Only one sport stays in Week 17 of the 2023 NFL season.
And what an enormous sport it’s.
The Inexperienced Bay Packers will sq. off with the Minnesota Vikings later tonight, in a sport that’s pivotal for each groups’ playoff hopes. With only one spot left left up for grabs within the NFC playoffs, the winner of tonight’s sport will slide into that seventh spot forward of the ultimate week of the common season.
Whereas the loser will probably be on skinny ice.
Right here is how the NFL playoff image shapes up forward of the ultimate sport of Week 17.
NFC
In proper now
1. San Francisco 49ers (12-4) – z*
Remaining sport: Rams
2. Dallas Cowboys (11-5) – x
Remaining sport: at Commanders
3. Detroit Lions (11-5) – z
Remaining sport: Vikings
4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (8-8)
Remaining sport: at Panthers
5. Philadelphia Eagles (11-5) – x
Remaining sport: at Giants
6. Los Angeles Rams (9-7) – y
Remaining sport: at 49ers
7. Inexperienced Bay Packers (8-8)
Remaining sport: Bears
Within the hunt
8. Seattle Seahawks (8-8)
Remaining sport: at Cardinals
9. New Orleans Saints (8-8)
Remaining sport: Falcons
10. Minnesota Vikings (7-9)
Remaining sport: at Lions
11. Chicago Bears (7-9) – e
Remaining sport: at Packers
Atlanta Falcons (7-9)
Remaining sport: at Saints
z – Clinched division
x – Clinched playoff spot
y – Clinched Wild Card
e – Eradicated
* – Clinched homefield benefit
Sunday night time replace: With their win over the Vikings, the Packers are actually within the seventh spot within the playoffs. Inexperienced Bay, Seattle, and New Orleans all have matching 8-8 information. Working by the tiebreakers, each the Packers and the Seahawks have 6-5 information within the NFC, whereas the Saints have a 5-6 document. That drops New Orleans out for now, leaving Seattle and Inexperienced Bay.
Between these two groups, the Packers have the sting over the Seahawks, due to a greater energy of victory.
As well as, Inexperienced Bay’s win over the Vikings eradicated the Chicago Bears. Nevertheless, the Bears are nonetheless forward of the Falcons within the convention standings, due to their win over Atlanta on Sunday.
Earlier: San Francisco’s win over Washington, together with losses by Detroit and Philadelphia, secured homefield benefit for the 49ers all through the NFC playoffs.
Dallas and Detroit have matching 11-5 information, however the Cowboys’ win over the Lions on Saturday night time, whereas controversial, offers them the tiebreaker edge. The Lions slide into the third spot within the convention. We’ll break down why the Cowboys are atop the NFC East proper now in a second.
As for the NFC South, regardless of their loss to the Saints the Buccaneers are nonetheless atop the division, regardless of having the identical document as New Orleans, and the groups having break up their season collection. In addition they have matching 3-2 information within the division, so the subsequent tiebreaker — document in frequent video games — is utilized. Proper now, the Buccaneers maintain the benefit in that tiebreaker.
Philadelphia had an opportunity to stay within the hunt for the highest seed, however their loss to Arizona now places their hopes for the NFC East in peril. In the intervening time the Cowboys have the sting, due to the fourth tiebreaker between the groups. Philadelphia and Dallas have matching information, and so they tie in head-to-head document, division document and document in frequent video games performed.
The fourth tiebreaker — convention document — has Dallas (8-3) forward of Philadelphia (7-4).
The Rams locked up a Wild Card spot with their win, and the Seahawks’ loss to the Steelers. Seattle stays within the seventh spot at this hour, however that’s in peril. In the intervening time they’ve the identical document because the Saints, however maintain a tiebreaker benefit over New Orleans with a greater convention document.
Ought to tonight’s sport between Minnesota and Inexperienced Bay finish in a tie, Seattle will keep within the seventh spot. However the winner of that sport, if there’s one, will bump Seattle out of seventh.
Proper now, the Vikings are in ninth, forward of the Packers, as a consequence of a greater convention document. However once more, ought to a type of groups win tonight’s sport, they may slide into the seventh spot.
The Bears and the Falcons are each nonetheless alive. Atlanta can nonetheless win the division, regardless of their loss to Chicago on Sunday. However to take action they would wish to beat the Saints subsequent week, and see the Buccaneers lose to the Panthers. For Chicago, to get in they would wish a win over Inexperienced Bay subsequent week, and an entire lot of assist.
NFC playoff matchups if the postseason began immediately
If the NFC playoffs started immediately, these could be the three matchups on Wild Card Weekend:
- Inexperienced Bay Packers at Dallas Cowboys
- Los Angeles Rams at Detroit Lions
- Philadelphia Eagles at Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The San Francisco 49ers would have the first-overall seed, and the first-round bye, within the NFC.
This will probably be up to date after the Vikings-Packers sport.
AFC
In proper now
1. Baltimore Ravens (13-3) – z*
Remaining sport: Steelers
2. Miami Dolphins (11-5) – x
Remaining sport: Payments
3. Kansas Metropolis Chiefs (10-6)
Remaining sport: at Chargers
4. Jacksonville Jaguars (9-7)
Remaining sport: at Titans
5. Cleveland Browns (11-5) – y
Remaining sport: at Bengals
6. Buffalo Payments (10-6)
Remaining video games: at Dolphins
7. Indianapolis Colts (9-7)
Remaining sport: Texans
Within the hunt
8. Houston Texans (9-7)
Remaining sport: at Colts
9. Pittsburgh Steelers (9-7)
Remaining sport: at Ravens
z- Clinched division
x – Clinched playoff spot
y – Clinched Wild Card
* – Clinched homefield benefit
Within the AFC, Baltimore’s win over the Dolphins means the street to the Tremendous Bowl within the AFC goes by the Ravens, as Baltimore now has homefield benefit all through the playoffs. They’ve additionally secured the AFC North.
Miami nonetheless has clinched a playoff spot and has the within observe to the No. 2 seed within the AFC, however they nonetheless must beat Buffalo in Week 18 to clinch the division.
The Chiefs’ win over Cincinnati, coupled with losses from the Broncos and the Raiders, wraps up the AFC West for Kansas Metropolis.
Houston, Indianapolis, and Jacksonville are all tied with matching 9-7 information. However as famous in earlier installments of this collection, the Jaguars have tiebreaker benefits over each groups. They swept the Colts, and so they have a greater division document than the Texans.
Cleveland clinched a playoff spot with their win on Thursday night time, and with Baltimore’s win on Sunday, the Browns are actually slotted right into a Wild Card spot.
As for the ultimate two playoff spots within the AFC, Buffalo and Indianapolis are in these two spots for the second. Buffalo’s 10-6 information slides them into the sixth spot. Houston, Indianapolis, and Pittsburgh all have matching 9-7 information. Division tiebreakers are utilized first to remove one of many AFC South groups, and the Colts’ Week 2 win over Houston “eliminates” the Texans. Then, the Colts’ win over Pittsburgh drops the Steelers out, and places Indianapolis into the seventh spot for now.
Then between Houston and Pittsburgh, the Texans have the benefit due to an early-season win over Pittsburgh.
AFC playoff matchups if the postseason began proper now
If the AFC playoffs started immediately, these could be the three matchups on Wild Card Weekend:
- Indianapolis Colts at Miami Dolphins
- Buffalo Payments at Kansas Metropolis Chiefs
- Cleveland Browns at Jacksonville Jaguars