NFL Week 17 playoff picture following Vikings-Packers

Only one sport stays in Week 17 of the 2023 NFL season.

And what a giant sport it’s.

The Inexperienced Bay Packers will sq. off with the Minnesota Vikings later tonight, in a sport that’s pivotal for each groups’ playoff hopes. With only one spot left left up for grabs within the NFC playoffs, the winner of tonight’s sport will slide into that seventh spot forward of the ultimate week of the common season.

Whereas the loser will likely be on skinny ice.

Right here is how the NFL playoff image shapes up forward of the ultimate sport of Week 17.

NFC

In proper now

1. San Francisco 49ers (12-4) – z*Remaining sport: Rams

2. Dallas Cowboys (11-5) – xRemaining sport: at Commanders

3. Detroit Lions (11-5) – zRemaining sport: Vikings

4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (8-8)Remaining sport: at Panthers

5. Philadelphia Eagles (11-5) – xRemaining sport: at Giants

6. Los Angeles Rams (9-7) – yRemaining sport: at 49ers

7. Inexperienced Bay Packers (8-8)Remaining sport: Bears

Within the hunt

8. Seattle Seahawks (8-8)Remaining sport: at Cardinals

9. New Orleans Saints (8-8)Remaining sport: Falcons

10. Minnesota Vikings (7-9)Remaining sport: at Lions

11. Chicago Bears (7-9) – eRemaining sport: at Packers

Atlanta Falcons (7-9)Remaining sport: at Saints

z – Clinched divisionx – Clinched playoff spoty – Clinched Wild Carde – Eradicated* – Clinched homefield benefit

Sunday evening replace: With their win over the Vikings, the Packers at the moment are within the seventh spot within the playoffs. Inexperienced Bay, Seattle, and New Orleans all have matching 8-8 information. Working via the tiebreakers, each the Packers and the Seahawks have 6-5 information within the NFC, whereas the Saints have a 5-6 report. That drops New Orleans out for now, leaving Seattle and Inexperienced Bay.

Between these two groups, the Packers have the sting over the Seahawks, due to a greater energy of victory.

As well as, Inexperienced Bay’s win over the Vikings eradicated the Chicago Bears. Nonetheless, the Bears are nonetheless forward of the Falcons within the convention standings, due to their win over Atlanta on Sunday.

Earlier: San Francisco’s win over Washington, together with losses by Detroit and Philadelphia, secured homefield benefit for the 49ers all through the NFC playoffs.

Dallas and Detroit have matching 11-5 information, however the Cowboys’ win over the Lions on Saturday evening, whereas controversial, provides them the tiebreaker edge. The Lions slide into the third spot within the convention. We’ll break down why the Cowboys are atop the NFC East proper now in a second.

As for the NFC South, regardless of their loss to the Saints the Buccaneers are nonetheless atop the division, regardless of having the identical report as New Orleans, and the groups having cut up their season collection. In addition they have matching 3-2 information within the division, so the subsequent tiebreaker — report in widespread video games — is utilized. Proper now, the Buccaneers maintain the benefit in that tiebreaker.

Philadelphia had an opportunity to stay within the hunt for the highest seed, however their loss to Arizona now places their hopes for the NFC East in peril. In the meanwhile the Cowboys have the sting, due to the fourth tiebreaker between the groups. Philadelphia and Dallas have matching information, they usually tie in head-to-head report, division report and report in widespread video games performed.

The fourth tiebreaker — convention report — has Dallas (8-3) forward of Philadelphia (7-4).

The Rams locked up a Wild Card spot with their win, and the Seahawks’ loss to the Steelers. Seattle stays within the seventh spot at this hour, however that’s in peril. In the meanwhile they’ve the identical report because the Saints, however maintain a tiebreaker benefit over New Orleans with a greater convention report.

Ought to tonight’s sport between Minnesota and Inexperienced Bay finish in a tie, Seattle will keep within the seventh spot. However the winner of that sport, if there’s one, will bump Seattle out of seventh.

Proper now, the Vikings are in ninth, forward of the Packers, because of a greater convention report. However once more, ought to a type of groups win tonight’s sport, they are going to slide into the seventh spot.

The Bears and the Falcons are each nonetheless alive. Atlanta can nonetheless win the division, regardless of their loss to Chicago on Sunday. However to take action they would wish to beat the Saints subsequent week, and see the Buccaneers lose to the Panthers. For Chicago, to get in they would wish a win over Inexperienced Bay subsequent week, and an entire lot of assist.

NFC playoff matchups if the postseason began immediately

If the NFC playoffs started immediately, these could be the three matchups on Wild Card Weekend:

Inexperienced Bay Packers at Dallas Cowboys
Los Angeles Rams at Detroit Lions
Philadelphia Eagles at Tampa Bay Buccaneers

The San Francisco 49ers would have the first-overall seed, and the first-round bye, within the NFC.

This will likely be up to date after the Vikings-Packers sport.

AFC

In proper now

1. Baltimore Ravens (13-3) – z*Remaining sport: Steelers

2. Miami Dolphins (11-5) – xRemaining sport: Payments

3. Kansas Metropolis Chiefs (10-6)Remaining sport: at Chargers

4. Jacksonville Jaguars (9-7)Remaining sport: at Titans

5. Cleveland Browns (11-5) – yRemaining sport: at Bengals

6. Buffalo Payments (10-6)Remaining video games: at Dolphins

7. Indianapolis Colts (9-7)Remaining sport: Texans

Within the hunt

8. Houston Texans (9-7)Remaining sport: at Colts

9. Pittsburgh Steelers (9-7)Remaining sport: at Ravens

z- Clinched divisionx – Clinched playoff spoty – Clinched Wild Card* – Clinched homefield benefit

Within the AFC, Baltimore’s win over the Dolphins means the highway to the Tremendous Bowl within the AFC goes via the Ravens, as Baltimore now has homefield benefit all through the playoffs. They’ve additionally secured the AFC North.

Miami nonetheless has clinched a playoff spot and has the within monitor to the No. 2 seed within the AFC, however they nonetheless have to beat Buffalo in Week 18 to clinch the division.

The Chiefs’ win over Cincinnati, coupled with losses from the Broncos and the Raiders, wraps up the AFC West for Kansas Metropolis.

Houston, Indianapolis, and Jacksonville are all tied with matching 9-7 information. However as famous in earlier installments of this collection, the Jaguars have tiebreaker benefits over each groups. They swept the Colts, they usually have a greater division report than the Texans.

Cleveland clinched a playoff spot with their win on Thursday evening, and with Baltimore’s win on Sunday, the Browns at the moment are slotted right into a Wild Card spot.

As for the ultimate two playoff spots within the AFC, Buffalo and Indianapolis are in these two spots for the second. Buffalo’s 10-6 information slides them into the sixth spot. Houston, Indianapolis, and Pittsburgh all have matching 9-7 information. Division tiebreakers are utilized first to eradicate one of many AFC South groups, and the Colts’ Week 2 win over Houston “eliminates” the Texans. Then, the Colts’ win over Pittsburgh drops the Steelers out, and places Indianapolis into the seventh spot for now.

Then between Houston and Pittsburgh, the Texans have the benefit due to an early-season win over Pittsburgh.