Seats are filling up in the NFC playoff picture but seeding in both conferences is up for grabs with two weeks remaining in the regular season.
The San Francisco 49ers re-entered the conversation for the No. 1 seed in the NFC with a win Monday in Indianapolis and lead the conference with an 8-2 record vs. NFC opposition.
The 49ers control their fate in the final two weeks. If San Francisco beats the Chicago Bears and Seattle Seahawks, they’ll be celebrating a first-round bye when the dust settles Week 18.
A Green Bay Packers loss or Bears win at San Francisco gives Chicago the NFC North division title.
If the Bears and 49ers tie on Sunday and the Seahawks win at Carolina, Seattle would clinch the No. 1 seed in the NFC.
All seven AFC playoff participants could be set by Saturday if the Houston Texans beat the Los Angeles Chargers and Packers beat the Baltimore Ravens in Green Bay. A Baltimore win leaves it up to the Steelers on Sunday. Pittsburgh can wrap up the division crown with a win at Cleveland.
Here is the full playoff picture by conference entering Week 17.
–AFC Playoff Picture
1. Denver Broncos (12-3)
Status: Clinched playoff spot; First place, AFC West
Up Next: at Kansas City Chiefs (Thursday, Dec. 25); vs. Chargers (Jan. 4)
Noteworthy: The Chargers won the first matchup, 23-20, in Week 3. Should Denver lose and finish with the same record as the Chargers, the Broncos could go from the No. 1 seed in the AFC to traveling to the No. 4 seed — currently the Steelers — in the wild-card playoffs.
2. New England Patriots (12-3)
Status: Clinched playoff spot; First place, AFC East
Up Next: at New York Jets (Dec. 28); vs. Miami Dolphins (Jan. 4)
Noteworthy: Finishing with two more wins and a 14-3 record would not assure the Patriots the No. 1 seed, but it would guarantee they can fall no lower than No. 2 in the conference.
3. Jacksonville Jaguars (11-4)
Status: First place, AFC South
Up Next: at Indianapolis Colts (Dec. 28); vs. Tennessee Titans (Jan. 4)
Noteworthy: The Houston Texans, who split two games with Jacksonville, still can win the AFC South.
4. Pittsburgh Steelers (9-6)
Status: First place, AFC North
Up Next: at Cleveland Browns (Dec. 28); vs. Baltimore Ravens (Jan. 4)
Noteworthy: A statement win at Detroit gives the Steelers a chance to clinch the division at Cleveland on Sunday, but hold the noisemakers and confetti. Pittsburgh lost at Cleveland last season (24-19), in 2023 (13-10) and 2022 (29-17), last beating the Browns on the road on Halloween 2021.
5. Los Angeles Chargers (11-4)
Status: Second place, AFC West
Up Next: vs. Texans (Saturday, Dec. 27); at Broncos (Jan. 4)
Noteworthy: With seven wins in the past eight games, the Chargers are not yet assured a playoff spot but could still land any of the AFC’s seven seed positions.
6. Buffalo Bills (11-4)
Status: Second place, AFC East
Up Next: vs. Philadelphia Eagles (Dec. 28); vs. Jets (Jan. 4)
Noteworthy: The Bills are 28-4 at home over the past four seasons.
7. Houston Texans (10-5)
Status: Second place, AFC South
Up Next: at Chargers (Saturday, Dec. 27); vs. Colts (Jan. 4)
Noteworthy: The Texans are 13-4 in AFC South games since the start of the 2023 season and have won four consecutive games against the Colts.
–AFC, next in line
8. Indianapolis Colts (8-7): Enormous Chargers fans this week, the Colts wound be eliminated if Houston beats the Bolts on Saturday.
9. Baltimore Ravens (7-8): Unable to catch Houston, the Ravens are rooting against the Steelers at Cleveland. A Pittsburgh win eliminates Baltimore from the postseason.
–NFC Playoff Picture
1. Seattle Seahawks (12-3)
Status: Clinched playoff spot; First place, AFC West
Up Next: at Carolina Panthers (Dec. 28); at 49ers (Jan. 4)
Noteworthy: Alarmed by finishing the season with consecutive road games? Seattle is 13-2 in away games since 2024.
2. Chicago Bears (11-4)
Status: Clinched playoff spot; First place, NFC North
Up Next: at 49ers (Dec. 28); vs. Detroit Lions (Jan. 4)
Noteworthy: The Bears are 9-1 outside the NFC North and 2-3 in division games this season.
3. Philadelphia Eagles (10-5)
Status: Clinched NFC East, playoff spot
Up Next: at Bills (Dec. 28); vs. Washington Commanders (Jan. 4)
Noteworthy: Philadelphia can move up to No. 2 if the Seahawks and Bears lose their final two games.
4. Carolina Panthers (8-7)
Status: First place, NFC South
Up Next: vs. Seahawks (Dec. 28); at Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Jan. 4)
Noteworthy: The Panthers and Rams are both 6-4 against conference opponents, tied for the worst among the NFC’s current playoff seeds.
5. San Francisco 49ers (11-4)
Status: Clinched playoff spot; Second place, NFC West
Up Next: vs. Bears (Sunday, Dec. 28); vs. Seahawks (Jan. 4)
Noteworthy: Jumped the Rams in the NFC West and conference standings with a shot at a first-round bye with wins the next two weeks.
6. Los Angeles Rams (11-4)
Status: Clinched playoff spot; Third place, NFC West
Up Next: at Atlanta Falcons (Monday, Dec. 29); vs. Arizona Cardinals (Jan. 4)
Noteworthy: The Rams play the primetime Week 17 finale on Monday night and are 0-2 in non-Sunday games this season.
7. Green Bay Packers (9-5-1)
Status: Second place, NFC North
Up Next: vs. Ravens (Saturday, Dec. 27); vs. Minnesota Vikings (Jan. 4)
Noteworthy: If Minnesota beats Detroit on Christmas Day, the Packers clinch a wild-card spot. They can still get in the postseason field without winning either of their final two games.
–NFC, next in line
8. Detroit Lions (8-7): All of a sudden closer to fourth place in the NFC North than the playoffs after their loss to the Steelers.
9. Minnesota Vikings (7-8): Beating the Lions and Packers to end the season is not likely to be enough to push the Vikings into the playoffs.
10. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-8): No margin for error as the Bucs pull for a Panthers loss, then host Carolina in the Week 18 finale.
