The NFL is working its way through the Christmas season with Week 16 bringing plenty of playoff implications. Four teams entered the week having punched their playoff berth, and as many as four more teams could join them in Week 16.
The NFL playoff picture features quite a few teams competing for just a handful of spots. Only three of the eight division races featured a team within a game of first place, but both the NFC and AFC wild card standings are jam-packed.
Week 16 opened with the Rams beating the Saints on Thursday Night Football. Both teams were 7-7 entering the week, and so the Rams gained a little bit of space. The Saints await the Bucs result against the Jaguars, but the NFC South rivals face off next weekend in a huge Week 17 matchup.
The Saturday doubleheader featured a pair of AFC matchups. The Steelers beat the Bengals and the Bills beat the Chargers, which dropped Cincinnati out of the No. 6 spot and moved Buffalo into that spot.
On Sunday, the Seahawks beat the Titans and that coupled with the Vikings losing means Seattle moves into the final NFC wild card berth. The Lions win over the Vikings punched their ticket as the NFC North champs. In the AFC, the Colts lost, but remain in seventh place thanks to the Texans also losing. The Browns firmed up their hold on the No. 5 spot with a big win over the Texans.
4 p.m. results: The Bucs beat the Jaguars, but the bracket remains the same due to Jacksonville’s tiebreaker edge over the Colts and Texans. The Dolphins beat the Cowboys, which dropped Dallas to the No. 5 seed and boosted Philadelphia to the No. 3 seed.
Christmas Day update: The Chiefs lost to the Raiders to open Christmas. They are still in position to clinch the AFC West, but they could not do so this week. The Eagles held off the Giants to take a one-game lead on the Cowboys in the NFC East. They move ahead of the Lions due to the strength of victory tiebreaker.
Below is a look at the updated playoff bracket as Week 16 moves along. The 49ers could clinch the No. 1 seed in the NFC, but need losses by the Lions, Cowboys, and Eagles. No other seed will be settled yet, and so the bracket will continue adjusting throughout the holiday weekend. We’ll be updating this all day Sunday and Monday.
Christmas night update: The Baltimore Ravens dominated the San Francisco 49ers. That didn’t impact the bracket, standings-wise. But it gives Baltimore a big boost and the Niners have now lost their one-game buffer.
NFC playoff bracket — updated Dec 24, 11:45 p.m.
#1 San Francisco 49ers (11-4) — BYE
#2 Philadelphia Eagles (11-4) vs. #7 Seattle Seahawks (8-7)
#3 Detroit Lions (11-4) vs. #6 Los Angeles Rams (8-7)
#4 Tampa Bay Buccaneers (8-7) vs. #5 Dallas Cowboys (10-5)
AFC playoff bracket
#1 Baltimore Ravens (12-3) — BYE
#2 Miami Dolphins (11-4) vs. #7 Indianapolis Colts (8-7)
#3 Kansas City Chiefs (9-6) vs. #6 Buffalo Bills (9-6)
#4 Jacksonville Jaguars (8-7) vs. #5 Cleveland Browns (10-5)