NFL Playoff Picture 2023: Week 16 Wild-Card Hunt, Standings and Super Bowl Odds

The NFL wild-card hunt is as competitive as ever, with no fewer than four AFC teams vying for the final spot in their conference's playoffs and three on the NFC side doing the same.

The Cincinnati Bengals, Indianapolis Colts, Houston Texans and Buffalo Bills figure to slug it out over the last spot in the final three weeks of the season, while the Los Angeles Rams, Green Bay Packers and Minnesota Vikings will all jockey for positioning in the postseason dance.

Where do those teams stand, who is the favorite to hoist the Lombardi Trophy in February and which surging squad bears close watching down the stretch?

Find out with this updated look at the current playoff picture.

AFC Playoff Picture

Nick Cammett/Getty Images

CLEVELAND, OHIO - DECEMBER 17: D'Anthony Bell #37 of the Cleveland Browns celebrates with teammates after intercepting a pass in the end zone during the fourth quarter to win the game over the Chicago Bears at Cleveland Browns Stadium on December 17, 2023 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Nick Cammett/Getty Images)

AFC Playoff Standings

1. Baltimore Ravens (11-3, AFC North) (X)
2. Miami Dolphins (10-4, AFC East)
3. Kansas City Chiefs (9-5, AFC West)
4. Jacksonville Jaguars (8-6, AFC South)
5. Cleveland Browns (9-5, Wildcard)
6. Cincinnati Bengals (8-6, Wildcard)
7. Indianapolis Colts (8-6, Wildcard)

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On the Bubble

Houston Texans (8-6)

Buffalo Bills (8-6)

Pittsburgh Steelers (7-7)

Denver Broncos (7-7)

Las Vegas Raiders (6-8)

Los Angeles Chargers (5-9)

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Eliminated

New England Patriots (3-11)

Tennessee Titans (5-9)

New York Jets (5-9)

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(X) - clinched playoff berth

NFC Playoff Picture

Michael Reaves/Getty Images

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - DECEMBER 10: Jared Goff #16 of the Detroit Lions calls a play at the line during the third quarter against the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field on December 10, 2023 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)

NFC Playoff Standings

1. San Francisco 49ers (11-3, NFC West) (X)
2. Philadelphia Eagles (10-3, NFC East) (X)
3. Detroit Lions (10-4, NFC North)
4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-7, NFC South)
5. Dallas Cowboys (10-4, Wildcard) (X)
6. Minnesota Vikings (7-7, Wildcard)
7. Los Angeles Rams (7-7, Wildcard)

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On the Bubble

New Orleans Saints (7-7)

Seattle Seahawks (6-7)

Atlanta Falcons (6-8)

Green Bay Packers (6-8)

New York Giants (5-9)

Chicago Bears (5-9)

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Eliminated

Carolina Panthers (2-12)

Arizona Cardinals (3-10)

Washington Commanders (4-9)

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(X) - clinched playoff berth

Super Bowl Odds

Christian Petersen/Getty Images

GLENDALE, ARIZONA - DECEMBER 17: Deebo Samuel #19 of the San Francisco 49ers reacts after scoring a touchdown during the fourth quarter of a game against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium on December 17, 2023 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

San Francisco 49ers (+225; bet $100, win $325)

Baltimore Ravens (+550)

Philadelphia Eagles (+700)

Kansas City Chiefs (+700)

Miami Dolphins (+850)

Dallas Cowboys (+950)

Buffalo Bills (+1200)

Detroit Lions (+2000)

Jacksonville Jaguars (+3000)

Houston Texans (+5500)

Cleveland Browns (+5500)

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (+9000)

Los Angeles Rams (+9000)

Seattle Seahawks (+10000)

Indianapolis Colts (+10000)

New Orleans Saints (+12000)

Cincinnati Bengals (+12000)

Denver Broncos (+13000)

Atlanta Falcons (+20000)

Pittsburgh Steelers (+25000)

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Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook

Charging Rams Looking to Crash the Playoff Picture

Harry How/Getty Images

INGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA - DECEMBER 17: Kobie Turner #91 of the Los Angeles Rams and Marquise Copeland #93 react during the first half of the game against the Washington Commanders at SoFi Stadium on December 17, 2023 in Inglewood, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)

In an NFC that still feels wide open, the Los Angeles Rams may be the most dangerous team of the wild-card bunch.

The Rams jumped into the final wild-card spot Sunday by way of their 28-20 victory over the Washington Commanders and, while the game ended up being closer than it needed to be, it is how the team continues to play that makes L.A. a threat to any contenders in the conference.

In his last four games, Matthew Stafford has thrown 12 touchdowns and one interception, has had a quarterback rating well over 100 in each, and is making the jaw-dropping, on-target throws we saw him make when he led Los Angeles to a Super Bowl win in 2021.

Cooper Kupp took over the game Sunday with eight receptions, 111 yards and a touchdown, while rookie phenom Puka Nacua tacked on five catches for 50 yards to the 1,163 yards he has already accumulated in this star-making season.

Demarcus Robinson continued to build momentum in the game, with two catches for 44 yards and a touchdown and Tyler Higbee made a highlight reel catch on the sideline early in the game.

More important than any of those players, though, is the continued growth and evolution of running back Kyren Williams, who added 27 carries and 152 yards Sunday, becoming the first Rams back since Todd Gurley in 2019 to eclipse 1,000 all-purpose yards.

The run game has opened up the rest of the offense and has been key to the Rams' late-season push.

The team is getting key contributions from draft picks like Byron Young, Kobie Turner, Davis Allen and the aforementioned Nacua, too, as Les Snead continues to prove that early-round picks are not more guaranteed to produce stars than the later-round ones.

Of course, it is not a given that the Rams make the playoffs. Some early-season bumps in the road, including losing a winnable game in Green Bay because of a lack of quarterback depth behind Stafford when he missed time, have them in a battle with the Packers and division foe Seattle for the final spot in the NFC.

A favorable schedule, with games against New Orleans and the Giants before finishing up against a 49ers team that may have little to play for by Week 18, is certainly beneficial.

Whether they can stay consistent, and clean up the little mistakes here and there that allowed the Washington game to be an eight-point win instead of a 20-point one, will ultimately determine if they get in.

Should that happen, every team in the conference, including the top-seeded 49ers, should be very concerned that Stafford, Kupp, Aaron Donald and head coach Sean McVay will make like a juggernaut and go on a run to the Super Bowl.