NFL Playoff Checklist Week 14: Up thus far AFC, NFC Standings After Sunday’s Games

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Wilfredo Lee/Associated Press

The NFL playoffs proceed to achieve succor into point of interest as two groups clinched a division title Sunday.

Attributable to of their 33-27 victory over the Miami Dolphins, the Kansas City Chiefs are AFC West champions for the fifth straight one year. The Green Bay Packers, meanwhile, reign supreme within the NFC North after they beat the Detroit Lions 31-24 and the Minnesota Vikings misplaced to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

In full, four groups procure sealed passage to the postseason. Loads remains up within the air within the home stretch of the everyday season.

Right here’s the build issues stand all over the NFL following Sunday’s games.

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Jeffrey T. Barnes/Associated Press

AFC East

• 1. Buffalo Bills (10-3)
• 2. Miami Dolphins (8-5)
• 3. New England Patriots (6-7)
• 4. New York Jets (0-13)

AFC North

• 1. Pittsburgh Steelers (11-2); clinched playoff berth
• 2. Cleveland Browns (9-3)
• 3. Baltimore Ravens (7-5)
• 4. Cincinnati Bengals (2-10-1)

AFC South

• 1. Tennessee Titans (9-4)
• 2. Indianapolis Colts (9-4)
• 3. Houston Texans (4-9)
• 4. Jacksonville Jaguars (1-12)

AFC West

• 1. Kansas City Chiefs (12-1); clinched division
• 2. Las Vegas Raiders (7-6)
• 3. Denver Broncos (5-8)
• 4. Los Angeles Chargers (4-9)

Four games now separate the first-design Buffalo Bills from the third-design New England Patriots after the Bills earned a 26-15 fetch over the Pittsburgh Steelers. While Buffalo aloof hasn’t secured the division, the team has assured the Patriots’ stretch of 11 consecutive AFC East titles is over.

The Steelers, meanwhile, procure left the door commence for the Cleveland Browns to overtake them within the AFC North over the last weeks. Cleveland can accumulate to inside of one sport of its perfect rival with a fetch Monday night.

That consequence would effect the Baltimore Ravens a stout sport within the succor of the Miami Dolphins for the conference’s last wild-card design. A Ravens fetch, on the varied hand, would vault Baltimore ahead of Miami for the time being primarily based on having a greater legend in its division.

The Chiefs are the elite of the AFC, and 5 groups are mathematically eradicated from playoff opponents. The conference’s heart class is tightly packed together, though, which must culminate in a dramatic last week.

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Paul Sancya/Associated Press

NFC East

• 1. Washington Football Crew (6-7)
• 2. New York Giants (5-8)
• 3. Philadelphia Eagles (4-8-1)
• 4. Dallas Cowboys (4-9)

NFC North

• 1. Green Bay Packers (10-3); clinched division
• 2. Minnesota Vikings (6-7)
• 3. Chicago Bears (6-7)
• 4. Detroit Lions (5-8)

NFC South

• 1. New Orleans Saints (10-3); clinched playoff berth
• 2. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (8-5)
• 3. Atlanta Falcons (4-9)
• 4. Carolina Panthers (4-9)

NFC West

• 1. Los Angeles Rams (9-4)
• 2. Seattle Seahawks (9-4)
• 3. Arizona Cardinals (7-6)
• 4. San Francisco 49ers (5-8)

The Packers are on intention to relate the No. 1 seed with the New Orleans Saints falling to the Philadelphia Eagles. Green Bay has the tiebreaker over New Orleans after having taken down the Saints in Week 3.

That’s at ease correct for a team that regarded as if it would be making willing for a post-Aaron Rodgers future with the form of Jordan Savor within the first spherical of the 2020 NFL draft. In all likelihood the entrance design of enterprise wished to light a hearth below Rodgers to spur one more Immense Bowl whisk.

The Saints might perhaps well also’ve won the NFC South on Sunday and came end to doing correct that after Jared Cook dinner hauled in a 20-yard touchdown pass from Taysom Hill with 1: 24 left within the fourth quarter. The comeback fell short, which was correct records for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Week 14 did not provide essential clarity within the NFC West since the Los Angeles Rams and Seattle Seahawks were each victorious. Ought to that be the case all over again in Week 15, it would vastly elevate the stakes when Seattle hosts Los Angeles on Dec. 27 of their penultimate typical-season sport.

The Washington Football Crew are undoubtedly within the motive force’s seat within the NFC East, and the division might perhaps well also no longer cease up in as dire a yell as everybody anticipated. At one point, a 6-10 champion gave the impact a believable final consequence. As a replace, Washington is 6-7 and utilizing a four-sport a hit walk whereas sitting one sport up on the New York Giants.

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Wade Payne/Associated Press

AFC

• No. 1 Kansas City Chiefs (bye)
• No. 2 Pittsburgh Steelers vs. No. 7 Miami Dolphins
• No. 3 Buffalo Bills vs. No. 6 Indianapolis Colts
• No. 4 Tennessee Titans vs. No. 5 Cleveland Browns

NFC

• No. 1 Green Bay Packers (bye)
• No. 2 New Orleans Saints vs. No. 7 Arizona Cardinals
• No. 3 Los Angeles Rams vs. No. 6 Tampa Bay Buccaneers
• No. 4 Washington Football Crew vs. No. 5 Seattle Seahawks

Under the fresh playoff structure, the tip seed in every conference will receive one of the best bye within the Wild Card Spherical. That home was previously afforded to the 2 simplest groups.

The Steelers and Saints would each be notion to be favorites to map if the playoffs started on the present time, but you can per chance no longer wish to take a procure a look at too demanding to argue on behalf of the Dolphins or Cardinals.

Pittsburgh wasn’t as correct as its 11-0 open indicated, and succor-to-succor losses emphasize that. Tua Tagovailoa’s inexperience will be a controversy for the Dolphins within the postseason, but Brian Flores has built a true Coach of the Year candidacy with how essential his squad has improved.

The Cardinals swiftly fell to earth after an previous typical time fetch over the Seahawks in Week 7. They dropped four of their subsequent 5 games popping out of a Week 8 bye. Aloof, Kyler Murray is the secure of disruptive presence who can provide an opponent nightmares on a given day.