It took 16 weeks, but the NFL playoff picture is finally starting to clear up.
In the AFC, five of the seven spots have been clinched, but there still should be plenty of drama with multiple teams battling it out for the final wild-card spot. In the NFC, the situation is almost identical. Four of the seven spots have been clinched and the Giants can become the fifth team to get in with a win on Sunday against the Colts. However, like the AFC, there’s going to be a dog fight for the seventh-spot.
With the seventh-seed in both conferences still up for grabs — along with both the AFC and NFC South — we’re here to help you make sense of all the chaos, and we’re going to do that by projecting the 14 teams that are going to make the playoffs. The projections are based on data from number-cruncher Stephen Oh of SportsLine.com. Oh plugged some numbers into his SportsLine computer and simulated the rest of the NFL season, and using those numbers, not only were we able to figure out the playoff chances for every team, but we’re also going to project the entire playoff field
Alright, let’s get to this week’s playoff projections. Actually, before we do that, I have something better for you if you’re a fan of a team that’s already been eliminated: Here’s a mock draft (click here). Let’s be honest, if your favorite team is out of the playoff race, a mock draft will probably be much more exciting to read than this projection.
As for everyone else, let’s get to the projection.
Note: Remember, this is a projection based on how we think the rest of the regular season will play out. If you want to see the current playoff standings and a breakdown of the playoff picture, be sure to click here.
AFC playoff projection
Here’s a list of the playoff chances for all the other AFC teams (their percentage chances of getting into the playoffs is listed next to them in parentheses): Titans (26.7%), Patriots (24.5%), Jets (14.9%), Steelers (2.5%), Raiders (0.1%), Browns (Eliminated), Colts (Eliminated), Broncos (Eliminated), Texans (Eliminated)
Note: The 7-8 Titans have a higher chance of getting into the playoffs than the other contenders listed here because Tennessee still has a viable chance to win the AFC South title.
NFC playoff projection
Here’s a list of the playoff chances for all the other NFC teams (their percentage chances of getting into the playoffs is listed next to them in parentheses): Commanders (29.7%), Seahawks (25%), Lions (21.5%), Panthers (19.2%), Saints (4.7%), Falcons (Eliminated), Cardinals (Eliminated), Rams (Eliminated), Bears (Eliminated)
Wild card round projection
AFC
(7) Dolphins at (2) Chiefs
(6) Chargers at (3) Bengals
(5) Ravens at (4) Jaguars
Bye: Bills
NFC
(7) Packers at (2) Vikings
(6) Giants at (3) 49ers
(5) Cowboys at (4) Buccaneers
Bye: Eagles