With just two weeks remaining in the NFL regular season, playoff football is now rapidly approaching.
After Week 16, there are now nine teams that have clinched their places in the postseason and the number of teams eliminated from the playoffs has risen to 13.
One surprise result in particular has shaken up the race for a chance to compete for the Vince Lombardi Trophy. Here is everything you need to know heading into the penultimate week of action.
Who’s definitely in?
So far, nine teams across the two conferences have clinched a playoff berth.
Reigning back-to-back Super Bowl champions, the Kansas City Chiefs, and the Buffalo Bills both secured their places with five games to spare after wins in Week 13.
The Bills – the only team to beat the 14-1 Chiefs this season – need to win both their remaining games and hope Kansas City loses both in order to take the No. 1 seed in AFC.
The Baltimore Ravens became the eighth team to clinch a postseason ticket thanks to a 34-17 victory over AFC North rival, the Pittsburgh Steelers, on Saturday.
Pittsburgh would have secured the division with a win, but both teams are now level on 10-5 for the season after the Ravens picked up just their second win in the last 10 games against the Steelers.
The Green Bay Packers then joined them on Monday with a dominant 34-0 win over the New Orleans Saints.
The battle for the No. 1 seed in the NFC looks set to go down to the wire. The 13-2 Detroit Lions are currently leading the pack but are being chased by division rivals the Minnesota Vikings – winners of eight straight – who have the same record but are the fifth seed as the top four seeds are reserved for division winners.
The Philadelphia Eagles, who suffered a shock loss to Jayden Daniels and the Washington Commanders in Week 16, are also already into the playoffs and could still earn the No. 1 seed.
Who’s in the mix?
Across the conferences, the permutations for which teams will clinch the remaining five playoff slots – two in the AFC and three in the NFC – remain fluid.
In the AFC, there are five teams still officially in playoff contention.
If the season ended today, the Los Angeles Rams would take the No. 3 seed, the Atlanta Falcons the fourth, Minnesota the fifth, Green Bay No. 6 and the Commanders No. 7.
Looking in from the outside currently are the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Seattle Seahawks.
The 9-6 Rams are in a battle with the 8-7 Seahawks for a playoff spot and the NFC West division title, while the Falcons and Bucs are tied on 8-7 at the top of the NFC South.
In the AFC, the Los Angeles Chargers and Denver Broncos – both 9-6 – currently occupy the two remaining playoff places, but the Indianapolis Colts, Miami Dolphins and Cincinnati Bengals all still have a chance of usurping them.
However, one of the Colts, Dolphins or Bengals, who all share a 7-8 record, would need to win both their remaining games and hope one of the Chargers or Broncos lose both.
Who’s out?
The San Francisco 49ers, Dallas Cowboys and New Orleans Saints have now all officially been eliminated from the playoffs out of the NFC, though they each held less than a 1% chance of qualifying ahead of Week 16.
There has been no change among eliminated teams in the AFC with the Cleveland Browns, Jacksonville Jaguars, New York Jets, Tennessee Titans, New England Patriots and Las Vegas Raiders all officially out.
Full playoff seedings after Week 16
AFC
1) Kansas City Chiefs (14-1) – clinched
2) Buffalo Bills (12-3) – clinched
3) Pittsburgh Steelers (10-5) – clinched
4) Houston Texans (9-6) – clinched
5) Baltimore Ravens (10-5) - clinched
6) Los Angeles Chargers (9-6)
7) Denver Broncos (9-6)
On the outside
8) Indianapolis Colts (7-8)
9) Miami Dolphins (7-8)
10) Cincinnati Bengals (7-8)
Eliminated
11) New York Jets (4-11)
12) Cleveland Browns (3-12)
13) Jacksonville Jaguars (3-12)
14) Tennessee Titans (3-12)
15) Las Vegas Raiders (3-12)
16) New England Patriots (3-12)
NFC
1) Detroit Lions (13-2) – clinched
2) Philadelphia Eagles (12-3) – clinched
3) Los Angeles Rams (9-6)
4) Atlanta Falcons (8-7)
5) Minnesota Vikings (13-2) - clinched
6) Green Bay Packers (11-4) - clinched
7) Washington Commanders (10-5)
On the outside
8) Tampa Bay Buccaneers (8-7)
9) Seattle Seahawks (8-7)
Eliminated
10) Dallas Cowboys (7-8)
11) Arizona Cardinals (7-8)
12) San Francisco 49ers (6-9)
13) New Orleans Saints (5-10)
14) Chicago Bears (4-11)
15) Carolina Panthers (4-11)
16) New York Giants (2-13)
