With Week 16 of the 2022 NFL season in the books, teams around the league are jockeying for playoff spots. ESPN takes a look at the NFL playoff scenarios for Week 16 and what teams in the AFC and NFC need to do to make it all the way. The Patriots still aren't eliminated from playoff contention after their Week 16 loss to the Bengals. Here's how the AFC playoff picture looks heading into Week 17.
Following Week 16 of the 2022 NFL season, the Minnesota Vikings are in third place in the NFC North and seventh in the NFC standings. The Jacksonville Jaguars are first place in the AFC South with two weeks left and a Week 18 matchup against the Tennessee Titans is now looming large. NFL Network's 'Good Morning Football' crew looks into playoff-clinching scenarios for teams within the AFC playoff picture who have yet to clinch their spot yet.
In the NFC, the Green Bay Packers have already clinched the division title and a first-round bye. The New Orleans Saints have also clinched the NFC South and a first-round bye. The Seattle Seahawks are in the driver's seat for the NFC West title, with the Arizona Cardinals and Los Angeles Rams both just one game back. The Chicago Bears and Tampa Bay Buccaneers are both currently in the second wild-card spot.
In the AFC, the Kansas City Chiefs have clinched the division title and a first-round bye. The Buffalo Bills have also clinched the AFC East and a first-round bye. The Pittsburgh Steelers are in the driver's seat for the AFC North title, with the Cleveland Browns just one game back. The Tennessee Titans and Indianapolis Colts are currently in the two wild-card spots.
The San Francisco 49ers are in the driver's seat for the NFC West title, with the Seattle Seahawks just one game back. The Chicago Bears and Tampa Bay Buccaneers are both currently in the second wild-card spot. The Los Angeles Rams and Arizona Cardinals are both within striking distance of the Seahawks.
The Baltimore Ravens are in the driver's seat for the AFC North title, with the Cleveland Browns just one game back. The Tennessee Titans and Indianapolis Colts are currently in the two wild-card spots. The Miami Dolphins, Las Vegas Raiders, and New England Patriots are all still in the hunt for the final wild-card spot.
Here's a look at the updated playoff picture after Week 16 of the 2022 NFL season, including all the current postseason seed positions and how teams are jockeying for the final playoff spots. In the NFC, the Green Bay Packers have already clinched the division title and a first-round bye. The New Orleans Saints have also clinched the NFC South and a first-round bye.
In the AFC, the Kansas City Chiefs have clinched the division title and a first-round bye. The Buffalo Bills have also clinched the AFC East and a first-round bye. The Pittsburgh Steelers are in the driver's seat for the AFC North title, with the Cleveland Browns just one game back. The Tennessee Titans and Indianapolis Colts are currently in the two wild-card spots.
The San Francisco 49ers are in the driver's seat for the NFC West title, with the Seattle Seahawks just one game back. The Chicago Bears and Tampa Bay Buccaneers are both currently in the second wild-card spot. The Los Angeles Rams and Arizona Cardinals are both within striking distance of the Seahawks.
The Baltimore Ravens are in the driver's seat for the AFC North title, with the Cleveland Browns just one game back. The Tennessee Titans and Indianapolis Colts are currently in the two wild-card spots. The Miami Dolphins, Las Vegas Raiders, and New England Patriots are all still in the hunt for the final wild-card spot.
A look at the NFL standings after the Week 16 Saturday slate of games reveals that the Seahawks and Bears both still have a chance to make the playoffs, while the Patriots and Dolphins will both need some help if they are to make it in. The Titans and Colts are still in the driver's seat for the two wild-card spots, while the Steelers and Ravens battle for the AFC North title.
The Jacksonville Jaguars are in first place in the AFC South with two weeks left, and their Week 18 matchup against the Tennessee Titans is now looming large. The 49ers are in the driver's seat for the NFC West title, with the Seahawks just one game back. The Chicago Bears and Tampa Bay Buccaneers are both currently in the second wild-card spot.
The NFL standings after Week 16 show that the playoff race is still wide open and that things could come down to the wire in the final two weeks of the season. The Patriots still aren't eliminated from playoff contention after their Week 16 loss to the Bengals, and the Dolphins and Raiders both still have a chance to make the playoffs.
The race for the final wild-card spot will be intense in the final two weeks of the season, and teams like the Patriots and Dolphins will need to win out and get some help if they are to make the playoffs. It will be an exciting finish to the 2022 NFL season, and teams in the AFC and NFC will be battling for the final playoff spots until the very end.
