NFL playoff permutations for Week 16: Can Eagles clinch NFC East division title? And who can book a wild card berth over Christmas? | NFL News

Can the Eagles and Bills clinch division titles over Christmas? And who are fighting over the remaining playoff places?

As the NFL gets into the holiday spirit with a bumper weekend of NFL action over Christmas, we take a look at precisely what’s at stake in Week 16 as the playoff race hots up with just three games of the 2022 regular season remaining…

Who has already guaranteed a playoff spot?

At the moment, six teams are guaranteed to be playoff football deep into 2023 with four from the NFC having already clinched a playoff place and two from the AFC.

NFC playoff teams: Philadelphia Eagles (13-1), Minnesota Vikings (11-3), San Francisco 49ers (10-4), Dallas Cowboys (10-4)

AFC playoff teams: Buffalo Bills (11-3), Kansas City Chiefs (11-3)

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Sky Sports brings you SIX live NFL games over the holiday weekend, with triple-headers scheduled from 6pm on both Christmas Eve and Christmas Day

Within that, the Chiefs, Vikings and 49ers have also wrapped up their respective division titles, with the Chiefs claiming the AFC West for the seventh-straight season – the longest active streak in the NFL, and tied for the second-longest in the league’s history. Only the New England Patriots and their 11-straight AFC East wins from 2009 to 2019 better Andy Reid’s Chiefs.

The Vikings secured the NFC North crown in the most dramatic way possible last Saturday, with an NFL-record comeback win over the Indianapolis Colts (4-9-1). Having trailed 33-0 at half-time, a remarkable second-half performance saw Minnesota take the game to overtime where they’d ultimately triumph 39-36.

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Highlights of the Minnesota Vikings’ incredible, NFL-record comeback win over the Indianapolis Colts in Week 15

The 49ers, meanwhile, clinched the NFC West by seeing off the threat of the chasing Seattle Seahawks (7-7) with a 21-13 win in Week 15. They and the Vikings are now guaranteed to fall no lower than the No 3 seed in the NFC playoff picture, due to their superior records to the current NFC South leaders, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6-8).

Who else can book a postseason berth over Christmas?

With a total of seven playoff places up for grabs in each conference, it means there are still eight spots to be fought over (three in NFC, five in AFC).

As many as four teams are in with a chance of confirming their places this weekend, representing the perfect Christmas present – the Cincinnati Bengals (10-4), Baltimore Ravens (9-5), Los Angeles Chargers (8-6) and New York Giants (8-5-1).

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Highlights of the Cincinnati Bengals’ clash with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 15 of the NFL season

The Bengals have the simplest task of the bunch, needing just to beat or tie with the New England Patriots as the two teams meet on Christmas Eve – live on Sky Sports NFL, 6pm. There is a chance, however, they could be celebrating even before taking to the field on Saturday night, as a New York Jets (7-7) loss at home to the Jacksonville Jaguars (6-8) on Thursday night – live on Sky Sports NFL, 1.15am, Friday – would also see the Bengals into the postseason.

For Cincinnati’s AFC North division rivals, the Ravens, it’s all a little more complicated. They need to both beat the Atlanta Falcons (5-9) at home and hope that at least two of the Miami Dolphins (8-6), Patriots and Jets lose or tie their respective games. The Dolphins host the Green Bay Packers (6-8) on Christmas Day – live on Sky Sports NFL, 6pm.

There are also multiple scenarios in which the Ravens can tie or lose and still clinch a playoff berth, but they’d need a lengthy list of other results to go their way in such a scenario.

Can Justin Herbert reach the playoffs for the first time with the Los Angeles Chargers?

As for the Chargers, they can confirm a wild card spot with both a win at the Indianapolis Colts on Monday Night Football – live on Sky Sports NFL, 1.15am, Tuesday – and losses for the Patriots and Jets as well as the Las Vegas Raiders (6-8) in their road game against the Pittsburgh Steelers (6-8) late on Christmas Eve – live on Sky Sports NFL, 1.15am, Sunday.

If any one of those three teams were to tie, there is a possible way the Chargers could still confirm their postseason place, but it would require them to still win and the Dolphins to lose to the Packers.

The New York Giants will need star running back Saquon Barkley firing if they’re going to book a postseason spot

Over in the NFC, the Giants can also guarantee themselves a wild card berth with a win on the road at the Vikings PLUS defeats for at least two of the Washington Commanders (7-6-1), Seahawks (7-7) and Detroit Lions (7-7).

The Commanders and Seahawks face fiercely tough trips to San Francisco and Kansas City, respectively, while the Lions too are on the road but have a more winnable game at the Carolina Panthers (5-9).

Can the Eagles and Bills clinch their divisions?

Despite currently owning the best records in their respective conferences, neither the Eagles (13-1) nor the Bills (11-3) have clinched their division titles just yet – though they can do so this weekend.

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Watch some of the best plays from the Philadelphia Eagles and Dallas Cowboys this season, as the two big rivals go head to head on Christmas Eve this weekend

Both play their football in the most competitive divisions in the NFL, the NFC East and AFC West – with the potential for all four teams from each division to make the postseason with three weeks to go – meaning they have been pushed right to the wire this season.

Things did, however, become an awful lot easier for the Eagles last weekend when the Cowboys (10-4) suffered a surprise overtime defeat to the Jaguars (6-8), allowing for Philadelphia to clinch the division in Dallas itself with a win when the two fiercest of rivals meet on Christmas Eve – live on Sky Sports NFL, 9.25pm.

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Highlights of the Dallas Cowboys’ clash with the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 15 of the NFL season

Not only that, but they can also confirm the NFC’s No 1 seed, and with it a first-round bye and home advantage through the playoffs, with a victory and/or a tie and Vikings loss.

As for the Bills, they just need a win or a tie as they travel to the lowly Chicago Bears (3-11) and they’ll wrap up a third-straight division title. Failing that, a defeat will still secure them the crown should the Dolphins also lose at the weekend.

What else is up for grabs over Christmas?

Plenty.

And, before we even get to the holiday festivities over the weekend, the Jets (7-7) and Jaguars (6-8) face off on Thursday night in a hugely important matchup as both squads push for a wild card spot in the AFC.

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Former NFL offensive lineman Brian Baldinger is concerned for playoff hopefuls the New York Jets heading into the final three weeks of the season

Not only that, but Jacksonville are also still in with a shout of winning the AFC South division, having gained ground massively on current leaders the Tennessee Titans (7-7) in recent weeks and with the pair facing off in a likely winner-takes-all battle on the final weekend of the season. The Titans, after losing four straight, should get back to winning ways this weekend though when hosting the Houston Texans (1-12-1).

There is a similar battle for supremacy taking place in the NFC South as, despite their lowly records, the Falcons (5-9), Panthers (5-9) and New Orleans Saints (5-9) are all still in with a shout of beating the Buccaneers (6-8) to the post over these final few weeks.

Could record seven-time Super Bowl winner Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers miss out on the playoffs this season?

The Falcons and Saints are on the road on Saturday, at the Ravens (9-5) and Cleveland Browns (6-8) respectively, while the Panthers play host to the Lions (7-7). Tom Brady’s Bucs, meanwhile, are in action on Christmas Day, visiting the Arizona Cardinals (4-10) – live on Sky Sports NFL, 1.20am, Monday.

In terms of wild card spots, the Seahawks (7-7) and Lions (7-7) from the NFC and Patriots (7-7) and Jets (7-7) from the AFC are primed, ready to pounce, should any of the lower seeds from either conference slip up.

Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers are still just about in the hunt for a playoff spot with three games to go

Beyond that, there are a cluster of teams sitting at 6-8 on the season, all desperate for victories in Week 16 to stay relevant down the stretch and cling on to their slim postseason aspirations. This includes Aaron Rodgers’ Packers (NFC), as well as the Browns, Raiders and Steelers (AFC).

At least one is guaranteed to falter this weekend though, with the Raiders and Steelers duking it out in Pittsburgh on Christmas Eve, a game which marks the 50th anniversary of Franco Harris’ ‘Immaculate Reception’ just days after the sad passing of the legendary Steelers running back.

Sky Sports NFL brings you SIX live games over the Christmas weekend; Bengals @ Patriots kicks off the Christmas Eve festivities at 6pm, while there is also RedZone on Sky Sports Mix on Saturday night; the Packers visit the Dolphins as part of the Christmas Day triple-bill, again the action under way from 6pm.