The Bills have clinched the AFC East, the Lions and Chiefs have clinched playoff berth, and 11 more playoff spots are up for grabs. Here’s how the NFL playoff picture looks after the early Sunday games of Week 14:
NFC Playoff Picture
DIVISION LEADERS
1. Detroit Lions (12-1): Big Thursday night win against the Packers.
2. Philadelphia Eagles (11-2): A three-game lead in the NFC East is probably insurmountable. But can they catch the Lions for the 1 seed?
3. Seattle Seahawks (7-5): Have the lead in the wide-open NFC West.
4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-6): Have the lead in the terrible NFC South.
WILD CARDS
5. Minnesota Vikings (11-2): Loss at home to the Lions will hurt their chances, but a Week 18 rematch in Detroit looms.
6. Green Bay Packers (9-4): Getting swept by the Lions pretty much takes them out of NFC North contention.
7. Washington Commanders (8-5): Big lead in the wild card race.
OUTSIDE LOOKING IN
8. Arizona Cardinals (6-6): NFC West race is wide open.
9. Los Angeles Rams (6-6): NFC West race is wide open.
10. Atlanta Falcons (6-7): Loss on Sunday hurt their chances in the NFC South.
11. San Francisco 49ers (5-7): Preseason NFC favorites are unlikely to make the playoffs.
12. Dallas Cowboys (5-7): Thanksgiving win kept them alive.
13. New Orleans Saints (5-8): Two games out in the NFC South.
14. Chicago Bears (4-8): New interim head coach Thomas Brown takes over a team that’s deep in last place in the NFC North.
15. Carolina Panthers (3-10): Playing much better football of late.
16. New York Giants (2-11): Mathematically eliminated.
AFC Playoff Picture
DIVISION LEADERS
1. Kansas City Chiefs (11-1): Clinched a playoff berth, but a head-to-head loss to the Bills could cost them in the race for the No. 1 seed.
2. Buffalo Bills (10-2): Clinched the AFC East, and now they’re rooting for the Chiefs to lose a game.
3. Pittsburgh Steelers (10-3): A big lead and the tiebreaker edge in the AFC North.
4. Houston Texans (8-5): They’re not playing well, but they should win the AFC South by default.
WILD CARDS
5. Los Angeles Chargers (8-4): Big game looms Sunday night.
6. Baltimore Ravens (8-5): Running out of time to catch the Steelers.
7. Denver Broncos (8-5): Bo Nix has led them into the wild card race.
OUTSIDE LOOKING IN
8. Indianapolis Colts (6-7): Catching the Texans in the AFC South will be a long shot.
9. Miami Dolphins (6-7): Trying to keep their faint hopes alive with a win over the Jets.
10. Cincinnati Bengals (4-8): May not get to the playoffs even if they run the table.
11. Cleveland Browns (3-10): Mathematically eliminated.
12. Jacksonville Jaguars (3-10): Mathematically eliminated.
13. New York Jets (3-10): Mathematically eliminated.
14. Tennessee Titans (3-10): Mathematically eliminated.
15. New England Patriots (3-10): Mathematically eliminated.
16. Las Vegas Raiders (2-11): Mathematically eliminated.
Clinching Scenarios
The following Week 14 playoff scenarios were distributed by the NFL:
AFC
CLINCHED:
Buffalo Bills (10-2) – AFC East
Kansas City Chiefs (11-1) – playoff berth
Kansas City Chiefs (11-1) vs. Los Angeles Chargers (8-4); Sunday night, 8:20 p.m. ET, NBC
Kansas City clinches AFC West division title with:
-
KC win
NFC
CLINCHED:
Detroit Lions (12-1) – playoff berth
Minnesota Vikings (10-2)
Minnesota clinches a playoff berth with:
-
SEA-ARI tie
-
ARI loss + LAR loss or tie
Philadelphia Eagles (10-2) vs. Carolina Panthers (3-9); Sunday, 1 p.m. ET, FOX
Philadelphia clinches a playoff berth with:
-
ARI loss or tie