Game result: The Chargers beat the Cowboys on Sunday 34-17 to improve to 11-4 on the season. The Chargers did not clinch a playoff berth yet because the Texans beat the Raiders on Sunday afternoon, but they can still clinch if the the Colts lose to the 49ers on Monday Night Football. The Chargers are still alive in the AFC West race too after the Denver Broncos lost on Sunday. Next week, the Chargers host the Texans on Saturday, and then close the season by playing Denver.
NFL playoff picture: What Chargers win over Cowboys means for AFC standings in Week 16
The Chargers travel to face the Cowboys on Sunday. We break down what the game means for the NFL playoff picture in Week 16.
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The Dallas Cowboys host the Los Angeles Chargers in a Week 16 matchup that is important for one team and lost luster for the other. The Chargers are in the thick of the AFC playoff race and can punch their playoff ticket this weekend. The Cowboys were hanging onto the NFC East race by a thread, but that thread is no more. The Eagles beat the Commanders on Saturday evening to clinch the NFC East title and officially eliminate the Cowboys.
Prior to the Eagles game, the Cowboys were a 2.5-point favorite against the Chargers. After the Eagles eliminated them, the line dropped a point.
Los Angeles Chargers playoff picture
LA can clinch a playoff berth this weekend with a win and some help. If they beat the Cowboys, they will punch their playoff ticket if the Colts lose on Monday to the 49ers or the Texans lose on Sunday to the Raiders.
The Chargers are two games back of the Broncos in the AFC West standings. LA would be eliminated from division contention with a loss and a Denver win. The Chargers and Broncos face off in Week 18, but LA needs Denver to lose a game before then for that game maintain division title implications.
LA enters Sunday in fifth place in the overall AFC standings. They are tied with the sixth place Bills, but hold the conference record tiebreaker (8-2 vs. 7-3). Both teams sit a game up on the Texans and two up on the Colts, the latter of whom is the first team out of the wild card seeding. LA hosts Houston next week, which means the Chargers could end up anywhere from fifth to seventh place by the time the season concludes.
Dallas Cowboys playoff picture
The Cowboys were eliminated from playoff contention on Saturday when the Eagles beat the Commanders to clinch the NFC East title.
Tiebreaker implications
This will likely have no impact on tiebreakers. The Broncos also played the Cowboys, but if the Chargers come back to tie Denver, they will likely have to win in Week 18 which would give them the head-to-head sweep.
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