2024 NFL Playoff Picture: Updated AFC and NFC Rankings, Bracket, Tiebreakers for Week 16

2024 NFL Playoff Picture: Updated AFC and NFC Rankings, Bracket, Tiebreakers for Week 16

The Bills, Texans and Chiefs won their divisions, the Lions, Steelers, Vikings and Eagles secured playoff spots and eight more playoff spots are up for grabs. Here’s what the playoff picture looks like heading into Week 16:

NFC playoff image

DEPARTMENT HEAD

1. Detroit Lions (12-2): Clinched a playoff spot.

2. Philadelphia Eagles (12-2): Clinched a playoff spot.

3. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (8-6): Have first place in the NFC South and the NFC record tiebreaker over the Rams.

4. Los Angeles Rams (8-6): Took first place in the highly competitive NFC West.

WILD CARDS

5. Minnesota Vikings (12-2): Clinched a playoff spot.

6. Green Bay Packers (10-4): If they are swept by the Lions and lose to the Vikings, they are all but eliminated from NFC North contention, even though they are 10-1 otherwise.

7. Washington Commanders (9-5): One game ahead in wild card race.

FROM THE OUTSIDE LOOKS IN

8. Seattle Seahawks (8-6): Didn’t look like a playoff team in Sunday night’s loss to the Packers.

9. Atlanta Falcons (7-7): Stayed alive with a win against the Raiders on Monday night.

10. Arizona Cardinals (7-7): Stay alive in the NFC West.

11. San Francisco 49ers (6-8): The preseason NFC favorites are unlikely to make the playoffs.

12. Dallas Cowboys (6-8): Not completely out, but extreme long shots to get into the playoffs.

13. New Orleans Saints (5-9): Three games in the NFC South.

14. Chicago Bears (4-10): Mathematically eliminated.

15. Carolina Panthers (3-11): Mathematically eliminated.

16. New York Giants (2-12): Mathematically eliminated.

AFC playoff picture

DEPARTMENT HEAD

1. Kansas City Chiefs (13-1): Win the AFC West and take a two-game lead over the No. 1 seed.

2. Buffalo Bills (11-3): Won the AFC East, but can they catch the Chiefs?

3. Pittsburgh Steelers (10-4): Clinched a playoff spot.

4. Houston Texans (9-5): Won the AFC South.

WILD CARDS

5. Baltimore Ravens (9-5): Own the head-to-head tiebreaker against the Broncos.

6. Denver Broncos (9-5): Bo Nix led them into the wild card race.

7. Los Angeles Chargers (8-6): The loss to the Buccaneers on Sunday hurt.

FROM THE OUTSIDE LOOKS IN

8. Indianapolis Colts (6-8): Little hopes for wild cards.

9. Miami Dolphins (6-8): Even lower wild card hopes.

10. Cincinnati Bengals (6-8): Least chance of a wild card.

11. New York Jets (4-10): Mathematically eliminated.

12. Cleveland Browns (3-11): Mathematically eliminated.

13. Jacksonville Jaguars (3-11): Mathematically eliminated.

14. Tennessee Titans (3-11): Mathematically eliminated.

15. New England Patriots (3-11): Mathematically eliminated.

16. Las Vegas Raiders (2-12): Mathematically eliminated.

Crucial scenarios

The official decision scenarios will be published by the NFL on Tuesday.

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