NFL Playoff Picture - Week 16: Postseason seeds, projected draft order
NFL Playoff Picture is a weekly look at the teams jockeying to secure their shot to make it to Super Bowl LVI.
AFC
| Seed | Team | Division | Record |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chiefs (y) | West | 11-4 |
| 2 | Titans | South | 10-5 |
| 3 | Bengals | North | 9-6 |
| 4 | Bills | East | 9-6 |
| 5 | Colts | South | 9-6 |
| 6 | Patriots | East | 9-6 |
| 7 | Ravens | North | 8-7 |
x = clinched playoff berth
y = clinched division title
z = clinched first-round bye
The Kansas City Chiefs became the first AFC team to secure a postseason berth after demolishing the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 16 to wrap up the West. The Tennessee Titans sit just one game back of the Chiefs for the conference lead but still need one win or one Indianapolis Colts loss to clinch the South.
The Buffalo Bills moved up three places to the No. 4 seed after beating the New England Patriots and reclaiming top spot in the East. The Patriots tumbled to the sixth seed after suffering their second consecutive defeat.
In the hunt
| Seed | Team | Division | Record |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8 | Chargers | West | 8-7 |
| 9 | Raiders | West | 8-7 |
| 10 | Steelers | North | 7-7-1 |
| 11 | Dolphins | East | 7-7 |
| 12 | Browns | North | 7-8 |
| 13 | Broncos | West | 7-8 |
Six outsiders are still in contention for a playoff spot. The Miami Dolphins will face the New Orleans Saints on Monday Night Football in a massive matchup for both sides. The Cleveland Browns close their schedule versus the Pittsburgh Steelers and Cincinnati Bengals and could still win the North despite sitting in the basement of the division standings with two games left.
NFC
| Seed | Team | Division | Record |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Packers (y) | North | 12-3 |
| 2 | Cowboys (y) | East | 11-4 |
| 3 | Rams (x) | West | 11-4 |
| 4 | Buccaneers (y) | South | 11-4 |
| 5 | Cardinals (x) | West | 10-5 |
| 6 | 49ers | West | 8-7 |
| 7 | Eagles | East | 8-7 |
x = clinched playoff berth
y = clinched division title
z = clinched first-round bye
Only two spots remain up for grabs in the NFC. The Philadelphia Eagles moved into the third wild card by defeating the New York Giants and will enter Week 17 in a playoff position no matter what happens with the Saints on Monday.
In fact, the Eagles will move ahead of the San Francisco 49ers if the Saints win because of a three-team tiebreaker scenario. San Francisco owns the two-team tiebreaker over Philadelphia, meaning the 49ers will stay ahead of the Eagles if the Saints falter.
In the hunt
| Seed | Team | Division | Record |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8 | Saints | South | 7-7 |
| 9 | Vikings | North | 7-8 |
| 10 | Falcons | South | 7-8 |
| 11 | Washington | East | 6-9 |
The Minnesota Vikings and Washington Football Team saw their playoff chances fade drastically following Week 16 losses, but neither is totally dead yet. The same can be said for the Atlanta Falcons, who squeaked past the Detroit Lions to keep their aspirations afloat.
Projected NFL draft order
| Pick | Team |
|---|---|
| 1 | Jaguars |
| 2 | Lions |
| 3 | Texans |
| 4 | Jets |
| 5 | Giants |
| 6 | Panthers |
| 7 | Jets (via Seahawks) |
| 8 | Giants (via Bears) |
| 9 | Washington |
| 10 | Falcons |
HEADLINES
- Mahomes wants 'some blowouts' after Chiefs' latest nail-biter
- Cowboys win thriller after Commanders miss late PAT
- New QB Tommy DeVito can't spark the Giants and gets trolled by Baker Mayfield
- Tua 'excited to kill narratives' as Dolphins visit Packers in cold weather
- Darnold leads game-winning drive in OT and Vikings beat Bears after blowing late lead