NFL Playoff Picture - Week 16: Postseason seeds, projected draft order
NFL Playoff Picture is a weekly look at the teams jockeying to secure their shot to make it to Super Bowl LVII.
AFC| Seed | Team | Division | Record |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bills (y) | East | 12-3 |
| 2 | Chiefs (y) | West | 12-3 |
| 3 | Bengals (x) | North | 11-4 |
| 4 | Jaguars | South | 7-8 |
| 5 | Ravens (x) | North | 10-5 |
| 6 | Chargers (x) | West | 9-6 |
| 7 | Dolphins | East | 8-7 |
x = clinched playoff berth
y = clinched division title
z = clinched first-round bye
The Miami Dolphins lost their fourth straight game Sunday. They'll close out the schedule against the two teams directly behind them in the wild-card standings - the New England Patriots and the New York Jets. All three teams are 1-4 in their last five contests.
Elsewhere, the Los Angeles Chargers secured a playoff spot with a win over the Indianapolis Colts on Monday night.
On Saturday, the Buffalo Bills overcame a rough first half against the Chicago Bears to claim their third consecutive AFC East title and keep the No. 1 spot in the AFC. But Buffalo has no margin for error, as the Kansas City Chiefs defeated the Seattle Seahawks for their 12th win. Buffalo and Kansas City have identical records, though the former owns the head-to-head tiebreaker.
Two AFC North teams clinched playoff spots Saturday. After failing to make the cut in 2021, the Baltimore Ravens are back in the postseason thanks to their win over the Atlanta Falcons and losses from the Patriots and Jets. New York's loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars on Thursday also helped the Cincinnati Bengals punch a playoff ticket from home.
Don't look now, but Trevor Lawrence and the Jaguars - winners of three straight - suddenly lead the AFC South. Jacksonville jumped into first place in the division with its win on Thursday Night Football and the Tennessee Titans' stunning loss to the Houston Texans on Saturday.
In the hunt| Seed | Team | Division | Record |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8 | Patriots | East | 7-8 |
| 9 | Jets | East | 7-8 |
| 10 | Titans | South | 7-8 |
| 11 | Steelers | North | 7-8 |
| 12 | Raiders | West | 6-9 |
The Titans, who not long ago seemed like a lock to make the playoffs, are in trouble. They've lost five in a row, and starting quarterback Ryan Tannehill recently went down with an ankle injury. Rookie Malik Willis made his third start Saturday but couldn't generate much offense. He completed just 14 of 23 pass attempts for 99 yards with no touchdowns and two interceptions.
NFC| Seed | Team | Division | Record |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Eagles (x) | East | 13-2 |
| 2 | Vikings (y) | North | 12-3 |
| 3 | 49ers (y) | West | 11-4 |
| 4 | Buccaneers | South | 7-8 |
| 5 | Cowboys (x) | East | 11-4 |
| 6 | Giants | East | 8-6-1 |
| 7 | Commanders | East | 7-7-1 |
x = clinched playoff berth
y = clinched division title
z = clinched first-round bye
It wasn't pretty, but the Tampa Bay Buccaneers emerged with an overtime victory over the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday, keeping them a game ahead of the 6-9 Carolina Panthers and New Orleans Saints in the NFC South. The Buccaneers will host the Panthers in Week 17, while the Saints will visit the Philadelphia Eagles.
The Dallas Cowboys and Eagles showed Saturday they're two of the NFC's best teams. Dallas topped Philly 40-34 and prevented its division rival from clinching the division and a first-round bye. The Cowboys also ensured they won't fall further than the No. 5 seed. But the Eagles, who didn't have quarterback Jalen Hurts, still need just one win in their last two games to secure the conference's No. 1 seed.
Philadelphia has yet to clinch a bye because the Minnesota Vikings keep on winning. Minnesota used a 61-yard walk-off field goal from Greg Joseph to take down the New York Giants, improving to 11-0 in one-score games in 2022. Despite the loss, the Giants have a 91% chance of making the postseason, according to FiveThirtyEight.
In the hunt| Seed | Team | Division | Record |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8 | Seahawks | West | 7-8 |
| 9 | Lions | North | 7-8 |
| 10 | Packers | North | 7-8 |
| 11 | Panthers | South | 6-9 |
| 12 | Saints | South | 6-9 |
Green Bay received help with losses from the Giants, Washington Commanders, Detroit Lions, and Seahawks on Saturday before boosting its playoff hopes Sunday by beating the Dolphins. The Packers must win out to have a chance but would still need a loss from the Commanders or two losses from the Giants to jump them.
Projected NFL draft order| Pick | Team |
|---|---|
| 1 | Texans |
| 2 | Bears |
| 3 | Seahawks (via Broncos) |
| 4 | Cardinals |
| 5 | Colts |
| 6 | Falcons |
| 7 | Lions (via Rams) |
| 8 | Panthers |
| 9 | Raiders |
| 10 | Eagles (via Saints) |
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