NFL Playoff Picture: Detroit Lions survive fight from Packers to rule the NFC

We had an absolute treat of a game to kick off Week 14 in the NFL with two of the top teams from not just the NFC North, but the entire NFL square off on Thursday night. It lived up to the hype.

Coming into the game, the Detroit Lions sat atop the NFC at 11-1, but that was only good for a one-game lead in the conference and their division. The Green Bay Packers, meanwhile, sat third in the NFC North despite a really good 9-3 record.

The game was back and forth all night, with huge defensive stops and turnovers but also lots of scoring. The Lions ultimately converted a late fourth down to run out the clock and kick a field goal to win the game in the closing seconds.

Another battle on Sunday featuring two potential NFC playoff teams will have a big impact on the North standings as the 10-2 Minnesota Vikings play the 6-6 Atlanta Falcons, who currently lead the NFC South.

The Philadelphia Eagles at 10-2 are hosting the Carolina Panthers while the NFC West-leading Seattle Seahawks are at their division rival, the Arizona Cardinals, who would take the lead with a win.

The 8-5 Washington Commanders own the seventh spot right now, but they are on a bye in Week 14. A cluster of teams is a ways back at 6-6.

Here are the standings as of right now:

1. x-Detroit Lions (12-1)
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 (9-4)
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

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

Note: In the three-way tie between Cleveland, New York, and Tennessee, the Jets are eliminated first because of a worse AFC record, then the Titans are eliminated because of their worse strength of victory. But the tiebreaker starts over after that, which is why the Jets’ win over Tennessee factors into the standings.

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

When they moved to 11 wins in Week 13, the Kansas City Chiefs became the first NFL team in the NFL to clinch a playoff spot. The Buffalo Bills clinched the AFC East last Sunday night, ensuring a home playoff game. The Lions secured their playoff spot with the Thursday night win.

- Kansas City Chiefs
- Buffalo Bills
- Detroit Lions

In Week 13, the Giants became the first team this season to be officially eliminated from the playoff race. On Black Friday, the Raiders joined them with their tenth loss of the season and they are also eliminated. On Sunday, the Patriots were also eliminated them with a loss and wins by the Chargers and Texans. With the Denver Broncos win on Monday night, they eliminated the Jacksonville Jaguars from the playoffs.

- New York Giants
- New England Patriots
- Jacksonville Jaguars
- Las Vegas Raiders