Table of Contents
The Chiefs clinched first place in the AFC on Christmas Day. Here’s what the rest of the playoff picture looks like after Thursday night of Week 17:
Image from the NFC playoffs
DIVISION LEADERS
1. Detroit Lions (13-2): Earned a playoff berth.
2. Philadelphia Eagles (12-3): Earned a playoff berth.
3. Los Angeles Rams (9-6): Pulling away in the NFC West.
4. Atlanta Falcons (8-7): Own the head-to-head tiebreaker over the Buccaneers.
Wild cards
5. Minnesota Vikings (13-2): They clinched a playoff spot, will clinch the No. 1 seed if they win.
6. Green Bay Packers (11-4): Getting swept by the Lions and losing to the Vikings puts them out of the NFC North race, even though they are otherwise 11-1.
7. Washington Commanders (10-5): They stayed alive in the NFC East race by beating the Eagles.
LOOK OUTSIDE
8. Seattle Seahawks (9-7): They stayed alive with the victory over the Bears.
9. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (8-7): The loss to the Cowboys left them out of playoff position, for now.
10. Dallas Cowboys (7-8): Mathematically eliminated.
11. Arizona Cardinals (7-8): Mathematically eliminated.
12. San Francisco 49ers (6-9): Mathematically eliminated.
13. New Orleans Saints (5-10): Mathematically eliminated.
14. Carolina Panthers (4-11): Mathematically eliminated.
15. Chicago Bears (4-12): Mathematically eliminated.
16. New York Giants (2-13): Mathematically eliminated.
Image from the AFC playoffs
DIVISION LEADERS
1. Kansas City Chiefs (15-1): Earned the No. 1 seed, first-round bye and home-field advantage during the AFC playoffs.
2. Buffalo Bills (12-3): They won the AFC East.
3. Baltimore Ravens (11-5): They clinched a playoff berth.
4. Houston Texans (9-7): They won the AFC South and the number 4 spot in the playoffs.
Wild cards
5. Pittsburgh Steelers (10-6): They clinched a playoff berth.
6. Los Angeles Chargers (9-6): They have the head-to-head tiebreaker over the Broncos.
7. Denver Broncos (9-6): The loss to the Chargers hurt, but they are still on the cusp of a wild card spot.
LOOK OUTSIDE
8. Indianapolis Colts (7-8): Little wild card hopes.
9. Miami Dolphins (7-8): Wild card hopes even slimmer.
10. Cincinnati Bengals (7-8): The smallest of wild card hopes.
11. New York Jets (4-11): Mathematically eliminated.
12. Cleveland Browns (3-12): Mathematically eliminated.
13. Jacksonville Jaguars (3-12): Mathematically eliminated.
14. Tennessee Titans (3-12): Mathematically eliminated.
15. Las Vegas Raiders (3-12): Mathematically eliminated.
16. New England Patriots (3-12): Mathematically eliminated.
Decisive scenarios
FCA
INSURED:
Kansas City Chiefs (14-1) – AFC No. 1 seed
Buffalo Bills (12-3) – AFC East
Houston Texans (9-6) – AFC South
Baltimore Ravens (10-5) – playoff berth
Pittsburgh Steelers (10-5) – playoff berth
Denver Broncos (9-6) at Cincinnati Bengals (7-8); Saturday, 4:30 p.m. ET, NFL Network
Denver clinches playoff berth with:
-
DEN wins or draws
Los Angeles Chargers (9-6) against the New England Patriots (3-12); Saturday, 1 pm ET, NFL Network
Los Angeles clinches playoff berth with:
-
LAC wins or draws
-
MIA Loss or Tie + IND Loss or Tie
NFC
INSURED:
Detroit Lions (13-2) – playoff berth
Green Bay Packers (11-4) – playoff berth
Minnesota Vikings (13-2) – playoff berth
Philadelphia Eagles (12-3) – playoff berth
Detroit Lions (13-2) at San Francisco 49ers (6-9); Monday, 8:15 p.m. ET, ESPN/ABC
Detroit clinches the NFC North division title and the NFC’s No. 1 seed, its only first-round bye and home-field advantage with:
-
DET gain + MIN loss
Philadelphia Eagles (12-3) against the Dallas Cowboys (7-8); Sunday, 1 pm ET, FOX
Philadelphia wins the NFC East division title with:
-
PHI wins or draws
-
IT WAS a loss or a draw
Atlanta Falcons (8-7) at Washington Commanders (10-5); Sunday, 8:20 p.m. Eastern, NBC
Atlanta wins the NFC South division title with:
-
ATL victory + TB defeat
Los Angeles Rams (9-6) against the Arizona Cardinals (7-8); Saturday, 8 pm ET, NFL Network
Los Angeles Rams win the NFC West division title with:
-
LAR + LAR victory achieves tiebreaker strength of victory over SEA
(Note: LAR achieves the strength of victory over SEA with 3.5 or more wins from the following teams: MIN, BUF, SF, WAS, CIN, CLE)
Washington Commanders (10-5) against the Atlanta Falcons (8-7); Sunday, 8:20 p.m. Eastern, NBC
Washington clinches playoff berth with:
-
IT WAS win or draw
-
Loss or draw due to tuberculosis