Week 16 begins Thursday night, followed by two games on Saturday, several big contests on Sunday that all have implications for the NFL playoff picture, and concludes the week with a game on Monday night.
The Denver Broncos and Los Angeles Chargers are both in the wild card slot entering this week, and Los Angeles' win moves their seeding.
On Saturday, the Baltimore Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers played a key AFC North matchup, with Baltimore tied for first place with both teams' records. On Saturday, the Houston Texans lost to the Kansas City Chiefs in a battle for first place in the division.
There was also a game between two playoff teams on Sunday, with the Philadelphia Eagles and Washington Commanders having a heated battle. Washington overcame five turnovers to win.
Sunday's action could further impact the standings, so here's all the information you need.
Week 16 NFC Standings
1.×-detroit lions (13-2, win over MIN, 9-1 NFC)
2.×-philadelphia eagles (12-3)
3. Los Angeles Rams (9-6, win over SEA, 5-5 NFC)
4. tampa bay buccaneers (8-6, 6-3 NFC)
5.×-minnesota vikings (12-2, lost to DET)
6. green bay packers (10-4)
7. commander of washington (10-5)
8. seattle seahawks (8-6)
9. atlanta falcons (8-7, 7-3 NFC)
10. arizona cardinals (7-8, 3-6 NFC) — Lost
11. san francisco 49ers (6-8, victory over DAL)
12. dallas cowboys (6-8, lost to SF) — Eliminated
13. new orleans saints (5-9)
14. chicago bears (4-11) — Eliminated
15. carolina panthers (4-11) — Eliminated
16. new york giants (2-13) — Eliminated
Week 16 AFC Standings
1.y-kansas city chiefs (14-1)
2.y-buffalo bills (11-3)
3.×-pittsburgh steelers (10-5, 7-3 AFC)
4.y-houston texans (9-6)
5.×-baltimore ravens (10-5, 6-4 AFC)
6. Los Angeles Chargers (9-6, victory over DEN)*
7. denver broncos (9-6, lost to Los Angeles)*
8. indianapolis colts (7-8, 6-5 AFC wins over MIA)*
9. cincinnati bengals (7-8, 4-6 AFC)*
10. miami dolphins (6-8, 5-5 AFC, lost to IND)*
11. new york jets (4-11) — Eliminated
12. jacksonville jaguars (3-11, won against TEN, lost against CLE, won against NE) — Eliminated
13. New England Patriots (3-11, loss to Jacks) — Eliminated
14. cleveland browns (3-12, 1-4 in common vs. TEN) — Lost
15. tennessee titans (3-12, 0-4 against CLE in general) — Lost
16. las vegas raiders (2-12) — Eliminated
Teams marked with an asterisk
excluded from division competition
Teams marked with (x) have qualified for the playoffs
The team marked with (y) won the division
Playoff key takeaways from Week 16
Washington coach overcomes five turnovers to steal victory
The Commanders further solidified their spot in the playoffs by defeating one of the most complete teams in the NFL. Jayden Daniels scored five touchdowns, but the managers overcame their mistakes to win.
Jalen Hurts injured during game against Philadelphia Eagles
The Eagles' winning streak ended at 10 on the same day QB Jalen Hurts left the game with a concussion. Philadelphia failed to win the NFC East title, falling one game behind No. 1 seed Detroit. It was just a great afternoon for the Eagles.
Kansas City Chiefs close to earning 1 seed
KC has won 15 straight games in one-score contests and shows no signs of losing in close games. They have one more game on Saturday, and the magic number to earn the No. 1 seed is one. Now you can do that by winning Christmas.
Baltimore Ravens win AFC North battle against Pittsburgh Steelers
The Ravens tied the record with the Steelers on Saturday, but Pittsburgh remains in first place in the AFC North thanks to its conference record. The battle will be between the AFC North teams, but both teams are in the postseason.
Los Angeles Rams keep pace in NFC West
The Rams defeated the New York Jets to maintain first place in the NFC West. Their defense has improved significantly over the past two weeks, holding the Jets and 49ers to within 10 points.
Detroit Lions maintain 1 seed with big win over Bears
The Lions are in a tight battle for the NFC's No. 1 seed and the NFC North division title, handily defeating the division rival Bears on Sunday. If they go 13 wins and 2 losses, they will remain in first place until at least next weekend.
Cincinnati Bengals and Indianapolis survive in AFC Wild Card race
The Bengals won another game thanks to Joe Burrow, going 7-8. The Colts defeated the Titans to improve to 7 wins and 8 losses. With two games remaining, both teams are two games behind the Los Angeles Chargers and Denver Broncos in the AFC Wild Card race.
Atlanta Falcons stay in NFC South race with Michael Penix's debut win
The Falcons switched off Kirk Cousins this week and defeated the New York Giants. Atlanta is a half-game behind the Bucks for first place in the NFC South with Tampa playing Sunday Night Football. I will continue to follow you.
Arizona Cardinals lose to Panthers, eliminated from playoff contention
The Cardinals rallied to force overtime, but were unable to get their offense going in the overtime period. The loss eliminated Arizona from the playoff race for both the Wild Card and NFC West divisions. Carolina ended up winning one of the closer games.
Which NFL teams have already qualified for the playoffs?
- The Kansas City Chiefs won 11 games in Week 13, becoming the first NFL team to qualify for the playoffs. The Buffalo Bills won the AFC East last Sunday night, securing a berth in a home playoff game. The Lions secured a playoff spot with Thursday night's win, and were joined by the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday. The Houston Texans won the AFC South in Week 15, and the Minnesota Vikings clinched a spot before even playing in Week 15. Despite the loss, the Pittsburgh Steelers clinched a playoff spot in Week 15. The Baltimore Ravens defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers on Saturday in Week 16 to join them.
- kansas city chiefs
- buffalo bills
- detroit lions
- philadelphia eagles
- minnesota vikings
- houston texans
baltimore ravens
Which NFL team was eliminated from the playoffs?
- In Week 13, the Giants became the first team this season to be officially eliminated from the playoff race. On Black Friday, the Raiders joined them with their 10th loss of the season and were also eliminated. On Sunday, the Patriots were also eliminated with a loss, and the Chargers and Texans won. The Broncos' win on Monday night eliminated the Jaguars from the playoffs. The Browns were added to the list in Week 14. The Week 15 elimination group includes the Bears and Panthers.
- new york giants
- new england patriots
- jacksonville jaguars
- las vegas raiders
- tennessee titans
- cleveland browns
- new york jets
- chicago bears
- carolina panthers
- dallas cowboys
- arizona cardinals
san francisco 49ers
NFL Division Standings
- AFC East standings Buffalo Bills, 11-3 — division
- clinched
- Miami Dolphins, 6-8
- New York Jets, 4-11 — eliminated from playoff contention
New England Patriots, 3-11 — eliminated from playoff contention
- AFC North Division Standings
- Pittsburgh Steelers, 10-5
- Baltimore Ravens, 10-5
- Cincinnati Bengals, 7-8
Cleveland Browns, 3-12 — eliminated from playoff contention
- AFC South Division Standings
- Houston Texans, 9-6
- Indianapolis Colts, 7-8
- Jacksonville Jaguars, 3-11 — eliminated from playoff contention
Tennessee Titans, 3-12 — eliminated from playoff contention
- AFC West Division Standings Kansas City Chiefs, 14-1 — division
- clinched
- Los Angeles Chargers, 9-6
- Denver Broncos, 9-6
Las Vegas Raiders, 2-12 — eliminated from playoff contention
- NFC East standings
- Philadelphia Eagles, 12-3
- Washington Commanders, 10 wins and 5 losses
- Dallas Cowboys, 6-8
New York Giants, 2-13 — eliminated from playoff contention
- NFC North Standings
- Detroit Lions, 13-2
- Minnesota Vikings, 12-2
- Green Bay Packers, 10-4
Chicago Bears, 4-11 — eliminated from playoff contention
- NFC South Standings
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 8-6
- Atlanta Falcons, 8-7
- New Orleans Saints, 5-9
Carolina Panthers, 3-11 — eliminated from playoff contention
- NFC West Standings
- Los Angeles Rams, 9-6
- Seattle Seahawks, 8-6
- Arizona Cardinals, 7-7
San Francisco 49ers, 6-8
