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Breaking down the NFL standings heading toward Week 17

The NFL is almost finished with Week 16. We break down the standings as the league starts to look to Week 17.

Odell Beckham Jr. #3 of the Los Angeles Rams celebrates with Matthew Stafford #9 after Beckham Jr. scored a touchdown reception in the fourth quarter against the Minnesota Vikings at U.S. Bank Stadium on December 26, 2021 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Photo by David Berding/Getty Images

The NFL wrapped up its 1 p.m. slate of games on Sunday of Week 16 and we have another division champion. The Bucs won the NFC South with a win over the Panthers, joining last week’s NFC North-winning Packers. The Rams clinched a playoff berth as well to join those two and the Cowboys in punching their ticket for the postseason.

The wild card race is a mess, but the division leaders are quickly settling down. The Bengals beat the Ravens on Sunday to take a one-game lead in the AFC North with the head-to-head tiebreaker. They can clinch the division in Week 17 pending various outcomes. Meanwhile, the Bills have moved into a tie with the Patriots in the AFC East and hold the tiebreaker edge heading into the final two weekends.

The biggest upset of Week 16 saw the Texans dominate the Chargers in Houston. LA drops to the outside looking in, but also now sets up the Chiefs with a division clinching opportunity against the Steelers Sunday afternoon.

4:05/4:25 p.m. results: The Bears stunned the Seahawks with a last minute two-point conversion. The Chiefs thumped the Steelers to clinch the AFC West title. The Raiders held off the Broncos and remain alive in the wild card race.

SNF result: The Cowboys are crushing Washington. We’ll call it a night with that one.

MNF result: The Dolphins thumped the Saints.

Below are the eight divisional standings after 16 weeks of football. We’ll update with results as Sunday and Monday close out. *=clinched playoff berth; **=clinched division

AFC East

  1. Buffalo Bills, 9-6
  2. New England Patriots, 9-6
  3. Miami Dolphins, 8-7
  4. New York Jets, 4-11 — eliminated

AFC North

  1. Cincinnati Bengals, 9-6
  2. Baltimore Ravens, 8-7
  3. Pittsburgh Steelers, 7-7-1
  4. Cleveland Browns, 7-8

AFC South

  1. Tennessee Titans, 10-5
  2. Indianapolis Colts, 9-6
  3. Houston Texans, 4-11 — eliminated
  4. Jacksonville Jaguars, 2-13 — eliminated

AFC West

  1. Kansas City Chiefs, 11-4**
  2. Los Angeles Chargers, 8-7
  3. Las Vegas Raiders, 8-7
  4. Denver Broncos, 7-8

NFC East

  1. Dallas Cowboys, 11-4**
  2. Philadelphia Eagles, 8-7
  3. Washington Football Team, 6-9
  4. New York Giants, 4-11

NFC North

  1. Green Bay Packers, 12-3**
  2. Minnesota Vikings, 7-8
  3. Chicago Bears, 5-10 — eliminated
  4. Detroit Lions, 2-12-1 — eliminated

NFC South

  1. Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 11-4**
  2. Atlanta Falcons, 7-8
  3. New Orleans Saints, 7-8
  4. Carolina Panthers, 5-10 — eliminated

NFC West

  1. Los Angeles Rams, 11-4*
  2. Arizona Cardinals, 10-5
  3. San Francisco 49ers, 8-7
  4. Seattle Seahawks, 5-10