2024 NFL Playoff picture: Updated AFC and NFC standings, brackets, tiebreakers for Week 17

On By Littum

The Chiefs got the no. 1 seed in AFC Christmas Day. This is how the rest of the playoff picture looks after the two Christmas games in Week 17:

NFC Playoff picture

DIVISION MANAGERS

1. Detroit Lions (13-2): Earned a playoff spot.

2. Philadelphia Eagles (12-3): Earned a playoff spot.

3. Los Angeles Rams (9-6): Pulling away in the NFC West.

4. Atlanta Falcons (8-7): Owns head-to-head tiebreaker over Buccaneers.

WILD CARDS

5. Minnesota Vikings (13-2): Earned a playoff berth and will win the No. 1 if they win.

6. Green Bay Packers (11-4): Getting swept by the Lions and losing to the Vikings takes them out of NFC North contention, though they are otherwise 11-1.

7. Washington Commanders (10-5): Stayed alive in NFC East race by beating Eagles.

WITHOUT LOOKING IN

8. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (8-7): Loss to the Cowboys knocked them out of the playoffs for now.

9. Seattle Seahawks (8-7): Big loss to Vikings.

10. Dallas Cowboys (7-8): Mathematically eliminated.

11. Arizona Cardinals (7-8): Mathematically eliminated.

12. San Francisco 49ers (6-9): Mathematically eliminated.

13. New Orleans Saints (5-10): Mathematically eliminated.

14. Chicago Bears (4-11): Mathematically eliminated.

15. Carolina Panthers (4-11): Mathematically eliminated.

16. New York Giants (2-13): Mathematically eliminated.

AFC Playoff picture

DIVISION MANAGERS

1. Kansas City Chiefs (15-1): Got seed no. 1, first round bye and home field advantage through the AFC playoffs.

2. Buffalo Bills (12-3): Capture the AFC East.

3. Baltimore Ravens (11-5): Earned a spot in the playoffs.

4. Houston Texans (9-7): Won the AFC South and the no. 4 in the playoffs.

WILD CARDS

5. Pittsburgh Steelers (10-6): Earned a playoff spot.

6. Los Angeles Chargers (9-6): Get head-to-head tiebreaker over Broncos.

7. Denver Broncos (9-6): The loss to the Chargers hurt, but they’re still on the cusp of a wild card spot.

WITHOUT LOOKING IN

8. Indianapolis Colts (7-8): Slim wild card hopes.

9. Miami Dolphins (7-8): Even slimmer wild card hopes.

10. Cincinnati Bengals (7-8): The slimmest of wild card hopes.

11. New York Jets (4-11): Mathematically eliminated.

12. Cleveland Browns (3-12): Mathematically eliminated.

13. Jacksonville Jaguars (3-12): Mathematically eliminated.

14. Tennessee Titans (3-12): Mathematically eliminated.

15. Las Vegas Raiders (3-12): Mathematically eliminated.

16. New England Patriots (3-12): Mathematically eliminated.

Clinching Scenarios

AFC

CLINCHED:

Kansas City Chiefs (14-1) – AFC No. 1 seed

Buffalo Bills (12-3) – AFC East

Houston Texans (9-6) – AFC South

Baltimore Ravens (10-5) – playoff spot

Pittsburgh Steelers (10-5) – playoff spot

Denver Broncos (9-6) at Cincinnati Bengals (7-8); Saturday at 4:30 p.m. ET, NFL Network

Denver takes a playoff spot with:

  1. IT wins or draws

Los Angeles Chargers (9-6) at New England Patriots (3-12); Saturday at 13 ET, NFL Network

Los Angeles takes a playoff spot with:

  1. LAC win or draw

  2. MIA loss or draw + IND loss or draw

NFC

CLINCHED:

Detroit Lions (13-2) – spot in the playoffs

Green Bay Packers (11-4) – spot in the playoffs

Minnesota Vikings (13-2) – playoff spot

Philadelphia Eagles (12-3) – spot in the playoffs

Detroit Lions (13-2) at San Francisco 49ers (6-9); Monday at 8:15 PM ET, ESPN/ABC

Detroit wins the NFC North division title and the NFC’s No. 1 seed, lone first round bye and home field advantage with:

  1. THAT win + MY loss

Philadelphia Eagles (12-3) vs. Dallas Cowboys (7-8); Sunday at 1 p.m. ET, FOX

Philadelphia wins NFC East division title with:

  1. PHI win or draw

  2. WAS loss or draw

Atlanta Falcons (8-7) at Washington Commanders (10-5); Sunday at 8:20 p.m. ET, NBC

Atlanta wins the NFC South Division title with:

  1. ATL win + TB loss

Los Angeles Rams (9-6) vs. Arizona Cardinals (7-8); Saturday at 8 p.m. ET, NFL Network

The Los Angeles Rams win the NFC West division title with:

  1. LAR win + SE loss or draw

  2. LAR win + LAR gains strength of victory tiebreaker over SEA

  3. LAR draw + SØ loss

(Note: LAR wins over SEA by 3.5 or more wins from the following teams: MIN, BUF, SF, WAS, CIN, CLE)

Washington Commanders (10-5) vs. Atlanta Falcons (8-7); Sunday at 8:20 p.m. ET, NBC

Washington takes a playoff spot with:

  1. WAS win or draw

  2. TB loss or draw