When the 2025 NFL season got underway, many had their playoff hopefuls already pencilled in. The reigning champion Philadelphia Eagles would surely be a lock, especially considering the dominant fashion in which they claimed the Lombardi last season. The Kansas City Chiefs, the team they beat in New Orleans to claim that crown, would also surely be in, especially after reaching eight straight AFC Championship games, which have yielded three Super Bowl championships.
Well, while some juggernauts have shone, others have faltered, instead giving way to a slew of upstarts all gunning to seize the 2025 season for themselves. In the AFC, the Indianapolis Colts and the New England Patriots are the surprise packages that have raised a lot of eyebrows. In the NFC, it’s the Seattle Seahawks who are looking to rebuild their Legion of Boom glory days.
But while that trio is thriving, what has happened to the heavyweights? Which teams are in trouble? And perhaps more importantly, can they get back on track before the postseason gets any closer?
Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills headed into the new campaign as the favourite with online betting sites to claim the Lombardi for the first time in franchise history. Those predictions looked accurate when they raced out of the gate with a perfect 4-0 start, triggering an even bigger slashing of their championship odds. However, as we head into week 11 and beyond, the latest NFL betting at Bovada odds now make them +850 fifth favourites, a far cry from the lofty billing of just a few weeks ago.
So, what’s gone wrong? Well, a stinging loss to the Patriots—a game in which Allen threw two costly picks—and an embarrassing collapse versus Atlanta signaled that this kingdom stood on shaky ground. But it was the week ten debacle at the hands of the lowly Miami Dolphins that truly set alarm bells ringing.
After a gut-check win over the Chiefs restored confidence, the Bills were obliterated in Miami, with a 30-13 blitzkrieg that exposed Buffalo’s secondary and forced three offensive turnovers. The loss means that Buffalo loses even more ground in the race for the AFC East crown, with upstarts New England pulling two wins clear with just a handful of games remaining. Worse still, the Highmark outfit is averaging fewer than 17 points in its losses, a troubling red flag for a team built on offensive firepower.
The Bills still own a +850 Super Bowl line and all the tools required for a January resurrection. The question is, can they string together quality wins against the league’s elite? Or will they fall prey yet again to the NFL’s big guns?
What is going on in Miami 😱
The Bills were 8.5 point favorites (-500) 🥶
— Bovada (@BovadaOfficial) November 9, 2025
Kansas City Chiefs
Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes have made the extraordinary seem routine across the last near-decade, but 2025 has tested their mettle like never before. The Chiefs were built up as the NFL’s untouchable dynasty; the reality has seen them thumped out of the gate, 0-2, and gashed for 47 points. Mahomes, the magic man, was pedestrian—his first-month TD: INT ratio (3:5) the stuff of tabloid nightmares.
But the true mark of a champion is how it answers adversity. Kansas City reeled off a three-game burst, punching the Lions in the mouth (30-17), Kelce rampaging for 238 yards across two games, the pass rush feasting (13 sacks from Weeks 4-6). For a brief spell, order restored itself. Critics fell silent.
Cue Week 9—a stark reversal, Buffalo holding Mahomes and the offense to a paltry 3-of-13 on third down, their lowest such mark in years. Suddenly, Kansas City sits third in the AFC West, its margin to error razor-thin. The offensive line has been battered, and the defense has been suspiciously pliant against mobile quarterbacks. Depth looks questionable.
Yet the metrics offer a reason for optimism. Mahomes leads the NFL in pressured completion rate (70%). Nobody manages chaos with more composure. Their remaining schedule brings clashes with the Raiders, Cowboys, and Titans—all teams with exploitable secondaries. The bookies give them +600 Super Bowl odds, hardly faint praise. But it’s no longer about magic—the Chiefs now require old-school grit in order to return to the promised land once more.
Baltimore Ravens
The script for Baltimore’s 2025 campaign has veered into tragicomedy. With Lamar Jackson healthy, bookies pegged the Ravens as a top-3 AFC bet. They had everything—Derrick Henry’s bruising runs, a defense ranking top-5 in sacks, and stability at the skill positions. But a Week 1 collapse against Buffalo, followed by Jackson’s ankle injury, triggered a cascade of disasters. In their superstar QB’s absence, the offense averaged a meager 13 points per game, and the team lost four straight.
Since the former MVP’s return, the Ravens have surged with wins over playoff-caliber opposition, specifically the Minnesota Vikings, away from home. Their defense, especially in third-down efficiency and forcing takeaways, has been momentarily dominant—holding recent foes to under 300 yards in consecutive weeks. But the ravages of injury have thinned their ranks, and their playoff path is a minefield: Bengals twice, Patriots, Packers.
At 4-5, the math is daunting, but not impossible. If Lamar rekindles the supernatural, if Henry gives them red-zone security, if that pass rush continues to feast, this team could launch a late charge. Will it be enough? Sometimes, in the NFL, it takes one electrifying win to ignite the impossible.