NFL Playoff Picture Week 14: Scenarios for AFC and NFC 2022 Postseason Matchups
Five weeks remain in the 2022 NFL regular season, and the playoff picture is slowly becoming clearer.
Only two teams—the Chicago Bears and Houston Texans—are officially eliminated. However, there are 13 more franchises with losing records. They're effectively in make-or-break territory over the next two weeks.
Meanwhile, there are hotly contested division and wild-card races in both the AFC and NFC. The postseason outlook, as you'd probably hope right now, is far from settled.
As the NFL shifts its attention to Week 14, we're exploring the current standings and some scenarios to know.
Division Leaders
1. Buffalo Bills: 9-3 (AFC East)
2. Kansas City Chiefs: 9-3 (AFC West)
3. Baltimore Ravens: 8-4 (AFC North)
4. Tennessee Titans: 7-5 (AFC South)
Current Wild-Card Teams
5. Cincinnati Bengals: 8-4
6. Miami Dolphins: 8-4
7. New York Jets: 7-5
Currently Out of Playoffs
8. New England Patriots: 6-6
9. Los Angeles Chargers: 6-6
10. Las Vegas Raiders: 5-7
11. Cleveland Browns: 5-7
12. Pittsburgh Steelers: 5-7
13. Indianapolis Colts: 4-8-1
14. Jacksonville Jaguars: 4-8
15. Denver Broncos: 3-9
Eliminated
16. Houston Texans: 1-10-1
Division Leaders
1. Philadelphia Eagles: 11-1 (NFC East)
2. Minnesota Vikings: 10-2 (NFC North)
3. San Francisco 49ers: 8-4 (NFC West)
4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 6-6 (NFC South)
Current Wild-Card Teams
5. Dallas Cowboys: 9-3
6. New York Giants: 7-4-1
7. Seattle Seahawks: 7-5
Currently Out of Playoffs
8. Washington Commanders: 7-5-1
9. Detroit Lions: 5-7
10. Atlanta Falcons: 5-8
11. Green Bay Packers: 5-8
12. Arizona Cardinals: 4-8
13. Carolina Panthers: 4-8
14. New Orleans Saints: 4-9
15. Los Angeles Rams: 3-9
Eliminated
16. Chicago Bears: 3-9.
More than anything, the AFC is approaching a competitive race to earn the coveted first-round bye.
As it stands, the Buffalo Bills and Kansas City Chiefs are 9-3, with Buffalo owning the head-to-head tiebreaker. However, the Baltimore Ravens, Cincinnati Bengals—who are locked atop the AFC North as Baltimore leads in head-to-head so far—and Miami Dolphins all hold 8-4 records.
That conversation is a beautiful mess right now.
Though the Tennessee Titans cannot clinch the division in Week 14, they're extremely close. If they beat the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday, the Titans will simply need one more victory in the last four games.
The noteworthy scenario is that the New England Patriots could jump ahead of the New York Jets in the wild-card standings. That would require the Pats to beat the Arizona Cardinals and Jets to upset the Bills.
Also, if either the Jets win or Denver Broncos lose, the Broncos will be officially eliminated.
Week 14 could feature the first division champion of 2022.
If the Minnesota Vikings defeat (or tie) the Detroit Lions, the NFC North will formally belong to the Vikings. That is the full expectation anyway, but Detroit mathematically still has a shot.
Minnesota, however, is a game behind the Philadelphia Eagles for home-field advantage in the NFC. Philly also owns the head-to-head tiebreaker over Minnesota in addition to a two-game advantage plus a tiebreaker over the Dallas Cowboys in the NFC East.
The bigger stories are the NFC West and a jam-packed wild-card picture.
While the San Francisco 49ers are a game clear of the Seattle Seahawks, the Niners are turning to third-string quarterback Brock Purdy after Jimmy Garoppolo's season-ending foot injury.
Meanwhile, the New York Giants and Seahawks are narrowly ahead of the Washington Commanders. Washington is idle in Week 14 but could vault either the Giants or Seahawks if they lose on Sunday.
There are scenarios in which the Cardinals, Carolina Panthers, New Orleans Saints or Los Angeles Rams may be eliminated, too.
