Eagles lose to Commanders, Cowboys out

On December 23, 2024By Littum

Each week during the 2024 NFL regular season, USA TODAY Sports will provide timely updates to the league’s ever-evolving playoff picture — typically starting after late Sunday afternoon games and then moving forward the rest of the week (to Monday and Thursday’s games, or Saturdays if it is relevant).

What just happened? What does that mean? What are the relevant factors (and perhaps tiebreakers) prominently in play as each conference’s seven-team bracket begins to crystallize? Everything will be explained and analyzed until the time the postseason field is finalized on Sunday, January 5th.

Here’s where things stand with Week 16 of the 2024 season underway:

NFC playoff picture

x – 1. Detroit Lions (13-2), NFC North leaders: They began Week 16 in a three-way tie atop the conference and tied for the division lead after the Vikings’ win last Monday night. But things are looking up at the moment after their win in Chicago and Philadelphia’s loss in Washington. Remaining schedule: at 49ers, vs. Vikings

x – 2. Philadelphia Eagles (12-3), NFC East leaders: Hard Sunday. They snapped their 10-game winning streak, an opportunity to wrap up the division and fell one game behind Detroit in the race for home-field advantage. Remaining schedule: vs. Cowboys vs. Giants

3. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (8-6), NFC South leaders: They embarrassed the Chargers in Week 15, which means — regardless of Atlanta’s triumph Monday night — the Bucs remain atop the division. Seattle’s loss pushed them up one spot, Tampa Bay with a better record (6-3) in conference games than the Rams (5-5). Remaining schedule: at Cowboys, vs. Panthers vs. Saints

4. Los Angeles Rams (9-6), NFC West leaders: Win out – they beat the Jets on Sunday, which also helped eliminate the Cardinals – and they’re division champs. LA overtook the Seahawks in Week 15 by virtue of their Week 9 win in Seattle. Remaining schedule: vs. Cardinals, vs. Seahawks

x – 5. Minnesota Vikings (12-2), wild card no. 1: They earned a spot in Week 15 thanks to Seattle’s loss. Monday’s win over Chicago means the Vikes control their own destiny in the NFC North — win out and the division is theirs … and maybe the No. the 1 seed. Remaining schedule: at Seahawks, vs. Packers, at Lions

6. Green Bay Packers (10-4), wild card no. 2: Getting swept by Detroit and already losing once to Minnesota pretty much demotes the Pack to wild-card status. Win this Monday against New Orleans and they’ll lock themselves into the postseason field. Remaining schedule: vs. saints, with vikings, vs. bears

7. Washington’s commanders (10-5), wild card no. 3: By hitting Eagles on Sunday, they didn’t quite clinch a postseason berth — but they stayed alive in the NFC East while eliminating both Dallas Cowboys and San Francisco 49ers from the playoff picture. Remaining schedule: vs. Falcons, at Cowboys

8. Seattle Seahawks (8-6), in the chase: Their Week 15 loss to Green Bay not only took them out of the NFC West lead, but out of the expected field entirely. But like the Rams, the win would ultimately put Seattle atop the division. Remaining schedule: vs. vikings, by bears, by rams

9. Atlanta Falcons (8-7), in the chase: Rookie QB Michael Penix Jr. won his debut Sunday against the lowly Giants. Catch the Bucs, who the Dirty Birds swept, and they’re back on top of the NFC South. Remaining schedule: at Commanders, vs. Panthers

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AFC playoff picture

y – 1. Kansas City Chiefs (14-1), AFC West champions: QB Patrick Mahomes managed Saturday’s win over Houston, which means KC gets the No. 1 seed. 1 if Buffalo loses on Sunday. Another Chiefs win also guarantees that the AFC’s Super Bowl path will go through Arrowhead, even if the Bills don’t cooperate. Remaining schedule: at Steelers, at Broncos

y – 2. Buffalo Bills (11-3), AFC East Champions: Their Week 15 win in Detroit probably does more for their collective psyche than it actually does for their playoff positioning. Pittsburgh’s latest loss makes the Bills’ second-place finish in the conference more comfortable … and so does a very inviting closing stretch. Remaining schedule: vs. Patriots vs. Jets, at Patriots

x – 3. Pittsburgh Steelers (10-5), AFC North leaders: Wear Saturday. First, they fell out of the race for no. 1 seed by virtue of Kansas City’s win. Then Pittsburgh groped an opportunity to win the division. It appears they are in a dogfight the rest of the way with Baltimore, who appears to have the more favorable schedule to close out the regular season. The Steelers maintain first place in the division – for now – by virtue of a one-game lead over the Ravens in AFC games, that is. not much at all. Remaining schedule: vs. Chiefs vs. Bengals

y – 4. Houston Texas (9-6), AFC South champions: They reign in a weak division for the second year in a row, but are all but locked in as the fourth seed … which would mean a tough wildcard matchup, very likely against an AFC North team. Remaining schedule: vs. Ravens, at Titans

x – 5. Baltimore Ravens (10-5), wild card no. 1: What a Christmas present. They clinched their postseason berth, staved off a Pittsburgh AFC North crown, are now very much alive even to win the division … and could have recaptured the Super Bowl form they showed earlier in the season. Remaining schedule: at Texans, vs. Browns

6. Los Angeles Chargers (9-6), wild card no. 2: By sweeping the Broncos for the first time in 14 years, they kept Denver from winning Thursday while leapfrogging their division rivals and claiming the season tiebreaker (by virtue of the sweep). Another win locks the Bolts into the field. Remaining schedule: at Patriots, at Raiders

7. Denver Broncos (9-6), wild card no. 3: They had a win-and-in scenario Thursday to seal their first postseason trip since winning Super Bowl 50 nine years ago. Now they can’t make it this weekend, although one more win would put the Broncos in the playoffs. But big trouble ahead if they lose to Cincinnati in Week 17. Remaining schedule: at Bengals, vs. Chiefs

8. Indianapolis Colts (7-8), in the hunt: Still technically alive after beating the Titans on Sunday … and ahead of Cincy based on a better record (6-5) in AFC games. Remaining schedule: at Giants, vs. Jaguars

9. Cincinnati Bengals (7-8), in the hunt: Still technically alive after beating the Browns on Sunday. Remaining schedule: vs. Broncos, at Steelers

10. Miami Dolphins (6-8), in the hunt: After Week 15’s loss in Houston, it’s pretty much over. Remaining schedule: vs. 49ers, at Browns, at Jets