With just Monday Night Football remaining, let’s take a look at the divisional races and playoff pictures in the NFL through Week 13 of the 2017 season.
There is only one game left on the slate in Week 13 of the 2017 NFL season. That would be Monday Night Football between a pair of AFC North rivals that absolutely hate each other. The Cincinnati Bengals (5-6) will host the Pittsburgh Steelers (9-2) for an 8:30 p.m. ET kickoff at Paul Brown Stadium on Dec. 4.
Pittsburgh will still be a top-two seed in the AFC playoff picture and atop the AFC North standings regardless of outcome on Monday night. Cincinnati will still be on the outside looking in at a playoff spot in the AFC regardless of what happens in the final game of Week 13.
So let’s take a few minutes and look at the updated divisional standings in the NFL. Which teams would make the playoffs if the season ended today? How would be on the outside looking in? Man, is that AFC West a mess or what?
AFC East
- New England Patriots (10-2)
- Buffalo Bills (6-6)
- New York Jets (5-7)
- Miami Dolphins (5-7)
The New England Patriots (10-2) have a comfortable lead in the AFC East standings, just like they always do. They have a four-game lead over the Buffalo Bills (6-6) in the divisional race. New England needs one more win to secure yet another division title. The New York Jets (5-7) and the Miami Dolphins (5-7) have been eliminated from the AFC race, but are still alive in the AFC wild card.
AFC North
- Pittsburgh Steelers (9-2)*
- Baltimore Ravens (7-5)
- Cincinnati Bengals (5-6)*
- Cleveland Browns (0-12)
Pittsburgh (9-2) has a 2.5-game lead over the Baltimore Ravens (7-5) in the AFC North standings heading into Monday Night Football. The Steelers can eliminate the Bengals (5-6) from the divisional race with a win on Monday night. Already eliminated from playoff contention in the AFC are the winless Cleveland Browns (0-12).
AFC South
- Tennessee Titans (8-4)
- Jacksonville Jaguars (8-4)
- Houston Texans (4-8)
- Indianapolis Colts (3-9)
The Tennessee Titans (8-4) are in a tight race in the AFC South with the Jacksonville Jaguars (8-4). Tennessee has the head-to-head tiebreaker over Jacksonville from the Titans’ Week 2 road win over the Jaguars. Four games back of the Titans and Jaguars are the Houston Texans (4-8). Eliminated from the AFC South race are the Indianapolis Colts (3-9), who are hanging on by a thread in the AFC wild card race.
AFC West
- Kansas City Chiefs (6-6)
- Los Angeles Chargers (6-6)
- Oakland Raiders (6-6)
- Denver Broncos (3-9)
The AFC West is a total mess right now. Three teams are tied atop the divisional standings. Those teams are the Kansas City Chiefs (6-6), the Los Angeles Chargers (6-6) and the Oakland Raiders (6-6).
Despite their awful play of late, the Chiefs would be the division winner at the end of Week 13 due to having a better record in divisional play over the Chargers and the Raiders. Los Angeles has the head-to-head tiebreaker over the Raiders. The Denver Broncos (3-9) are three games back of all three.
Heading into Monday Night Football, here would be the six teams in the AFC that would make the playoffs. New England has home-field advantage as the No. 1 seed and AFC East winner. Pittsburgh would have a first-round bye as the No. 2 seed and the AFC North winner.
Tennessee would be the No. 3 seed as the AFC South winner. Kansas City would be the No. 4 seed as the AFC West winner. The two wild card teams in the AFC would be Jacksonville and Baltimore as the No. 5 and No. 6 seeds, respectively.
NFC East
- Philadelphia Eagles (10-2)
- Dallas Cowboys (6-6)
- Washington Redskins (5-7)
- New York Giants (2-10)
Atop the NFC East standings are the Philadelphia Eagles (10-2). They have a four-game lead over the Dallas Cowboys (6-6) in the divisional race. The Washington Redskins (5-7) are eliminated from contention in the NFC East race, but are still alive in the NFC wild card race for now. Eliminated from playoff contention entirely are the New York Giants (2-10).
NFC North
- Minnesota Vikings (10-2)
- Detroit Lions (6-6)
- Green Bay Packers (6-6)
- Chicago Bears (3-9)
Leading the NFC North is the Minnesota Vikings (10-2). The Vikings have four-game leads over the Detroit Lions (6-6) and the Green Bay Packers (6-6) in the divisional race. Detroit edges Green Bay for second place by virtue of the head-to-head tiebreaker. The Chicago Bears (3-9) have been eliminated from playoff contention in the NFC.
NFC South
- New Orleans Saints (9-3)
- Carolina Panthers (8-4)
- Atlanta Falcons (7-5)
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-8)
The New Orleans Saints (9-3) lead the Carolina Panthers (8-4) by a game in the NFC South standings. New Orleans just completed the season sweep of Carolina, so the Saints own the tiebreaker going forward. The Atlanta Falcons (7-5) are two games back of the Saints. Though eliminated from the divisional race, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-8) are alive in the NFC wild card race at least for another week.
NFC West
- Los Angeles Rams (9-3)
- Seattle Seahawks (8-4)
- Arizona Cardinals (5-7)
- San Francisco 49ers (2-10)
The Los Angeles Rams (9-3) are atop the NFC West standings entering Week 14. They have a one-game lead over the Seattle Seahawks (8-4). The Arizona Cardinals (5-7) have been eliminated from the NFC West race, as the Rams swept them in their season series. Arizona is still alive in the NFC Wild card race, but only barely. Eliminated from playoff contention in the NFC are the San Francisco 49ers (2-10).
If the season ended today, these would be the six teams that would make the NFC Playoffs. Minnesota would have home-field advantage as the No. 1 seed and the NFC North winner. The Vikings have the strength of opposition tiebreaker over the Eagles, who would get a first-round bye as the No. 2 seed as the NFC East winner.
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Los Angeles would be the No. 3 seed as the NFC West winner. The Rams have the head-to-head tiebreaker over New Orleans, who would be the No. 4 seed as the NFC South winner. Seattle and Carolina would be the two wild card teams as the No. 5 and No. 6 seeds, respectively. The Seahawks have a superior record in NFC play over the Panthers to win that tiebreaker.