The playoff races are significantly heating up around the NFL with four weeks left to play, as plenty has changed around the NFC. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have taken over the NFC South as the Atlanta Falcons continued their free fall, while the New Orleans Saints (5-8) stayed alive in the division race.
The Detroit Lions locked up their playoff berth with Thursday night’s win over the Green Bay Packers, the first team in the NFC to clinch. The Philadelphia Eagles also clinched a berth on Sunday.
In the AFC, the Buffalo Bills damaged their chances for home-field advantage with a loss to the Los Angeles Rams. The Miami Dolphins also stayed alive in the playoff race with their win over the New York Jets. The Kansas City Chiefs won the AFC West with their last-second victory over the Los Angeles Chargers.
Below is a breakdown of the conference standings with Week 14 nearly in the books:
AFC playoff picture
y- clinched division
x- clinched playoff berth
1. Kansas City Chiefs (12-1)
The Chiefs remain the No. 1 seed in the AFC, and took a two-game lead in the conference with Sunday’s win over the Chargers. They will also clinched the AFC West with the victory.
Remaining schedule: at Browns, vs. Texans, at Steelers, at Broncos
2. Buffalo Bills (10-3)
Buffalo trails Kansas City by two games for home-field advantage after its loss to the Rams, but has the head-to-head tiebreaker. The Bills already clinched the AFC East, and have the strength of victory tiebreaker over the Steelers.
Remaining schedule: at Lions, vs. Patriots, vs. Jets, at Patriots
3. Pittsburgh Steelers (10-3)
The Steelers upped their lead in the AFC North by two games over the Ravens with their win over the Browns (they also have the head-to-head tiebreaker over Baltimore). Pittsburgh is tied with Buffalo for the No. 2 seed, but loses the strength of victory tiebreaker.
Remaining schedule: at Eagles, at Ravens, vs. Chiefs, vs. Bengals
4. Houston Texans (8-5)
The Texans remain at No. 4 in the conference as they were on a bye this week. They still lead the AFC South by two games over the Colts.
Remaining schedule: vs. Dolphins, at Chiefs, vs. Ravens, at Titans
5. Baltimore Ravens (8-5)
The Ravens take over the No. 5 seed in the AFC with the Chargers loss (they were on a bye this week). They are two games behind the Steelers in the AFC North (Pittsburgh owns the tiebreaker). Baltimore has the head-to-head tiebreaker over Los Angeles by virtue of its Week 12 victory.
Remaining schedule: at Giants, vs. Steelers, at Texans, vs. Browns
6. Los Angeles Chargers (8-5)
The Chargers fall to the No. 6 seed in the AFC after their loss to the Chiefs. Their Week 6 win over the Broncos gives the Chargers the head-to-head tiebreaker for the No. 6 seed — and second place in the AFC West.
Remaining schedule: vs. Buccaneers, vs. Broncos, at Patriots, at Raiders
7. Denver Broncos (8-5)
The Broncos still hold the final playoff spot as they were on a bye this week, leading the Colts and Dolphins for the No. 7 seed by two games. Denver loses the head-to-head tiebreaker with Los Angeles for the No. 6 seed.
Remaining schedule: vs. Colts, at Chargers, at Bengals, vs. Chiefs
8. Indianapolis Colts (6-7)
The Colts are two games out of the final wild-card spot in the AFC, as they were on a bye this week. They remain two games behind the Texans for the division lead. The Colts have the head-to-head tiebreaker over the Dolphins by virtue of their Week 7 victory.
Remaining schedule: at Broncos, vs. Titans, at Giants, vs. Jaguars
9. Miami Dolphins (6-7)
The Dolphins’ AFC playoff hopes are still alive with their win over the Jets. Miami is two games behind Denver for the final playoff spot.
Remaining schedule: at Texans, vs. 49ers, at Browns, at Jets
10. Cincinnati Bengals (4-8)
The Bengals remain the No. 10 seed in the AFC, three games in the loss column behind the Broncos for the final wild-card spot. They play the Cowboys on “Monday Night Football,” needing a win to stay in the playoff hunt.
Remaining schedule: at Cowboys, at Titans, vs. Browns, vs. Broncos, at Steelers
NFC playoff picture
1. Detroit Lions (12-1)
The Lions became the first team to clinch a playoff berth in the NFC with their win over the Packers, and remain the No. 1 seed in the conference. They lead the division by a game over the Vikings (and own the head-to-head tiebreaker) and the race for home-field advantage by a game over the Eagles.
Remaining schedule: vs. Bills, at Bears, at 49ers, vs. Vikings
2. Philadelphia Eagles (10-2)
The Eagles remain in the hunt for home-field advantage and have clinched a playoff berth with their win over the Panthers. Philadelphia leads Washington by three games in the division and trails Detroit by one game for home-field advantage in the NFC.
Remaining schedule: vs. Steelers, at Commanders, vs. Cowboys, vs. Giants
3. Seattle Seahawks (8-5)
The Seahawks remain in the NFC West lead after their win over the Cardinals, now by a game over the Rams and two games over the Cardinals and 49ers. Seattle owns the head-to-head tiebreaker over Arizona after sweeping the Cardinals, but the Rams have the head-to-head tiebreaker over them.
Remaining schedule: vs. Packers, vs. Vikings, at Bears, at Rams
4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-6)
The Buccaneers took over the NFC South lead with their win over the Raiders and the Falcons’ loss to the Vikings. Atlanta has still swept Tampa Bay this season.
Remaining schedule: at Chargers, at Cowboys, vs. Panthers, vs. Saints
5. Minnesota Vikings (11-2)
Minnesota remains the No. 5 seed in the NFC after its win over Atlanta, trailing Detroit by a game for the division lead. The Vikings are the top wild-card team in the conference as well.
Remaining schedule: vs. Bears, at Seahawks, vs. Packers, at Lions
6. Green Bay Packers (9-4)
The Packers hold the No. 6 seed in the NFC by one game over the Commanders after their loss to the Lions on Thursday and hold the final playoff spot by two games.
Remaining schedule: at Seahawks, vs. Saints, at Vikings, vs. Bears
7. Washington Commanders (8-5)
The Commanders were on their bye and trail the Eagles by three games in the loss column in the NFC East. Washington is up a game in the loss column for the final playoff spot.
Remaining schedule: at Saints, vs. Eagles, vs. Falcons, at Cowboys
8. Los Angeles Rams (7-6)
The Rams are a game out of the NFC West lead after their win over the Bills, and also a game behind the Commanders for the final playoff spot.
Remaining schedule: at 49ers, at Jets, vs. Cardinals, vs. Seahawks
9. Atlanta Falcons (6-7)
The Buccaneers fell out of the NFC South lead with their loss to the Vikings, but still own the head-to-head tiebreaker over the Buccaneers by virtue of sweeping them (currently a game back). Atlanta holds the conference-record tiebreaker (4-1) over Arizona (2-2) for the No. 9 seed.
Remaining schedule: at Raiders, vs. Giants, at Commanders, vs. Panthers
10. Arizona Cardinals (6-7)
The Cardinals fell to two games behind the Seahawks for the division lead (and Seattle has swept Arizona). Their win over San Francisco in Week 5 is why the Cardinals own the tiebreaker for the No. 10 seed.
Remaining schedule: vs. Patriots, at Panthers, at Rams, vs. 49ers
11. San Francisco 49ers (6-7)
The 49ers’ slim playoff hopes are still alive after their win over the Bears. They are two games out of the final playoff spot and the NFC West lead, even though they are last in the division.
Remaining schedule: vs. Rams, at Dolphins, vs. Lions, at Cardinals
12. Dallas Cowboys (5-7)
The Cowboys have the No. 12 seed in the NFC, and remain in the playoff hunt as they sit two games behind the Commanders in the loss column for the final playoff spot. They host the Bengals on “Monday Night Football.”
Remaining schedule: vs. Bengals, at Panthers, vs. Buccaneers, at Eagles, vs. Commanders
13. New Orleans Saints (5-8)
The Saints are two games out of the NFC South lead with four games to play.
Remaining schedule: vs. Commanders, at Packers, vs. Raiders, at Buccaneers
