The playoff picture is starting to solidify. With the conclusion of Sunday’s games, 6 divisions have been decided and 2 wild card spots have been claimed. Here’s where everyone stands with one week (and one game tomorrow) left to go (not including the potential for any tie game results):
AFC
Eliminated: Jacksonville Jaguars (2-14), Houston Texans (4-12), New York Jets (4-12), Denver Broncos (7-9), Cleveland Browns (7-8), Miami Dolphins (8-8)
- Tennessee Titans (11-5) – Clinched AFC South. Can clinch a first round bye with a win over the Texans in Houston or a Chiefs loss and a Bengals loss. Can finish as low as the 3rd Seed.
- Kansas City Chiefs (11-5) – Clinched AFC West. Can clinch a first round bye with a Titans loss and a win over the Broncos in Denver. Can finish as low as the 4th seed.
- Cincinnati Bengals (10-6) – Clinched AFC North. Can clinch a first round bye with a Titans loss, a Chiefs loss, and a win over the Browns in Cleveland. Can finish as low as the 4th Seed.
- Buffalo Bills (10-6) – Clinched playoff spot. Can clinch AFC East with a win over the Jets in Buffalo or a Patriots loss. With a win, can finish as high as the 2nd Seed and as low as the 4th Seed. With a loss, can finish as high as the 4th Seed and as low as the 7th Seed.
- New England Patriots (10-6) – Clinched playoff spot. Can clinch AFC East with a Bills loss and a win over the Dolphins in Miami. Can clinch a first round bye with a win over the Dolphins, a Bills loss, a Titans loss, and a Chiefs loss. With a loss, can finish as low as the 6th Seed.
- Indianapolis Colts (9-7) – Can clinch a playoff spot with a win over the Jaguars in Jacksonville. With a win, can finish as high as the 5th Seed and as low as the 6th Seed. Can be eliminated from playoff contention with a loss to the Jaguars.
- Los Angeles Chargers (9-7) – Can clinch a playoff spot with a win over the Raiders in Las Vegas. With a win, can finish as high as the 5th Seed and as low as the 7th Seed. Can be eliminated from playoff contention with a loss to the Raiders.
- Las Vegas Raiders (9-7) – Can clinch a playoff spot with a win over the Chargers in Las Vegas or with a Colts loss and a Steelers loss (either tomorrow vs the Browns or next Sunday at the Ravens). With a win, can finish as high as the 5th Seed and as low as the 6th Seed. Can be eliminated from playoff contention with a loss and a Colts win or a loss and two Steelers wins.
- Pittsburgh Steelers (7-7-1) – Can clinch the 7th Seed with a win over the Browns in Pittsburgh (tomorrow), a win over the Ravens in Baltimore, and a Colts loss. Can be eliminated from playoff contention with a loss to the Browns (tomorrow) or a loss to the Ravens or a Colts win.
- Miami Dolphins (8-8) – Eliminated.
- Baltimore Ravens (8-8) – Can clinch the 7th Seed with a win over the Steelers in Baltimore, a Colts loss, a Dolphins loss, and a Chargers loss. Can be eliminated from playoff contention with a loss to the Steelers or a Colts win or a Dolphins win or a Chargers win.
NFC
Eliminated: Detroit Lions (2-13-1), New York Giants (4-12), Carolina Panthers (5-11), Seattle Seahawks (6-10), Chicago Bears (6-10), Washington Football Team (6-10), Atlanta Falcons (7-9), Minnesota Vikings (7-9)
- Green Bay Packers (13-3) – Clinched first round bye.
- Los Angeles Rams (12-4) – Clinched playoff spot. Can clinch NFC West with a win over the 49ers in Los Angeles or a Cardinals loss. Can clinch the 2nd Seed with a win. With a loss, can finish as high as the 2nd Seed and as low as the 5th Seed.
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers (12-4) – Clinched NFC South. Can clinch the 2nd Seed with a win over the Panthers in Tampa Bay, a Rams loss, and a Cardinals loss. Can clinch the 3rd Seed, at worst, with a Cowboys loss. Otherwise, clinched the 4th Seed, at worst.
- Dallas Cowboys (11-5) – Clinched the NFC East. Can clinch the 2nd Seed with a win over the Eagles in Philadelphia, a Rams loss, and a Buccaneers loss. Can clinch the 3rd Seed with a win over the Eagles and a Rams loss. Otherwise, clinched the 4th Seed, at worst
- Arizona Cardinals (11-5) – Clinched playoff spot. Can clinch the NFC West with a win over the Seahawks in Arizona and a Rams loss. With a win, can finish as high as the 2nd Seed and as low as the 5th Seed (cannot finish as the 4th Seed).
- San Francisco 49ers (9-7) – Can clinch a playoff spot with a win over the Rams in Los Angeles or a Saints loss. Can clinch the 6th seed with a win over the Rams or an Eagles loss and a Saints loss. Can be eliminated from playoff contention with a loss to the Rams and a Saints win.
- Philadelphia Eagles (9-7) – Clinched playoff spot. Can clinch the 6th Seed with a win over the Cowboys in Philadelphia and a 49ers loss or a 49ers loss and a Saints win. Otherwise, clinched 7th Seed, at worst.
- New Orleans Saints (8-8) – Can clinch the 7th Seed with a win over the Falcons in Atlanta and a 49ers loss. Can be eliminated from playoff contention with a loss to the Falcons or a 49ers win.
Niners bout to be ‘liminated hate to say it but it’s true
The Rams like other teams that have clinched will be resting their key starters the final game so I think the Niners will make it.
But the Rams haven’t clinched the division and need a win so I don’t think they rest their starters.
Well if they do they have nobody else to blame but themselves. They let so many winnable games slip away this year.
I knew this was gonna happen. Too many losses early on. Up and down. No way Niners beat Rams again. Eff Sean Payton
So tell me this. 49ers have the tie breaker with the eagles yet the eagles clinched and the niners didn’t. Doesn’t make any sense they have the same record.
That’s because the Niners will finish third in their division, I suppose, as opposed to the Eagles, who will finish second. It is kind of screwy.
It has to do with tie breaker scenarios.
If two teams are tied with the same record than the first tiebreaker is head to head. So yes, if the eagles and niners finish with same record, then the niners finish ahead of eagles.
But you can’t do that if three teams finish with same record, which can happen with the niners,eagles, and saints.
With a three team tie, you don’t look at head to head, you look at other factors that include common opponents and conference record. So in a three way tie, the eagles are guaranteed a playoff spot and in a two way tie with the saints, they have the head to head.
In a three way tie, the niners lose out and the saints are in.
Thanks! I was trying to understand that as well.
2 team tie is head to head and 3 way is conference record. Niners beat Eagles but Eagles would have best conference record in case of 3 way tie
Thanks, petersdylan. It is still a bit screwy to me, given the relative positioning, but I think that’s only due to the seeding order (which itself likely depends on points scored and strength of schedule here).
I’m curious as to how the playoff picture would look if games lost to injury and Covid had been used as a tie breaker.
The ravens would be in the super bowl
I hope Steelers fans will be put out of their collective misery shortly. It’s indescribable to see the word “playoffs” associated with such a bad football team. From the GM, to the coaching staff and a majority of players, what a train wreck.
Yeah, but I still think that they’re better than the Dolphins, and probably about even with the Ravens right now. There are a few teams that limp into the playoffs every now, with one extra coming now after that expansion.
In any case, I don’t think that the Colts are losing, so it’ll be soon.
Up until yesterday, I would have disagreed about Miami. You’re right about teams limping towards the playoffs and the fact is, it’s a down year for the AFC for the Steelers to even be in the picture
But I’ve been a fan since Noll took over the team and can’t remember a Steelers team with this many glaring holes and that includes the coaching staff. I stood by Tomlin until this year but clearly, in a perfect world it would be time for he, Colbert and that entire staff to go. It would be time to rebuild around the few solid pieces you have on both sides of the ball
Reality is, it’s likely there will be few changes and we are in for a Bubby-like era.