Six teams in each conference have clinched playoff spots. In the AFC, that spot is between three teams (Denver, Miami, Cincinnati) vying for the seventh and last seed. In the NFC, the Buccaneers and Falcons are vying for the fourth seed.
Kansas City Chiefs:
The band Talking Heads had a song with the line, “Same as it ever was, same as it ever was…” This is the case for the Chiefs. They began the season in the top spot, and here they are at the end of the year with the top spot.
Buffalo Bills:
The Bills are the only team to defeat the Chiefs this season, and an AFC matchup in Kansas City between these two teams seems poetic.
Minnesota Vikings:
The Vikings are the improbable team at the top of this list. Nobody thought they’d be 14-2 heading into a wk.18 showdown with the Lions. A loss would move them 14-3 and would drop them all the way into the fifth seed in the NFC, with no bye and having a road playoff game. A win gives them the top spot and a first-round bye.
Detroit Lions:
The Lions were expected to be here, but everything I wrote about the Vikings is the same for the Lions. A win gives them the No. 1 seed in the NFC and a first-round bye, but a loss drops them to fifth and a first-round road game.
Baltimore Ravens:
The Ravens somehow have five losses on the year and in many ways, have been the most resilient team in the league. They hold the lead in the AFC North, and heading into the playoffs; they are a team nobody will want to face. Realistically they will have to head to Buffalo in the divisional round.
Philadelphia Eagles:
Everyone has been talking about the Lions all season, but the Eagles may be the team to be most worried about heading into the playoffs. They have easily secured the No. 2 seed, and if the team who ultimately gets the no.1 seed stumbles in the playoffs, the NFC championship game will be held in the City of Brotherly Love. The biggest worry is the health of Jalen Hurts, who’s been out the past two weeks in concussion protocol.
Washington Commanders:
The league’s next great QB just may be Jayden Daniels. He dazzled against Atlanta this past week, completing 24 of 36 passes for 227 yards and three TDs. He also ran for 127 yards. The sixth seed will give them a potentially easier landing spot, heading to Los Angeles to play the Rams instead of going to Philadelphia.
Green Bay Packers:
Despite their 27-25 loss to the Vikings, the Packers are safely in the playoffs. If the season ended now, they’d have a tough road, heading to Philadelphia to face off against the Eagles.
Los Angeles Rams:
The Rams have clinched the NFC West. They started the season very sluggish, starting the year 1-4. A ton of fanfare has been made of Cincinnati starting 0-3 and 1-4, but this is exactly where the Rams were to start the year. They nearly beat the Lions in wk.1, losing in OT. They have beaten the Vikings, Bills, and 49ers twice. Since that start, they are 9-2, and are a sneaky pick to make a deep playoff run.
Los Angeles Chargers:
HC Jim Harbaugh has completely remade this team in his image, and Justin Herbert is having his best season because of it. Harbaugh has emphasized the running game as much as possible in 2024, and the result has seen Herbert’s passing yards drop a bit (still over 3500), but his TD-to-interception ratio is an amazing 21 to 3. If the season ended today, they’d draw the Ravens in Baltimore, which is a tall task.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers:
The Buccaneers will either have the No. 4 seed after this week, or they’ll be out of the playoffs. Two weeks ago, they laid an egg in Dallas but rebounded nicely this week, easily handling the Panthers 48-14.
Pittsburgh Steelers:
The Steelers have now lost three in a row and have lost the division lead. They are in the playoffs, but they’ve made their life a lot more difficult. This week, they face off against the Bengals, who may be fighting for their playoff lives. This game will determine where the Steelers will be heading in the playoffs.
Houston Texans:
This has been a slight sophomore slump for CJ Stroud. Last season’s offensive rookie of the year has definitely taken a step back. He has had to contend with major injuries in his receiving core all year, but this doesn’t look like a team ready for the playoffs.
Denver Broncos:
The Broncos and Bo Nix are so close to the playoffs but they aren’t there yet. They lost this past week to a surging Bengals team in OT and have the Chiefs coming to Denver this week. The Chiefs could very well “take a dive” and lose to bolster the Broncos, effectively keeping the Bengals out of the playoffs. It’s gamesmanship 101 because Joe Burrow has always been a tough draw for the Chiefs. If they can do what’s needed to keep the Bengals and Burrow out, it could be a motivation in this game.
Miami Dolphins:
The Dolphins should have a fairly easy win ahead of them this week against the Jets. All they can do is win and then see how things play out. At the moment, they have a 12% chance of making the postseason.
Cincinnati Bengals:
The Bengals started 0-3, even losing to the Patriots in wk.1. If they ultimately miss the playoffs, it will be because of their chronic slow starts.
Atlanta Falcons:
The Falcons currently have an 11% chance of making the playoffs. Either they or the Buccaneers will be the no.4 seed.
