NFL Playoff Picture: Eagles take control of NFC East, Raiders still alive
NFL Playoff Picture is a weekly look at the teams jockeying to secure positions for a shot at making it to Super Bowl LIV.
AFC| Seed | Team | Division | Record |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ravens (z) | North | 13-2 |
| 2 | Patriots (y) | East | 12-3 |
| 3 | Chiefs (y) | West | 11-4 |
| 4 | Texans (y) | South | 10-5 |
| 5 | Bills (x) | East | 10-5 |
| 6 | Titans | South | 8-7 |
x = clinched playoff berth
y = clinched division title
z = clinched first-round bye
The Ravens secured the first No. 1 seed in the franchise's 24-year history with their win Sunday.
The Patriots own a one-game lead on the Chiefs for the No. 2 seed and an all-important first-round bye. A victory over the Dolphins in Week 17 would give New England a week off in the postseason.
The Chiefs could take the second, third, or fourth seed. In a best-case scenario, Kansas City wins and New England loses next week. A worst-case scenario sees the Chiefs drop their regular-season finale against the Chargers and Houston beat the Titans, giving the Texans the No. 3 seed based on their head-to-head win in Week 6.
The Texans have the AFC South locked up and are likely to meet the Bills in the wild-card round as the No. 4 seed - unless they win their Week 17 game and Kansas City loses.
The Bills are locked into their position as the AFC's fifth seed following their loss to the Patriots on Saturday.
Tennessee needs only a Week 17 win against the Texans to clinch the sixth and final playoff spot.
In the hunt| Seed | Team | Division | Record |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7 | Steelers | North | 8-7 |
| 8 | Raiders | West | 7-8 |
The Steelers still own a realistic path to the postseason. They'll grab the No. 6 seed with a win over the Ravens and a Titans loss to the Texans. They can also get in if they lose to Baltimore, as long as Tennessee, Jacksonville, and Oakland all lose as well.
Speaking of long odds, the Raiders entered the day needing five particular outcomes in Week 16 and four more in Week 17 to make the playoffs. They got what they needed on Sunday.
Now, if the Raiders beat the Broncos next Sunday and the Ravens, Texans, and Colts all win as well, Oakland would get the No. 6 seed.
In that scenario, Oakland, Pittsburgh, and Tennessee would each have 8-8 records and a share of a three-way tie for the final playoff spot. The tiebreaker would come down to strength of victory and the Raiders would own the advantage.
NFC| Seed | Team | Division | Record |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 49ers (x) | West | 12-3 |
| 2 | Saints (y) | South | 12-3 |
| 3 | Packers (x) | North | 11-3 |
| 4 | Eagles | East | 8-7 |
| 5 | Seahawks (x) | West | 11-4 |
| 6 | Vikings (x) | North | 10-4 |
x = clinched playoff berth
y = clinched division title
z = clinched first-round bye
The top seed in the conference is still very much up for grabs. The 49ers are still in the driver's seat, but they'll need to defeat the Seahawks on Sunday Night Football next week to win the NFC West and ensure the NFC playoffs go through Santa Clara.
The Saints could also still win the No. 1 seed if they beat the Panthers in Week 17, the 49ers lose to the Seahawks, and the Packers lose either Monday night or the following week.
The Packers and Vikings meet up Monday with the NFC North on the line. Green Bay would clinch the division with a win and could earn a first-round bye with a win in Week 17 as well. The Packers' path to the No. 1 seed involves winning out and a Week 17 loss from San Francisco.
Minnesota needs to win its last two contests and for Green Bay to drop its finale against Detroit to capture the division.
The Seahawks could also get out of the bottom of the bracket with a win in the last week of the regular season, though they'll have to do it without their top two running backs. Chris Carson and C.J. Prosise were ruled out for the season after Sunday's game.
In the hunt| Seed | Team | Division | Record |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7 | Cowboys | East | 7-8 |
There's just one team in the NFC currently on the outside of the playoff picture with a chance of making it in. With their loss to the Eagles on Sunday, the Cowboys need to defeat the Redskins next week and for Philadelphia to lose to the Giants to take the division and the fourth seed in the conference.
In that scenario, the Eagles and Cowboys would have identical 8-8 records and 1-1 records in head-to-head play. The tiebreaker would go to Dallas on division record.
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