NFL playoff picture and draft order Week 17: Vikings hold on to race for top seed as Rams, Commanders clinch

On By Littum

As Week 17 of the season ends, we now know this: The Philadelphia Eagles are the NFC East champions, the Indianapolis Colts were eliminated from the AFC playoffs, and both the Washington Commanders and Los Angeles Rams clinched playoff spots.

And the NFC race will now come down to a winner-take-all battle in the NFC North.

The Eagles became the first team in the NFC to claim a division title after their blowout of the rival Dallas Cowboys. However, their chances of winning the conference were eliminated on Sunday afternoon after the Vikings held on to beat the Green Bay Packers in Minneapolis. The Vikings’ matchup with the Detroit Lions next week will now determine who wins both the NFC North and the NFC’s No. 1 seed overall. The winner of that game gets a first-round bye, and the loser becomes the No. 5 seed and must travel to their first playoff game.

Also in the NFC, the Washington Commanders secured a playoff spot with their overtime victory against the Atlanta Falcons. It also gave the Los Angeles Rams the NFC West title and their own playoff berth via the strength of victory tiebreaker against the Seattle Seahawks after beating the Arizona Cardinals, 13-9, on Saturday night.

In the AFC, six of the seven playoff spots are taken, and one of them will not be the Colts, who lost at the New York Giants on Sunday. The loss knocked them out of the postseason race.

The Kansas City Chiefs clinched the conference’s overall top seed with a 29-10 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers on Wednesday. The Los Angeles Chargers joined the postseason party with a 40-7 victory 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 spot with a win or tie at the Bengals. It would have been their first time in the postseason since winning Super Bowl 50. They will finish the regular season against the Chiefs, who have little to play for with the No. 1 seed already secured.

To earn the final postseason wild card ticket, the Bengals must win their regular season finale against the Steelers, have the Broncos lose to the Chiefs and the Dolphins lose next week at the New York Jets. Miami rolled over the Browns on Sunday afternoon.

The Dolphins can clinch the final playoff berth with a win against the Jets and a Broncos loss in Week 18.

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The NFC North title is up for grabs and down to the Lions and Vikings.

The Vikings beat the Packers at home on Sunday to move to 14-2 on the season. That put them in the lead in the NFC North. The division will come down to their game next week in Detroit, regardless of whether the Lions beat the San Francisco 49ers on Monday night. Right now, the Vikings are looking at a first-round bye in the playoffs.

The rest of the conference is almost solidified. The Commanders are back in the playoffs for the first time since winning the division in 2020 after beating the Falcons. The Buccaneers lead the NFC South after their blowout win over the Carolina Panthers, but that division is not yet locked up.

Here’s a look at where things stand for the playoffs as we head into the final four games of Week 17.

As of December 29, here’s how the playoff race looks like in the NFC. Brave teams have clinched a playoff spot.

1. Minnesota Vikings (14-2)

2. Philadelphia Eagles (13-3) vs. 7. Green Bay Packers (11-5)

3. Los Angeles Rams (10-6) vs. 6. Washington Commanders (11-5)

4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (9-7) vs. 5. Detroit Lions (13-2)*

On the bubble

8. Seattle Seahawks (9-7)

9. Atlanta Falcons (8-8)

From December 29, you can see here how the playoffs look like in the AFC. Brave teams have clinched a playoff spot.

1. Kansas City Chiefs (15-1)

2. Buffalo Bills (13-3) vs. 7. Denver Broncos (9-7)

3. Baltimore Ravens (11-5) vs. 6. Los Angeles Chargers (10-6)

4. Houston Texans (9-7) vs. 5. Pittsburgh Steelers (10-6)

On the bubble

8. Miami Dolphins (8-8)

9. Cincinnati Bengals (8-8)

As of December 29th, this is where things stand in the NFC. Brave teams have clinched a playoff spot. Italicized teams have been eliminated from the playoffs.

NFC East

1. Philadelphia Eagles (13-3)

2. Washington Commanders (11-5)

3. Dallas Cowboys (7-9)

4. New York Giants (3-13)

NFC North

1. Minnesota Vikings (14-2)

2. Detroit Lions (13-2)*

3. Green Bay Packers (11-5)

4. Chicago Bears (4-12)

NFC South

1. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (9-7)

2. Atlanta Falcons (8-8)

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)*

As of December 29, this is where things stand in the AFC. Brave teams have clinched a playoff spot. Italicized teams have been eliminated from the playoffs.

AFC East

1. Buffalo Bills (13-3)

2. Miami Dolphins (8-8)

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 (3-13)

AFC South

1. Houston Texans (9-7)

2. Indianapolis Colts (7-9)

3. Tennessee Titans (3-13)

4. Jacksonville Jaguars (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)

As for the draft order, both the New York Giants and Las Vegas Raiders play themselves out of the top pick and an easy spot to acquire a new franchise quarterback.

The New England Patriots moved into position to claim the No. 1 overall pick in April’s draft this weekend after both the Giants and Raiders won. Both franchises could use a new quarterback, and both Miami star Cam Ward and Colorado star Shedeur Sanders are available and expected to go early in the draft. It would have been an easy move for both the Giants and Raiders to grab both quarterbacks had they lost on Sunday. Now, though, it’s unclear if any of the players will still be around when they’re on the clock.

Here’s a look at the current NFL Draft order with one game remaining in Week 17:

1. New England Patriots (3-13)

2. Tennessee Titans (3-13)

3. Cleveland Browns (3-13)

4. New York Giants (3-13)

5. Jacksonville Jaguars (4-12)

6. Carolina Panthers (4-12)

7. New York Jets (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 (8-8)

16. Cincinnati Bengals (8-8)

17. Atlanta Falcons (8-8)

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. Green Bay Packers (11-5)

25. Pittsburgh Steelers (10-6)

26. Washington Commanders (11-5)

27. Baltimore Ravens (11-5)

28. Philadelphia Eagles (13-3)

29. Buffalo Bills (13-3)

30. Detroit Lions (13-2)*

31. Minnesota Vikings (14-2)

32. Kansas City Chiefs (15-1)

*The Lions and 49ers wrap up the week on Monday night.