The NFL playoff race is down to three games left for all 32 teams in the 2023 regular season through Week 18. More teams have been eliminated but most are still alive for Christmas weekend action.
Although there are some dominant teams headed to a return to the playoffs, scenarios remain in flux with seeding and potential entrants.
Here’s a look at the updated NFL playoff picture for Week 16:
POWER RANKINGS: Cowboys, Steelers flop after blowout losses; 49ers, Ravens battle at top for Week 16
NFL standings for Week 16
AFC playoff picture
1. Baltimore Ravens (11-3), first place, AFC North. The Ravens hold a 1.5-game lead over the Browns for now ahead of their Monday night Week 16 finale at the 49ers. They can clinch at least a wild-card playoff spot and get closer to the division title by winning. After San Francisco, Baltimore closes with No. 2 seed Miami and North cellar dweller Pittsburgh.
2. Miami Dolphins (10-4), first place, AFC East. The Dolphins still hold a 1.5-game lead in their division over the Bills. They can clinch a playoff spot in Week 16 with a home win over the Cowboys. Miami has Baltimore and Buffalo to close out the season after Dallas, no easy stretch.
3. Kansas City Chiefs (9-5), first place, AFC West. The Chiefs’ division lead over the Broncos is back up to two games with the right results happening for them in Week 15. The Chiefs will clinch both a playoff spot and the AFC West title by beating the Raiders at home on Monday. After the Raiders, this team finishes up with the Bengals and Chargers.
4. Jacksonville Jaguars (8-6), first place, AFC South. The Jaguars have lost three consecutive games to AFC North foes. The cold streak has caused their division lead over the Colts and Texans to evaporate, save for a half-game after both teams lost on Sunday. The Jaguars close with the Buccaneers and Panthers from the NFC South and then at the last-place Titans.
5. Cleveland Browns (10-5), second place, AFC North. The Browns stayed hot offensively with Joe Flacco, Amari Cooper and David Njoku and got a massive win in Houston toward locking down a wild-card playoff berth, although the winning Steelers and Bills didn’t help them clinch that in Week 16. They stayed within striking distance of the Ravens in the division, too.
6. Buffalo Bills (9-6), second place, AFC East. The Bills kept the Dolphins from having a shot at clinching the division title by rallying multiple times to beat the Chargers on Saturday night in the third game of Week 16. The victory allowed them to nestle between the Browns and Colts, who both play on Sunday, taking advantage of the Bengals’ loss to the Steelers well as well. They are still alive and well for the East crown, which may come down to Week 19 at MIami.
7. Indianapolis Colts (8-7), second place, AFC South. The Colts lost to the NFC Falcons on Sunday, which allowed them to still stay in playoff position with the final wild-card spot. The Colts, who beat the Steelers and Texans but lost to the Bengals, hold this by having a superior conference record. Indianapolis remains 6-4 in AFC play, while Pittsburgh is 6-5, Houston is 5-5 and Cincinnati is 3-7. The Colts host the Raiders and Texans in the final two games.
Who’s in the hunt?
8. Pittsburgh Steelers (8-7)
9. Houston Texans (8-7)
10. Cincinnati Bengals (8-7)
11. Denver Broncos (7-7)
The Steelers beat the Bengals to jump them and the Texans here. The Broncos will try to join the 8-7 pack when they host the Patriots, almost now a must-win.
NFC playoff picture
1. San Francisco 49ers (11-3), champions, NFC West. The 49ers already have clinched a repeat division title after they won at the Cardinals in Week 15. They can now focus on locking down the top seed. They can surprisingly already nail that down in Week 16 with a win over the Ravens and losses by the Cowboys, Lions and Eagles. The 49ers close up with the Commanders on the road and the Rams at home.
2. Detroit Lions (11-4), champions, NFC North. The Lions have clinched their first division title of any kind in 30 years with only two weeks left to play after holding off the Vikings in Minnesota to build an insurmountable lead. They will now working on their seeding and have a great opportunity insure at least the No. 2 seed with a road win over Dallas in Week 17.
3. Dallas Cowboys (10-4), first place, NFC East. The Cowboys have already clinched another playoff spot and despite losing at the Bills in Week 15, they remain in first place over the same-record Eagles, who matched them by losing at the Seahawks. The Cowboys hold the slimmest of edges with a half-game better division record. Dallas’ lead remains precarious with tough interdivision matchups with Miami and Detroit before finishing with last-place Washington.
4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-7), first place, NFC South. The Buccaneers are up a half-game over the Saints in the division as that team lost to the Rams to open Week 16. The Bucs have both the head-to-head (from Week 4) and division record tiebreakers and now are a full game ahead of the losing Falcons, too. Around that game, the Bucs host the Jaguars and go to the Panthers.
5. Philadelphia Eagles (10-4), first place, NFC East. The Eagles have clinched another playoff spot with a shot to defend thei conference championship crown and are likely won’t finish any lower than this seed. But they need to make up one more game on the Cowboys after they split their season series. The Eagles play the Giants twice around a home date with the Cardinals, while the Cowboys have their hands full with the Dolphins and Lions in successive games.
6. Los Angeles Rams (8-7), second place, NFC West. The Rams got here by beating the Commanders in Week 15 and also taking down the Saints to open Week 16 at home on Thursday night. They can’t catch the 49ers but might play a resting version of that team in Week 18 after a very favorable road game against the Giants in Week 17.
7. Seattle Seahawks (8-7), third place, NFC West. The Seahawks rallied to beat the Titans in a tough interconference road game and the reward was jumping into the final wild-card spot behind the rival Rams, who swept them to hold the head-to-head tiebreaker. The Seahawks lead by a full game over four teams now. They finish with the AFC’s Steelers in Week 17 and the last-place Cardinals in Week 18.
Who’s in the hunt?
8. Minnesota Vikings (7-8)
9. Green Bay Packers (7-8)
10. New Orleans Saints (7-8)
11. Atlanta Falcons (7-8)
12. New York Giants (5-9)
13. Chicago Bears (5-9)
The Vikings and Saints really further hurt their cause with tough losses in Week 16, while the Packers and Falcons won to make it a four-team pack a game behind the two wild-card spots.
