NFL Playoff Picture - Week 13: 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 LVII.

AFC

With just two wins separating the No. 1 and No. 7 seeds, there's everything to to play for in the AFC down the final stretch of the NFL's regular season.

The Cincinnati Bengals helped out the rest of the conference by earning their third win over Patrick Mahomes and pushing the Kansas City Chiefs down to the No. 2 spot. With Lamar Jackson potentially facing time on the sidelines due to a knee injury, Cincinnati should fancy its chances of jumping the Baltimore Ravens and pushing the Chiefs and Buffalo Bills in the fight for the lone bye.

In more good news for the Bills, the New York Jets and Miami Dolphins both failed to keep pace in the AFC East thanks to losses to the Minnesota Vikings and San Francisco 49ers, respectively. Buffalo has a chance to put a hand on the divisional crown with games against New York and Miami over the next two weeks.

In the hunt

The Las Vegas Raiders, Cleveland Browns, and Pittsburgh Steelers refuse to go away, with all three winning Sunday to keep their seasons alive. The Raiders look particularly threatening with Davante Adams and Josh Jacobs firing on all cylinders. With the eighth-hardest remaining schedule in the NFL, the Jets should be feeling the heat.

NFC

The 49ers might be the team best prepared to survive losing their starting quarterback for the season, but Jimmy Garoppolo going down is still a big blow. He isn't a game-changer, but he's a proven winner. For all their talent, the 49ers' fate now lies with Brock Purdy.

With San Francisco still strong but undoubtedly diminished, the Philadelphia Eagles and the Vikings will now feel even more secure as the NFC's top two seeds. The Dallas Cowboys are now the team most likely to keep the pressure on the Eagles and Vikings after a beatdown of the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday night.

The Seattle Seahawks didn't look good in Sunday's close win over the Los Angeles Rams, but Pete Carroll and Co. will be eyeing a push for the NFC West title with the 49ers down to their third quarterback and just a game ahead. Meanwhile, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers can get back to .500 and create space atop the NFC South with a victory on Monday against the New Orleans Saints.

In the hunt

It wasn't too long ago the Detroit Lions seemed destined for another top-three pick. But after winning four of their last five games, the Lions are helping keep the NFC wild-card hunt interesting. The Green Bay Packers also are still holding on, but have no margin for error with eight losses already. Elsewhere, the Washington Commanders and the New York Giants could be kicking themselves for their tie by the season's end.

Projected NFL draft order