Oct 20, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings fans react during the game against the Detroit Lions at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images.
With only one month remaining in the 2024 NFL regular season, the playoff race is in full swing across the league.
The Minnesota Vikings are a team in the heat of the playoff race in the NFC after capturing their sixth straight victory on Sunday, but they may have also seen their hopes at an NFC North title start to dwindle away. Here is a full look at the NFL playoff picture with Week 14 now in the books.
The Buffalo Bills lost a thriller on Sunday to the Los Angeles Rams, which may have put to rest their hopes at the No. 1 seed in the AFC, but they still hold a very comfortable lead in the AFC East with four weeks to go.
The Baltimore Ravens rested up on their bye week before one last playoff push, but while they did that, the Pittsburgh Steelers extended their lead in the AFC North, defeating the Cleveland Browns handily, 27-14. The Bengals also snatched a win on Monday Night Football, giving them a sliver of playoff hopes heading into the final stretch.
The Jacksonville Jaguars won a very ugly game against the Tennessee Titans on Sunday, taking them out of position for the No. 1 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. That was the only game in the AFC South as both Houston and Indianapolis were on their byes.
The Los Angeles Chargers made the Kansas City Chiefs work for it (and perhaps call on the football gods for a last-second doink field goal), but in the end, the Chiefs officially clinched the AFC West for the ninth consecutive season. The LA loss also allowed the Broncos to tie them in the standings as they sat on their couches.
Unless one of Houston, Baltimore, Los Angeles, or Denver completely crumble down the stretch of the season, these are likely the seven teams that will make up the AFC playoff seeds. However, while the Kansas City Chiefs are doing their best to ensure there is no drama at the top, there can still be plenty of shuffling in the rest of the conference with Buffalo and Pittsburgh tied at the Nos. 2/3 seeds and all three of the Wild Card teams tied up in terms of record.
The Philadelphia Eagles became the fourth team in the NFL to clinch a playoff berth after earning their 11th win of the season over a rising Carolina Panthers team. It also put them one step closer to clinching the NFC East after both Dallas and New York lost this weekend, and the Washington Commanders enjoyed their bye week.
It was a rare week where the NFC North didn’t finish 3-1 or 4-0 as both the Green Bay Packers and Chicago Bears lost in Week 14. As a result, the Detroit Lions and Minnesota Vikings separated themselves a bit more at the top of the division. A Week 18 game between the two teams looms in what could be very pivotal towards deciding the best division in football.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have scratched and clawed their way back into the NFC South race over the second half of the season. This weekend, they officially claimed the top spot after defeating the Las Vegas Raiders while the Atlanta Falcons got blown out by the Vikings. The Saints also defeated the New York Giants, staving off elimination from the NFC playoff race.
It was a disastrous week for the Arizona Cardinals. After leading the NFC West following the conclusion of Week 12, they have now fallen all the way down into third place and trail the Seattle Seahawks by 1.5 games after losing to their division rivals at home. Meanwhile, the Rams claimed the N0. 2 spot with a wild win over Buffalo.
There is a bit less certainty on who exactly will fill out the seven NFC playoff spots than there is in the AFC with three NFC West squads and the Atlanta Falcons looming just outside the playoff picture at this point. This week’s big winners were the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Seattle Seahawks, who solidified themselves at the top of their divisions. Meanwhile, there is a bit more pressure on the Washington Commanders after the Rams’ win.
Editor’s Note: Statistics for this article were found via NFL.com.