As the NFL season gets ready to hit Thanksgiving, all 14 playoff spots are still up for grabs, but that may not be the case at the end of Week 13.
A total of three NFL teams can clinch a playoff spot this week, and the first spot can be clinched as soon as Friday.
With that in mind, let’s take a look at the playoff scenarios heading into Week 13:
If the 10-1 Chiefs want to be the first team to clinch a playoff spot, they need one of the following scenarios to happen:
If the Dolphins lose to the Packers on Thursday night, then the Chiefs can become the first team to clinch a berth if they beat the Raiders on Black Friday.
If the Chiefs don’t clinch a spot, that could open the door for Buffalo to grab the first playoff spot. The Bills are on the cusp of clinching the AFC East title, and it could happen as soon as Sunday if two things go their way this week.
The Bills only have one scenario for clinching a playoff berth this week:
1. Bills win over 49ers + Dolphins loss to Packers
If both of those things happen, the Bills would clinch the AFC East.
In that situation, Buffalo would become the first team since the 2009 Colts to clinch a division title with five weeks left in the season. That Colts team was led by Peyton Manning, who got Indianapolis all the way to the Super Bowl before losing to the New Orleans Saints.
Although the scenarios for the Chiefs and Bills are simple, the Lions have a more convoluted route to clinching a playoff berth in Week 13.
Here are the six ways it can happen:
At this point, the easiest scenario for the Lions getting in this week would be a win over the Bears added with a 49ers loss to the Bills, a Seahawks loss to the Jets, a Cardinals loss to the Vikings and a Buccaneers loss to the Panthers.
If the Lions do get in, we could see three of the 14 playoff spots locked up by the end of Week 13.
Jenna Laine, ESPN Staff WriterNov 26, 2024, 04:53 PM ETCloseJenna Laine covers the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for ESPN. She started covering the Bucs for ESPN in 2016
After eight games, the interception streak of Green Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love to start the 2024 season finally ended on Sunday against the San Francis
Baker Mayfield has escalated the legal battle over $12 million allegedly owed to him by the financial firm owned by his father. Mayfield sued his
Now that Week 12 of the 2024 NFL season is in the books, it’s time for an incredibly meaningful and serious exercise: NFL Power Rankings! What differentiat