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The NFL fashioned season is in its final three-week stretch, and the teams that will fabricate this 300 and sixty five days’s playoffs are nearly instruct. Seven teams have clinched a set aside, and 6 others have an 87% or higher likelihood of constructing the playoffs by the Fresh York Cases’ simulator, which leaves the NFC West because the final “you are in otherwise you are out” set aside basically up for grabs.
What is aloof very powerful up in the air are the seeds for those 14 teams. One NFC team of workers sitting honest at 12-2 gorgeous now will halt up with a first-round bye, and one other will originate the playoffs on the toll road as a wild card. Patrick Mahomes’ ankle hurt with out notice formulation the Chiefs don’t appear to be a lock for the AFC’s high seed and dwelling-field encourage, cracking start a window for Buffalo, which handed Kansas City its only loss to this point this season.
We’re right here to designate you which ones teams have an effortless three weeks forward, and which teams have a greatly extra complicated course to the playoffs. The search files from will not be any longer whether or not they’ll fabricate the postseason, nevertheless rather how they’ll encourage themselves with the next toll road to the Extensive Bowl in Fresh Orleans. Right here are the battles to scrutinize down the stretch and the final opponents for every team of workers:
NFC TOP SEED
Lions (12-2): at Bears, at 49ers, vs. Vikings (mixed file 22-20)
Fresh Extensive Bowl odds: +475 (guess $10 to gain $57.50 whole)
Eagles (12-2): at Commanders, vs. Cowboys, vs. Giants (mixed file 17-25)
Fresh Extensive Bowl odds: +475 (guess $10 to gain $57.50 whole)
Vikings (12-2): at Seahawks, vs. Packers, at Lions (mixed file 30-12)
Fresh Extensive Bowl odds: +1200 (guess $10 to gain $130 whole)
This is a mountainous three-procedure conflict that will doubtlessly approach correct down to the Lions-Vikings fashioned-season finale in Week 18. If we presume, conservatively, that every team of workers wins not lower than one extra game, you will need three 13-gain teams in the same convention — the NFL had only one whole final 300 and sixty five days. Three 14-gain teams in one convention would possibly be unheard of.
The Vikings have with out downside the toughest final agenda, going thru three attainable playoff teams, two of them on the toll road. On the other hand, the Lions’ two losses this season have approach at Ford Field, so there’s irony if one other dwelling loss sends Detroit on the toll road in the playoffs, potentially after going unbeaten a long way from dwelling. The Lions were decimated by accidents on defense, so their next two on the toll road don’t appear to be as straightforward, though if there’s a team of workers extra restricted by accidents in the NFL, or not it’s the 49ers.
Every other very exact scenario: The Vikings lose one of their next two nevertheless then knock off the Lions, and the Eagles, with the finest final agenda of the three, gain the next two and want only to beat the lowly Giants in Week 18 to actual the No. 1 seed. Fresh York can also merely want the inducement of radiant a loss provides it the No. 1 total make a choice in the 2025 draft.
AFC TOP SEED
Chiefs (13-1): vs. Texans, at Steelers, at Broncos (mixed file 28-14)
Fresh Extensive Bowl odds: +600 (guess $10 to gain $70 whole)
Bills (11-3): vs. Patriots, vs. Jets, at Patriots (mixed file 10-32)
Fresh Extensive Bowl odds: +425 (guess $10 to gain $52.50 whole)
Steelers (10-4): at Ravens, vs. Chiefs, vs. Bengals (mixed file 28-14)
Fresh Extensive Bowl odds: +3000 (guess $10 to gain $310 whole)
Sooner than Mahomes injured his ankle, the Chiefs gave the impression a lock for the AFC’s high seed, nevertheless now they face three possible playoff teams, potentially with backup Carson Wentz main the charge. Within the occasion that they lose two, Buffalo would possibly have the pinnacle-to-head tiebreaker over Kansas City, which would perchance also indicate an AFC Championship Game showdown would occur in Buffalo, in desire to at Arrowhead.
Must Chiefs leisure Patrick Mahomes vs. Texans in Week 16? Buffalo has the finest final agenda by a long way — two games towards the Patriots, sandwiched round a dwelling game towards the Jets. That is an effortless course to 14 wins, which aloof wouldn’t fabricate Buffalo the AFC’s high seed if the Chiefs gain two of their final three games. Pittsburgh is barely a game encourage of Buffalo, nevertheless its agenda would possibly be more sturdy than the Chiefs’. If the relaxation, the Steelers need to offer protection to towards being caught by the Ravens, who’re only one game encourage and would possibly fabricate that up merely by beating Pittsburgh in Baltimore this weekend. The Ravens roam to Houston in Week 17, nevertheless in discovering to invent the 300 and sixty five days at dwelling towards the Browns, potentially clinching a division title in the occasion that they gain and the Steelers lose to the Bengals.
LAST TWO AFC WILD CARDS
Broncos (9-5): at Chargers, at Bengals, vs. Chiefs (mixed file 27-15)
Fresh Extensive Bowl odds: +3500 (guess $10 to gain $360 whole)
Chargers (8-6): vs. Broncos, at Patriots, at Raiders (mixed file 14-28)
Fresh Extensive Bowl odds: +5000 (guess $10 to gain $510 whole)
The Chargers are two games up on the Colts, Dolphins and Bengals for the final AFC wild card with three weeks left. The Fresh York Cases simulator provides them an 87% likelihood to manufacture the playoffs. So the extra exciting inform to scrutinize is whether or not or not they’ll gain the Broncos for the No. 6 seed, which would indicate warding off a day out to face the lesser of the Bills and Chiefs in the wild-card round.
The Chargers in discovering the Broncos at dwelling on Thursday and beat Denver in their first assembly, so a gain by itself would put L.A. forward. Jim Harbaugh’s squad additionally has a magnificent more uncomplicated final two weeks, going thru two teams not astray to pick out on in the halt three choices of the draft in April.
If the Broncos lose on Thursday, there’s a exact likelihood they’re going to face the Chiefs in the fashioned-season finale radiant that in the occasion that they gain, they’ll need to face the Chiefs again per week later on the toll road in the playoffs. We’re looking ahead to Mahomes encourage by the originate of the playoffs, nevertheless can also or not or not it’s a long way a favorable for Denver to arrangement Kansas City and a limping Mahomes, in desire to a wholesome Josh Allen and the Bills? Had the Chiefs not blocked a field perform as time expired, the Broncos would have won at Arrowhead this 300 and sixty five days.
NFC THIRD SEED
Bucs (8-6): at Cowboys, vs. Panthers, vs. Saints (mixed file 14-28)
Fresh Extensive Bowl odds: +3000 (guess $10 to gain $310 whole)
Rams (8-6): at Jets, vs. Cardinals, vs. Seahawks (mixed file 19-23)
Fresh Extensive Bowl odds: +4500 (guess $10 to gain $460 whole)
There would possibly be customarily a the same “who would you desire to tackle a long way from in the playoffs” motivation on the NFC facet, the set aside the Bucs are only one game up on the Falcons, nevertheless additionally adjust their future to actual the NFC No. 3 seed. That can per chance allow them to tackle a long way from net hosting the Lions or Vikings in the wild-card round. (Webhosting the Packers or Commanders will not be any treat both, nevertheless appears to be like slightly more uncomplicated).
Both Tampa Bay and Los Angeles have rather light final schedules and can bustle the table to transfer 11-6. If both fabricate so, the Bucs would have the tiebreaker over the Rams in keeping with the next convention file. Even so, the Rams would possibly have the division title on the toll road in Week 18 at dwelling towards Seattle, though the Seahawks would possibly must beat the Vikings this week to tackle that in play. There would possibly be a enormous gamble that Rams-Seahawks finale would possibly have both teams 10-6 — the winner hosts a playoff game, the loser can also omit the playoffs fully if Washington (9-5) wins gorgeous one of its final three games.
Greg Auman is an NFL Reporter for FOX Sports activities. He previously spent a decade keeping the Buccaneers for the Tampa Bay Cases and The Athletic. You can be in a arrangement to notice him on Twitter at @gregauman .
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