The Kansas City Chiefs could become the first team in the NFL to qualify for the 2024 playoffs, and the Buffalo Bills could be the first team to clinch a division championship this weekend. Both require a win and some support, but these scenarios are not far-fetched.
How the Kansas City Chiefs can clinch a playoff spot in Week 13
The Kansas City Chiefs are in first place in the AFC standings with a 10-1 record. If they stumble for some reason and are overtaken by the Los Angeles Chargers or Denver Broncos in the AFC West, they will be selected for the Wild Card bracket.
If KC wins 10 games, their worst record would be 10 wins and 7 losses. The 8th place Miami Dolphins have lost 6 games, so at best they can finish with 11 wins and 6 losses. The Chiefs need to win 11 games and lose seven to the Dolphins to improve their overall record, so here are the results Kansas City needs to earn a playoff spot.
- The Chiefs won and the Dolphins lost.
The Dolphins play on Thanksgiving night and the Chiefs play on Black Friday, so Kansas City could clinch a playoff spot by the end of November.
How can the Buffalo Bills win the AFC East in Week 13?
The Bills aren't going to be satisfied with just making the playoffs. The AFC East championship could be decided in Week 13. Buffalo has nine wins to the Miami Dolphins' five, but the Bills have won the head-to-head tiebreaker with the Dolphins thanks to two wins. If both teams finish 9-7, Buffalo wins the tiebreaker.
That means two outcomes need to happen for the Bills to win the AFC East this weekend.
- Dolphins lose, Bills win.
If Miami loses, the best result is 10-7. The Bills win both tiebreakers 10-7, so if Buffalo wins on Sunday, it would be 10 wins, cross the finish line into a home playoff game, and secure a fifth straight AFC East title.
There is no playoff deciding scenario in the NFC for Week 13
With the Detroit Lions at 10-1, one would expect a decisive game scenario to be in their hands, but that's not the case. The second-place Minnesota Vikings are just one game behind the Lions in the NFC North, so they won't be able to win the division for a while.
In the wild card race, the Cardinals are 6-5, and three teams are 5-6. If it's a disaster for the Lions, they could lose the tiebreaker at 10-7 and won't get a wild-card spot until Week 14.
We'll have to see how Week 13 pans out before plotting the Lions' path to a playoff berth.
Footage and storylines for Week 13 of the NFL Playoffs
Weeks 12 and 13 certainly have all the storylines we need.
The New England Patriots, Las Vegas Raiders, and New York Giants were eliminated from the divisional race. No team has been mathematically eliminated from the playoffs yet.
The ranking is as follows.
AFC standings after week 12
1. kansas city chiefs (10-1)
2. buffalo bills (9-2)
3. pittsburgh steelers (8-3)
4. houston texans (7-5)
5. baltimore ravens (8-4)
6. Los Angeles Chargers (7-4)
7. denver broncos (7-5)
8. miami dolphins (5-6)
9. indianapolis colts (5-7)
10. cincinnati bengals (4-7)
11. cleveland browns (3-8, 3-3 AFC)
12. new york jets (3-8, 3-5 AFC, won against TEN)
13. tennessee titans (3-8, 3-4 AFC, lost to NYJ)
14. new england patriots (3-9)*
15. jacksonville jaguars (2-9, 2-4 AFC)
16. las vegas raiders (2-9, 2-7 AFC)*
NFC Standings for Week 13
1. detroit lions (10-1)
2. philadelphia eagles (9-2)
3. seattle seahawks (6-5, win over ARI, win over ATL)
4. atlanta falcons (6-5.Lost to SEA)
5. minnesota vikings (9-2)
6. green bay packers (8-3)
7. commander of washington (7-5)
8. arizona cardinals (6-5, lost to SEA)
9. tampa bay buccaneers (5-6, 5-3 NFC)
10. Los Angeles Rams (5-6, win over SF, 3-5 NFC)
11. san francisco 49ers (5-6, lost to LAR)
12. new orleans saints (4-7, 3-4 NFC)
13. chicago bears (4-7, 2-4 NFC)
14. dallas cowboys (4-7, 2-5NFC)
15. carolina panthers (3-8)
16. new york giants (2-9)*
