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Standings entering week 16

Bold indicates clinched playoff berth. Italics indicate elimination from playoffs.

      NFC                                 AFC
1 GB (11-3)y 1 KC (13-1)y
2 NO (10-4)x 1 2 BUF (11-3)y 7
3 SEA (10-4)x 3 PIT (11-3)x
4 WAS (6-8) 4 TEN (10-4)8
5 LAR (9-5)2 5 CLE (10-4)9
6 TB (9-5) 6 IND (10-4)
7 ARI (8-6)k 7 MIA (9-5)k 10
8 CHI (7-7)k 8 BAL (9-5)k
9 MIN (6-8)k 9 LV (7-7)k
10 DET (5-9)ke 3 10 NE (6-8)ke
11 DAL (5-9)4 11 DEN (5-9)ke 11
12 SF (5-9)ke 5 12 LAC (5-9)ke
13 NYG (5-9) 13 HOU (4-10)ke
14 PHI (4-9-1) 14 CIN (3-10-1)ke
15 ATL (4-10)ke 6 15 JAX (1-13)ke 12
16 CAR (4-10)ke 16 NYJ (1-13)ke

x Team has clinched a playoff berth
y Team has clinched division title
e Team is eliminated from playoff contention
k Team is knocked out of division title contention

1NO wins the tiebreak over SEA on Conference Record (8-2 vs 7-3).
2LAR wins the tiebreak over TB on Head-to-Head.
3DAL wins the tiebreak over NYG on Head-to-Head (1-0). SF drops out of the tiebreak with DAL/DET on Conference Record (3-7 vs 4-6/4-6). DET wins the tiebreak over DAL on Common Games (3-1 vs 2-3).
4DAL wins the tiebreak over NYG on Head-to-Head (1-0). DAL wins the tiebreak over SF on Head-to-Head.
5SF wins the tiebreak over NYG on Head-to-Head.
6ATL wins the tiebreak over CAR on Common Games (3-7 vs 2-8).
7BUF wins the tiebreak over PIT on Head-to-Head.
8TEN wins the tiebreak over IND on Division Record (4-1 vs 3-2).
9CLE wins the tiebreak over IND on Head-to-Head.
10MIA wins the tiebreak over BAL on Conference Record (6-4 vs 6-5).
11DEN wins the tiebreak over LAC on Head-to-Head (1-0).
12JAX wins the tiebreak over NYJ on Conference Record (1-10 vs 0-10).

Clinching Scenarios

NFC

GB clinches a first-round bye and home-field advantage with:
         1) GB win + SEA loss/tie
OR 2) GB tie + NO loss + SEA loss/tie
OR 3) GB tie + NO tie + SEA loss

 

NO clinches the NFC South division title with:
         1) NO win
OR 2) NO tie + TB tie
OR 3) TB loss

 

WAS clinches the NFC East division title with:
         1) WAS win + NYG loss/tie
OR 2) WAS tie + NYG loss + DAL/ PHI tie

 

SEA clinches the NFC West division title with:
         1) SEA win

 

LAR clinches a playoff berth with:
         1) LAR win/tie
OR 2) CHI loss/tie
OR 3) ARI win/tie

 

TB clinches a playoff berth with:
         1) TB win/tie
OR 2) CHI loss/tie

 

ARI clinches a playoff berth with:
         1) ARI win + CHI loss/tie
OR 2) ARI tie + CHI loss

 

AFC

KC clinches a first-round bye and home-field advantage with:
         1) KC win/tie
OR 2) PIT loss/tie
OR 3) BUF loss/tie
OR 4) NYJ win + CAR win + NO win + TB win + HOU win + 1 or more wins from (ARI, LV, BAL, DEN)
OR 5) NYJ win + 3.5 or more wins from (CAR, NO, TB, HOU) + 1.5 or more wins from (ARI, LV, BAL, DEN)
OR 6) NYJ win + 3 or more wins from (CAR, NO, TB, HOU) + 2 or more wins from (ARI, LV, BAL, DEN)
OR 7) NYJ win + 2.5 or more wins from (CAR, NO, TB, HOU) + 2.5 or more wins from (ARI, LV, BAL, DEN)
OR 8) NYJ win + 2 or more wins from (CAR, NO, TB, HOU) + 0.5 or more wins from (CHI, GB) + 3 or more wins from (ARI, LV, BAL, DEN)
OR 9) NYJ win + 2 or more wins from (CAR, NO, TB, HOU) + 3.5 or more wins from (ARI, LV, BAL, DEN)
OR 10) NYJ win + 1.5 or more wins from (CAR, NO, TB, HOU) + 1 or more wins from (CHI, GB) + 3.5 or more wins from (ARI, LV, BAL, DEN)
OR 11) NYJ win + 1.5 or more wins from (CAR, NO, TB, HOU) + 0.5 or more wins from (CHI, GB) + ARI win + LV win + BAL win + DEN win
OR 12) NYJ win + 1 or more wins from (CAR, NO, TB, HOU) + 1.5 or more wins from (CHI, GB) + ARI win + LV win + BAL win + DEN win
OR 13) NYJ tie + CAR win + NO win + TB win + HOU win + 0.5 or more wins from (ARI, LV, BAL, DEN)
OR 14) NYJ tie + 3.5 or more wins from (CAR, NO, TB, HOU) + 0.5 or more wins from (CHI, GB) + 1 or more wins from (ARI, LV, BAL, DEN)
OR 15) NYJ tie + 3.5 or more wins from (CAR, NO, TB, HOU) + 1.5 or more wins from (ARI, LV, BAL, DEN)
OR 16) NYJ tie + 3 or more wins from (CAR, NO, TB, HOU) + 1 or more wins from (CHI, GB) + 1.5 or more wins from (ARI, LV, BAL, DEN)
OR 17) NYJ tie + 3 or more wins from (CAR, NO, TB, HOU) + 0.5 or more wins from (CHI, GB) + 2 or more wins from (ARI, LV, BAL, DEN)
OR 18) NYJ tie + 2.5 or more wins from (CAR, NO, TB, HOU) + 1.5 or more wins from (CHI, GB) + 2 or more wins from (ARI, LV, BAL, DEN)
OR 19) NYJ tie + 2.5 or more wins from (CAR, NO, TB, HOU) + 1 or more wins from (CHI, GB) + 2.5 or more wins from (ARI, LV, BAL, DEN)
OR 20) NYJ tie + 2 or more wins from (CAR, NO, TB, HOU) + CHI win + GB win + 2.5 or more wins from (ARI, LV, BAL, DEN)
OR 21) NYJ tie + 2 or more wins from (CAR, NO, TB, HOU) + 1.5 or more wins from (CHI, GB) + 3 or more wins from (ARI, LV, BAL, DEN)
OR 22) NYJ tie + 1.5 or more wins from (CAR, NO, TB, HOU) + CHI win + GB win + 3.5 or more wins from (ARI, LV, BAL, DEN)
OR 23) NYJ loss + CAR win + NO win + TB win + HOU win + 1.5 or more wins from (CHI, GB)
OR 24) NYJ loss + CAR win + NO win + TB win + HOU win + 1 or more wins from (CHI, GB) + 0.5 or more wins from (ARI, LV, BAL, DEN)
OR 25) NYJ loss + 3.5 or more wins from (CAR, NO, TB, HOU) + CHI win + GB win + 0.5 or more wins from (ARI, LV, BAL, DEN)
OR 26) NYJ loss + 3.5 or more wins from (CAR, NO, TB, HOU) + 1.5 or more wins from (CHI, GB) + 1 or more wins from (ARI, LV, BAL, DEN)
OR 27) NYJ loss + 3 or more wins from (CAR, NO, TB, HOU) + CHI win + GB win + 1.5 or more wins from (ARI, LV, BAL, DEN)

*The portions in italics are for preventing PIT or BUF from using Strength of Victory or Strength of Schedule to get past KC

 

PIT clinches the AFC North division title with:
         1) PIT win
OR 2) PIT tie + CLE tie
OR 3) CLE loss

 

TEN clinches the AFC South division title with:
         1) TEN win + IND loss

 

TEN clinches a playoff berth with:
         1) TEN win
OR 2) TEN tie + BAL tie
OR 3) MIA loss
OR 4) BAL loss

 

IND clinches a playoff berth with:
         1) IND win + BAL loss/tie
OR 2) IND win + MIA loss/tie
OR 3) IND tie + BAL loss
OR 4) IND tie + MIA loss

 

CLE clinches a playoff berth with:
         1) CLE win + BAL loss/tie
OR 2) CLE win + MIA loss/tie
OR 3) CLE win + IND loss
OR 4) CLE tie + BAL loss
OR 5) CLE tie + MIA loss

 

Elimination Scenarios

NFC

TB is knocked out of NFC South title contention with:
         1) TB loss
OR 2) TB tie + NO tie
OR 3) NO win

 

LAR is knocked out of NFC West title contention with:
         1) LAR loss

 

NYG is eliminated from NFC East title contention AND playoff contention with:
         1) NYG loss + WAS win/tie
OR 2) NYG loss + PHI win
OR 3) NYG tie + WAS win

 

DAL is eliminated from NFC East title contention AND playoff contention with:
         1) DAL loss
OR 2) DAL tie + WAS tie
OR 3) WAS win

 

PHI is eliminated from NFC East title contention AND playoff contention with:
         1) PHI loss/tie
OR 2) WAS win

 

CHI is eliminated from playoff contention with:
         1) CHI loss + ARI win/tie
OR 2) CHI tie + ARI win

 

MIN is eliminated from playoff contention with:
         1) MIN loss/tie
OR 2) ARI win/tie

 

AFC

CLE is knocked out of AFC North title contention with:
         1) CLE loss
OR 2) CLE tie + PIT tie
OR 3) PIT win

 

IND is knocked out of AFC South title contention with:
         1) IND loss + TEN win

 

LV is eliminated from playoff contention with:
         1) LV loss/tie
OR 2) BAL win/tie

 

Possible Seeds

E simply means the team could still miss the playoffs

                   
WAS:       4       E (eliminated from wildcard contention)
NYG:       4       E (eliminated from wildcard contention)
DAL:       4       E (eliminated from wildcard contention)
PHI:       4       E (eliminated from wildcard contention)
                   
GB: 1 2 3           (clinched division title)
CHI:         5 6 7 E (knocked out of division title contention)
MIN:             7 E (knocked out of division title contention)
DET:               E (eliminated from playoff contention)
                   
NO: 1 2 3   5 6 7   (clinched playoff berth)
TB: 1 2 3   5 6 7 E  
ATL:               E (eliminated from playoff contention)
CAR:               E (eliminated from playoff contention)
                   
SEA: 1 2 3   5 6 7   (clinched playoff berth)
LAR: 1 2 3   5 6 7 E  
ARI:         5 6 7 E (knocked out of division title contention)
SF:               E (eliminated from playoff contention)
                   
BUF: 1 2 3 4         (clinched division title)
MIA:         5 6 7 E (knocked out of division title contention)
NE:               E (eliminated from playoff contention)
NYJ:               E (eliminated from playoff contention)
                   
PIT: 1 2 3 4 5 6     (clinched playoff berth)
CLE:   2 3 4 5 6 7 E  
BAL:         5 6 7 E (knocked out of division title contention)
CIN:               E (eliminated from playoff contention)
                   
TEN:   2 3 4 5 6 7 E  
IND:   2 3 4 5 6 7 E  
HOU:               E (eliminated from playoff contention)
JAX:               E (eliminated from playoff contention)
                   
KC: 1 2             (clinched division title)
LV:             7 E (knocked out of division title contention)
DEN:               E (eliminated from playoff contention)
LAC:               E (eliminated from playoff contention)

Team Control

The seed that a team controls is the worst seed that team could get if they win out. These are often mutually exclusive because it is impossible for teams that play each other in future weeks to both win out. If a team changed controlled seed from last week, last week’s seed is noted in parentheses.

Teams that control the 1 seed:
GB KC

Teams that control the 2 seed:
NO

Teams that control the 3 seed:
LAR SEA BUF PIT(2)

Teams that control the 4 seed:
WAS TEN

Teams that control the 5 seed:
TB(6) CLE IND(6)

Teams that control the 6 seed:
ARI(7)

Teams that control the 7 seed:
MIA

Teams that could win out and still miss the playoffs:
NYG DAL PHI MIN CHI DET ATL CAR SF
NE NYJ BAL CIN HOU JAX LV DEN LAC

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