Which NFL teams can clinch playoff spots in week 14?

Two NFL teams clinched a playoff berth in Week 13, as the Buffalo Bills won the AFC East and the Kansas City Chiefs clinched a wild card spot. Multiple teams can join them in the postseason in Week 14, this time on the NFC side of the coin.

Before we take a look at the clinching scenarios, here is the complete playoff picture heading into Week 14.

1. x-Kansas City Chiefs (11-1)
2. xy-Buffalo Bills (10-2)
3. Pittsburgh Steelers (9-3)
4. Houston Texans (8-5)
5. Los Angeles Chargers (8-4)
6. Baltimore Ravens (8-5, win over DEN)
7. Denver Broncos (8-5, loss to BAL)
8. Indianapolis Colts (6-7)
9. Miami Dolphins (5-7)
10. Cincinnati Bengals (4-8)
11. Cleveland Browns (3-9, 3-4 AFC, SOV 19 wins)
12. New York Jets (3-9, 3-5 AFC, win over TEN)*
13. Tennessee Titans (3-9, 3-4 AFC, SOV 16 wins, loss to NYJ)
14. New England Patriots (3-10)* eliminated
15. Jacksonville Jaguars (2-10)* eliminated
16. Las Vegas Raiders (2-10)* eliminated

1. Detroit Lions (11-1)
2. Philadelphia Eagles (10-2)
3. Seattle Seahawks (7-5)
4. Atlanta Falcons (6-6, 2-0 vs TB)
5. Minnesota Vikings (10-2)
6. Green Bay Packers (9-3)
7. Washington Commanders (8-5)
8. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6-6, 0-2 vs ATL, 6-3 NFC)
9. Arizona Cardinals (6-6, win over LAR, 3-5 NFC)
10. Los Angeles Rams (6-6, loss to ARI)
11. San Francisco 49ers (5-7, win over DAL)
12. Dallas Cowboys (5-7, loss to SF)
13. New Orleans Saints (4-8, 2-3 NFC South, 3-5 NFC)
14. Chicago Bears (4-8, 2-5 NFC)*
15. Carolina Panthers (3-9)
16. New York Giants (2-10)* eliminated

Teams with an asterisk have been eliminated from their divisional races.
Teams with an “x” have clinched a playoff spot
Teams with a “y” have clinched their division

For clarity, we’re only going to include wins and losses and not ties in these scenarios, but ties could potentially factor in, as well. Here are the clinching scenarios for each team.

The Lions have the easiest path to the postseason in Week 14. At 11-1, all they need to do is win to secure their spot. Getting to 12-1 means at worst they finish 12-5 and with every team in eighth place and lower with six losses, they wouldn’t be able to catch Detroit.

Detroit can also clinch a spot if several of their competitors lose in Week 14, but it will take multiple outcomes.

Any of these scenarios will also clinch the spot for Detroit even if they lose:

The Eagles sit at 10-2 in the NFC and can clinch a playoff spot in Week 14, but they are going to need help and they need to win. At 11-2, the worst they could finish is 11-6, so eliminating the potential wild card teams would need seven losses.

Eagles win PLUS any of these scenarios:

The Vikings sit at 10-2 in the NFC and can also clinch a playoff spot in Week 14, while keeping pressure on the Lions in the NFC North. Like Philly, they are going to need help and they need to win. At 11-2, the worst they could finish is 11-6, so eliminating the potential wild card teams would need seven losses or some head-to-head tiebreakers.

The Chiefs clinched their playoff spot last week, but this week they can clinch a home game by winning the AFC West. KC sits at 11-1, so a Chiefs win moves them to 12-1 with their worst record being 12-5. The Chargers are 8-4 and Broncos are at 8-5 on a bye, so if the Chiefs win, the best both teams could finish would be 12-5.

In a three-way tie, the Chiefs’ win over the Chargers would move their record vs the Chargers and Broncos to 3-0, their overall division record to 5-0, and they’d clinch every AFC West tiebreaker in the process.