Christmas week is upon us, which means it's officially time to get down to brass tacks in the NFL. With just two weeks remaining in the regular season, there's pretty much everything still to play for in both the AFC and NFC (well, with apologies to the NFC East) — setting up a jam-packed Week 17 with playoff implications all over the place. What do you need to know, and which games should you be keeping an eye on? Let's break it down.
Clinched playoff spots
AFC
- Denver Broncos (12-3)
- New England Patriots (12-3)
- Jacksonville Jaguars (11-4)
- Los Angeles Chargers (11-4)
- Buffalo Bills (11-4)
NFC
- Seattle Seahawks (12-3)
- Chicago Bears (11-4)
- Philadelphia Eagles (10-5)
- San Francisco 49ers (11-4)
- Los Angeles Rams (11-4)
Teams eliminated
AFC
- Kansas City Chiefs (6-9)
- Miami Dolphins (6-9)
- Cincinnati Bengals (5-10)
- New York Jets (3-12)
- Tennessee Titans (3-12)
- Cleveland Browns (3-12)
- Las Vegas Raiders (2-13)
NFC
- Minnesota Vikings (7-8)
- Dallas Cowboys (6-8-1)
- Atlanta Falcons (6-9)
- New Orleans Saints (5-10)
- Washington Commanders (4-11)
- Arizona Cardinals (3-12)
- New York Giants (2-13)
What’s still at stake
- The No. 1 seeds in both conferences are still up for grabs
- Only Philly has clinched its division as of yet, with five of seven races within one game
- Plenty of seeding uncertainty
The only divisional race that's been sewn up is the NFC East. The AFC North is all but wrapped up as well (unless the Steelers choke things away over the final two weeks), but the AFC West, AFC South, AFC North, NFC South and NFC West are all still separated by just one game. The Seahawks are clinging to a one-game lead over the rest of the conference, while the Broncos and Patriots are tied atop the AFC at 12-3 (with three 11-4 teams lurking behind).
There isn't a ton of Wild Card intrigue left, with the remaining teams in the hunt but outside of the current field — the Colts, Ravens and Lions — all fading badly.
AFC standings
AFC East
Team | Record | Status |
|---|---|---|
New England Patriots | 12-3 | In hunt (clinched playoff spot) |
Buffalo Bills | 11-4 | In hunt (clinched playoff spot) |
Miami Dolphins | 6-9 | Eliminated |
New York Jets | 3-12 | Eliminated |
AFC North
Team | Record | Status |
|---|---|---|
Pittsburgh Steelers | 9-6 | In hunt |
Baltimore Ravens | 7-8 | In hunt |
Cincinnati Bengals | 5-10 | Eliminated |
Cleveland Browns | 3-12 | Eliminated |
AFC South
Team | Record | Status |
|---|---|---|
Jacksonville Jaguars | 11-4 | In hunt |
Houston Texans | 10-5 | In hunt |
Indianapolis Colts | 8-7 | In hunt |
Tennessee Titans | 3-12 | Eliminated |
AFC West
Team | Record | Status |
|---|---|---|
Denver Broncos | 12-3 | In hunt |
Los Angeles Chargers | 11-4 | In hunt |
Kansas City Chiefs | 6-9 | Eliminated |
Las Vegas Raiders | 2-13 | Eliminated |
NFC standings
NFC East
Team | Record | Status |
|---|---|---|
Philadelphia Eagles | 10-5 | Clinched |
Dallas Cowboys | 6-8-1 | Eliminated |
Washington Commanders | 4-11 | Eliminated |
New York Giants | 2-13 | Eliminated |
NFC North
Team | Record | Status |
|---|---|---|
Chicago Bears | 11-4 | In hunt |
Green Bay Packers | 10-5-1 | In hunt |
Detroit Lions | 8-7 | Eliminated |
Minnesota Vikings | 7-8 | Eliminated |
NFC South
Team | Record | Status |
|---|---|---|
Carolina Panthers | 8-7 | In hunt |
Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 7-8 | In hunt |
Atlanta Falcons | 6-9 | Eliminated |
New Orleans Saints | 5-10 | Eliminated |
NFC West
Team | Record | Status |
|---|---|---|
Seattle Seahawks | 12-3 | In hunt |
San Francisco 49ers | 11-4 | In hunt |
Los Angeles Rams | 11-4 | In hunt |
Arizona Cardinals | 3-12 | Eliminated |
Week 17 games that could change everything
Houston Texans at Los Angeles Chargers (Saturday, 4:30 p.m. ET)
The first big-time game of the extended Christmas weekend comes on Saturday afternoon, when the Texans travel to take on the Chargers in a battle of red-hot AFC contenders. If Houston wins, they not only clinch a playoff spot but also could pull even in the AFC South race if the Jags lose in Indianapolis. If Los Angeles wins, they keep the heat on Denver in the AFC West while maintaining the edge over both Buffalo and the Texans in the race for the top Wild Card spot.
Baltimore Ravens at Green Bay Packers (Saturday, 8 p.m. ET)
Baltimore's playoff hopes are on life support, as they need to not only win but have the Browns beat the Steelers to stay alive for the AFC North. Green Bay, meanwhile, clinches a playoff spot with a win or tie, and they could also pull themselves right back into the thick of the NFC North race pending the result of the Bears-49ers game on Sunday (more on that in a moment).
Seattle Seahawks at Carolina Panthers (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET)
Seattle's miraculous win over the Rams on Thursday night has the Seahawks controlling their destiny for both the NFC West crown and the top seed in the conference. But with the 11-4 Niners and Rams still breathing down their necks, there's no margin for error, as a loss in Carolina could leave them on the road in the first round come January. Carolina needs a win as well, as they'd clinch the NFC South with a victory over Seattle and a Tampa Bay loss.
Philadelphia Eagles at Buffalo Bills (Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET)
Philly already has the NFC East under wraps, and the top seed in the NFC feels pretty much out of reach. But the Eagles should still have their eyes on the No. 2 spot, which would require a win on Sunday. The Bills, meanwhile, are trying to erase their one-game deficit to the Patriots in the AFC East and secure themselves at least one home playoff game. Heck, even the No. 1 seed isn't totally out of the question yet if they get enough help from New England and Denver.
Chicago Bears at San Francisco 49ers (Sunday, 8:20 p.m. ET)
Fresh off their miraculous win over Green Bay in Week 16, Chicago now faces another must-win on the road at a red-hot Niners team. Lose, and Bears could find themselves right back in a dogfight for the NFC North with a tricky season finale against Detroit on tap. The Niners need a win to keep pace in the rugged NFC West: San Francisco closes the year against Seattle, meaning they could still snatch the division title if they win out. If they lose to Chicago, though, they could find themselves buried as the No. 6 or 7 seed come January.