NFL Playoff Picture is a weekly look at the teams fighting to secure their chance to advance to Super Bowl LIX.

AFC

x = guaranteed playoff spot
y = division title won
z = bye won in the first round

The Kansas City Chiefs ensured that the AFC playoffs would be held at Arrowhead Stadium after their Christmas Day victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers. Kansas City was the conference’s third-place finisher last year but won the Super Bowl again. Now the Chiefs, seeking a historic three-peat, will be rested and healthier in January after securing a bye in the first round of the postseason with a week to go.

Another big development in the AFC comes from the north, where the Baltimore Ravens control the division after dominating the Houston Texans and overtaking the Steelers for first place. There aren’t many teams playing better than Baltimore right now. With a win over the Cleveland Browns next week, the club will clinch the division title for the second straight year.

The Los Angeles Chargers defeated the New England Patriots on Saturday, clinching a playoff spot and continuing Jim Harbaugh’s impressive first season in the NFL. Justin Herbert has only played in one playoff game in his career – when LA led the Jacksonville Jaguars 27-0 – so it will be interesting to see if Harbaugh can help the star QB improve his game in the postseason .

The race for the AFC’s 7th seed remains open after the Cincinnati Bengals pulled off an epic overtime victory over the Denver Broncos on Saturday. However, Denver will still make the playoffs if it beats Kansas City next week.

On the hunt

Despite Joe Burrow’s spectacular season, the Bengals are still struggling to reach the postseason. They need a win over the Steelers and a loss from the Broncos next week. The Miami Dolphins and Indianapolis Colts also need to lose at least one of their last two games for Cincinnati to advance. Miami – which likely won’t feature an injured Tua Tagovailoa on Sunday – plays the Browns and New York Jets. Indy visits the New York Giants without the injured Anthony Richardson before hosting the Jacksonville Jaguars in the regular season finale.

NFC

x = guaranteed playoff spot
y = division title won
z = bye won in the first round

The Seattle Seahawks defeated the Chicago Bears on Thursday, but the Los Angeles Rams maintained their lead in the West and moved closer to the division title after defeating the Arizona Cardinals on Saturday. Los Angeles is expected to have a crucial battle against Seattle next week, but Sean McVay’s team can advance even with a loss (more on that below).

The Detroit Lions visit the San Francisco 49ers on Monday. With a win combined with a loss by the Minnesota Vikings to the Green Bay Packers on Sunday, they can secure the NFC North title and the No. 1 seed in the conference.

The Philadelphia Eagles just need a win (or a Washington Commanders loss) to clinch the NFC East title. Philly will play the Dallas Cowboys without starting quarterback Jalen Hurts, who remains in concussion protocol.

On the hunt

A Seahawks win over the Rams next week would even their season series, but that doesn’t necessarily guarantee Seattle the NFC West title. Actually, it might not matter at all. That’s because Los Angeles can still win the division this weekend and eliminate Seattle via the win strength tiebreaker. In other words, the Seahawks need to win next week and will need help from other teams to advance, particularly the Buffalo Bills, Browns, Vikings, 49ers and Commanders. If either of these teams achieves three or more wins in the final two weeks of the season, the Rams advance.

Projected NFL Draft Order

The 2-13 Giants are still projected to take first overall in the 2025 NFL Draft. New York hosts the Colts on Sunday before ending its regular season on the road against the Eagles. The Giants have used three different quarterbacks in 2024 and are expected to target a QB next offseason.