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Updated NFL playoff picture, Week 16

By John Buhler

Dec 24, 2016; Charlotte, NC, USA; Atlanta Falcons tight end D.J. Tialavea (86) celebrates after scoring a touchdown in the second quarter at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 24, 2016; Charlotte, NC, USA; Atlanta Falcons tight end D.J. Tialavea (86) celebrates after scoring a touchdown in the second quarter at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports /
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Thirteen of the 16 Week 16 NFL games are in the books. Let’s take a look at the updated playoff picture in both the AFC and NFC heading into Christmas Day.

Thursday Night Football and the 12 Christmas Eve games of the Week 16 slate of the 2016 NFL regular season slate are in the books. Three games remain on the Week 16 schedule.

Christmas Day offers us two games: The Baltimore Ravens (8-6) at the Pittsburgh Steelers (9-5) at 4:25 p.m. ET and the Denver Broncos (8-6) at the Kansas City Chiefs (10-4) at 8:30 p.m. on Sunday Night Football.

Monday Night Football this week will be between the Detroit Lions (9-5) and the Dallas Cowboys (12-2). Here are the updated playoff pictures across the NFL. These would be the 12 NFL teams that would be getting into the AFC and NFC Playoffs if the season ended today.

AFC Playoffs

  1. z-New England Patriots (13-2)
  2. x-Oakland Raiders (12-3)
  3. Pittsburgh Steelers (9-5)*
  4. y-Houston Texans (9-6)
  5. Kansas City Chiefs (10-4)*
  6. Miami Dolphins (10-5)

w-clinched wild card berth
x-clinched playoff berth
y-clinched division
z-clinched first-round bye
*-clinched home field advantage

New England (13-2) won its eighth straight AFC East championship in Week 15. The Patriots have guaranteed themselves a first-round bye in the 2016 AFC Playoffs. Miami (10-5) is still alive in the AFC Wild Card race. The Buffalo Bills (7-8) and the New York Jets (4-11) have been eliminated from AFC playoff contention.

Oakland (12-3) has clinched a playoff berth in the AFC. The Raiders can clinch the AFC West if Kansas City (10-4) loses to Denver (8-6) on Sunday Night Football.

Kansas City can win the AFC West if the Chiefs win out and the Raiders lose in Week 17 to the Broncos. The Chiefs have the head-to-head tiebreaker over the Raiders by virtue of the season sweep.

Denver has to win out and get some help to get in as an AFC Wild Card team. The San Diego Chargers (5-10) have been eliminated from playoff contention in the AFC.

Pittsburgh (9-5) leads the AFC North by a game over the Ravens (8-6). These two bitter rivals will meet at Heinz Field on Sunday afternoon. The Steelers can clinch the AFC North with a win over the Ravens.

Baltimore has to win to stay alive in the AFC playoff picture. The Cincinnati Bengals (5-9-1) and the Cleveland Browns (1-14) have been eliminated from playoff contention in the AFC.

Houston (9-6) has clinched the AFC South and would be the No. 4 seed in the AFC if the season ended today. Eliminated from the AFC playoffs are the Tennessee Titans (8-7), the Indianapolis Colts (7-8), and the Jacksonville Jaguars (3-12).

The two teams in possession of an AFC Wild Card spot are the Chiefs (10-4) and the Dolphins (10-5). Kansas City still has to play Denver on Sunday Night Football, but have the best record of a non-division leader in the AFC entering Sunday. The Chiefs would be the No. 5 seed. Miami has the second best record of a non-division leader. The Dolphins would be the No. 6 seed in the AFC Playoffs.

NFC Playoffs

  1. *-Dallas Cowboys (12-2)*
  2. y-Atlanta Falcons (10-5)
  3. Detroit Lions (9-5)*
  4. y-Seattle Seahawks (9-5-1)
  5. w-New York Giants (10-5)
  6. Green Bay Packers (9-6)

w-clinched wild card berth
x-clinched playoff berth
y-clinched division
z-clinched first-round bye
*-clinched home field advantage

Dallas (12-2) still has two games left, but has already clinched home field advantage in the NFC Playoffs. New York (10-5) has clinched an NFC Wild Card berth.

The Washington Redskins (8-6-1) are still alive in the NFC Wild card race. Washington needs to win in Week 17 and see some chaos in the NFC North to get in. The Philadelphia Eagles (6-9) have been eliminated from playoff contention in the NFC.

Atlanta (10-5) has clinched the NFC South and would be the No. 2 seed in the NFC Playoffs if the season ended today. The Falcons can be as good as the No. 2 seed in the NFC or as bad as the No. 5 seed.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers (8-7) are barely alive in the NFC Wild Card race. Tampa Bay needs to win in Week 17 and needs help from the NFC North. Eliminated from the NFC playoff picture are the New Orleans Saints (7-8) and the Carolina Panthers (6-9).

Detroit (9-5) enters play atop the NFC North and would be the No. 3 seed in the NFC Playoffs if the season ended today. The Lions still have to play the Cowboys on Monday Night Football. A loss would kick them down to the No. 6 seed and Green Bay (9-6) would lead the NFC North by virtue of the head-to-head tiebreaker. Green Bay would then be the No. 4 seed.

The winner of Packers at Lions in Week 17 will win the NFC North. Eliminated from playoff contention in the NFC North are the Minnesota Vikings (7-8) and the Chicago Bears (3-12).

Seattle (9-5-1) has clinched the NFC West and would be the No. 4 seed in the NFC Playoffs if the season ended today. The Seahawks can improve to No. 3 by the end of the week if the Lions lose to the Cowboys on Monday Night Football.

Eliminated from playoff contention in the NFC West are the Arizona Cardinals (6-8-1), the Los Angeles Rams (4-11), and the San Francisco 49ers (2-13).

The two NFC Wild Card teams would be the Giants (10-5) and the Packers (9-6). New York has clinched a Wild Card berth. The Giants will be either the No. 5 or No. 6 seed at regular season’s end.

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Since the Giants have the best record of a non-division leader in the NFC, they would be the No. 5 seed if the season ended today. Green Bay has the second best record of a non-division leader in the NFC. The Packers would be the No. 6 seed in the NFC playoff picture.

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