It’s officially clinching season in the NFL now that December is here. But no team has actually clinched yet.
NFL playoff picture 2017: Where teams stand after Week 13
The Eagles had a chance to clinch in Week 13, but instead, they fall out of the top spot in the NFC.
Photo by Scott Cunningham/Getty Images
The only team that had a chance to punch its ticket to the postseason in Week 13 was the Philadelphia Eagles. Instead, they’ll have to wait. The Eagles dropped just their second game all season with a 24-10 loss to the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday Night Football.
Although no teams are officially in the playoffs yet, several are already out of contention. Coming into the week, the Cleveland Browns, New York Giants and San Francisco 49ers were all officially out. One team, the Chicago Bears, joined them after a loss on Sunday.
Here’s how things currently stand:
AFC
- Pittsburgh Steelers (10-2)
- New England Patriots (10-2)
- Tennessee Titans (8-4)
- Kansas City Chiefs (6-6)
- Jacksonville Jaguars (8-4)
- Baltimore Ravens (7-5)
In the hunt:
Los Angeles Chargers (6-6)
Buffalo Bills (6-6)
Oakland Raiders (6-6)
Still alive:
Cincinnati Bengals (5-7)
New York Jets (5-7)
Miami Dolphins (5-7)
Houston Texans (4-8)
Denver Broncos (3-9)
Indianapolis Colts (3-9)
Eliminated:
Cleveland Browns (0-12)
The Week 15 meeting of the Steelers and Patriots looms large and could decide the top seed in the conference. For now, Pittsburgh holds the edge after an ugly comeback win over the Bengals on Monday night. The Patriots beat the Bills on the road to stay in line for a first-round bye.
The Ravens, who beat up on the Lions, remain the No. 6 seed in the AFC.
In the AFC South, the Titans and Jaguars are still neck and neck for the division lead. Both teams got divisional wins this week — Tennessee over the Texans, and Jacksonville over the Colts.
The suddenly tight AFC West is now a three-way tie between the Chiefs, Chargers, and Raiders. The Chiefs, who fell on the road to the Jets, still hang on to the playoff spot — for now. The Chargers beat the winless Browns in Los Angeles, and the Raiders topped the Geno Smith-led Giants in Oakland.
NFC
- Minnesota Vikings (10-2)
- Philadelphia Eagles (10-2)
- Los Angeles Rams (9-3)
- New Orleans Saints (9-3)
- Seattle Seahawks (8-4)
- Carolina Panthers (8-4)
In the hunt:
Atlanta Falcons (7-5)
Detroit Lions (6-6)
Green Bay Packers (6-6)
Dallas Cowboys (6-6)
Arizona Cardinals (5-7)
Washington (5-7)
Still alive:
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-8)
Eliminated:
New York Giants (2-10)
San Francisco 49ers (2-10)
Chicago Bears (3-9)
Philadelphia couldn’t hold off the list of hungry teams hunting for the top spot in the NFC. Although the Eagles are tied for the best record in the NFL, the Vikings jumped them for the No. 1 seed in the NFC.
The Seahawks went from out of the playoff picture to the fifth seed with the Sunday Night Football win over the Eagles.
One of the biggest games of the week was a rematch between the Panthers and Saints. New Orleans won again, sweeping the series this season and keeping hold of the top spot in the NFC South. The Panthers are still in the playoff picture, but moved down to No. 6
The Falcons fall out of the race for now after dropping a game to the Vikings. With the win, the Vikings stay in control of a first-round bye and now sit atop the entire conference.
The other team currently in the mix is the Rams, who beat the Cardinals on the road. With a Week 14 game against the Eagles and then an NFC West showdown with the Seahawks in Week 15, the Rams couldn’t afford to slip up against Arizona like Jacksonville did last week.
Elsewhere in the NFC, the Lions lost to the Ravens, and the Packers got an overtime win against the Bucs. Both NFC North teams are now 6-6.
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