NFL Playoff Picture Week 17: Postseason seeds, projected draft ...

NFL Playoff Picture is a weekly look at the teams jockeying to secure their shot to make it to Super Bowl LIX.

AFC

x = clinched playoff berthy = clinched division titlez = clinched first-round bye

The Kansas City Chiefs ensured the AFC playoffs would run through Arrowhead Stadium following their Christmas Day victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers. Kansas City was the conference's 3-seed last year but won another Super Bowl. Now, the Chiefs, seeking a historic three-peat, will be rested and healthier in January after clinching a postseason first-round bye with one week left.

Another big development in the AFC comes from the North, with the Baltimore Ravens in control of the division after dominating the Houston Texans to pass the Steelers for first place. It's hard to find many teams playing better than Baltimore right now. The club will clinch the division title for the second straight year with a win over the Cleveland Browns next week.

The Los Angeles Chargers blew out the New England Patriots on Saturday to clinch a playoff berth and add to Jim Harbaugh's impressive first season back in the NFL. Justin Herbert has played only one playoff game in his career - when L.A. blew a 27-0 lead to the Jacksonville Jaguars - so it'll be interesting to see if Harbaugh can help the star QB elevate his game in the postseason.

The race for the AFC's 7-seed remains open after the Cincinnati Bengals claimed an epic overtime win over the Denver Broncos on Saturday. However, Denver will still make the playoffs if it beats Kansas City next week.

In the hunt

Despite Joe Burrow's spectacular season, the Bengals are still in a tough spot for making the postseason. They need a win over the Steelers next week and a Broncos loss. The Miami Dolphins and Indianapolis Colts also have to lose at least one of their final two games for Cincinnati to advance. Miami - unlikely to have an injured Tua Tagovailoa on Sunday - plays the Browns and New York Jets. Indy visits the New York Giants without an injured Anthony Richardson before hosting the Jacksonville Jaguars in its regular-season finale.

NFC

x = clinched playoff berthy = clinched division titlez = clinched first-round bye

The Seattle Seahawks beat the Chicago Bears on Thursday, but the Los Angeles Rams kept their lead in the West and got closer to clinching the division crown after defeating the Arizona Cardinals on Saturday. Los Angeles is scheduled to play a decisive contest versus Seattle next week, but Sean McVay's outfit can advance even with a loss (more on that below).

The Detroit Lions visit the San Francisco 49ers on Monday. They can clinch the NFC North title and the conference's No. 1 seed with a victory combined with a Minnesota Vikings loss to the Green Bay Packers on Sunday.

The Philadelphia Eagles need only a win (or a Washington Commanders loss) to clinch the NFC East title. Philly plays the Dallas Cowboys without starting quarterback Jalen Hurts, who remains in the concussion protocol.

In the hunt

A Seahawks win over the Rams next week would tie their season series, but it doesn't necessarily guarantee Seattle the NFC West title. It might not matter at all, actually. That's because Los Angeles can still win the division and eliminate Seattle this weekend via the strength-of-victory tiebreaker. In other words, the Seahawks have to win next week and need other teams' help to advance, specifically the Buffalo Bills, Browns, Vikings, 49ers, and Commanders. If any of these teams combine for three or more wins in the season's final two weeks, the Rams will advance.

Projected NFL draft order

The 2-13 Giants are still projected to pick first overall in the 2025 NFL Draft. New York hosts the Colts on Sunday before finishing its regular season on the road against the Eagles. The Giants have started three different quarterbacks in 2024 and are expected to target a QB in the upcoming offseason.