The Detroit Lions won a division championship Sunday for the first time since 1993. Dan Campbell’s team claimed the NFC North title in dramatic fashion, hanging on to beat the Minnesota Vikings 30-24.
Winning the division ensures the Lions will play at least one postseason game at Ford Field, and it remains possible for Detroit to secure a bye along with home-field advantage through the NFC playoffs. If the San Francisco 49ers lose to the Baltimore Ravens on Monday night, the Lions and Niners will be tied at 11-4 with two games to go.
The 49ers would own the tiebreaker, but if San Francisco were to lose another game and Detroit were to win out, the Lions would take the bye. It’s not a likely scenario, as you’re about to see, but the Lions also just won their first division title in 30 years. Anything is possible.
As for the rest of the NFL, Week 16 saw plenty of movement in the playoff picture. Let’s take a look at where things stand with three games still to come on Monday.
Listed odds to make the playoffs, secure the No. 1 seed and win the Super Bowl are all via The Athletic’s NFL betting model, created by Austin Mock.
AFC playoff picture
| Seed | Team | Record | Week 16 result |
|---|---|---|---|
|
x–1 |
11-3 |
(TBD) vs. SF |
|
|
x–2 |
11-4 |
W vs. DAL |
|
|
3 |
9-5 |
(TBD) vs. LV |
|
|
4 |
8-7 |
L vs. TB |
|
|
5 |
10-5 |
W vs. HOU |
|
|
6 |
9-6 |
W vs. LAC |
|
|
7 |
8-7 |
L vs. ATL |
x — Clinched playoff berth | z — Clinched division title
Baltimore Ravens
Quarterback Lamar Jackson has a single playoff win to his resume, with the Ravens averaging 13 points in his four outings, so that’ll be a question mark in a few weeks. But if Jackson plays well Monday in a victory against the San Francisco 49ers, it should go a long way toward alleviating some of those concerns.
Remaining schedule: at 49ers, vs. Miami Dolphins, vs. Pittsburgh Steelers
Odds: To make playoffs: 100 percent | To earn bye: 52.6 percent | To win Super Bowl: 14.3 percent
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Miami Dolphins
The Dolphins just earned their first marquee victory of the season Sunday against the Cowboys, and they got it with a clutch, game-winning drive just before the buzzer. That’s huge, not just for a team angling for seeding but as the Dolphins work to build confidence before the playoffs. Now they’re in a position to take hold of the No. 1 seed if they can win Sunday in Baltimore.
Remaining schedule: at Ravens, vs. Buffalo Bills
Odds: To make playoffs: 100 percent | To earn bye: 32 percent | To win Super Bowl: 12.7 percent
The Chiefs haven’t beaten a team that currently has a winning record since knocking off the Dolphins in London on Nov. 5. They’ll have a chance to eradicate that issue next Sunday against the Bengals, but would such a victory against a backup quarterback carry much weight? The Chiefs are looking vulnerable as they enter the postseason.
Remaining schedule: vs. Las Vegas Raiders, vs. Cincinnati Bengals, at Los Angeles Chargers
Odds: To make playoffs: 99.7 percent | To earn bye: 11.9 percent | To win Super Bowl: 12 percent
The Jags are reeling with four consecutive losses, and quarterback Trevor Lawrence’s injuries are mounting by the week. Their offensive issues over the past two weeks can be explained by injuries and Lawrence’s shortage of practice time, but the defense is also leaking by surrendering 29.5 points per game during the skid. Then again, the Bucs scored three touchdowns off turnovers, so it’s become a widespread meltdown.
Remaining schedule: vs. Carolina Panthers, at Tennessee Titans
Odds: To make playoffs: 68.5 percent | To earn bye: 0 percent | To win Super Bowl: 1.7 percent
Quarterback Joe Flacco, who was sitting on his couch watching football five Sundays ago, has three consecutive 300-yard games for the first time in his career. He hasn’t had a trio of 300-yard games throughout an entire season since 2016. Just a remarkable run.
Remaining schedule: vs. New York Jets, at Bengals
Odds: To make playoffs: 100 percent | To earn bye: 3.5 percent | To win Super Bowl: 2.6 percent
Buffalo Bills
The Bills started their three-game winning streak in Kansas City, and they’re shaping up to be as dangerous as any team in the AFC. There’s also a possibility we see the next chapter of the Bills-Chiefs mini-rivalry in the wild-card round.
Remaining schedule: at New England Patriots, at Dolphins
Odds: To make playoffs: 90.1 percent | To earn bye: 0 percent | To win Super Bowl: 4.9 percent
The Colts laid an egg with a 29-10 loss in Atlanta, and now they’re in a four-way tie with the Texans, Steelers and Bengals. The Colts will almost certainly have to win out and hope the tiebreakers work in their favor to reach the playoffs for the first time since 2020.
Remaining schedule: vs. Raiders, vs. Houston Texans
Odds: To make playoffs: 66.3 percent | To earn bye: 0 percent | To win Super Bowl: 1 percent
In the hunt
• Houston Texans (8-7)
• Pittsburgh Steelers (8-7)
• Cincinnati Bengals (8-7)
• Denver Broncos (7-8)
• Las Vegas Raiders (6-8)
Eliminated
• New York Jets (6-9)
• Tennessee Titans (5-10)
• Los Angeles Chargers (5-10)
• New England Patriots (4-11)
NFC playoff picture
| Seed | Team | Record | Week 16 result |
|---|---|---|---|
|
z–1 |
11-3 |
(TBD) vs. BAL |
|
|
z–2 |
11-4 |
W vs. MIN |
|
|
x–3 |
10-4 |
(TBD) vs. NYG |
|
|
4 |
8-7 |
W vs. JAX |
|
|
x–5 |
10-5 |
L vs. MIA |
|
|
6 |
8-7 |
W vs. NO |
|
|
7 |
8-7 |
W vs. TEN |
x — Clinched playoff berth | z — Clinched division title
San Francisco 49ers
The Niners’ six-game winning streak has come against some impressive opponents, and they’ve already blown out the Cowboys and Eagles this season. A victory against the Ravens would solidify the 49ers as the team to beat in the playoffs.
Remaining schedule: vs. Ravens, at Washington Commanders, vs. Los Angeles Rams
Odds: To make playoffs: 100 percent | To earn bye: 91.8 percent | To win Super Bowl: 26.5 percent
Detroit Lions
The Lions have finally won the NFC North and will host a playoff game for the first time in 30 years. They’ll also be searching for their first postseason victory in 32 years — and just their second in the Super Bowl era. And in a sadistically fitting way, they may have to go through fan favorite Matthew Stafford to get it done.
Remaining schedule: at Dallas Cowboys, vs. Minnesota Vikings
Odds: To make playoffs: 100 percent | To earn bye: 5.6 percent | To win Super Bowl: 1.4 percent
Philadelphia Eagles
The Eagles are a prime example of why it’s a waste of breath to debate a team’s potential to go undefeated in October. No one could have foreseen a three-game losing streak that included consistency issues on offense (16.3 points per game) and a reshuffling of the defensive coaching staff. The Eagles have three winnable games to get right before the playoffs, but they’ll have to reprove themselves against better competition in January.
Remaining schedule: vs. New York Giants, vs. Arizona Cardinals, at Giants
Odds: To make playoffs: 100 percent | To earn bye: 6.1 percent | To win Super Bowl: 6.4 percent
The Bucs have won four in a row but hadn’t necessarily beaten a quality opponent until delivering a statement with a blowout against the Jaguars. There won’t be high expectations for the Buccaneers — or whoever wins the NFC South — against the NFC East runner-up, but a playoff berth in a rebuilding year after a 4-7 start should be viewed as a huge success in Tampa.
Remaining schedule: vs. New Orleans Saints, at Panthers
Odds: To make playoffs: 87.5 percent | To earn bye: 0 percent | To win Super Bowl: 1.3 percent
Dallas Cowboys
With the loss Sunday in Miami, the Cowboys fell to 2-2 this season in one-possession games, and they’ve only won a single time (Week 13 against the Seahawks) when they’ve trailed after the first quarter. Their lack of success in tightly contested games will again be a concern in the playoffs.
Remaining schedule: vs. Lions, at Commanders
Odds: To make playoffs: 100 percent | To earn bye: 0.5 percent | To win Super Bowl: 7.5 percent
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Los Angeles Rams
There was little reason to believe the Rams would be in this position when they were 3-6, but they’ve won five of six since their bye week and have a shot to play the role of spoilers if they can continue this march into the playoffs.
Remaining schedule: at Giants, at 49ers
Odds: To make playoffs: 68.4 percent | To earn bye: 0 percent | To win Super Bowl: 1.3 percent
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Seattle Seahawks
The Seahawks don’t rack up many style points, but they’ve proven their ability to win close games, including game-winning drives from quarterbacks Geno Smith and Drew Lock in the last two outings. If they can get healthier for the playoffs, this physical team that just endured a stretch of tough opponents is going to be an unenviable opponent.
Remaining schedule: vs. Steelers, at Cardinals
Odds: To make playoffs: 67.3 percent | To earn bye: 0 percent | To win Super Bowl: 0.9 percent
In the hunt
• Minnesota Vikings (7-8)
• Atlanta Falcons (7-8)
• Green Bay Packers (7-8)
• New Orleans Saints (7-8)
• Chicago Bears (6-9)
• New York Giants (5-9)
Eliminated
• Washington Commanders (4-11)
• Arizona Cardinals (3-12)
• Carolina Panthers (2-13)
(Top photo of Jared Goff: Stephen Maturen / Getty Images)
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