Game result: The Cardinals are officially out of the playoffs. They lost to the Panthers 36-30 in overtime. That loss coupled with the Rams’ 19-9 win over the Jets eliminated Arizona.

The Arizona Cardinals travel to Charlotte to take on the Carolina Panthers in Week 16 with a lot on the line. The Panthers are playing for their place in the 2025 NFL Draft, but the Cardinals still have a shot at a playoff spot as the regular season enters the home stretch. The game begins at 1:00 p.m. ET and the Cardinals are the 4.5-point favorite at FanDuel Sportsbook.

Cardinals playoff picture

Arizona sits in third place in the NFC West at 7-7. The 49ers are one game behind the Cardinals, while the Rams and Seahawks are each one game ahead of them. In Week 16, the Cardinals can be eliminated from NFC West contention with one loss and one win for the Rams. That would also eliminate them from playoff contention.

The Cardinals’ path to the division title is clear. If they win and the Seahawks lose two of their last three games, Arizona will win the division title. They retain the head-to-head tiebreaker over the Rams, while the Seahawks outlast them. This means they can finish tied with the Rams, but must finish a complete game ahead of the Seahawks.

The Cardinals also sit 10th overall in the NFC standings and are two games behind the Commanders for the final wild card spot. Arizona lost to Washington, so they need to win three games in the standings to have a chance at the Wild Card.

Effects on the tiebreaker

This has no real impact on the Cardinals’ bid for a playoff spot. If they win, they will have defeated the Rams, been defeated by the Seahawks and lost to the Commanders. The direct tiebreaker would make the difference in virtually every outcome.