NFL playoff picture: AFC standings shift in Week 17 following Christmas shake-up
Week 17 has impacted both the AFC standings and the NFC playoff picture. Check out what’s going on.
Week 17 began on Christmas day with two huge AFC games featuring four playoff teams. On Thursday night, we also saw a potential playoff team keep pace in the NFC. Saturday’s three games had four playoff hopefuls in the mix. That’s a lot of fun before Sunday’s slate even kicks off.
On Christmas, the Kansas City Chiefs clinched the one seed with their win over the Steelers. The Baltimore Ravens won and the Steelers lost, so Baltimore moved into first place in the AFC North and third place in the conference. Meanwhile, the Houston Texans locked into the fourth seed with their loss.
Thursday saw the Seahawks keep pace with the Los Angeles Rams in the NFC West. We’ll see what Saturday’s Rams game holds.
The Los Angeles Chargers punched their ticket on Saturday afternoon, further cementing Jim Harbaugh as one of the best turnaround coaches in football.
With more weekend action likely to further impact the standings, we have all the info you need right here:
AFC standings during Week 17
1. z-Kansas City Chiefs (15-1)
2. y-Buffalo Bills (12-3)
3. x-Baltimore Ravens (11-5)
4. y-Houston Texans (9-7)
5. x-Pittsburgh Steelers (10-6, win over LAC)
6. Los Angeles Chargers (10-6, loss to PIT)*
7. Denver Broncos (9-7)*
8. Cincinnati Bengals (8-8)*
9. Indianapolis Colts (7-8, win over MIA)*
10. Miami Dolphins (7-8, loss to IND)*
11. New York Jets (4-11) — eliminated
12. Cleveland Browns (3-12, 3-7 AFC. win over JAX) — eliminated
13. Jacksonville Jaguars (3-12, win over TEN, 3-7 AFC, loss to CLE) — eliminated
14. Tennessee Titans (3-12, 3-7 AFC) — eliminated
15. Las Vegas Raiders (3-12, 3-8) — eliminated
16. New England Patriots (3-13) — eliminated
NFC standings during Week 17
1. x-Detroit Lions (13-2, win over MIN, 9-1 NFC)
2. x-Philadelphia Eagles (12-3)
3. Los Angeles Rams (10-6)
4. Atlanta Falcons (8-7, wins over TB)
5. x-Minnesota Vikings (13-2, loss to DET)
6. x-Green Bay Packers (11-4)
7. Washington Commanders (10-5)
8. Seattle Seahawks (9-7)
9. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (8-7, losses to ATL)
10. Dallas Cowboys (7-8) — eliminated
11. Arizona Cardinals (7-9) — eliminated
12. San Francisco 49ers (6-9, win over DAL) — eliminated
13. New Orleans Saints (5-10) — eliminated
14. Chicago Bears (4-11, win over CAR) — eliminated
15. Carolina Panthers (4-11, loss to CHI) — eliminated
16. New York Giants (2-13) — eliminated
Teams with an asterisk (*) have been eliminated from divisional contention
Teams with an (x) have clinched a playoff spot
Teams with a (y) have clinched their division
Teams with a (z) have clinched the one seed, home-field advantage, and a first-round bye
Key playoff picture takeaways in Week 17
Kansas City Chiefs clinch the one seed in AFC and home-field advantage
On Christmas Day, the Chiefs won their 15th game of the year to clinch the one seed in the AFC. They have a ton of close calls and only one loss (to the second-place Bills) but it’s been enough to achieve their goal of having the AFC playoffs go through Arrowhead.
Baltimore Ravens pass the Steelers in AFC North with win over Texans
The Steelers have lose three straight games to three straight division leaders, so it’s nothing to be ashamed about. But they still have lost the lead in the AFC North to the Ravens, who have won three straight. If the Ravens win in Week 18, they clinch the division title.
Houston Texans clinch the four seed with loss to Ravens
The Texans have lost their last two games. They’ve lost five of their last eight. They’re in a bit of a tailspin. But luckily for them, the AFC South is a mess. They’ve already clinched the division title there and can’t move up or down from the four spot.
Seattle Seahawks keep pace in NFC West with weird Thursday night win
Seattle beat the Bears 6 to 3 in an ugly, ugly NFL game on Thursday night. Still, they have a shot at winning the division in Week 18 but they’ll need a little help on Saturday and Sunday.
Los Angeles Chargers clinch a playoff spot with easy win over Patriots
The Chargers have clinched a playoff spot in the AFC in Jim Harbaugh’s first year with the team. They still have seeding to play for in Week 18, or they could chose to rest their starters anyway.
Cincinnati Bengals win wild game to stay alive
The Bengals are one step closer to a miraculous run to the AFC playoffs. They’ll ned a win and some help next week, but they are still alive after a wild game that say multiple lead changes and ties in the final few minutes of regulation and overtime. We even saw a game-winning kick doink off the upright only for Ciny to get another shot and leave no doubt.
Denver Broncos can’t clinch in loss to Bengals
The Broncos almost did it. They scored a late touchdown on the arm of Bo Nix and decided to kick the extra point to send it to overtime. A tie would have clinched their playoff spot, so the logic wasn’t bad. In overtime, they couldn’t generate any offense and gave the Bengals multiple attempts at a game-winning drive. Now Denver needs a win in Week 18 to secure their playoff spot, btu they are likely to be playing a lot of Chiefs backups.
The L.A. Rams keep winning, and they’re in the NFC West driver’s seat
Los Angeles can clinch their division with some help on Sunday now that they won on Saturday night. In a thrilling game, they knocked off the Arizona Cardinals with a late interception. Next week’s game vs the Seahawks could be winner take all, but the Rams could clinch with some help from the rest of the league in Week 17.
Which NFL teams have already clinched playoff spots?
When they moved to 11 wins in Week 13, the Kansas City Chiefs became the first NFL team in the NFL to clinch a playoff spot. The Buffalo Bills clinched the AFC East last Sunday night, ensuring a home playoff game. The Lions secured their playoff spot with the Thursday night win while the Philadelphia Eagles joined them on Sunday. The Houston Texans won the AFC South in Week 15 while the Minnesota Vikings sewed up their spot before they even played in Week 15. The Pittsburgh Steelers clinched a playoff spot in Week 15 despite losing. The Baltimore Ravens joined the part on Saturday of Week 16 by beating the Pittsburgh Steelers.
- Kansas City Chiefs
- Buffalo Bills
- Detroit Lions
- Philadelphia Eagles
- Minnesota Vikings
- Houston Texans
- Pittsburgh Steelers
- Green Bay Packers
- Los Angeles Chargers
Which NFL teams have been eliminated from the playoffs?
In Week 13, the Giants became the first team this season to be officially eliminated from the playoff race. On Black Friday, the Raiders joined them with their tenth loss of the season and they are also eliminated. On Sunday, the Patriots were also eliminated them with a loss and wins by the Chargers and Texans. With the Broncos win on Monday night, they eliminated the Jaguars from the playoffs. In Week 14, the Browns joined the list. The Week 15 elimination group includes the Bears and Panthers.
- New York Giants
- New England Patriots
- Jacksonville Jaguars
- Las Vegas Raiders
- Tennessee Titans
- Cleveland Browns
- New York Jets
- Chicago Bears
- Carolina Panthers
- Dallas Cowboys
- Arizona Cardinals
- San Francisco 49ers
- New Orleans Saints
NFL Division Standings
AFC East standings
- Buffalo Bills, 12-3 — division clinched
- Miami Dolphins, 7-8
- New York Jets, 4-11 — eliminated from playoff contention
- New England Patriots, 3-13 — eliminated from playoff contention
AFC North standings
- Baltimore Ravens, 11-5
- Pittsburgh Steelers, 10-6
- Cincinnati Bengals, 8-8
- Cleveland Browns, 3-12 — eliminated from playoff contention
AFC South standings
- Houston Texans, 9-7
- Indianapolis Colts, 7-8
- Jacksonville Jaguars, 3-12 — eliminated from playoff contention
- Tennessee Titans, 3-12 — eliminated from playoff contention
AFC West standings
- Kansas City Chiefs, 15-1 — division clinched
- Los Angeles Chargers, 10-6
- Denver Broncos, 9-7
- Las Vegas Raiders, 3-12 — eliminated from playoff contention
NFC East standings
- Philadelphia Eagles, 12-3
- Washington Commanders, 10-5
- Dallas Cowboys, 7-8
- New York Giants, 2-13 — eliminated from playoff contention
NFC North standings
- Detroit Lions, 13-2
- Minnesota Vikings, 13-2
- Green Bay Packers, 11-4
- Chicago Bears, 4-12 — eliminated from playoff contention
NFC South standings
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 8-7
- Atlanta Falcons, 8-7
- New Orleans Saints, 5-10
- Carolina Panthers, 4-11 — eliminated from playoff contention
NFC West standings
- Los Angeles Rams, 9-6
- Seattle Seahawks, 9-7
- Arizona Cardinals, 7-8
- San Francisco 49ers, 6-9