NFC Playoff picture takes shape after Week 16 showdowns

Clinched the Playoffs

The NFC Playoff picture is nearly set, with only the NFC South division-winner undecided and a battle for the Wildcard still going strong.

Carolina took down the Buccaneers in a close game to take a one-game lead with two games to go, and each team’s only chance at the playoffs is a division championship.

Tampa Bay has one more chance at redemption in another head-to-head matchup in the season finale that will decide which team locks up the seventh and final NFC playoff spot.

The Philadelphia Eagles are the only team to have clinched a division title with their victory over the Washington Commanders on Saturday.

The NFC North is still a battle between the Chicago Bears and Green Bay Packers, who played an ESPN Instant Classic game that went to overtime on Saturday night.

In the NFC West, the Seattle Seahawks, Los Angeles Rams, and San Francisco 49ers are not only still in contention for the division title, but also for the number one seed in the conference.

Most of these teams still have games against each other in the final two weeks, which will make for entertaining football.

Still in the Hunt

The Detroit Lions still had an outside shot at the division title before their untimely loss to the Steelers, and now their only hope is the final Wildcard spot.

Sitting at 8-7, the Lions would need to win their final two games, and hope other teams (49ers and Packers) lose their final two.

The 49ers and Packers need only to win one more game each, and it would eliminate the Lions from playoff contention.

Improved Draft Position

A few teams who took losses in Week 16 might not have made fans happy, but they improved their draft position for the 2026 NFL Draft.

Here are the teams who took losses in Week 16 (including AFC teams), changing up the NFL draft picture:

• Cleveland Browns
• Dallas Cowboys
• Kansas City Chiefs
• Miami Dolphins
• New York Jets
• New York Giants
• Washington Commanders
• Arizona Cardinals
• Las Vegas Raiders

If the draft were today, the New York Giants would own the number one overall pick.

A team who is surprisingly on this list is the Kansas City Chiefs, who were already nearly eliminated before Patrick Mahomes tore his ACL.

You could call the Cowboys a surprise as well, with as well as the offense has played this season.