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

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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 ColtsMonday, 8:15 pm ET

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

Week 16 Clinching Scenarios:

Baltimore Ravens – Clinched playoff berth
Clinch a 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 lost and Jets lost OR
  • Ravens tie and Patriots lost and Dolphins lost and Chargers win OR
  • Ravens tie and Patriots lost and Dolphins lost and Jets tie OR
  • Ravens tie and Patriots lost and Jets tie and Chargers win OR
  • Ravens tie and Patriots tie and Jets lost and Dolphins lost OR
  • Ravens tie and Patriots tie and Jets tie and Dolphins lost and Chargers win OR
  • Patriots lost and Jets lost 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 won OR
  • Dolphins loss/tie

Cincinnati Bengals – Clinched playoff berth
Clinch a playoff berth with:

  • Bengals win/tie OR
  • Jets loss/tie

Los Angeles Chargers
Clinch a playoff berth with:

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

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
  • Brown tie and Chargers win/tie and Dolphins win/tie OR
  • Brown tie and Chargers win/tie and Jets win/tie OR
  • Brown 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 – Can’t be eliminated
Eliminated with:

  • Raiders lost and Chargers win/tie and Dolphins win/tie OR
  • Raiders lost and Chargers win/tie and Jets win/tie OR
  • Raiders lost 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 – Can’t be eliminated
Eliminated with:

  • Jets lost and Chargers win and Patriots win and Dolphins win and Ravens win/tie OR
  • Jets lost and Chargers win and Patriots win and Dolphins win and Browns win/tie

Pittsburgh Steelers – Can’t be eliminated
Eliminated with:

  • Steelers lost 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 a playoff berth
Clinch a playoff berth with:

  • Giants win and Commanders lost and Lions lost OR
  • Giants win and Commanders lost and Seahawks loss OR
  • Giants win and Lions lost and Seahawks loss

Philadelphia Eagles – Cannot clinch division title nor number one seed
Clinch the 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 lost and Buccaneers win OR
  • Falcons lost and Buccaneers tie and Panthers win OR
  • Falcons lost and Buccaneers tie and Panthers tie and Saints win OR
  • Falcons lost and Panthers win and Saints win

Green Bay Packers – Can’t be eliminated
Eliminated with:

  • Packers lost and Commander win

New Orleans Saints – Can’t be eliminated
Eliminated with:

  • Saints lost and Buccaneers win

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