NFL Playoff Picture: Chiefs chasing Steelers for bye, NFC East a must-watch
NFL Playoff Picture is a weekly look at the teams jockeying to secure their positions for a shot at making it to Super Bowl LV.
AFC| Seed | Team | Division | Record |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Steelers | North | 11-1 |
| 2 | Chiefs (x) | West | 11-1 |
| 3 | Bills | East | 9-3 |
| 4 | Titans | South | 8-4 |
| 5 | Browns | North | 9-3 |
| 6 | Dolphins | East | 8-4 |
| 7 | Colts | South | 8-4 |
x = clinched playoff berth
y = clinched division title
z = clinched first-round bye
The reigning champion Kansas City Chiefs, although currently the No. 2 seed, became the first AFC team to clinch their place in the playoffs after a hard-fought win over the Denver Broncos on Sunday night.
The Pittsburgh Steelers, who entered Week 13 with a perfect record, have yet to book their tickets to the playoffs following an upset loss to the Washington Football Team at home. In spite of the loss, Pittsburgh remains on the top of the AFC for having a better conference win percentage than Kansas City.
Kevin Stefanski's Cleveland Browns retained the top wild-card spot after an impressive victory over the Tennessee Titans - their fourth in a row. However, the Browns will have to fend off the Miami Dolphins, Indianapolis Colts, and others if they intend to lock up the fifth seed. Cleveland's chances of advancing to the postseason for the first time since 2002 are currently over 90%, according to FiveThirtyEight.
Miami isn't out of the AFC East race, either, sitting just one game back of the Buffalo Bills. The two clubs match up in Week 17, which could decide the division. Buffalo was victorious in the first meeting in Week 2.
In the hunt| Seed | Team | Division | Record |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8 | Raiders | West | 7-5 |
| 9 | Ravens | North | 7-5 |
| 10 | Patriots | East | 6-6 |
The Las Vegas Raiders were able to pull off a miraculous win in Week 13, keeping them in a great spot to compete for a playoff berth.
The Baltimore Ravens put an end to their ugly three-game losing streak and looked a little more like the 2019 juggernaut in their beatdown of the Dallas Cowboys on Tuesday. The Ravens will have some work to do to get back into a playoff spot.
Meanwhile, the New England Patriots are still dreaming about the playoffs despite starting the season 2-5. The Patriots - winners of four of their last five games - still don't have a great chance of making it, but there aren't many teams in the league hotter than New England at the moment.
NFC| Seed | Team | Division | Record |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Saints (x) | South | 10-2 |
| 2 | Packers | North | 9-3 |
| 3 | Rams | West | 8-4 |
| 4 | Giants | East | 5-7 |
| 5 | Seahawks | West | 8-4 |
| 6 | Buccaneers | South | 7-5 |
| 7 | Vikings | North | 6-6 |
x = clinched playoff berth
y = clinched division title
z = clinched first-round bye
The No. 1 seed New Orleans Saints continued to roll in Week 13, picking up their ninth win in a row and clinching a postseason berth in the process. However, Sean Payton's squad lost to the Green Bay Packers in Week 3, so the race for the NFC's only first-round bye is far from over.
There was movement in the NFC West on Sunday, as the Los Angeles Rams took over the third spot - for the time being. The Rams, Arizona Cardinals, and Seattle Seahawks each have two division tilts remaining on their schedules, so this competitive division likely won't be clinched anytime soon.
The Minnesota Vikings jumped Arizona for the conference's final wild-card slot via an overtime victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars and a Cardinals loss. Minnesota - which currently owns the tiebreaker over Arizona based on the best win percentage in common games - has massive matchups against New Orleans and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers coming up.
Finally, the New York Giants stayed in the driver's seat of the NFC East after stunning the Seahawks, but the race for the division's top spot is far from over. New York and Washington currently have identical records and the former's advantage is only based on the head-to-head win percentage.
In the hunt| Seed | Team | Division | Record |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8 | Cardinals | West | 6-6 |
| 9 | Bears | North | 5-7 |
| 10 | Lions | North | 5-7 |
| 11 | 49ers | West | 5-7 |
| 12 | Washington | East | 5-7 |
Week 13 wasn't great for NFC West teams hoping to make a wild-card push - both the Cardinals and San Francisco 49ers were defeated, leaving the 49ers as one of five teams in the NFC with a 5-7 record.
The Detroit Lions earned a crucial victory against the Chicago Bears on Sunday in their first contest since the organization fired head coach Matt Patricia. Although the Lions won big, the club's chances of making the postseason are just at 3% due to their tough final stretch this season, which features four opponents currently in playoff spots (Packers, Titans, Buccaneers, Vikings).
The good news for the Bears is they remain in a relatively good position to make a playoff push in the final games of the regular season. On the other hand, Chicago appears to be falling apart as it's now suffered six straight losses. It's seemingly just a matter of time until the Bears fall out of the postseason picture.
Washington, meanwhile, may have earned this week's most important win in terms of playoff implications. The team's victory over the then-unbeaten Steelers didn't allow the Giants to open a big lead atop the NFC East and even increased Washington's chances for a wild-card spot.
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