If the Buffalo Bills get a bye, there will be a big thursday night football Sunday night's contest featuring two NFC playoff contenders, and Monday night's game featuring two AFC playoff teams, Sunday afternoon felt a little brighter as far as NFL playoff pictures go But the endings of these matches were completely crazy.
The Houston Texans lost to the Tennessee Titans after their kicker missed a game-tying chip shot, the Kansas City Chiefs won with seconds left, the Chicago Bears forced an improbable overtime game against the Minnesota Vikings, and Dallas lost -The Cowboys and Washington Commanders scored four touchdowns. They scored with three minutes remaining, but missed the extra point, which made the difference between victory and defeat.
At the top of the NFC, the Detroit Lions continued to win, becoming the NFL's first 10-win team in 2024 before merging with the Chiefs.
On Thursday, the Pittsburgh Steelers lost to the Cleveland Browns. Inside the snow globe, the remaining AFC officials watched with bated breath. of steelers They entered this week in third place in the AFC and will leave in third place, but the loss opened the door for several teams.
With the loss in Pittsburgh, buffalo bills They expanded their lead over the Steelers by a full game and took second place in the conference. The AFC's top four seeds cannot change this week as the Chiefs, Bills, Steelers and Texans are also locked in fourth place.
The current NFL playoff standings after Thursday night's AFC North showdown are as follows:
Note: In the standings below, only the relevant tiebreakers are listed. Teams marked with an asterisk were excluded from winning that division.
Week 12 AFC Standings
1. kansas city chiefs (10-1)
2. buffalo bills (9-2)
3. pittsburgh steelers (8-3)
4. houston texans (7-5)
5. Los Angeles Chargers (7-3)
6. baltimore ravens (7-4)
7. denver broncos (6-5)
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. las vegas raiders (2-8)*
16. jacksonville jaguars (2-9)
NFC standings after Week 11
1. detroit lions (10-1)
2. philadelphia eagles (8-2)
3. arizona cardinals (6-4)
4. atlanta falcons (6-5)
5. minnesota vikings (9-2)
6. green bay packers (7-3)
7. commander of washington (7-5)
8. Los Angeles Rams (5-5, 2-1 NFCW)
9. seattle seahawks (5-5, 1-2 NFCW defeated SF)
10. san francisco 49ers (5-5, 1-3 NFCW, lost to SEA)
11. tampa bay buccaneers (5-6)
12. new orleans saints (4-7, 3-4 NFC)
13. chicago bears (4-7, 2-4 NFC)
14. dallas cowboys (4-7, 2-5 NFC)
15. carolina panthers (3-8)
16. new york giants (2-9)*
Playoff key points, Week 12
Tampa Bay Bucs take care of business
Tampa entered the second half of Sunday's game against the Falcons in Atlanta with a bye. The Buccaneers crushed the Giants and got off to a hot start with a likely advantage in all but one game (Week 15 @ Chargers). The Bucks can compete in both the wild card and division races thanks to their close schedule.
Detroit Lions win with a workmanlike effort
Detroit wasn't very impressive in Week 12, but they've been so good at this point that even a fairly modest effort was more than enough. The Colts led early, but the Lions took control in the second quarter and never looked back. Detroit now has big home games against the Bears, Packers, and Bills.
The Miami Dolphins are quietly lurking in the AFC Wild Card race
Tua Tagovailoa has been pretty good in his first game of the year, but the Miami Dolphins are still hovering around the outside of the wild-card spot. They easily defeated the New England Patriots on Sunday, moving to 5-6, just one game out of the final playoff spot.
The Houston Texans are lucky, but the AFC South is terrible.
The Houston Texans defeated the Dallas Cowboys in Week 11, but lost two games before that. Sunday's game against the Tennessee Titans couldn't stop them from stumbling, even against a team at the bottom of the standings. It took multiple mistakes from the Titans to stay in the game, but they ultimately couldn't overcome their own mistakes. They are fortunate that the remaining games in the AFC South are poor and they currently sit firmly in fourth place in the AFC.
Chiefs escape with come-from-behind victory
Kansas City looked like it was going to win against Charlotte, but Bryce Young and the Panthers gave it their all. Carolina tied the score late in the game with a touchdown and a two-point conversion, but Patrick Mahomes did his usual work to keep the Chiefs on their toes and score the game-winning field goal.
Washington Commanders squander big chance against Cowboys
The coaches accepted an undermanned Cowboys team and struggled all day. They led twice in the first half, but the Cowboys held on and came back in the second half. Washington looked like it would force overtime with a miraculous catch-and-run touchdown late in the game, but Austin Seibert missed the extra point and Dallas sealed the victory.
Minnesota Vikings keep pressure on Lions in wild-card race
The Minnesota Vikings won nine games Sunday, the second-most in the NFC. Unfortunately for them, the only team with more wins is also in their division. Minnesota is in lockstep with Detroit, and both teams could meet in the final week of the season for the NFC North crown. Either way, it looks like both teams will make the playoffs, as Minnesota is currently four wins ahead of the eighth-place team in the conference.
monday night football It will be very important for the AFC standings.
The Baltimore Ravens are one game behind the Steelers in the AFC North after Thursday night's loss to Pittsburgh. Baltimore can't overtake them with a MNF win, but they can catch up within half a game and are in the thick of the wild card race. The race is currently led by Baltimore's Monday night opponent, the Los Angeles Chargers. Both teams will be hoping to close out Week 12 with a win and solidify their playoff positions.
All teams with winning records are in NFL playoff position
There are usually good teams and teams that aren't good enough, but right now every team with a winning record is in the playoffs. That could change as teams in the NFC West are playing in the late window.
Multiple NFL teams eliminated from district races
For the first time in 2024, a team will be excluded from being part of the playoffs. With a record of 2 wins and 9 losses, the New York Giants cannot rise to the top of the NFC East. In the AFC, the Las Vegas Raiders and New England Patriots were eliminated from their respective division races.
NFL Division Standings
AFC East standings
- Buffalo Bills, 9-2
- Miami Dolphins, 5-6
- New York Jets, 3-8
- New England Patriots*, 3-9
AFC North Division Standings
- Pittsburgh Steelers, 8-3
- Baltimore Ravens, 7-4
- Cincinnati Bengals, 4-7
- Cleveland Browns, 3-8
AFC South Division Standings
- Houston Texans, 7-5
- Indianapolis Colts, 5-7
- Tennessee Titans, 3-8
- Jacksonville Jaguars, 2-9
AFC West Division Standings
- Kansas City Chiefs, 10-1
- Los Angeles Chargers, 7-3
- Denver Broncos, 6-5
- Las Vegas Raiders*, 2-8
NFC East standings
- Philadelphia Eagles, 8-2
- Washington Commanders, 7-5
- Dallas Cowboys, 4-7
- New York Giants*, 2-9
NFC North Standings
- Detroit Lions, 10-1
- Minnesota Vikings, 10-2
- Green Bay Packers, 7-3
- Chicago Bears, 4-8
NFC South Standings
- Atlanta Falcons, 6-5
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 5-6
- New Orleans Saints, 4-7
- Carolina Panthers, 3-8
NFC West Standings
- Arizona Cardinals, 6-4
- Los Angeles Rams, 5-5
- Seattle Seahawks, 5-5
- San Francisco 49ers, 5-5
