Six teams from each conference make the playoffs — the four division winners plus two wild-card teams. The first three tiebreakers within a division are head-to-head, division record, and record vs. common opponents; the first three for a wild-card spot involving teams not in the same division are head-to-head, conference record, and record vs. common opponents. The two division winners with the best records get first-round byes. The leading contenders in each conference:
AFC | W-L | Div. | Conf. | Remaining game |
c-Houston | 12-3 | 5-0 | 10-1 | at Indianapolis |
c-Denver | 12-3 | 5-0 | 9-2 | Kansas City |
c-New England | 11-4 | 5-0 | 10-1 | Miami |
c-Baltimore | 10-5 | 4-1 | 8-3 | at Cincinnati |
p-Indianapolis | 10-5 | 3-2 | 7-4 | Houston |
p-Cincinnati | 9-6 | 2-3 | 6-5 | Baltimore |
NFC | W-L | Div. | Conf. | Remaining game |
x-Atlanta | 13-2 | 3-2 | 9-2 | Tampa Bay |
c-Green Bay | 11-4 | 5-0 | 8-3 | at Minnesota |
pd-San Francisco | 10-4-1 | 2-2-1 | 6-4-1 | Arizona |
d-Washington | 9-6 | 4-1 | 7-4 | Dallas |
p-Seattle | 10-5 | 2-3 | 7-4 | St. Louis |
Minnesota | 9-6 | 3-2 | 6-5 | Green Bay |
Chicago | 9-6 | 2-3 | 6-5 | at Detroit |
Dallas | 8-7 | 3-2 | 5-6 | at Washington |
NY Giants | 8-7 | 2-3 | 7-4 | Philadelphia |
x — clinched conference title; c — clinched division title; p — clinched playoff berth; d — division leader
WHAT'S AT STAKE SUNDAY IN AFC
HOUSTON: clinches No. 1 seed with win or Denver loss and New England loss; clinches first-round bye with Denver loss or New England loss.
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DENVER: clinches No. 1 seed with win and Houston loss; clinches first-round bye with win or New England loss.
NEW ENGLAND: clinches No. 1 seed with win and Denver loss and Houston loss; clinches first-round bye with win and loss by Houston or Denver.
WHAT'S AT STAKE SUNDAY IN NFC
GREEN BAY: clinches first-round bye with win or losses by San Francisco and Seattle.
SAN FRANCISCO: clinches NFC West with win or tie and Seattle loss or tie; clinches first-round bye with win and Green Bay loss.
WASHINGTON: clinches NFC East with win or tie; clinches playoff berth with losses by Minnesota and Chicago.
SEATTLE: clinches NFC West with win and San Francisco loss; clinches first-round bye with win and losses by San Francisco and Green Bay.
MINNESOTA: clinches playoff berth with win or losses by Chicago, Dallas, and NY Giants.
CHICAGO: clinches playoff berth with win and Minnesota loss.
DALLAS: clinches NFC East with win.
NY GIANTS: clinch playoff berth with win and losses by Dallas, Minnesota, and Chicago.