AFC remains a crowded and chaotic race, keep an eye on Sunday night. Because when the Texans and Chiefs take the field, it won’t just be about playoff positioning-it could be a preview of who’s ready to make a real run.