NFL Playoff Picture 2023-24: Updated AFC, NFC Standings After Week 12 SNF
The Baltimore Ravens became the third team to occupy the No. 1 seed in the AFC with their Sunday night win over the Los Angeles Chargers.
The top spot changed hands between the Jacksonville Jaguars, Kansas City Chiefs and Ravens as Sunday's results rolled in.
Baltimore holds a half-game advantage over the Jaguars, Chiefs and Miami Dolphins entering its Week 13 bye.
Six of the seven teams occupying the AFC playoff spots have either seven or eight wins, and there are four franchises with six wins behind them.
The Pittsburgh Steelers and Cleveland Browns lead the wild-card race by a game over the rest of the field and they will need all the cushion they earn.
The NFC playoff conversation is far less chaotic with seven teams in comfortable positions. The only change from Sunday's action occurred in the NFC South, where the Atlanta Falcons used a head-to-head win over the New Orleans Saints to take first place.
AFC Standings
1 of 2
Division Leaders
1. Baltimore (9-3)
2. Kansas City (8-3)
3. Jacksonville (8-3)
4. Miami (8-3)
Wild-Card Race
5. Pittsburgh (7-4)
6. Cleveland (7-4)
7. Indianapolis (6-5)
8. Houston (6-5)
9. Denver (6-5)
10. Buffalo (6-5)
11. Cincinnati (5-6)
12. Las Vegas (5-7)
Jacksonville temporarily took first place after the early window through a win over the Houston Texans. Kansas City rose to the top with a late-afternoon triumph over the Las Vegas Raiders.
Both teams finished the day beneath the Ravens in the standings because the AFC North leader played one more game.
Baltimore has the potential to pick up head-to-head tiebreakers over Jacksonville and Miami after its bye week. It is currently two losses behind Kansas City in the conference record tiebreaker, which will be used to break a tie between the Chiefs and Ravens.
Kansas City's 6-1 inside the AFC handed it the No. 2 seed after Sunday. Jacksonville and Miami each have one extra loss in conference play.
Down in the wild-card race, Pittsburgh and Cleveland received a big favor from the Philadelphia Eagles, who beat the Buffalo Bills in overtime.
Buffalo's loss dropped it to 10th place in the AFC ahead of its Week 13 bye week.
While the Bills are off, the Texans and Denver Broncos will play in the most important Week 13 game in the wild-card hunt. Both teams need a win in that contest in their chase of the No. 7, which currently belongs to the Indianapolis Colts.
NFC Standings
2 of 2
Division Leaders
1. Philadelphia (10-1)
2. San Francisco (8-3)
3. Detroit (8-3)
4. Atlanta (5-6)
Wild-Card Race
5. Dallas (8-3)
6. Minnesota (6-5)
7. Seattle (6-5)
8. Green Bay (5-6)
9. Los Angeles Rams (5-6)
10. New Orleans (5-6)
11. Tampa Bay (4-7)
The Eagles maintained their incredibly high pace on the top of the NFC with their come-from-behind victory in overtime over the Bills.
Sunday's win means the Eagles can't drop the No. 1 seed to the San Francisco 49ers in their head-to-head battle in Week 13.
San Francisco can only get within one game of the Eagles with a head-to-head victory.
The Detroit Lions also face a crucial Week 13 contest, as they visit the New Orleans Saints. Detroit needs a bounce-back win to potentially be in a spot to leap back over the 49ers for the No. 2 seed.
The Saints need a win over the Lions to stay in the NFC South race. It seems unlikely at this point that the Saints or Atlanta Falcons will get into the playoffs as a wild-card team. Atlanta holds the head-to-head tiebreaker from Sunday. The Falcons and Saints play again in Week 18.
In the wild-card positions, Minnesota plays the Chicago Bears on Monday night. The Vikings will stay in the No. 6 with a win and will drop to No. 7 with a defeat.
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