NFL Playoff Picture Week 14: Breaking Down AFC and NFC Postseason Outlook

The Philadelphia Eagles had a chance to put a stranglehold on the NFC's No. 1 seed Sunday.

The San Francisco 49ers had other ideas.

The 49ers rolled into Lincoln Financial Field and over the Eagles in a decisive 41-19 victory. This was San Francisco's fourth consecutive victory—tying the Dallas Cowboys and Indianapolis Colts for the league's longest winning streak—and one that positioned the battle for the top seed for a potential photo finish in each conference.

Let's get a look at the landscape and see how the current NFL playoff picture appears based on the latest standings before spotlighting the races to watch down this final stretch.

NFL Playoff Picture

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LANDOVER, MARYLAND - DECEMBER 03: Tua Tagovailoa #1 of the Miami Dolphins reacts after a play against the Washington Commanders during the second quarter of the game at FedExField on December 03, 2023 in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)

American Football Conference

Division Leaders

1. Miami Dolphins (9-3)

2. Baltimore Ravens (9-3)

3. Jacksonville Jaguars (8-3)

4. Kansas City Chiefs (8-4)

Wild-Card Race

5. Pittsburgh Steelers (7-5)

6. Cleveland Browns (7-5)

7. Indianapolis Colts (7-5)

8. Houston Texans (7-5)

9. Denver Broncos (6-6)

10. Buffalo Bills (6-6)

11. Cincinnati Bengals (5-6)

12. Los Angeles Chargers (5-7)

13. Las Vegas Raiders (5-7)

National Football Conference

Division Leaders

1. Philadelphia Eagles (10-2)

2. San Francisco 49ers (9-3)

3. Detroit Lions (9-3)

4. Atlanta Falcons (6-6)

Wild-Card Race

5. Dallas Cowboys (9-3)

6. Minnesota Vikings (6-6)

7. Green Bay Packers (6-6)

8. Los Angeles Rams (6-6)

9. Seattle Seahawks (6-6)

10. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (5-7)

11. New Orleans Saints (5-7)

AFC Races to Watch

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INGLEWOOD, CA - NOVEMBER 26: Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson (8) looks on during the NFL regular season game between the Baltimore Ravens and the Los Angeles Chargers on November 26, 2023, at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, CA. (Photo by Brian Rothmuller/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

If the Jaguars take care of the Joe Burrow-less Bengals on Monday night, the AFC's race for the No. 1 seed will feature three different nine-win teams. And that group doesn't include the defending Super Bowl champion Chiefs, who are sitting on eight victories following Sunday night's loss to the Packers.

Miami is in the driver's seat for now, but that's subject to change. The Dolphins have struggled to find signature wins, as their .303 strength of victory is the worst in the conference. The Jags, meanwhile, pace this four-team race in strength of schedule (.553) and strength of victory (.510). The Chiefs have the fewest conference losses (one).

Things are so bunched up that Monday night's result could elevate Jacksonville all the way to No. 1 or drop it back to No. 4.

Push past the division leaders, and there are four seven-win teams jostling for the three wild-card spots. Pittsburgh has a leg up by way of besting Indianapolis' win percentage against common opponents, but plenty can—and will—change over the coming weeks.

NFC Races to Watch

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ARLINGTON, TEXAS - NOVEMBER 30: Dak Prescott #4 of the Dallas Cowboys celebrates after a touchdown during an NFL football game between the Dallas Cowboys and the Seattle Seahawks at AT&T Stadium on November 30, 2023 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Michael Owens/Getty Images)

While every NFC team is still looking up at the Eagles, the gap between them and the field significantly shrunk on Sunday. The 49ers and Lions are right behind them with nine wins apiece with San Francisco holding a tiebreaker over Detroit due to a superior conference record (7-1 to 6-2).

Dallas also has nine wins, though that only grants it the No. 5 seed for now, since it's trailing Philadelphia in the NFC East race. Those teams will go head-to-head Sunday night in a can't-miss matchup.

The NFC teams seeded sixth through ninth all have identical 6-6 records. So do the fourth-seeded Falcons, who currently sit atop the NFC South. But Atlanta is only a game up on both Tampa and New Orleans, each of whom it will face again this season.

Minnesota has the edge on the other clubs vying for the No. 6 seed, but its position is tenuous at best. The Vikings have a 1-0 lead on the Packers—they'll square off again in Week 17—and a better conference record (6-3) than the Rams (4-4), who swept their season series with the Seahawks.