2022 NFL playoff picture: Week 16 AFC and NFC live updates, standings, clinching scenarios (Updated Sunday night)

December 26, 2022December 26, 2022 Admin

The Week 16 schedule is underway for the 2022 NFL season. The season is winding down with the playoffs looming and teams trying to get into contention for a berth in the postseason tournament. Every game seemingly has playoff implications right now, whether it is allowing a team to claim their division title, move into a wild card spot, or be eliminated from contention this year.

Throughout Week 16, we will update the playoff standings with the results of the most recent games. We will keep track of who can clinch what spot in the postseason, which teams have seen their 2022 hopes dashed, and who will stay alive into Week 17.

Coming into Week 16, the AFC playoff picture had the Buffalo Bills in the top-seeded spot, leading the AFC East, and guaranteed at least a spot in the playoffs. The Kansas City Chiefs, tied with the Bills at 11-3, have already claimed the AFC West and are now playing to move ahead of Buffalo in the seeding. The Cincinnati Bengals held the third seed as the AFC North leader while the Tennessee Titans entered the week as the fourth seed and the leader of the AFC South. The Baltimore Ravens, Los Angeles Chargers, and Miami Dolphins made up the three wild card spots to start the week.

On the other side of the bracket, the NFC playoff picture started with the Philadelphia Eagles in the top spot as the NFC East leader, having claimed a playoff spot this year and potentially securing the number one seed by the end of the week. The Minnesota Vikings and San Francisco 49ers, second and third in the bracket, have won the NFC North and NFC West, respectively, while the Tampa Bay Buccaneers remain the fourth seed as the NFC South leader. The Dallas Cowboys, who have clinched a playoff berth, are the top wild card teams entering the week and are attempting to track down the Eagles starting with a key head-to-head matchup this weekend. The New York Giants and Washington Commanders round out the wild card spot, giving the NFC East four playoff teams as of the start of the week.

How will everything look at the end of the week? Our live standings below will keep you up to date.

Week 16 Schedule

Finals

Jacksonville Jaguars 19 – 3 New York Jets
Atlanta Falcons 9 – 17 Baltimore Ravens
Detroit Lions 23 – 37 Carolina Panthers
Buffalo Bills 35 – 13 Chicago Bears
New Orleans Saints 17 – 10 Cleveland Browns
Seattle Seahawks 10 – 24 Kansas City Chiefs
New York Giants 24 – 27 Minnesota Vikings
Cincinnati Bengals 22 – 18 New England Patriots
Houston Texans 19 – 14 Tennessee Titans
Washington Commanders 20 – 37 San Francisco 49ers
Philadelphia Eagles 34 – 40 Dallas Cowboys
Las Vegas Raiders 10 – 13 Pittsburgh Steelers
Green Bay Packers 26 – 20 Miami Dolphins
Denver Broncos 14 – 51 Los Angeles Rams
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 19 – 16 Arizona Cardinals (OT)

Schedule

Los Angeles Chargers at Indianapolis Colts, Monday, 8:15 p.m. ET

AFC Playoff Picture Live Updates (through Week 16 Sunday games)

Week 16 Clinching Scenarios:

Baltimore Ravens – Clinched playoff berth
Clinch playoff berth with:

Ravens win and Dolphins loss/tie and Patriots loss/tie OR
Ravens win and Dolphins loss/tie and Jets loss/tie OR
Ravens win and Patriots loss/tie and Jets loss/tie OR
~~Ravens tie~~ and Patriots loss and Jets loss OR
~~Ravens tie~~ and Patriots loss and Dolphins loss and Chargers win OR
~~Ravens tie~~ and Patriots loss and Dolphins loss and ~~Jets tie~~ OR
~~Ravens tie~~ and Patriots loss and ~~Jets tie~~ and Chargers win OR
~~Ravens tie~~ and ~~Patriots tie~~ and Jets loss and Dolphins loss OR
~~Ravens tie~~ and ~~Patriots tie~~ and ~~Jets tie~~ and Dolphins loss and Chargers win OR
Patriots loss and Jets loss and Browns loss/tie and Raiders loss/tie and Titans loss/tie and Chargers win

Buffalo Bills – Clinched division title
Clinch AFC East division title with:

Bills win OR
Dolphins loss/tie

Cincinnati Bengals – Clinched playoff berth
Clinch playoff berth with:

Bengals win/tie OR
Jets loss/tie

Los Angeles Chargers
Clinch playoff berth with:

Chargers win and Raiders loss/tie and Patriots loss and Jets loss OR
Chargers win and Raiders loss/tie and Patriots loss and ~~Jets tie~~ and Dolphins loss OR
Chargers win and Radiers loss/tie and ~~Patriots tie~~ and Jets loss and Dolphins loss

Standings:

1 – Buffalo Bills (12-3, AFC East champion)+
2 – Kansas City Chiefs (12-3, AFC West champion)+
3 – Cincinnati Bengals (11-4, AFC North leader)^
4 – Jacksonville Jaguars (7-8, AFC South leader)
5 – Baltimore Ravens (10-5, Wild Card 1)^
6 – Los Angeles Chargers (8-6, Wild Card 2)*
7 – Miami Dolphins (8-7, Wild Card 3)

In the hunt
New England Patriots (7-8)
New York Jets (7-8)
Tennessee Titans (7-8)
Pittsburgh Steelers (7-8)
Las Vegas Raiders (6-9)

Eliminated
Cleveland Browns (6-9)
Indianapolis Colts (4-9-1)*
Denver Broncos (4-11)
Houston Texans (2-12-1)

*Still to play
^Clinched playoff berth
+Clinched division title

Week 16 Elimination Scenarios:

Cleveland Browns – Eliminated
Eliminated with:

Browns loss OR
~~Browns tie~~ and Chargers win/tie and ~~Dolphins~~ ~~win/tie~~ OR
~~Browns tie~~ and Chargers win/tie and ~~Jets win/tie~~ OR
~~Browns tie~~ and Chargers win/tie and ~~Patriots win/tie~~ OR
Ravens win/tie and Chargers win and ~~Dolphins win~~

Indianapolis Colts – Eliminated
Eliminated with:

Colts loss/tie OR
Jaguars win/tie OR
~~Titans win/tie~~

Las Vegas Raiders – Cannot be eliminated
Eliminated with:

Raiders loss and Chargers win/tie and ~~Dolphins win/tie~~ OR
Raiders loss and Chargers win/tie and ~~Jets win/tie~~ OR
Raiders loss and Chargers win/tie and ~~Patriots win/tie~~ OR
~~Raiders tie~~ and Chargers win and ~~Dolphins win~~ OR
~~Raiders tie~~ and Chargers win and ~~Patriots win~~ and ~~Dolphins tie~~

New York Jets – Cannot be eliminated
Eliminated with:

Jets loss and Chargers win and ~~Patriots win~~ and ~~Dolphins win~~ and Ravens win/tie OR
Jets loss and Chargers win and ~~Patriots win~~ and ~~Dolphins win~~ and ~~Browns win/tie~~

Pittsburgh Steelers – Cannot be eliminated
Eliminated with:

~~Steelers loss~~ OR
~~Steelers tie~~ and Chargers win/tie and ~~Dolphins win/tie~~ OR
~~Steelers tie~~ and Chargers win/tie and ~~Patriots win/tie~~ OR
~~Steelers tie~~ and Chargers win/tie and ~~Jets win/tie~~ OR
Chargers win and ~~Dolphins win~~ OR
Chargers win and ~~Patriots win~~ and ~~Dolphins tie~~ OR
Chargers win and ~~Jets win~~ and ~~Dolphins tie~~ OR
Chargers win and ~~Patriots win~~ and ~~Jets win~~

NFC Playoff Picture Live Updates (through Week 16 Sunday games)

Week 16 Clinching Scenarios:

New York Giants – Cannot clinch playoff berth
Clinch playoff berth with:

~~Giants win~~ and Commanders loss and Lions loss OR
~~Giants win~~ and Commanders loss and Seahawks loss OR
~~Giants win~~ and Lions loss and Seahawks loss

Philadelphia Eagles – Cannot clinch division title nor number one seed
Clinch NFC East division title with:

Clinch homefield advantage and playoff bye with:

~~Eagles win~~ OR
~~Eagles tie~~ and ~~Vikings loss/tie~~

Standings:

1 – Philadelphia Eagles (13-2, NFC East leader)^
2 – Minnesota Vikings (12-3, NFC North champion)+
3 – San Francisco 49ers (11-4, NFC West champion)+
4 – Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-8, NFC South leader)
5 – Dallas Cowboys (11-4, Wild Card 1)^
6 – New York Giants (8-6-1, Wild Card 2)
7 – Washington Commanders (7-7-1, Wild Card 3)

In the hunt
Seattle Seahawks (7-8)
Detroit Lions (7-8)
Green Bay Packers (7-8)
Carolina Panthers (6-9)
New Orleans Saints (6-9)

Eliminated
Los Angeles Rams (5-10)
Atlanta Falcons (5-10)
Arizona Cardinals (4-11)
Chicago Bears (3-12)

*Still to play
^Clinched playoff berth
+Clinched division title

Week 16 Elimination Scenarios:

Atlanta Falcons – Eliminated
Eliminated with:

Falcons loss and Buccaneers win OR
Falcons loss and ~~Buccaneers tie~~ and Panthers win OR
Falcons loss and ~~Buccaneers tie~~ and ~~Panthers tie~~ and Saints win OR
Falcons loss and Panthers win and Saints win