The playoff picture is almost set. Five teams entered Week 16 with a spot in the postseason already clinched. They were joined by four more teams in the second-to-last regular season Sunday of the year.
NFL playoff picture 2017: Where teams stand after Week 16
Four more teams clinched spots over the holiday weekend.
Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images
The Kansas City Chiefs took the AFC West crown and Los Angeles Rams did the same in the NFC West. The NFC South title is still up for grabs, but the New Orleans Saints and Carolina Panthers both secured playoff berths with wins.
Now, six teams are left competing for three playoff spots as the season is winding down.
Here’s how things currently stand with one week left in the regular season:
AFC
- New England Patriots (12-3)**
- Pittsburgh Steelers (12-3)**
- Jacksonville Jaguars (10-5)**
- Kansas City Chiefs (9-6)**
- Baltimore Ravens (9-6)
- Tennessee Titans (8-7)
**clinched division
In the hunt:
Los Angeles Chargers (8-7)
Buffalo Bills (8-7)
Eliminated:
Oakland Raiders (6-9)
Miami Dolphins (6-9)
Cincinnati Bengals (6-9)
Denver Broncos (5-10)
New York Jets (5-10)
Houston Texans (4-11)
Indianapolis Colts (3-12)
Cleveland Browns (0-15)
The Jaguars clinched the AFC South before they even played on Sunday, thanks to the Titans’ loss to the Rams. Then Jacksonville lost to the 49ers, which guaranteed the Patriots a first-round bye. Earlier in the day, New England took care of business against the Bills.
The Steelers handled the Texans on Christmas, giving them the second first-round bye in the AFC. Next week will determine whether the top seed, and the home-field advantage that comes with it, belongs to New England or Pittsburgh.
The Chiefs essentially closed the door on the AFC West race by beating the Chargers last week, but they made it official with a home victory over the Dolphins. Kansas City is now locked into the No. 4 seed and the No. 3 seed is Jacksonville’s.
The real intrigue in the AFC, though, is the three-way race for two wild card berths. The Chargers, Raiders and Dolphins entered the weekend not yet eliminated from the playoffs, but the Raiders and Dolphins are officially out of it now. That leaves the Chargers, Titans, Bills and Ravens ready to grab the two remaining playoff spots.
Baltimore staked a strong claim for one of those spots with a win Saturday, leaving the pressure on the Titans and Bills to keep up. However, both teams lost on Sunday, opening the door for the Chargers, who beat the Jets.
Next week, the Ravens and the Titans need a win and they’re in. If they lose, the Chargers or Bills could sneak in there.
NFC
- Philadelphia Eagles (13-2)**
- Minnesota Vikings (12-3)**
- Los Angeles Rams (11-4)**
- New Orleans Saints (11-4)*
- Carolina Panthers (11-4)*
- Atlanta Falcons (9-6)
**clinched division
*clinched playoff spot
In the hunt:
Seattle Seahawks (9-6)
Eliminated:
Detroit Lions (8-7)
Dallas Cowboys (8-7)
Green Bay Packers (7-8)
Washington (7-8)
Arizona Cardinals (7-8)
San Francisco 49ers (5-10)
Chicago Bears (5-10)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-11)
New York Giants (2-13)
Minnesota kept the pressure on the Eagles with a win Saturday, but Philadelphia’s win Monday night over the Raiders officially ended the race for the No. 1 seed and gave the Eagles home-field advantage throughout the postseason.
The Rams clinched the NFC West on Sunday with a road win against the Titans.
The most exciting race is the NFC South battle between the Saints, Panthers and Falcons. New Orleans got its revenge against Atlanta and punched its ticket to the postseason, but Carolina’s last-second win over Tampa Bay ensured that the NFC South title won’t be decided until next week.
Detroit lost on the road to Bengals, which eliminated the Lions from the playoffs. The other teams that were still alive played each other — the Seahawks and Cowboys. Despite Ezekiel Elliott’s return, Dallas couldn’t stop shooting itself in the foot. Seattle’s 21-12 win preserved its slim hopes, while the Cowboys are done for the year.
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