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The playoffs are quickly approaching as the NFL turns the page to Week 16 of the 2022 season.
The Jacksonville Jaguars kicked things off with a 19-3 win over the New York Jets on Thursday Night Football. With the win, the Jags kept their playoff hopes alive by improving to 7-8.
There’s a lot on the line for multiple teams in Week 16, so let’s take a look at the current playoff picture along with this week’s clinching scenarios:
AFC Playoff Picture
- Buffalo Bills: 11-3 (clinched playoff berth)
- Kansas City Chiefs: 11-3 (clinched AFC West)
- Cincinnati Bengals: 10-4 (clinched playoff berth)
- Tennessee Titans: 7-7
- Baltimore Ravens: 9-5
- Los Angeles Chargers: 8-6
- Miami Dolphins: 8-6
- New England Patriots: 7-7
- Jacksonville Jaguars: 7-8
- New York Jets: 7-8
- Las Vegas Raiders: 6-8
- Cleveland Browns: 6-8
- Pittsburgh Steelers: 6-8
- Indianapolis Colts: 4-9-1 (eliminated)
- Denver Broncos: 4-10 (eliminated)
- Houston Texans: 1-12-1 (eliminated)
NFC Playoff Picture
- Philadelphia Eagles: 13-1 (clinched playoff berth)
- Minnesota Vikings: 11-3 (clinched NFC North)
- San Francisco 49ers: 10-4 (clinched NFC West)
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 6-8
- Dallas Cowboys: 10-4 (clinched playoff berth)
- New York Giants: 8-5-1
- Washington Commanders: 7-6-1
- Seattle Seahawks: 7-7
- Detroit Lions: 7-7
- Green Bay Packers: 6-8
- Carolina Panthers: 5-9
- New Orleans Saints: 5-9
- Atlanta Falcons: 5-9
- Arizona Cardinals: 4-10 (eliminated)
- Los Angeles Rams: 4-10 (eliminated)
- Chicago Bears: 3-11 (eliminated)
Week 16 Clinching Scenarios
Opportunity abounds in the AFC this weekend.
The conference-leading Buffalo Bills can clinch the AFC East for the third straight year with a win in Week 16. They will face the team with the worst record in the NFC, the Chicago Bears, in a game that will feature some incredibly harsh weather conditions at Soldier Field on Christmas Eve.
If the Bills somehow slip up against the Bears, they could still clinch the division crown with a loss by the Miami Dolphins, who host the Green Bay Packers on Christmas Day. Miami will face a motivated Aaron Rodgers as he tries to keep Green Bay’s unlikely playoff hopes alive, which should make for an entertaining game.
The defending AFC champions didn’t even need to take the field to punch their ticket back to the postseason, as the Cincinnati Bengals clinched a playoff berth after Thursday night’s loss by the New York Jets. Cincinnati overtook the Baltimore Ravens for the AFC North lead with last week’s win against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Speaking of the Ravens, they can also clinch a playoff berth, but they’d need a ton of help. In fact, there are several different scenarios in which Baltimore can reach the postseason this week.
Baltimore Ravens @Ravens
This weekend’s playoff clinching scenarios: pic.twitter.com/fXCgUCNBlO
The Los Angeles Chargers also have the chance to clinch a playoff berth with some help, but they’re one step closer after Thursday’s loss by the Jets. In addition to a win over the Indianapolis Colts, the Chargers also need losses by the Patriots and Las Vegas Raiders.
Over in the NFC, a pair of NFC East rivals take center stage, as the Philadelphia Eagles and New York Giants have a lot on the line this week.
The first-place Eagles can clinch not only the division with a win against the Dallas Cowboys but also home-field advantage and the NFC’s lone first-round bye. Philadelphia hasn’t won an NFC East title since 2019, but it will be playing without star quarterback and MVP candidate Jalen Hurts because of a shoulder injury.
The Giants first need to defeat the NFC North-champion Minnesota Vikings to earn a spot in the playoffs, which seemed out of the realm of possibility for New York entering the 2022 season. However, the Giants also need some combination of losses by the Washington Commanders, Detroit Lions or Seattle Seahawks to reach the postseason this week.
