The NFL Playoff Picture Is a Mess Heading into Week 14

  |  
Dec 5, 2023
Dodged Bullet
Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports.

Week 13 of the NFL season is now behind us, and we are officially into the home stretch of the year.

The results of this past week have really muddied the waters in the NFL playoff picture, but here is a quick attempt to summarize where things stand as we head into the final five weeks.

NFL Playoff Picture: Week 14

Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports.

AFC

  1. Miami Dolphins (9-3)
  2. Baltimore Ravens (9-3)
  3. Kansas City Chiefs (8-4)
  4. Jacksonville Jaguars (8-4)
  5. Pittsburgh Steelers (7-5)
  6. Indianapolis Colts (7-5)
  7. Cleveland Browns (7-5)
  1. Houston Texans (7-5)
  2. Denver Broncos (6-6)
  3. Buffalo Bills (6-6)
  4. Cincinnati Bengals (6-6)
  5. Los Angeles Chargers (5-7)
  6. Las Vegas Raiders (5-7)
  7. New York Jets (4-8)
  8. Tennessee Titans (4-8)
  9. New England Patriots (2-10)
NFL Playoff Picture
Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports

Through 13 weeks, there are four teams tied for the three Wild Card spots in the AFC. However, because of an in-conference record tiebreaker, the Houston Texans are on the outside looking in right now.

On top of that, there are three other teams sitting at 6-6, including the Cincinnati Bengals, who found a way to get an upset win over the Jacksonville Jaguars behind a stellar performance from Jake Browning in his second career NFL start.

With the Ravens on their bye week, the Miami Dolphins jumped back into the No. 1 seed as well after their dominant victory against the Washington Commanders while Kansas City and Jacksonville fall a game behind the pace. Still, just about every seed is in play for each of the top-11 teams in this playoff hunt.

NFC

  1. Philadelphia Eagles (10-2)
  2. San Francisco 49ers (9-3)
  3. Detroit Lions (9-3)
  4. Atlanta Falcons (6-6)
  5. Dallas Cowboys (9-3)
  6. Minnesota Vikings (6-6)
  7. Green Bay Packers (6-6)
  1. Los Angeles Rams (6-6)
  2. Seattle Seahawks (6-6)
  3. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (5-7)
  4. New Orleans Saints (5-7)
  5. New York Giants (4-8)
  6. Chicago Bears (4-8)
  7. Washington Commanders (4-9)
  8. Arizona Cardinals (3-10)
  9. Carolina Panthers (1-11)
Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

Just a few weeks ago, it seemed like the NFC had just about sorted itself out in terms of their seven playoff teams. Now, though, it’s an absolute mess. There are currently five teams in the conference with a 6-6 record, and two more sit at 5-7, meaning seven teams are fighting for three total playoff spots, including three NFC South squads in a heated battle for the division.

Week 14 may only make things more chaotic as well. The Philadelphia Eagles and Dallas Cowboys will meet this weekend in a battle for the NFC East and potentially the No. 1 seed in the conference. Meanwhile, San Francisco will meet Seattle as the Seahawks try to get themselves back into the playoff race, and finally, Atlanta is set to take on Tampa Bay to battle for the NFC South lead.

The craziest nugget of all may be the fact that the Minnesota Vikings have found a way to move up despite the fact that they haven’t won a game since November 12th. They hold the No. 6 seed heading into the week.

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Josh Frey is a Class of 2020 graduate of The College of Idaho and managing editor of PurplePTSD.com. When he’s not writing about the NFL, Josh enjoys running, gaming, or rooting for the Milwaukee Brewers and Bucks. Check out his Twitter account: @Freyed_Chicken.

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