After the first set of Sunday’s Week 17 games, we now know that: The Philadelphia Eagles are NFC East champions, the Indianapolis Colts were eliminated from the AFC playoff race and the Los Angeles Rams moved another step closer toward the NFC West crown.
The Eagles became the first team in the NFC to claim a division title after their blowout of the rival Dallas Cowboys. They have slim odds of claiming the conference’s No. 1 overall seed, as they would need the Lions to lose their final two games of the regular season (vs. San Francisco and Minnesota) and have the Vikings go 1-1 or 0-1-1 in their final two games of the season (vs. Green Bay and Detroit).
Also in the NFC, the Los Angeles Rams can wrap up the NFC West via the strength of victory tiebreaker against the Seattle Seahawks after beating the Arizona Cardinals, 13-9, on Saturday night. The Rams can achieve that with 1.5 or more wins in Week 17 by Minnesota (vs. Green Bay), San Francisco (vs. Detroit on Monday night), Washington (vs. Atlanta) or Cleveland (vs. Miami).
AFC outlook includes Colts exiting from playoff picture
Meanwhile in the AFC, six of the seven playoff spots are taken, and one of them won’t be the Colts, who lost at the New York Giants on Sunday. The defeat knocked them out of the postseason race.
The Kansas City Chiefs clinched the conference’s overall top seed with a 29-10 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers on Wednesday. The Los Angeles Chargers joined the postseason party with a 40-7 win over the New England Patriots on Saturday afternoon. And the Cincinnati Bengals avoided elimination by defeating the Denver Broncos in overtime on Saturday night.
The Broncos missed a chance to clinch a playoff berth with a win or tie at the Bengals. It would’ve been their first time in the postseason since winning Super Bowl 50. They will conclude the regular season against the Chiefs, who don’t have much to play for with the No. 1 seed already secured.
In order to nab that final postseason wild-card ticket, the Bengals need to win their regular-season finale vs. the Steelers, have the Broncos lose to the Chiefs and the Dolphins lose one more game (they face the Browns on Sunday and close the season vs. the Jets).
What’s left in NFC field?
The NFC North title is up for grabs and down to the Lions and Vikings. The 13-2 Lions get the first chance to grab the division crown should the Vikings lose to the Packers on Sunday afternoon and Detroit defeats San Francisco on Monday night.
The Commanders can ensure their return to the playoffs for the first time since winning the division in 2020 if they win or tie against the Falcons.
Speaking of the Falcons, they could win the NFC South if they beat the Commanders and the Panthers win over the Buccaneers.
Here’s a look at where things stand playoff-wise as we enter the last four games of Week 17.
Through Dec. 29, here’s what the playoff race looks like in the NFC. Bolded teams have clinched a playoff spot.
1. Detroit Lions (13-2)
2. Philadelphia Eagles (13-3) vs. 7. Washington Commanders (10-5)
3. Los Angeles Rams (10-6) vs. 6. Green Bay Packers (11-4)
4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (9-7) vs. 5. Minnesota Vikings (13-2)
On the bubble
8. Seattle Seahawks (9-7)
9. Atlanta Falcons (8-7)
AFC playoff picture
Through Dec. 29, here’s what the playoff race looks like in the AFC. Bolded teams have clinched a playoff spot.
1. Kansas City Chiefs (15-1)
2. Buffalo Bills (13-3) vs. 7. Denver Broncos (9-7)
5. Pittsburgh Steelers (10-6) vs. 6. Los Angeles Chargers (10-6)
4. Houston Texans (9-7) vs. 3. Baltimore Ravens (11-5)
On the bubble
8. Cincinnati Bengals (8-8)
9. Miami Dolphins (7-8)
Full NFC standings
On Dec. 29 here’s where things stand in the NFC. Bolded teams have clinched a playoff spot. Italicized teams have been eliminated from the playoffs.
NFC East
1. Philadelphia Eagles (13-3)
2. Washington Commanders (10-5)
3. Dallas Cowboys (7-9)
4. New York Giants (3-13)
NFC North
1. Detroit Lions (13-2)
2. Minnesota Vikings (13-2)
3. Green Bay Packers (11-4)
4. Chicago Bears (4-12)
NFC South
1. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (9-7)
2. Atlanta Falcons (8-7)
3. New Orleans Saints (5-11)
4. Carolina Panthers (4-12)
NFC West
1. Los Angeles Rams (10-6)
2. Seattle Seahawks (9-7)
3. Arizona Cardinals (7-9)
4. San Francisco 49ers (6-9)
Full AFC standings
On Dec. 29 here’s where things stand in the AFC. Bolded teams have clinched a playoff spot. Italicized teams have been eliminated from the playoffs.
AFC East
1. Buffalo Bills (13-3)
2. Miami Dolphins (7-8)
3. New York Jets (4-12)
4. New England Patriots (3-13)
AFC North
1. Baltimore Ravens (11-5)
2. Pittsburgh Steelers (10-6)
3. Cincinnati Bengals (8-8)
4. Cleveland Browns (3-12)
AFC South
1. Houston Texans (9-7)
2. Indianapolis Colts (8-8)
3. Jacksonville Jaguars (4-12)
4. Tennessee Titans (3-13)
AFC West
1. Kansas City Chiefs (15-1)
2. Los Angeles Chargers (10-6)
3. Denver Broncos (9-7)
4. Las Vegas Raiders (4-12)
NFL Draft order
Here’s what the draft order looks like, per Tankathon, through most of Week 17.
1. New England Patriots (3-13)
2. Tennessee Titans (3-13)
3. New York Giants (3-13)
4. Cleveland Browns (3-12)
5. Jacksonville Jaguars (4-12)
6. New York Jets (4-12)
7. Carolina Panthers (4-12)
8. Las Vegas Raiders (4-12)
9. Chicago Bears (4-12)
10. New Orleans Saints (5-11)
11. San Francisco 49ers (6-9)
12. Indianapolis Colts (7-9)
13. Dallas Cowboys (7-9)
14. Arizona Cardinals (7-9)
15. Miami Dolphins (7-8)
16. Cincinnati Bengals (8-8)
17. Atlanta Falcons (8-7)
18. Seattle Seahawks (9-7)
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19. Houston Texans (9-7)
20. Denver Broncos (9-7)
21. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (9-7)
22. Los Angeles Chargers (10-6)
23. Los Angeles Rams (10-6)
24. Washington Commanders (10-5)
25. Pittsburgh Steelers (10-6)
26. Baltimore Ravens (11-5)
27. Green Bay Packers (11-4)
28. Philadelphia Eagles (13-3)
29. Buffalo Bills (13-3)
30. Minnesota Vikings (13-2)
31. Detroit Lions (13-2)
32. Kansas City Chiefs (15-1)
