The National Football League saw a lot of action this past week as many teams continue to fight for a spot in the upcoming playoffs. 

The Kansas City Chiefs became the first team to officially clinch a postseason berth, while both the New York Giants and the Las Vegas Raiders became the first teams to be officially eliminated from contention for a playoff spot.

That is everything that has been officially decided so far, however, the current standings suggest that most teams already have a good idea of where their postseason hopes lie. Speaking of those standings, let us update them and see who is worth tracking during this final stretch.

AFC Standings

Division Leaders

1. x- Kansas City Chiefs (11-1; lead AFC West)
2. Buffalo Bills (10-2; lead AFC East)
3. Pittsburgh Steelers (9-3; lead AFC North)
4. Houston Texans (8-5; lead AFC South)

Wild Card Race

5. Baltimore Ravens (8-5)
6. Los Angeles Chargers (8-4)
7. Denver Broncos (7-5)
8. Indianapolis Colts (6-7)
9. Miami Dolphins (5-7)
10. Cincinnati Bengals (4-8)
11. Cleveland Browns (3-8)
12. New York Jets (3-9)
13. Tennessee Titans (3-9)
14. e-New England Patriots (3-10)
15. Jacksonville Jaguars (2-10)
16. e-Las Vegas Raiders (2-10)

x-Clinched playoff Berth; e-Eliminated from playoff contention

The Miami Dolphins’ 30-17 loss against the Green Bay Packers on Thanksgiving day was a striking blow to an already underperforming Dolphins team.

The Buffalo Bills won big against the San Francisco 49ers, further amplifying their potential to go deep into the postseason. Bills quarterback Josh Allen saw 13 of 17 passes completed with a total of 148 passing yards. Their win over the 49ers allowed them to clinch the AFC East, widening the gap between wild-card teams and those still struggling to find a spot. The 49ers continue to receive devastating blows as their all-star running back Christian McCaffrey, who has just returned from an injury, has been placed on the IL again for an injury sustained in the team’s game against Buffalo. Hingham High School Junior Oliver McLucas states “I am thankful I didn’t draft him [in fantasy football], he has a long six weeks ahead”.

The Denver Broncos, who were on a two-game winning streak, may not have felt much pressure at all as they believed they had cemented themselves as a solid wild-card team. However, the Miami Dolphins felt like a team to watch after winning three straight. Unfortunately, the Dolphins failed to keep their winning streak alive, losing to the Green Bay Packers on Thanksgiving.

In contrast to the Dolphins, the Kansas City Chiefs keep finding a way to wiggle themselves out of nail-biters, most of the time against some underwhelming opponents. But for the chiefs, one slip-up could change everything. The Chiefs still hold a one-game advantage for now, with the Buffalo Bills right on their tail. Newark Academy Junior, Jacob Brodsky, from New Jersey, says “A lot of the games have been entertaining, however, I wish the Chiefs would lose a bit more”.

Looking to the AFC North, the Pittsburgh Steelers still have a half-game cushion for now, but the Baltimore Ravens still have their week 14 bye and will host these two teams’ final matchup in week 16. This means that Baltimore almost certainly has to win a couple of games to win their division.

NFC Standings

Division Leaders

1. Detroit Lions (11-1; lead NFC North)
2. Philadelphia Eagles (10-2; lead NFC East)
3. Seattle Seahawks (7-5; lead NFC West)
4. Atlanta Falcons (6-6; lead NFC South)

Wild Card Race

5. Minnesota Vikings (10-2)
6. Green Bay Packers (9-3)
7. Washington Commanders (8-5)
8. Arizona Cardinals (6-6)
9. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6-6)
10. Los Angeles Rams (6-6)
11. San Francisco 49ers (5-7)
12. Dallas Cowboys (5-7)
13. New Orleans Saints (4-8)
14. Chicago Bears (4-8)
15. Carolina Panthers (3-9)
16. e-New York Giants (2-10)

e-Eliminated from playoff contention

The NFC is primarily divided into two halves, teams like the Detroit Lions who have won 10 straight, and everyone else.

Over the season, Detroit has firmly solidified themselves as #1, rivaled only by the Kansas City Chiefs. Beyond all the wins, the Lions’ point differential stands at a staggering plus-180 this season. For some context, the Buffalo Bills are second in this category with plus-106, while the Eagles (plus-97), Packers (plus-87), and Vikings (plus-77) are the only other teams in the league sitting north of plus-70. 

This marginal lead in point differential serves as reassurance for the 1st-place Lions, however, the Eagles, Vikings, and Packers are all riding winning streaks of three games or more. If the Lions don’t lose, the Eagles can not make the 1st seed, and the Vikings and Packers will not do any better than the 5th and 6th seeds. Commenting on the matter, HHS junior John Leone says, “I am glad to see the lions winning more games than current years and hope to see their fortunes continue.”

The focus of spectators now turns towards the Washington Commanders and whether they will leave the door open for a new wild card team to emerge, such as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers who are currently trying to escape the Wild West. 

All four teams in the NFC West have at least 5 or 6 wins so far. Three of the four teams are within just one win of each other. The race for the remaining playoff spots will surely be a photo finish.