The Cowboys, Patriots, Texans, and Seahawks are now in, while the Saints secured the No. 1 seed in the NFC.
Are you gathering with your friends and family this week to celebrate the holidays? Do you want to show off your NFL knowledge? Prove how much smarter you are (which you ARE) than all of them?
Well, we’ve got a bit of a cheat sheet you can use.
Heading into Week 16, this is what was happening in the playoff picture:
Teams that had clinched their division: 3
Teams that had clinched a playoff spot: 5
Teams that had clinched a first-round bye: 0
Teams that hadn’t clinched but are still alive: 14
Playoff spots unclaimed: 7
Playoff spots that can be clinched this week: 6
After Sunday, here’s how things look now:
Teams that have clinched their division: 5
Teams that have clinched a playoff spot: 9
Teams that have clinched a first-round bye: 1
Teams that haven’t clinched but are still alive: 6
Playoff spots unclaimed: 3
Playoff spots that can still be clinched this week: 0
The only spot that couldn’t be locked up this week is the No. 6 seed in the AFC. But with the flair for the dramatic this season has had, we’re leaving this weekend with more questions than answers — and we kinda like that, because we enjoy working out all the different possible playoff scenarios ... maybe a little too much.
Which teams could clinch in Week 16?
The Saints, Rams, Chiefs, Chargers, and Bears have some more company in the playoffs. The Cowboys, Texans, Patriots, and Seahawks officially got in the postseason in Week 16 after they came up short last week. For the first time this season, the Steelers and Vikings faced clinching scenarios — though the Ravens killed any chance Pittsburgh had of making the playoffs this week.
And FINALLY, one team claimed a first-round bye.
How did the Cowboys clinch the NFC East?
The Cowboys could’ve cruised into the final two weeks of the season with the NFC East title in hand, but then they laid a big ol’ egg against the Colts. They didn’t miss their second shot Sunday.
The Cowboys celebrated a division title in Jerry World because:
- They beat the Buccaneers.
How did the Seahawks clinch a wild card spot this week?
The Seahawks had won 10 straight games against the 49ers going into last week. All they needed to do to guarantee themselves a spot in the postseason was to stretch that streak to 11. Whoops. This week, they handled their business against Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs.
The Seahawks just needed to do one thing:
- Beat the Chiefs. Washington’s 25-16 loss to the Titans meant the Seahawks could get in with a win.
The Seahawks’ 38-31 win on Sunday night got them back in the playoffs.
How could the Vikings have clinched a wild card spot this week?
Call it Kevin Stefanski magic if you want, but the Vikings look rejuvenated last week. They started off slow against the Lions, but they came alive in the second half for a win. That wasn’t quite enough to get them in the postseason, though.
The Vikings needed all three things to happen to get a playoff berth:
- They beat the Lions, the Eagles lose to the Texans, and Washington lose to the Titans.
The Eagles won a thriller against the Texans, which kept the Vikings out this week.
How did the Texans clinch a playoff spot this week?
For the first time this season, the Texans controlled their own playoff situation. They could’ve brought the AFC South crown back to Houston (though after a year in North Florida, they’d probably want to Lysol that up). They could’ve also clinch a first-round bye, an amazing turnaround for a team that started 0-3.
That didn’t happen with their last-second loss to the Eagles, but they did nab a playoff spot.
Even though they lost, the Texans got into the playoffs because:
- The Steelers lost to the Saints.
The Texans would’ve owned AFC South bragging rights again if:
- They beat or tied the Eagles.
They also could’ve done it if the Colts lost to or tied the Giants and the Titans lost to or tied Washington. Neither happened.
The Texans could’ve nailed down a first-round bye if:
- They beat the Eagles and the Patriots lose to or tie the Bills OR
- They tie the Eagles and the Patriots lose to the Bills.
But they lost and the Patriots won.
How did the Patriots clinch their 10th straight AFC East?
Third time was the charm for the Patriots, who had totally beefed it the past two weeks.
The Patriots almost COULDN’T screw up this division-clinching scenario:
At home against the Bills ... the Patriots weren’t going to blow it this time. They won easily 24-12. And even if they hadn’t, the Dolphins fell to the Jaguars.
How could the Steelers have clinched a playoff spot this week?
Last week, the Steelers finally broke their seven-year drought of not beating the Patriots. It didn’t get any easier, though. Their next mission was trying to get out of New Orleans with a win — and they couldn’t get it done.
The Steelers were trying to hold off the Ravens, who have now overtaken them for the AFC North lead. The Ravens took down the Chargers, which meant any clinching scenarios for Pittsburgh were already dead before the Steelers-Saints game.
The Steelers could’ve won their third straight AFC North title if one of the following happened:
- They beat the Saints and the Ravens lost to or tied the Chargers OR
- They tie the Saints and the Ravens lost to the Chargers.
The Steelers could’ve snagged a postseason berth if:
- They beat the Saints, the Colts lost to the Giants, and the Titans lost to Washington.
NONE of those happened, and the Steelers are now out of the playoff picture this week. They need to win next week and have the Ravens lose to the Browns to even make the playoffs now.
How did the Saints clinch the NFC’s No. 1 seed?
The Saints secured the No. 1 seed, meaning they won’t have to play another game outside for however long they remain in the playoffs— even the Super Bowl will be played in a dome.
All the Saints needed to live that dome life (and get the first-round bye that came with it):
- They beat the Steelers OR
- They tie the Steelers and the Rams tie or lose to the Cardinals OR
- The Rams lose to the Cardinals and the Bears lose to or tie the 49ers.
They won, and the No. 1 seed is theirs.
How could the Rams have clinched a first-round bye this week?
The bad news: The Rams were ... gasp ... on a losing streak under Sean McVay.
The good news: No team can cure all ills like the Cardinals.
The Rams are still trying for that first-round bye. This week, it could’ve happened if:
- They beat the Cardinals and the Bears lost to or tied the 49ers OR
- They tied the Cardinals and the Bears lost to the 49ers.
The Rams cruised to a 31-9 victory over the Cardinals, but the Bears won. So no first-round bye this week.
How could the Chiefs have clinched the AFC West this week?
The Chiefs needed to win in Seattle Sunday night to clinch the division and a first-round bye. Instead, neither happened so it’ll be decided in Week 17.
There was one way the Chiefs could’ve earned the AFC West, a first-round bye, and the No. 1 seed:
- They beat the Seahawks. They also needed the Chargers to lose to the Ravens and for the Texans to lose to the Eagles, both of which happened. They couldn’t get the win in Seattle though.
It didn’t seem like a long shot for the Chiefs, but they clinched nothing this week and now likely need a win next week to get the No. 1 seed.
Long shots, you say? So which teams were eliminated this week?
As many as eight teams could’ve joined the Cardinals, Raiders, 49ers, Jets, Jaguars, Lions, Bills, Giants, Bucs, Falcons, Packers, Bengals, and Broncos and start planning for the 2019 NFL Draft. Sadly, this is the week we have to add the Browns to that list. The Dolphins, Panthers, and Washington are done too.
(Note: This is a look at the no-tie scenarios. For a much more complete overview of the playoff picture, check out the work NFLPlayoffScenarios did for the AFC and NFC over at Reddit.)
The Browns are officially knocked out, waaaaaah, because:
- The Titans beat Washington.
The Dolphins are Dolphinished because:
- They lost to the Jaguars.
The Panthers put the finishing touches on their epic collapse because:
- They lost to the Falcons.
Washington can start forgetting this season ever happened because:
- The Eagles beat the Texans.
The Eagles’ dream of defending their Super Bowl title would’ve ended if:
- They lost to the Texans and the Vikings beat the Lions.
The Ravens could’ve been done if:
- They lost to the Chargers, the Steelers beat the Saints, and the Titans beat Washington.
But their faith in John Harbaugh paid off. The Ravens could even be in first place of the AFC North at the end of the weekend.
The Titans could’ve been out of contention if:
- They lost to Washington, the Ravens beat the Chargers, and the Steelers beat the Saints.
Holy crap, look at everything that needs to happen to eliminate the Colts:
- The Colts lose to the Giants, the Ravens beat the Chargers, the Steelers beat the Saints, the Dolphins beat the Jaguars, the Patriots beat the Bills, the Bengals beat the Browns, the Falcons beat the Panthers, the Bucs beat the Cowboys, the Raiders lose to the Broncos, and Texans lose to the Eagles.
So, more than half the games this week would have to go against the Colts. If that happened, they would’ve had to get Azealia Banks to make them an amulet out of Andrew Luck’s beard.
Luckily for the Colts, they came back to beat the Giants, setting up a huge Week 17 game against the Titans.
If the playoffs started today, which teams would be in?
The playoffs don’t start today, but they do start in two weeks, so we’re getting closer and closer. Here’s what the standings look like after Sunday:
The NFC:
- New Orleans Saints (13-2)**
- Los Angeles Rams (12-3)**
- Chicago Bears (11-4)**
- Dallas Cowboys (9-6)**
- Seattle Seahawks (9-6)*
- Minnesota Vikings (8-6-1)
The AFC:
- Kansas City Chiefs (11-4)*
- New England Patriots (10-5)**
- Houston Texans (10-5)*
- Baltimore Ravens (9-6)
- Los Angeles Chargers (11-4)*
- Indianapolis Colts (9-6)
**clinched the division
*clinched a playoff berth