Week 16 NFL playoff picture: Eagles take NFC East lead, Titans jump into AFC field
Sunday’s day games delivered four important moments in the 2019 NFL playoffs:
The Eagles moved into the driver’s seat in the NFC East race.
The Ravens clinched home-field advantage throughout the AFC playoffs.
The Titans took control of, but did not clinch, the No. 6 spot in the AFC.
The Browns were eliminated from playoff contention.
Meanwhile, the Chiefs defeated the Bears on Sunday night and kept alive the possibility of earning a first-round bye. Here is a look at the NFL playoff picture and standings after Sunday’s Week 16 slate.
Note: X denotes a team that has clinched a playoff berth, Y shows a team that has clinched its division and Z indicates a team that has secured a first-round bye. An asterisk shows home-field advantage.
The Ravens clinched the AFC’s No. 1 seed and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs with Sunday’s win over the Browns. They have now won 11 consecutive games and have a chance to rest and protect their key players in what will be a meaningless Week 17 game for them against the Steelers. Pittsburgh will still be in the playoff mix, which could impact how the Ravens deploy their personnel.
Next up: vs. Pittsburgh (Week 17)
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The Patriots clinched the AFC East with Saturday’s victory over the Bills, their 17th division title in the past 19 seasons, but the relatively big question of whether they’ll play or skip the first round of the playoffs remains unanswered. They can clinch the No. 2 seed and a first-round bye with a Week 17 victory over the Dolphins. A Chiefs loss will also clinch the No. 2 spot for the Patriots.
Next up: vs. Miami (Week 17)
The Chiefs cruised to an easy victory Sunday night in Chicago, and they could enter the playoffs seeded No. 2, No. 3 or No. 4. They can move up to No. 2 if they defeat the Chargers in Week 17 and the Patriots lose to the Dolphins. They would move down to No. 4 if they lose to the Chargers, and the Texans beat the Titans. Otherwise, they’ll end up at No. 3.
Next up: vs. L.A. Chargers (Week 17)
For all the criticism they’ve received for recent trades and their use of quarterback Deshaun Watson, the Texans are AFC South champions for the fourth time in five seasons. The only question now is where they’ll be seeded in the AFC bracket. They can move up to No. 3 if they beat the Titans in Week 17 and the Chiefs lose to the Chargers, thanks to a head-to-head tiebreaker over the Chiefs.
Next up: vs. Tennessee (Week 17)
The Bills clinched a playoff spot in Week 15 by defeating the Steelers, but Saturday’s loss to the Patriots ended their hopes of a division title. Instead, they are locked in as a (very dangerous) fifth seed in the AFC playoffs.
Next up: vs. N.Y. Jets (Week 17)
Despite their loss Sunday to the Saints, the Titans are in the driver’s seat for the final playoff spot in the AFC. They can clinch the spot with a Week 17 victory over the Texans, or losses by the Steelers and Colts. FPI gives that a 59.1% chance of happening.
Next up: at Houston (Week 17)
Final AFC wild card chart from today. The Raiders are alive. pic.twitter.com/01LpKzEEC8
Pittsburgh Steelers (8-7): After Sunday’s loss to the Jets, the Steelers need help to make the playoffs. In addition to defeating the Ravens, they’ll need the Titans to lose to the Texans, a scenario FPI gives a 28.4% chance of happening. Another clinching scenario for the Steelers: A Titans loss, a win by the Colts and losses by the Bears, Lions, Chargers and Patriots.
Oakland Raiders (7-8): The Raiders need four Week 17 games to go their way in order to make the playoffs. They must beat the Broncos, and then get wins by the Ravens, Texans and Colts. Then, they also need a victory by one of the following teams: Bears, Lions, Chiefs or Patriots. FPI gives it all a 12.5% chance of happening.
Eliminated: Cleveland Browns, Indianapolis Colts, Jacksonville Jaguars, Denver Broncos, Los Angeles Chargers, New York Jets, Miami Dolphins and Cincinnati Bengals
They had their hands full Saturday night, but the 49ers came back to beat the Rams and keep themselves in position to claim the NFC’s top seed if they can beat the Seahawks in Seattle in Week 17. Otherwise, they will enter the playoffs as a wild-card team. Such is the strength of the NFC West this season: The 49ers will find out in Week 17 whether they’ll have home-field advantage throughout the playoffs, or play on the road in the wild-card round.
Next up: at Seattle (Week 17)
The Saints temporarily took over the No. 2 spot after Sunday’s victory over the Titans. They’ll stay there if the Packers lose Monday night to the Vikings. If the Packers win, the Saints will be back down to No. 3. The Packers would hold the tiebreaker at the moment because of a better conference record. As part of any effort to ascend to the No. 1 seed, they’ll need to root for a Packers loss or a Seahawks win over the 49ers in Week 17. According to FPI, the Saints’ likeliest landing spot is the No. 2 seed (42.5%).
Next up: at Carolina (Week 17)
Regarding the race for the No. 1 seed: Seattle’s loss was Green Bay’s gain. pic.twitter.com/SkbH9zhL3I
The Packers clinched a playoff spot in Week 15 after defeating the Bears, and they can win the NFC North with a victory Monday night in Minnesota. But the Packers are in good shape regardless. Even if they lose to the Vikings, they can clinch the division by beating the Lions in Week 17.
Next up: at Minnesota (Monday)
Sunday’s massive victory over the Cowboys put the Eagles in the driver’s seat for the NFC East title. They can clinch it in Week 17 with a victory over the Giants or a loss by the Cowboys to the Redskins. The only way the Eagles would fall short of the division title, and miss the playoffs, is if they lost to the Giants and the Cowboys beat the Redskins.
Next up: at N.Y. Giants (Week 17)
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The Seahawks’ unexpected loss Sunday to the Cardinals didn’t impact their path to a potential NFC West title, but it will make it harder for them to clinch home-field advantage. The Seahawks can still win the division if they defeat the 49ers at home in Week 17. But to be the No. 1 seed, the Seahawks need one of two additional scenarios to take place. The first: A Saints loss in Week 17 and the Packers to finish 1-1. The second: A Saints loss, an 0-2 finish by the Packers and a 2-0 finish by the Vikings.
Next up: vs. San Francisco (Week 17)
The Vikings clinched a playoff spot Saturday night by virtue of the Rams’ loss and subsequent elimination from the playoffs. And they still have a chance to win the NFC North if they can win their final two games and the Packers lose their final two games. Otherwise, they’ll go into the playoffs as a wild-card team. The Vikings could be the No. 5 seed, though, if they win their final two games and finish 12-4.
Next up: vs. Green Bay (Monday)
Dallas Cowboys (7-8): After losing Sunday in Philadelphia, the Cowboys need to beat the Redskins and for the Giants to beat the Eagles in order to win the NFC East. Otherwise, they will miss the playoffs, a disappointing finish that FPI projects as a 71.9% likelihood.
Eliminated: Los Angeles Rams, Chicago Bears, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Carolina Panthers, Arizona Cardinals, Atlanta Falcons, Detroit Lions, New York Giants and Washington Redskins