With two weeks left in the 2022 NFL season, five spots in the playoffs are up for grabs – and remarkably, 15 teams are in the hunt for them.
Not a single position is locked in, from the races for the top seeds to the battles for the very last wildcard spots, and a back-loaded schedule of divisional games means there will be some huge showdowns in Weeks 17 and 18.
Below Foxsports.com.au breaks down the NFL playoff picture.
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AFC STANDINGS (After Week 16)
1. Buffalo (12-3) [East] – y
2. Kansas City (12-3) [West] – y
3. Cincinnati (11-4) [North] – x
4. Jacksonville (7-8) [South]
5. Baltimore (10-5) [North] – x
6. LA Chargers (9-6) [West] – x
7. Miami (8-7) [East]
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8. New England (7-8) [East]
9. NY Jets (7-8) [East]
10. Tennessee (7-8) [South]
11. Pittsburgh (7-8) [North]
12. Las Vegas (6-9) [West]
Eliminated: Cleveland, Indianapolis, Denver, Houston
y = clinched division, x = clinched playoffs
Predicted Week 1 playoff match-ups
1. Buffalo BYE
7. Miami at 2. Kansas City
6. Los Angeles at 3. Cincinnati
5. Baltimore at 4. Jacksonville
Race for top seed
The hunt for the sole first-round bye is still alive, though Buffalo holds the edge thanks to its head-to-head win over Kansas City.
The Bills (at Bengals, vs Patriots) can lock up the No.1 spot with a win and a Chiefs loss (vs Broncos, at Raiders), while Cincinnati (vs Bills, vs Ravens) has a slight chance if it wins in Week 17.
Superman Mahomes leads Chiefs to victory | 01:15
AFC North
Cincinnati has a one-game lead over Baltimore (vs Steelers, at Bengals) but if the Ravens win out, they’ll win the division thanks to their head-to-head tiebreaker edge.
Pittsburgh (at Ravens, vs Browns) has a very small chance of sneaking into the seventh seed but would need to win out and have a huge number of results to go their way.
AFC East
Buffalo is the division champ once again but the rest of the division is fighting for the final wildcard spot.
Miami (at Patriots, vs Jets) and QB Tua Tagavailoa have fallen apart against the trickiest part of the schedule, losing four consecutive games, but will make the playoffs if they win out. They hold the head-to-head tiebreaker against the Patriots, but not the Jets as it stands.
That may come into play because New England (vs Dolphins, at Bills) and New York (at Seahawks, at Dolphins) are the other major contenders for the seven seed. The Patriots swept the Jets which gives them the head-to-head tiebreaker there.
If the Jets beat the Seahawks next week, then the Dolphins-Jets Week 18 game shapes as a win-and-you’re-in contest.
The Patriots will be hoping the Bills lock up the No.1 seed in Week 17 so they rest players for Week 18.
AFC South
We thought Urban Meyer was a bad guy and a bad coach. It turns out he’s actually a really bad coach, because Jacksonville is shaping as a remarkable worst-to-first story.
Just months after taking the No.1 pick in the draft, and after sitting 3-7 earlier this season, the Jaguars (at Texans, vs Titans) are a home win away from returning to the playoffs.
And the story is the same for both them and Tennessee, who have fallen from 7-3 to the brink of disaster.
It doesn’t really matter what either side does in Week 17; the winner between the Jaguars and Titans (vs Cowboys, at Jaguars) in Week 18 will claim the AFC South.
Jacksonville could still claim the seventh seed if they lose in Week 18 but it’s extremely unlikely.
AFC West
Still a bit to play for here, though broadly everything is sorted. Kansas City has once again won the division, while Los Angeles has made the playoffs for the first time with Justin Herbert as a wildcard.
The Chiefs (vs Broncos, at Raiders) can still claim the No.1 seed if they win out and the Bills lose once, while the Chargers (vs Rams, at Broncos) will want to keep winning to finish as high as possible; getting into the fifth seed and playing the AFC South champion would be ideal.
Las Vegas is mathematically alive at 6-9 but realistically done. The Raiders (vs 49ers, vs Chiefs) would need to win out against two Super Bowl contenders and get a bunch of other results to fall their way.
Vikings pull off a Christmas miracle | 01:33
NFC STANDINGS (After Week 16)
1. Philadelphia (13-2) [East] – x
2. Minnesota (12-3) [North] – y
3. San Francisco (11-4) [West] – y
4. Tampa Bay (7-8) [South]
5. Dallas (11-4) [East] – x
6. NY Giants (8-6-1) [East]
7. Washington (7-7-1) [East]
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8. Seattle (7-8) [West]
9. Detroit (7-8) [North]
10. Green Bay (7-8) [North]
11. Carolina (6-9) [South]
12. New Orleans (6-9) [South]
Eliminated: LA Rams, Atlanta, Arizona, Chicago
y = clinched division, x = clinched playoffs
Predicted Week 1 playoff match-ups
1. Philadelphia BYE
7. Green Bay at 2. San Francisco
6. NY Giants at 3. Minnesota
5. Dallas at 4. Tampa Bay
Race for top seed
Philadelphia (vs Saints, vs Giants) couldn’t get it done in Week 16 without Jalen Hurts but needs just one more win to lock up the No.1 seed.
If they lose out, Minnesota (at Packers, at Bears) is best-placed to pinch it, with San Francisco (at Raiders, vs Cardinals) and Dallas (at Titans, at Commanders) also alive.
The Cowboys would win a four-way tiebreaker at 13-4.
NFC North
Minnesota has already claimed the division thanks to its remarkable, Collingwood-like run of close game victories, but they could face the old enemy Green Bay or up-and-comers Detroit in the opening week of the playoffs.
The Packers (vs Vikings, vs Lions) have surged back into the mix after three straight wins and if they win out, combined with one Washington loss, will make the playoffs. (In the process they may lock in another meeting with San Francisco, who always have their number in the post-season, but at least they’d be in.)
The Lions (vs Bears, at Packers) had won three in a row, including upsetting the Vikings, before slipping up against Carolina this week which could be very costly. If they win out they could still miss the playoffs due to Seattle owning the head-to-head tiebreaker.
Cowboys hand Eagles 2nd loss in thriller | 02:26
NFC East
Just like their directional counterpart in the AFC, all four East teams are alive – and as it stands all four would make the playoffs.
Philadelphia would need an almighty collapse to miss the No.1 seed and Dallas is a similar virtual lock for the No.5 seed, and a date with the NFC South champion (in which the Cowboys will be favoured).
New York is well-placed to return to the playoffs after most of their fellow wild card contenders lost in Week 16. The Giants (vs Colts, at Eagles) can clinch a spot with a win next week, and would be hoping Philly is playing for nothing in Week 18.
Washington remains a half-game up on Seattle and Detroit, with Green Bay now charging into the mix. The Commanders (vs Browns, vs Cowboys) control their destiny but with one loss could easily be overtaken – similar to the the Giants, they would love their Week 18 contest with Dallas to be a dead-rubber for their opponent.
NFC South
The eerie symmetry between the two conferences continues with the South division potentially sending a team with a losing record into the playoffs, and a pretty scary clash with likely No.5 seed Dallas.
Tampa Bay’s walk-off win on Christmas ensured they have a one-game edge but the Buccaneers (vs Panthers, at Falcons) must still win this week to control their destiny.
If they lose to Carolina, then the Panthers (at Buccaneers, at Saints) will go into Week 18 knowing if they win, they’re in – which would be an enormous surprise after the mid-season sacking of coach Matt Rhule.
New Orleans is on the outside looking in, as they would lose a three-way tie between themselves, the Bucs and Panthers. To pinch the fourth seed the Saints (at Eagles, vs Panthers) need to win out, while the Bucs lose both games.
NFC West
San Francisco has comfortably won the division but could end up facing their recent rivals Seattle in the wildcard round.
The Seahawks (vs Jets, vs Rams) have the tiebreaker over Detroit, but to make the playoffs need Washington and Green Bay to each drop a game.
