The NFL playoff race is heating up as the weather gets colder and the calendar creeps toward December, the penultimate month of the 2023 regular season. With only seven weeks of games left through Week 18, 14 teams are looking to position themselves well as either division leaders or wild-card hopefuls.
Although there are some dominant teams headed to a return to the playoffs, much is in flux with seeding and potential entrants.
Here’s a look at the updated NFL playoff picture during a full slate of games in Week 12:
POWER RANKINGS: 49ers, Cowboys, Broncos keep rising; Seahawks, Steelers slip for Week 12
NFL standings for Week 12
AFC playoff picture
1. Baltimore Ravens (8-3), first place, AFC North. The Ravens got .a win over the Chargers on Sunday night to jump back into the No. 1 spot by a half-game after the Chiefs, Jaguars and Dolphins all won before them in Week 12.
2. Kansas City Chiefs (8-3), first place, AFC West. The Chiefs jumped into the first spot with their win over the Raiders. They have the same record as the Jaguars and Dolphins, but get the edge in tiebreakers by having wins over Jacksonville and Miami and also backing that up with only one conference loss.
3. Jacksonville Jaguars (8-3), first place, AFC South. The Jaguars got a huge win toward winning a second consecutive division title by earning a season split with the Texans in Houston in Week 12. They are here next in line because of having the conference tiebreaker over the Dolphins.
4. Miami Dolphins (8-3), first place, AFC East. The Dolphins maintained No. 4 with their Week 12 win over the Jets on “Black Friday” after the Chiefs and Jaguars and Ravens won after them. With the victory, the Dolphins opened up a 2.5-game lead on the Bills, who lost to the Eagles.
5. Pittsburgh Steelers (7-4), second place, AFC North. The Steelers’ new offense didn’t exactly explode against the Bengals, but it looked more together and competent passing and running to move the ball well to complement the defense. With the physical road win over rivals, Pittsburgh bumped up its overall playoff chances through division or wild card.
6. Cleveland Browns (7-5), third place, AFC North. The Browns fell behind the Steelers from No. 5 with their loss at the Broncos in Week 12. They are still half-game ahead of No. 7 but with no Deshaun Watson, they could be in a for a freefall. They also lost key ground on the Ravens, falling two games back.
7. Indianapolis Colts (6-5) second place, AFC South. The Colts are in playoff position after taking over the No. 2 spot ahead of the Texans in the same division behind the Jaguars. Indianapolis gets here for now before the end of Week 12 with the conference record tiebreaker its favor over Houston and Denver.
Who’s in the hunt?
8. Houston Texans (6-5)
9. Denver Broncos (6-5)
10. Buffalo Bills (6-6)
11. Cincinnati Bengals (5-6)
12. Las Vegas Raiders (5-7)
13. Los Angeles Chargers (4-7)
14. Tennessee Titans (4-7)
15. New York Jets (4-7)
The Texans’ loss dropped them out of the last wild card on top of seeing them slide two full games back of the Jaguars. The Broncos stayed hot with their fifth consecutive victory to get well positioned. The Bills suffered a heartbreaking loss in Philadelphia while the Bengals lost again to Pittsburgh without Joe Burrow.
NFC playoff picture
1. Philadelphia Eagles (10-1), first place, NFC East. The Eagles got a huge win over the Chiefs to close Week 11 on the road ahead of winning another tough matchup at home vs. the Bills in Week 12. The Eagles kept a two-game cushion for home-field advantage and the lone bye ahead of the 49ers. They also host the 49ers in Week 13.
2. San Francisco 49ers (8-3), first place, NFC West. The 49ers opened up a two-game division lead by routing the Seahawks on Thanksgiving night in Week 12. They also jumped the losing Lions because of having a superior conference record. They have a huge shot to move up more when playing the Eagles in Week 13.
3. Detroit Lions (8-3), first place, NFC North. The Lions kept up their losing tradition on Thanksgiving by getting upset by the Packers at home. That opened the door for the Eagles, 49ers and Vikings to make up some ground.
4. Atlanta Falcons (5-6), first place, NFC South. The Falcons took control of the NFL’s worst division with a losing record because their win over the Saints also gave them the head-to-head tiebreaker. They also went up a game on the losing Buccaneers.
5. Dallas Cowboys (8-3), second place, NFC East. The Cowboys still have ground to make up on the Eagles after losing them in Philadelphia. They will get that opportunity in Week 14 at home after routing the Commanders at home in Week 12 and hosting the Seahawks for another Thursday game in Week 13.
6. Minnesota Vikings (6-5), second place, NFC North. The Vikings also are trying to cling to playoff hopes with Josh Dobbs. They will get a big chance to rebound from the loss in Denver with the Bears at home on Monday night.
7. Seattle Seahawks (6-5), second place, NFC West. The Seahawks dropped another division game to the 49ers in Week 12 and fell behind the Vikings with a worse conference record. The Packers, who won earlier on Thanksgiving, gained a big game right behind them.
Who’s in the hunt?
8. Green Bay Packers (5-6)
9. Los Angeles Rams (5-6)
10. New Orleans Saints (5-6)
11. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-7)
12. Washington Commanders (4-8)
13. Chicago Bears (3-8)
The Saints dropped here after losing to the Falcons and falling into second place in the South, plus they also lost to the Packers early in the season. The Packers also beat the Rams to own both tiebreakers.
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