2024 NFL Playoff Scenarios: Which teams can clinch in Week 17??

With just two weeks left in the 2024 NFL regular season, 10 teams are fighting for the five remaining playoff spots.

Five AFC teams have already punched their playoff tickets: the Buffalo Bills, Pittsburgh Steelers, Baltimore Ravens, Houston Texans and defending champion Kansas City Chiefs. 

Four more in the NFC have joined the postseason party: the Detroit Lions, Minnesota Vikings and Green Bay Packers (who all reside in the NFC North), as well as the Philadelphia Eagles. 

There’s still plenty at stake in the final two weeks, including five division titles and the No. 1 seed in both conferences. 

Check out this week’s playoff scenarios below!

[Related:2024 NFL Playoff Bracket, Schedule, Standings]

AFC

HOW THE KANSAS CITY CHIEFS CAN CLINCH THE NO. 1 SEED

• Kansas City Chiefs win or tie OR
• Buffalo Bills loss or tie

The Chiefs have captured the No. 1 seed three times since Patrick Mahomes became their starting quarterback. They can make it four times with a win or tie on Christmas Day, when they visit the Steelers. Pittsburgh is already guaranteed an appearance in the postseason, but it’s also trying to keep pace with Baltimore in the AFC North race.

Kansas City can lock up the top seed, along with the all-important first-round bye and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs that comes with it, in one other way. It’d require the Bills to come up short against the four-win New York Jets on Sunday.

HOW THE DENVER BRONCOS CAN CLINCH A PLAYOFF BERTH

• Denver Broncos win or tie

The Broncos have one of the NFL’s longest active playoff droughts. They haven’t been to the postseason since their Super Bowl-winning season in 2015. Denver missed out on its first chance of clinching last Thursday, when it fell to the Chargers in Los Angeles. But the Broncos will get another shot at ending their postseason-less streak with a win or tie in Cincinnati on Saturday. 

The Bengals, who have won three in a row, are still alive in the wild-card hunt. However, they’d be eliminated with a loss. 

HOW THE LOS ANGELES CHARGERS CAN CLINCH A PLAYOFF BERTH

Leading off the NFL’s tripleheader on Saturday, the Chargers will embark on a cross-country trip to meet the Patriots in New England. A win or tie on the road would get LA back to the playoffs as a wild-card team. The Patriots are on a five-game losing streak, though three of those matchups were decided by one score. 

If New England pulls the upset, then the Chargers can still get in on Sunday if two home underdogs also win or tie: the New York Giants against the Colts and the Cleveland Browns against the Dolphins.

NFC

HOW THE DETROIT LIONS CAN CLINCH THE NFC NORTH AND NO. 1 SEED 

• Detroit Lions win + Minnesota Vikings loss

The Lions already made history last week when they recorded their franchise-most 13th win of the season. Now they can snag the No. 1 seed in the NFC for the first time in the Super Bowl era. But Detroit needs a little help from one of its rivals to take down another rival. 

The Vikings, who are sitting at 13-2 like the Lions, have to lose to the Packers on Sunday for Detroit to have any chance of clinching this week. Minnesota eked out a 31-29 win over Green Bay earlier this season, and the highly anticipated rematch will air on FOX at 4:25 p.m. ET, with Tom Brady and Kevin Burkhardt in the booth.

The Lions don’t play until Monday night, when they will go to San Francisco to face the 49ers for the first time since Detroit’s gutting loss in last season’s NFC Championship Game. If the Lions get their revenge, and the Packers do them a solid, then Detroit will win the division for the second year in a row, as well as nab the top seed in the conference. 

HOW THE PHILADELPHIA EAGLES CAN CLINCH THE NFC EAST

• Philadelphia Eagles win or tie
• Washington Commanders loss or tie

The NFC East hasn’t had a repeat winner since 2004, and that streak will continue for at least another year. The Dallas Cowboys won the division last season, but they were eliminated from playoff contention in Week 16 after the Commanders beat the Eagles.

Philadelphia can claim the division, and bragging rights, with a win or tie at home against the Cowboys on Sunday, airing at 1 p.m. ET on FOX. The Eagles have a bit of uncertainty at the quarterback position, though. Starter Jalen Hurts left the game against the Commanders due to a concussion and backup Kenny Pickett is dealing with a rib injury. Meanwhile, injury-plagued Dallas has won four of its last five.

The Eagles can still sew up the division title with a loss, if the Commanders fall to or tie with the Falcons on Sunday night.

HOW THE ATLANTA FALCONS CAN CLINCH THE NFC SOUTH

• Atlanta Falcons win + Tampa Bay Buccaneers loss

So far, the Falcons’ bet on Michael Penix Jr. is paying off. They benched veteran Kirk Cousins last week and turned to the rookie quarterback, who led Atlanta to a 34-7 win in his first start. That, coupled with the Bucs’ loss to the Cowboys, put the Falcons in control of their own fate. If they win out this season, they’ll be NFC South champs. 

But the Falcons can accomplish that feat this weekend too, if they beat the Commanders on the road and Tampa loses to the Carolina Panthers at home.

HOW THE LOS ANGELES RAMS CAN CLINCH THE NFC WEST

• Los Angeles Rams win + Seattle Seahawks loss or tie OR
• Los Angeles Rams win + Los Angeles Rams clinches strength-of-victory tiebreaker over Seattle Seahawks OR
• Los Angeles Rams tie + Seattle Seahawks loss

The Rams looked DOA after they started the season 1-4 and couldn’t catch a break on the injury front. Since then, though, they’ve lost just twice and took over first place in the NFC West. They can complete their impressive turnaround, and win the division for the first time since their Super Bowl run in 2021, if things fall into place for them this weekend. 

First, the Rams need the Seahawks to lose to or tie the Chicago Bears — who are on a nine-game skid — on Thursday night. Then they need to beat the Arizona Cardinals in Los Angeles on Saturday night. 

There are also two other, more complicated scenarios for the Rams this week. They can secure the strength-of-victory tiebreaker over the Seahawks with a win over the Cardinals, plus 3.5 or more wins from the Vikings, Bills, 49ers, Commanders, Bengals and Browns. 

A Rams-Cardinals tie, paired with a Seahawks loss, would also vault LA back to the postseason.

HOW THE WASHINGTON COMMANDERS CAN CLINCH A PLAYOFF BERTH

• Washington Commanders win or tie OR
• Tampa Bay Buccaneers loss or tie

Dan Quinn has been to the playoffs seven times as a head coach and defensive coordinator. He can bring the Commanders there in his first season at the helm in DC with a win/tie against the Falcons on Sunday night.

But it’s possible Quinn’s team will have earned a playoff bid before kickoff. If the Bucs don’t beat the Carolina Panthers, then the Commanders will be assured of at least a wild-card berth.

Which teams have already clinched?

AFC

• Buffalo Bills (12-3)*
• Houston Texans (9-6)*
• Kansas City Chiefs (14-1)*
• Baltimore Ravens (10-5)
• Pittsburgh Steelers (10-5)

NFC

• Detroit Lions (13-2)
• Minnesota Vikings (13-2)
• Green Bay Packers (11-4)
• Philadelphia Eagles (12-3)

*division clinched

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