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NFL playoff picture, Week 17 draft order: Vikings stay in the race for the top spot, while Rams and Commanders claim victory

Posted on by Taylor Reeves
NFL playoff picture, Week 17 draft order: Vikings stay in the race for the top spot, while Rams and Commanders claim victory

As Week 17 of the season comes to a close, here’s what we now know: The Philadelphia Eagles are NFC East champions, the Indianapolis Colts are out of the AFC playoff race, and both the Washington Commanders and Los Angeles Rams are in playoff contention. Places secured.

And the NFC race will now lead to a battle for the winner in the NFC North.

The Eagles became the first team in the NFC to win a division title after defeating the rival Dallas Cowboys. However, their chances of winning the conference were completely eliminated on Sunday afternoon after the Vikings defeated the Green Bay Packers in Minneapolis. The Vikings’ game with the Detroit Lions next week will now decide who wins both the NFC North and the No. 1 seed in the NFC overall. The winner of this game receives a bye to the first round, and the loser is the No. 5 seed and must travel to their first playoff game.

The Washington Commanders also secured a playoff spot in the NFC with their overtime win against the Atlanta Falcons. It also gave the Los Angeles Rams the NFC West title and a playoff berth of their own via strength of strength tiebreaker over the Seattle Seahawks after defeating the Arizona Cardinals 13-9 on Saturday night.

In the AFC, six of the seven playoff spots are up for grabs, and one of them won’t be the Colts, who lost at the New York Giants on Sunday. The loss knocked them out of the postseason race.

The Kansas City Chiefs secured first place in the conference with a 29-10 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers on Wednesday. The Los Angeles Chargers joined the postseason party with a 40-7 victory over the New England Patriots on Saturday afternoon. And the Cincinnati Bengals avoided elimination by beating the Denver Broncos in overtime on Saturday night.

The Broncos missed the chance to secure a spot in the playoffs with a win or draw at the Bengals. It would have been their first time in the postseason since winning Super Bowl 50. They will finish the regular season against the Chiefs, who don’t have much to play for since the No. 1 seed is already secured.

To secure the final postseason wild-card ticket, the Bengals must win their regular season finale against the Steelers, the Broncos must lose against the Chiefs and the Dolphins must lose next week. Miami steamrolled the Browns on Sunday afternoon.

The Dolphins can clinch the final playoff spot with a win against the Jets and a loss at the Broncos in Week 18.

The NFC North title is open and falls to the Lions and Vikings.

The Vikings defeated the Packers at home on Sunday and are 14-2 on the season. This meant they took the lead in the NFC North. The division will focus on its game in Detroit next week, regardless of whether the Lions beat the San Francisco 49ers on Monday night. The Vikings are currently expecting a bye in the first round of the playoffs.

The rest of the conference is just now solidified. The Commanders are back in the playoffs for the first time since winning the division in 2020 after a win over the Falcons. The Buccaneers lead the NFC South after their stunning win over the Carolina Panthers, but that division is not yet secured.

Here’s a look at the playoff standings heading into the final four games of Week 17.

This is what the playoff race in the NFC looks like starting December 29th. Teams marked in bold have secured a spot in the playoffs.

1. Minnesota Vikings (14-2)

2. Philadelphia Eagles (13-3) vs. 7. Washington Commanders (11-5)

3. Los Angeles Rams (10-6) vs. 6. Green Bay Packers (11-5)

4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (9-7) vs. 5. Detroit Lions (13-2)*

On the bubble

8. Seattle Seahawks (9-7)

9. Atlanta Falcons (8-8)

This is what the AFC playoff race looks like on December 29th. Teams marked in bold have secured a spot in the playoffs.

1. Kansas City Chiefs (15-1)

2. Buffalo Bills (13-3) vs. 7. Denver Broncos (9-7)

3. Baltimore Ravens (11-5) vs. 6. Los Angeles Chargers (10-6)

4. Houston Texans (9-7) vs. 5. Pittsburgh Steelers (10-6)

On the bubble

8. Miami Dolphins (8-8)

9.Cincinnati Bengals (8-8)

As of December 29th, here is the state of play in the NFC. Teams marked in bold have secured a spot in the playoffs. Teams in italics are eliminated from the playoffs.

NFC East

1. Philadelphia Eagles (13-3)

2. Washington Commanders (11-5)

3. Dallas Cowboys (7-9)

4. New York Giants (3-13)

NFC North

1. Minnesota Vikings (14-2)

2. Detroit Lions (13-2)*

3. Green Bay Packers (11-5)

4. Chicago Bears (4-12)

NFC South

1. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (9-7)

2. Atlanta Falcons (8-8)

3. New Orleans Saints (5-11)

4. Carolina Panthers (4-12)

NFC West

1. Los Angeles Rams (10-6)

2. Seattle Seahawks (9-7)

3. Arizona Cardinals (7-9)

4. San Francisco 49ers (6-9)*

Here is the state of play in the AFC as of December 29th. Teams marked in bold have secured a spot in the playoffs. Teams in italics are eliminated from the playoffs.

AFC East

1. Buffalo Bills (13-3)

2. Miami Dolphins (8-8)

3. New York Jets (4-12)

4. New England Patriots (3-13)

AFC North

1. Baltimore Ravens (11-5)

2. Pittsburgh Steelers (10-6)

3.Cincinnati Bengals (8-8)

4. Cleveland Browns (3-13)

AFC South

1. Houston Texans (9-7)

2. Indianapolis Colts (7-9)

3. Tennessee Titans (3-13)

4. Jacksonville Jaguars (3-13)

AFC West

1. Kansas City Chiefs (15-1)

2. Los Angeles Chargers (10-6)

3. Denver Broncos (9-7)

4. Las Vegas Raiders (4-12)

As far as draft order goes, both the New York Giants and Las Vegas Raiders are playing their way out of the top pick and an easy spot to land a new franchise quarterback.

After both the Giants and Raiders won, the New England Patriots were in position to secure the No. 1 overall pick in this weekend’s April draft. Both franchises could use a new quarterback, and both Miami star Cam Ward and Colorado star Shedeur Sanders are available and expected to enter early in the draft. It would have been an easy move for both the Giants and Raiders to acquire either quarterback had they lost on Sunday. However, it is now unclear whether either player will still be there when they are signed.

Here’s a look at the current NFL Draft order with two games remaining in Week 17:

1. New England Patriots (3-13)

2. Tennessee Titans (3-13)

3. Cleveland Browns (3-13)

4. New York Giants (3-13)

5. Jacksonville Jaguars (4-12)

6. Carolina Panthers (4-12)

7. New York Jets (4-12)

8. Las Vegas Raiders (4-12)

9. Chicago Bears (4-12)

10. New Orleans Saints (5-11)

11. San Francisco 49ers (6-9)*

12. Indianapolis Colts (7-9)

13. Dallas Cowboys (7-9)

14. Arizona Cardinals (7-9)

15. Miami Dolphins (8-8)

16. Cincinnati Bengals (8-8)

17. Atlanta Falcons (8-8)

18. Seattle Seahawks (9-7)

—

19. Houston Texans (9-7)

20. Denver Broncos (9-7)

21. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (9-7)

22. Los Angeles Chargers (10-6)

23. Los Angeles Rams (10-6)

24. Green Bay Packers (11-5)

25. Pittsburgh Steelers (10-6)

26. Washington Commanders (11-5)

27. Baltimore Ravens (11-5)

28. Philadelphia Eagles (13-3)

29. Buffalo Bills (13-3)

30. Detroit Lions (13-2)*

31. Minnesota Vikings (14-2)

32. Kansas City Chiefs (15-1)

*The Falcons and Commanders play on Sunday night and the Lions and 49ers will close out the week on Monday night.

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