NFL playoff picture 2017: Vikings win crucial Thanksgiving showdown

Happy Thanksgiving, football fans. The NFL is serving up a full-course meal with three games, some more important than others. There were major playoff implications in the early game with the Lions and Vikings. Minnesota won its seventh straight game, and opened up a commanding three-game lead in the NFC North.

The Chargers kept their playoff hopes alive with a 28-6 win over the Cowboys. Los Angeles moves to 5-6, hovering just outside the AFC wild card spot.

In the final game of the day, Washington kept its playoff hopes alive with a 20-10 win over their NFC East rivals, the Giants.

Buffalo Bills (5-5)
Los Angeles Chargers (5-6)
Miami Dolphins (4-6)
New York Jets (4-6)
Cincinnati Bengals (4-6)
Houston Texans (4-6)
Oakland Raiders (4-6)

Strangely enough, the only AFC team playing on Thanksgiving was the Chargers, fresh off humiliating Nathan Peterman on Sunday and owning a head-to-head tiebreaker over the Bills. They beat up on the Cowboys, who are still reeling from the loss of Ezekiel Elliott. The win gave the Chargers some ground in the Wild Card race, but they’re behind the rest of the pack.

Seattle Seahawks (6-4)
Detroit Lions (6-5)
Green Bay Packers (5-5)
Dallas Cowboys (5-6)
Washington (5-6)
Arizona Cardinals (4-6)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-6)

Detroit had the chance to make the NFC North race a little tighter with a win. But it didn’t. The Vikings kept rolling with Case Keenum who threw for 282 yards and a pair of touchdowns. They’re still in second place in the NFC standings with the win, their seventh straight, and their lead in the division expands to three games.

The Cowboys were in must-win territory with the NFC East race mostly over and the Wild Card contenders pulling ahead. And as much as Dak Prescott needed bounceback performance, he didn’t have one. LA’s pass-rushing duo of Joey Bosa and Melvin Ingram is possibly the most fearsome in the league right now and despite left tackle Tyron Smith’s return, Prescott had another tough game. He threw two picks and no touchdowns in the Cowboys’ 28-6 loss.

The late game didn’t really have any playoff implications. Washington kept itself on the fringes with the win, despite the offense being devastated by injuries this year. The Giants are 2-9 and seem to be just waiting until head coach Ben McAdoo is fired.