Who is in the NFL playoffs so far? Who’s clinched, division winners, bracket update

Posted by Admin December 16, 2024 NFL

Spread the love

The 2024 NFL season is entering its final weeks, and the league’s playoff picture is becoming clear with each result. However, as Week 15 reminded everyone, there’s still plenty left to sort out in the muddled mess of postseason possibilities.

The Detroit Lions finally saw their 10-game winning streak snapped at the hands of the Buffalo Bills. That will put the NFC’s No. 1 seed and the NFC North title on the line over the final few weeks of the season.

The Philadelphia Eagles beat the Pittsburgh Steelers in a battle of the Keystone State. This extended the Eagles’ winning streak to 10 games while setting up a critical Week 16 battle between the Steelers and Baltimore Ravens that could determine who controls the AFC North.

The Kansas City Chiefs also won again, but Patrick Mahomes was injured. The same thing happened to Seattle Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith in a loss that allowed the Los Angeles Rams to leapfrog them in the still wide-open NFC West standings.

Suffice to say that there are many moving parts as the 2024 NFL season closes, but what does the NFL’s playoff picture look like? Below is a look at the potential NFL playoff bracket ahead of Week 15’s “Monday Night Football” doubleheader.

Who is in the NFL playoffs so far?

A total of seven teams have clinched playoff berths thus far. They are listed below by conference.

AFC

Kansas City Chiefs (13-1)
Buffalo Bills (11-3)
Pittsburgh Steelers (10-4)
Houston Texans (9-5)

NFC

NFL division winners 2024

Only three NFL divisions have been clinched through Week 15. Below is a look at the division winners thus far:

AFC

AFC East: Buffalo Bills (11-3)
AFC North: TBD
AFC South: Houston Texans (9-5)
AFC West: Kansas City Chiefs (13-1)

NFC

NFC East: TBD
NFC North: TBD
NFC South: TBD
NFC West: TBD

NFL playoff bracket update

AFC bracket

1. Kansas City Chiefs (13-1, AFC West winners): BYE

The Chiefs have the inside track to the No. 1 seed in the AFC, but they are dealing with a key injury to Mahomes that could impact them over the final few games of the season.

Mahomes suffered what is believed to be a high-ankle sprain in the Chiefs’ Week 15 win over the Cleveland Browns, and his availability moving forward is in question. If he’s out, Carson Wentz will take over for him with the task of guiding the Chiefs to the No. 1 seed and a bye that would greatly help Mahomes return to full health.

The Chiefs would need to gain just one more game on the No. 2 seed Bills to make that happen, but any slip-up could allow Buffalo to take a run at the No. 1 seed.

2. Buffalo Bills (11-3, AFC East winners) vs. 7. Los Angeles Chargers (8-6, wild card No. 3)

The Bills are the only team to have beaten the 13-1 Chiefs and just ended the Lions’ 10-game winning streak in a 48-42 Week 15 shootout. Josh Allen seems likely to take home his first NFL MVP award, and Buffalo looks like a strong challenger to the Chiefs in the AFC.

If the season ended today, Buffalo would be poised for an intriguing first-round matchup with a Chargers team that has allowed just 17.6 points per game this season. That’s tied with the Eagles and Denver Broncos for the fewest in the league.

In recent weeks, the Chargers have been beaten by good offenses, like the Cincinnati Bengals and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, with their 40-17 loss to the Buccaneers in Week 15 standing out as one of the team’s worst games of the season. As such, Allen and Co. would have the advantage, considering that their 31.8 points per game ranks second league-wide to only the Lions (32.8).

3. Pittsburgh Steelers (10-4, AFC North leaders) vs. 6. Denver Broncos (9-5, wild card No. 2)

Russell Wilson was not healthy enough to play when the Steelers and Broncos faced off in Week 2 of the 2024 NFL season. If he’s on the field for this matchup, he would have a chance to exact his revenge on a Denver squad that cast him aside just two years after giving him a lucrative contract extension.

Wilson has enjoyed a resurgent year in Pittsburgh, while Denver now has Bo Nix. The rookie first-round pick has improved dramatically as his first season has progressed, but the Steelers’ stingy defense (18.9 points per game allowed, sixth-fewest in the NFL) forced him into two interceptions and didn’t allow a touchdown during their 13-6 Week 2 victory.

As mentioned, Denver is allowing a league-low 17.6 points per game. That could make this a low-scoring contest that will appeal to fans of defensive matchups.

Pittsburgh and Denver are far from locked into this matchup. The Steelers still need to hold off the Ravens in the AFC North race, as that remains the lone AFC division not to be clinched. Their Week 16 head-to-head meeting will decide which team has control of the path to a first-round home game.

4. Houston Texans (9-5, AFC South winners) vs. 5. Baltimore Ravens (9-5, wild card No. 1)

The Texans clinched the AFC South in Week 15 by beating the Miami Dolphins and seeing the Indianapolis Colts lose to the Broncos. Now, they can gear up for a first-round meeting with one of the top two AFC wild-card teams.

In this instance, the Texans would get a tough matchup with Lamar Jackson‘s Ravens. Jackson has been one of the NFL’s best quarterbacks this season and would be a tough test for Houston’s defense. The Texans have a strong pass rush, but if Jackson can escape that, he should have some opportunities to make explosive, downfield plays on what has been, at times, a leaky secondary.

The Ravens dismantled the Texans 34-10 in the playoffs last season, so Houston fans may be rooting for Baltimore to win the AFC North to set the Texans up with a more favorable first-round matchup against the Steelers or Broncos.

NFC bracket

1. Detroit Lions (12-2, NFC North leaders): BYE

The Lions scored 42 points in Week 15 but lost to the Bills. That snapped a 10-game winning streak and has loosened Detroit’s grip on the No. 1 seed.

The Lions still have the inside track to the top seed, but the Eagles have tied them with the NFL’s best record. If the Minnesota Vikings improved to 12-2 on “Monday Night Football” against the Chicago Bears, that will create another obstacle for the Lions and could render the NFC North rivals’ Week 18 game a battle for the division.

2. Philadelphia Eagles (12-2, NFC East leaders) vs. 7. Washington Commanders (9-5, wild card No. 3)

The Eagles and Commanders are meeting for the second time of the season in Week 16. They are also poised to play one another during the opening round of the playoffs, provided that the Eagles don’t rise to the No. 1 overall seed.

Philadelphia earned a convincing win over the Commanders earlier in the season. The 26-18 win makes the final score look close, but in reality, Saquon Barkley and the Eagles controlled that contest. At the same time, the Eagles’ defense significantly limited Jayden Daniels until Zach Ertz caught a touchdown with 28 seconds left in regulation.

The Eagles still retain an advantage in this matchup because of how their elite defense (17.6 points per game allowed) matches up with Daniels, a rookie quarterback. Another Philadelphia win in Week 16 could set the tone for this potential playoff matchup and force the Commanders into a fight for their playoff life with some other NFC wild-card hopefuls.

3. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (8-6, AFC South leaders) vs. 6. Green Bay Packers (10-4, wild card No. 2)

The Packers have been one of the best teams in the NFL this season. They are 10-4, and their losses have all come against teams with 11-plus wins – two against the Lions, one against the Eagles and one against the Vikings. They have dominated other competition, as evidenced by their 30-13 road win against the Seattle Seahawks in Week 15, and figure to be a tough out in the postseason.

The Buccaneers won’t mind that. Tampa Bay has beaten the Lions and Eagles this season and may fancy themselves a postseason giant killer. Baker Mayfield is enjoying another excellent season, this time under first-year offensive coordinator Liam Coen, and the Buccaneers’ well-rounded offense could provide a nice test for Jeff Hafley’s rock-solid Packers defense.

Add in that Mayfield and Jordan Love both have a bit of a gunslinger mentality, and this could end up being one of the most entertaining first-round matchups. Plenty of NFL fans will be rooting to see this outcome, though Atlanta Falcons fans will still hope they can catch the Buccaneers and overtake them in the NFC South race.

4. Los Angeles Rams (8-6, NFC West leaders) vs. 5. Minnesota Vikings (11-2, wild card No. 1)

Let’s be honest: the NFC West probably won’t be decided until the final week of the season. With that said, the Rams still have the best chance to win the division, especially in the wake of Geno Smith’s knee injury.

The Vikings are already virtually a postseason lock. The only question is whether they will win the NFC North or settle for the top wild-card spot. If they end up in the latter scenario, they could line up for a meeting with the Rams, which would pit mentee Kevin O’Connell against mentor Sean McVay in a battle between the most creative offensive minds in the NFL.

McVay’s offense vs. Brian Flores’ defense would be a true chess match, so this is another matchup that neutral NFL fans would be happy to see.

NFL playoff picture

AFC

Kansas City Chiefs (13-1, AFC West winners)
Buffalo Bills (11-3, AFC East winners)
Pittsburgh Steelers (10-4, AFC North leaders)
Houston Texans (9-5, AFC South winners)
Baltimore Ravens (9-5, wild card No. 1)
Denver Broncos (9-5, wild card No. 2)
Los Angeles Chargers (8-6, wild card No. 3)

In the hunt: Indianapolis Colts (6-8), Miami Dolphins (6-8), Cincinnati Bengals (6-8).

NFC

Detroit Lions (12-2, NFC North leaders)
Philadelphia Eagles (12-2, NFC East leaders)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (8-6, NFC South leaders)
Los Angeles Rams (8-6, NFC West leaders)
Minnesota Vikings (11-2, wild card No. 1)
Green Bay Packers (10-4, wild card No. 2)
Washington Commanders (9-5, wild card No. 3)

In the hunt: Seattle Seahawks (8-6), Arizona Cardinals (7-7), Atlanta Falcons (6-7), San Francisco 49ers (6-8), Dallas Cowboys (6-8), New Orleans Saints (5-9)