Week 16 NFL Playoff Picture: AFC, NFC Bracket Scenarios, 2024 Postseason Predictions
After 15 weeks of the 2024 NFL season, three of the four division champions in the AFC have been crowned. The Kansas City Chiefs (West), Buffalo Bills (East) and Houston Texans (South) have already won titles, leaving the AFC North as the only division in the conference still to be decided.
Meanwhile, no NFC champions have yet been crowned, with three weeks to go.
So there's still plenty to be decided before the playoffs arrive, including half of the upcoming postseason field. Seven teams have clinched berths. Seven spots remain up for grabs.
As Week 16 of the NFL season nears, here's a look at the full playoff picture, followed by some predictions for how things could unfold.
AFC Playoff Picture, Scenarios
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Bye: No. 1 Kansas City Chiefs (13-1, clinched AFC West)
No. 2 Buffalo Bills (11-3, clinched AFC East) vs. No. 7 Los Angeles Chargers (8-6)
No. 3 Pittsburgh Steelers (10-4, clinched playoff berth) vs. No. 6 Denver Broncos (9-5)
No. 4 Houston Texans (9-5, clinched AFC South) vs. No. 5 Baltimore Ravens (9-5)
In the hunt: Indianapolis Colts (6-8), Miami Dolphins (6-8), Cincinnati Bengals (6-8)
Saturday's AFC North clash between the Steelers and the Ravens in Baltimore is guaranteed to feature at least one clinch. If Pittsburgh wins, it will be crowned the AFC North champion. If Baltimore wins, it will clinch a playoff berth. The Ravens would also punch their ticket to the playoffs if the two teams tie.
A Pittsburgh win is the only way the AFC North race can be decided this week. However, Baltimore could still clinch a playoff berth with a loss via losses/ties by both Miami (vs. San Francisco) and Indianapolis (vs. Tennessee).
Thursday night's AFC West matchup between the Broncos and the Chargers in Los Angeles will also have a lot at stake. Denver can clinch a playoff berth with a win or tie. Los Angeles can clinch a spot in the postseason if it wins and then both Miami and Indianapolis lose or tie later in the week.
If the Broncos lose, they can still clinch a playoff berth with losses from all three of the Dolphins, Colts and Bengals (vs. the Browns).
The Chiefs can clinch the No. 1 seed in the AFC with both a win over the Texans on Saturday and a Bills loss/tie vs. the Patriots on Sunday. If Kansas City ties Houston, then it can still clinch the first-round bye with a Buffalo loss.
NFC Playoff Picture, Scenarios
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Bye: No. 1 Detroit Lions (12-2, clinched playoff berth)
No. 2 Philadelphia Eagles (12-2, clinched playoff berth) vs. No. 7 Washington Commanders (9-5)
No. 3 Tampa Bay Buccaneers (8-6) vs. No. 6 Green Bay Packers (10-4)
No. 4 Los Angeles Rams (8-6) vs. No. 5 Minnesota Vikings (12-2, clinched playoff berth)
In the hunt: Seattle Seahawks (8-6), Atlanta Falcons (7-7), Arizona Cardinals (7-7), San Francisco 49ers (6-8), Dallas Cowboys (6-8), New Orleans Saints (5-9)
An NFC East champion could be crowned on Sunday in Landover, Md. The Eagles can clinch the division title with a road win or tie against the Commanders, who will be trying to stay alive in the NFC East race with a victory.
Washington also has an opportunity to clinch a playoff berth this week. The Commanders can do that if they win and get losses/ties from the Falcons (vs. the Giants) and either the Rams (at the Jets) or the Seahawks (vs. the Vikings).
The Packers can clinch a playoff berth, and they have an easier path to doing so. Green Bay can punch its ticket with a win or tie vs. New Orleans on Monday night.
It's possible the Packers could clinch before they even play, as they'd get in with losses/ties by the Falcons and either the Rams or the Seahawks.
NFL Playoff Predictions
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The Chargers will hold onto the final wild-card berth in the AFC
It seems unlikely that any of the Colts, Dolphins or Bengals will play their way into the playoffs, as their deficit is fairly large at this point. The Chargers are the most likely team currently in a playoff position to fall out, but that doesn't seem as if it will happen.
Even if Los Angeles loses to Denver this week, it closes out the regular season with favorable road matchups against New England and Las Vegas. So expect the Chargers (who have lost three of their past four games) to get back on track soon.
The Buccaneers will win the NFC South crown
Although Tampa Bay lost both of its meetings with Atlanta this season, the red-hot Bucs should play well enough to hold off the Falcons down the stretch. The Buccaneers were 4-6 going into their Week 11 bye and have since reeled off four consecutive victories.
Tampa Bay's final three games will be against Dallas, Carolina and New Orleans, while Atlanta still has a Week 17 road contest vs. Washington between matchups against the Giants and Panthers. The Bucs should remain atop the division standings.
The Rams will win the NFC West title
Entering Week 16, the Rams and the Seahawks have identical 8-6 records. But Los Angeles won the first meeting between the two teams in Week 9, and it will host the second matchup vs. Seattle in Week 18 in a game that could decide the NFC West champion.
The Rams have won seven of nine games since their Week 6 bye, and they have favorable matchups the next two weeks against the Jets and Cardinals. That should allow Los Angeles to keep its momentum and win the division title.
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