Has Any NFL Team Clinched a Playoff Spot?

As the NFL regular season comes to a close, several teams have already clinched a spot in the playoffs. The NFC has been particularly competitive this year, with several teams still in contention for the top spot. In the AFC, the New England Patriots have clinched a spot, but the rest of the field is still wide open.

So, who has clinched a spot in the NFL playoffs? And who is still in the running? Read on to find out.

NFL Playoffs

The NFL playoffs are a single-elimination tournament held after the regular season to determine the NFL champion. From its inception in 1933, it has been contested by NFL teams. The tournament culminates in the Super Bowl, the league’s championship game. Teams that have not clinched a playoff berth are not eligible to compete in the playoffs. As of Week 14 of the 2020 NFL season, no team has clinched a playoff spot.

What is the NFL playoff picture?

There are a total of 12 NFL teams that make the playoffs each year. The four division winners in each conference (the NFC and the AFC) are seeded 1-4 based on their regular season record, and the two wild card teams in each conference are seeded 5-6. The top two seed in each conference earn a first-round bye.

In the first round of the playoffs, the 3 seed hosts the 6 seed, and the 4 seed hosts the 5 seed. The winners of those games then advance to play the 1 and 2 seeds in each conference, respectively. The four divisional winners advance to the conference championships, where the NFC champion is determined (in odd-numbered years) and then the AFC champion is determined (in even-numbered years). Finally, at Super Bowl Sunday, the NFC and AFC champions face off to decide who is crowned champion of the NFL for that season.

How do teams clinch a playoff spot?

In the NFL, teams can clinch a playoff spot in one of two ways: by winning their division or by earning a Wild Card berth.

A team clinches a division title and a playoff spot by being the first team in its division to have either (a) clinched at least a .500 record OR (b) a winning record and more wins than any other team in its conference. In other words, if Team A has a better record than Team B and Team C, and Team A has also clinched a .500 record or better, then Team A clinches the division title and a playoff berth.

A team can clinch a Wild Card berth (and a spot in the playoffs) by being one of the two teams in its conference with the best records who have not yet won their division.

So, to recap, there are two ways to clinch an NFL playoff spot: (1) win your division, or (2) earn a Wild Card berth.

AFC Playoff Picture

The Baltimore Ravens have clinched a playoff spot, becoming the first team in the AFC to do so. They’ve also clinched the AFC North title. The New England Patriots have also clinched a playoff spot, but they can still clinch the AFC East. The Kansas City Chiefs have clinched a playoff spot and the AFC West title. The Houston Texans have clinched a playoff spot and the AFC South title.

AFC East

The AFC East is a division of the American Football Conference (AFC) of the National Football League (NFL). There are currently four teams that compete in the AFC East which are the New England Patriots, Miami Dolphins, Buffalo Bills, and New York Jets. As of week thirteen of the NFL season, the New England Patriots have clinched a playoff spot.

AFC North

Currently, the Baltimore Ravens are in first place in the AFC North with a 10-2 record. The Ravens have clinched a playoff berth and can clinch the division title with a win over the Buffalo Bills in Week 14 or a loss by the Pittsburgh Steelers.

AFC South

The AFC South is a division of the American Football Conference (AFC) in the National Football League (NFL). It was created prior to the 2002 NFL season when the league realigned divisions after expanding to 32 teams. Four teams currently compete in the division: the Houston Texans, Jacksonville Jaguars, Indianapolis Colts, and Tennessee Titans.

As of Week 13 of the 2020 NFL season, no team in the AFC South has clinched a playoff spot. However, the division-leading Texans are in good position to make the playoffs, as they have a 9-3 record and sit atop the AFC South standings. The second-place Jaguars (7-5) are also in contention for a playoff spot, as they trail the Texans by two games with four games remaining in the regular season.

AFC West

The AFC West is still wide open, with all four teams still in the hunt for a playoff spot. The Kansas City Chiefs currently sit atop the division with a 9-3 record, but they are just a half-game ahead of the second-place Oakland Raiders. The Los Angeles Chargers are right behind those two teams with an 8-4 record, while the Denver Broncos are right behind them at 7-5.

All four teams have difficult games remaining on their schedules, so it’s anyone’s guess as to who will come out on top in this competitive division.

NFC Playoff Picture

There are only three weeks left in the NFL regular season and the playoff picture is becoming clearer. The New Orleans Saints have clinched the NFC South and a spot in the playoffs. The Los Angeles Rams have clinched the NFC West and a spot in the playoffs. The Chicago Bears have clinched the NFC North and a spot in the playoffs.

NFC East

The Dallas Cowboys have clinched the NFC East division title and a playoff berth. They cannot be caught by the second place team in their division, the Philadelphia Eagles.

NFC North

The Green Bay Packers have clinched the NFC North title and a playoff spot.

NFC South

The NFC South is wide open, with all four teams still in the hunt for a playoff spot. The New Orleans Saints currently sit atop the division with a 9-3 record, but the Carolina Panthers are close behind at 8-4. The Atlanta Falcons are also in the mix at 7-5, while the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are still alive at 6-6.

NFC West

The NFC West is a division of the National Football Conference (NFC) in the National Football League (NFL). It currently has four members: the Arizona Cardinals, the Los Angeles Rams, the San Francisco 49ers, and the Seattle Seahawks.

As of Week 12 of the 2020 NFL season, no team in the NFC West has clinched a playoff spot. The Seattle Seahawks currently have the best record in the division at 8-3, followed by the Los Angeles Rams at 7-4. The San Francisco 49ers are in third place at 5-6, and the Arizona Cardinals are in last place at 5-6.

Wild Card Playoffs

The NFL playoffs are a single-elimination tournament held after the end of the regular season to determine the NFL champion. From the time that it was founded in 1966, there have been 52 Super Bowls played. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are the most recent team to have won the Super Bowl, taking home the Lombardi Trophy in February 2021.

AFC Wild Card Picture

The current AFC playoff picture is as follows:

1. Baltimore Ravens (11-2) – Clinched division, can clinch home-field advantage with a win or tie OR a New England loss or tie.
2. New England Patriots (10-3) – Clinched division, can clinch first-round bye and home-field advantage with a win AND a Baltimore loss or tie.
3. Kansas City Chiefs (9-4) – Clinched division
4. Houston Texans (9-4) – Clinched division
5. Buffalo Bills (9-4) – Lead the AFC Wild Card race
6. Pittsburgh Steelers (8-5)- occupy the second AFC Wild Card spot

The following teams are still in the running for an AFC Wild Card berth:
7. Oakland Raiders (6-7), 8. Indianapolis Colts (6-7), 9. Tennessee Titans (6-7), 10. Cleveland Browns (6-7), 11. Jacksonville Jaguars (5-8).
Of these teams, the Raiders currently have the best shot at clinching a playoff spot, as they occupy the first AFC Wild Card spot.

NFC Wild Card Picture

The NFC has six teams vying for the two available Wild Card spots: the Los Angeles Rams (9-6), Chicago Bears (9-6), Dallas Cowboys (8-7), Minnesota Vikings (8-7), Philadelphia Eagles (8-7) and Seattle Seahawks (10-5).

The Rams currently occupy the first Wild Card spot, but their lead is tenuous at best. They hold the head-to-head tiebreaker over the Bears and Cowboys, but lose out to the Vikings due to conference record. The Rams also have a tougher remaining schedule than any of their competitors, with a road game against the San Francisco 49ers (13-2) in Week 16 followed by a home game against the Arizona Cardinals (5-9) in Week 17.

The Bears currently occupy the second Wild Card spot, but they, too, have a tough road ahead. They have a difficult matchup at home against the Kansas City Chiefs (11-4) in Week 16 before traveling to Minnesota to take on the Vikings in Week 17. The Bears hold the head-to-head tiebreaker over Dallas, but lose out to Philadelphia due to conference record.

The Cowboys, Vikings, Eagles and Seahawks all still have a chance at clinching a Wild Card berth, but their paths to doing so are far from clear. Like the Rams and Bears, all four teams have difficult games remaining on their schedules. For Dallas and Minnesota, who face off against each other in Week 16, it may come down to which team can win that crucial head-to-head matchup. The winner of that game will most likely clinch a Wild Card spot, while the loser will be left fighting for their playoff lives in Week 17. As for Philadelphia and Seattle, they will need some help from other teams in order to have a chance at clinching a Wild Card berth.

So who will ultimately clinch those final two NFC Wild Card spots? Only time will tell.