Honestly, if you looked at the AFC West standings back in September and thought the Denver Broncos would be sitting on a 14-3 record with a first-round bye right now, you’re either a psychic or a liar. Most of us were looking at the Chiefs to keep that stranglehold on the division. But football is weird. It’s chaotic. And the nfl records and standings from this 2025-2026 regular season prove that "on paper" doesn't mean squat once the cleats hit the grass.
We just wrapped up one of the most statistically lopsided seasons in recent memory. Some people are calling it the "Year of the Receiver," while others are staring at the sack leaders wondering if offensive lines just collectively forgot how to block. Whatever your take, the data doesn't lie. Records didn't just break this year; they were pulverized.
The Absolute Chaos of the Final NFL Records and Standings
Let’s talk about the AFC first because it’s a mess in the best way possible. The Denver Broncos and New England Patriots both finished 14-3. Think about that. Two teams with 14 wins in the same conference. In most years, 14 wins secures you the absolute top of the mountain without a question, but the tiebreakers were working overtime this January.
New England, led by Drake Maye’s ridiculous 75.2% completion percentage (which, by the way, put Drew Brees’ 2018 record in a coffin), looked unstoppable until a late-season stumble. Meanwhile, the Jaguars quietly took the AFC South with 13 wins.
Over in the NFC, the Seattle Seahawks emerged as the bullies of the West. They went 14-3 too. It’s kinda wild how the power shifted. The Philadelphia Eagles, our defending Super Bowl LIX champs, actually struggled with offensive consistency. They finished 11-6. Still good? Yeah. But they got bounced in the Wild Card round by the 49ers. It was a 23-19 heartbreaker that basically signaled the end of the "Birds" era of dominance for now.
Division Winners and the Playoff Seeds
- AFC No. 1 Seed: Denver Broncos (14-3)
- NFC No. 1 Seed: Seattle Seahawks (14-3)
- The "How did they get here?" Award: The Carolina Panthers won the NFC South at 8-9. Yes, a sub-.500 team made the dance while the 9-8 Lions and Vikings are sitting at home on their couches.
It’s basically the "Giants in 2011" vibes all over again.
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Why These 2025 Records Actually Matter
If you aren't paying attention to the individual milestones, you're missing the real story. Jaxon Smith-Njigba—or JSN if you’re into the whole brevity thing—just had the greatest receiving season we’ve seen in a decade. He finished with 1,793 yards. He was chasing Calvin Johnson’s 1,964, and while he fell a bit short of Megatron's all-time mark, he broke the Seahawks' franchise record and led the entire league.
Then there’s Myles Garrett.
The man is a glitch in the matrix. In Week 18, he officially recorded his 23rd sack of the season. He did it. He finally eclipsed the 22.5 mark held by T.J. Watt and Michael Strahan. Seeing him chase down Joe Burrow to clinch that record was one of those "I was there" moments for Cleveland fans, even if the Browns finished a disappointing 5-12.
The Quarterback Landscape is Shifting
We have to talk about Matthew Stafford. He’s 37, turning 38 soon, and he just put up 4,707 passing yards. He's now 6th on the all-time passing yards list with 64,516 yards. He passed Ben Roethlisberger and Philip Rivers this season. It’s sort of insane that he’s playing the best football of his career nearly two decades in.
And then there's the rookie/sophomore surge. Drake Maye isn't just a "promising young guy" anymore. He’s a legitimate All-Pro caliber floor-general who led the league in efficiency.
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The Scrimmage Yard King Nobody Saw Coming
Bijan Robinson is currently the best offensive weapon in football. Period.
He ended the regular season with 2,255 scrimmage yards. He was only 115 yards away from passing LaDainian Tomlinson’s legendary 2003 season for the fifth-most in NFL history. Watching him move is like watching someone play Madden on rookie mode. He forced 86 missed tackles this year. The next closest guy? Not even in the same zip code.
What Most People Get Wrong About the Current Standings
There’s this narrative that the league has become "soft" or that defenses can't play anymore. If that were true, Garrett wouldn't have 23 sacks. If that were true, the Seahawks wouldn't have a +191 point differential.
The reality is that the nfl records and standings this year show a massive gap between the "Haves" and the "Have-Nots." Look at the AFC West. You have the 14-win Broncos and then you have the 3-14 Raiders. The parity we usually brag about in the NFL? It took a vacation in 2025. We have five teams in the league that didn't even crack four wins.
This creates a "stat-padding" environment. When the elite teams play the bottom-feeders, records fall. That’s why JSN and Bijan have such gaudy numbers. It doesn't take away from their talent, but it explains why the record books are being rewritten every Sunday.
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All-Time Career Passing Leaders (As of Jan 2026)
- Tom Brady: 89,214
- Drew Brees: 80,358
- Peyton Manning: 71,940
- Brett Favre: 71,838
- Aaron Rodgers: 66,274
- Matthew Stafford: 64,516
Stafford is breathing down Rodgers' neck. If Stafford plays one more healthy season, he’s hitting that top five. That’s legacy-defining stuff.
What's Next: The Divisional Round and Beyond
As of right now, we are heading into the Divisional Round. The Wild Card weekend already cleared out the "pretenders." The Eagles are out. The Jaguars are out. The Steelers got absolutely smoked by the Texans, 30-6.
Here is what you need to actually watch for as the playoffs progress. The Texans look like the scariest team in the AFC. C.J. Stroud has a connection with Nico Collins that is borderline telepathic. They’re heading to Foxborough to face the Patriots, and honestly? I might take the Texans in an upset.
In the NFC, it’s Seattle’s world. They host the 49ers tonight at Lumen Field. The 49ers already beat the Eagles, so they have momentum, but playing in Seattle in January is a different kind of nightmare.
Next Steps for the Serious Fan:
- Monitor the Sack Totals: While the regular season record is set, watch if Myles Garrett's pressure rate translates to postseason success for the teams remaining.
- Watch the Weather: The Bills are headed to Denver. Empower Field at Mile High is going to be freezing. High-altitude, sub-zero games usually favor the run, so keep an eye on James Cook and Javonte Williams.
- Check the All-Pro Lists: The AP All-Pro teams were just released. JSN and Stafford made the first team. See how those "best-on-best" matchups play out in the Seahawks-49ers game.
The regular season gave us the numbers, but the playoffs give us the truth. The nfl records and standings tell us who was great from September to January, but they don't crown a champion. We’re about three weeks away from seeing if the Broncos or Seahawks can actually finish the job or if a Wild Card like the Texans will ruin everyone’s parlays.
Article complete. Stats verified through Week 18 and Wild Card Round 2026.