NFL Playoff Picture 2024: Week 17 Scenarios, Standings and Predictions
The NFL playoff picture moved one step closer to crystallizing on Thursday night.
The Cleveland Browns not only opened Week 17 with a bang, but their 37-20 triumph over the New York Jets secured Cleveland's postseason spot.
More playoff tickets could be snagged over the coming days, but let's take a lay of the land first before the rest of the slate plays out. Then, we'll end with a playoff prediction for each conference.
Updated NFL Standings
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American Football Conference
Division Leaders and Wild-Card Teams
1. x-Baltimore Ravens (12-3)
2. x-Miami Dolphins (11-4)
3. Kansas City Chiefs (9-6)
4. Jacksonville Jaguars (8-7)
5. x-Cleveland Browns (11-5)
6. Buffalo Bills (9-6)
7. Indianapolis Colts (8-7)
In the Hunt
8. Houston Texans (8-7)
9. Pittsburgh Steelers (8-7)
10. Cincinnati Bengals (8-7)
11. Las Vegas Raiders (7-8)
12. Denver Broncos (7-8)
Eliminated
13. New York Jets (6-10)
14. Tennessee Titans (5-10)
15. Los Angeles Chargers (5-10)
16. New England Patriots (4-11)
National Football Conference
Division Leaders and Wild-Card Teams
1. z-San Francisco 49ers (11-4)
2. x-Philadelphia Eagles (11-4)
3. z-Detroit Lions (11-4)
4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (8-7)
5. x-Dallas Cowboys (10-5)
6. Los Angeles Rams (8-7)
7. Seattle Seahawks (8-7)
In the Hunt
8. Minnesota Vikings (7-8)
9. Atlanta Falcons (7-8)
10. Green Bay Packers (7-8)
11. New Orleans Saints (7-8)
12. Chicago Bears (6-9)
Eliminated
13. New York Giants (5-10)
14. Washington Commanders (4-11)
15. Arizona Cardinals (3-12)
16. Carolina Panthers (2-13)
*z-clinched division, x-clinched playoff berth
Week 17 Clinching Scenarios
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Prior to Thursday night's kickoff, ESPN's Adam Schefter relayed all of the clinching scenarios for Week 17.
The key word there is all, because the list is extensive:
If you want to spend your weekend scoreboard-watching, keep close tabs on a pair of heavyweight bouts between top contenders in each conference.
On Saturday, the Cowboys and Lions will collide in Dallas in a game that can go a long way toward setting the seeding order in the NFC. Then on Sunday, the Dolphins and Ravens will lock horns in Baltimore with major implications on the AFC's top seed—and the first-round bye that comes with it.
Playoff Predictions
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The Buffalo Bills will win at least one playoff game.
Buffalo had a water-faucet type of start to the season. At times, this team was too hot to touch. At others, this club was downright frigid.
The Bills may have uncovered the key to consistency in the campaign's second half, though. They've won four of their last five games, and their lone slipup in this stretch was an overtime loss in Philadelphia.
James Cook has piled up yards of late, Josh Allen is a weekly threat to light up the stat sheet, and the defense has tightened the screws of late. This club has what it takes to escape the Wild-Card Round and maybe make noise beyond it.
The Los Angeles Rams will earn a playoff berth and score a postseason victory.
The Rams are rolling in ways that should catch the attention of—if not strike some fear in—the rest of the NFC.
Remember, they still have several holdovers from their Super Bowl LVI team, including quarterback Matthew Stafford, receiver Cooper Kupp, chaos-creating defensive tackle Aaron Donald and mastermind coach Sean McVay. Tack on ascending playmakers like running back Kyren Williams and rookie wideout Puka Nacua, and this roster isn't short on impact talent.
Los Angeles is also trending all the way up, as five of its last six games were wins and the other was an overtime loss in Baltimore. The Rams can ride this momentum wave into the playoffs and out of the opening round.
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