Super Bowl champion already out: NFL playoff race is coming to a head: only 7 places left, but many candidates
In Philadelphia, San Francisco, Minnesota, Buffalo, Kansas, Cincinnati and Dallas there is already planning security with regard to the NFL playoffs – the remaining seven places, however, are hard fought. We give an overview.
The first tickets have already been booked for the NFL playoffs. While the Philadelphia Eagles have been qualified for a week, the San Francisco 49ers followed suit last Thursday. In Minnesota, Buffalo, Kansas City and Dallas, fans can also look forward to playoff football this season. Your teams have also been through since this weekend. The Cincinnati Bengals also qualified for the playoffs from the comfort of their couch after the New York Jets lost the Thursday Night Game to the Jacksonville Jaguars.
This means that seven of the 14 spots in the NFL playoffs have been taken. The fight for the remaining eight spots has long since flared up and will now reach its climax on the last three match days. The slide rule will certainly have to be taken out once in a while.
Seven teams are in the playoffs
When the Philadelphia Eagles entered the Chicago Bears’ legendary Soldier Field on Sunday, it was already clear that the team from the east coast would also be there in the postseason starting January 14, 2023. However, the team was not allowed to rest. After all, it’s about defending the first seed in the NFC.
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After this game day, the Eagles are two wins ahead of the Minnesota Vikings. This is important. Because only the first place in the conference gets a bye in the first week and also has home rights until the last round of the playoffs.
Impressive win for the Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills once again impressively demonstrated how important this right is on Saturday. They narrowly defeated the Miami Dolphins from the Sunshine State Florida 32-29 in the snow. It is highly probable that the weather played a certain role.
The Bills have had to defend their first seed in the AFC for the past few weeks. The Kansas City Chiefs are hot on their heels. Although they only won in overtime against the Houston Texans, who are the worst team with just one win of the season, the Chiefs also have 11 wins. Currently, Buffalo has leased home rights and the first week without play in the playoffs only because they won the direct comparison.
Gearing up for the Wild Card Playoffs
In the NFC, on the other hand, most teams have to, or rather are allowed to, already deal with the wild card playoffs at the start of the postseason. The Minnesota Vikings, while still close to the Eagles, currently look far more shaky than the 2017 Super Bowl champion. The deficit in the third quarter was leveled up to the regular end, in order to then win 39-36 in overtime. But right now they have to defend their top spot in the NFC North.
Serenity in San Francisco
In contrast, the San Francisco 49ers can approach the next few weeks with relative ease. The last few days of the game were heavily influenced by important failures of their top performers. Still, the Niners managed to keep winning with a solid team effort.
Most recently, they won against rival Seattle Seahawks and thus secured one of the coveted playoff tickets. With a lead of three wins, the division title in the NFC West can no longer be taken away from them. San Francisco can now regain their strength and at least hope for wide receiver Deebo Samuel’s return to the playoffs.
Dallas Cowboys benefit from marksmanship
The Dallas Cowboys also qualified for the playoffs last weekend. Losing to the Jacksonville Jaguars, they needed help from the New York Giants. The rival won his game against the Washington Commanders in the Sunday Night Football Game, putting himself in a better position and escorting the Cowboys to the playoffs.
However, Dallas has to prepare for the Wild Card Playoffs and will very likely play away there as well. Philly would have to lose all three remaining games of the season and the Texans would have to win all for there to be another change at the top of the NFC East.
Who can hope for the playoffs?
Behind the Bengals, the Baltimore Ravens sit second in division in the AFC North – just a win behind their rival. This means that the team from the East Coast can still win the division. But you can also plan slowly for the wildcard, the Ravens can even afford to slip up.
Titans under pressure
The Tennessee Titans are different. The Jacksonville Jaguars are breathing down their necks after back-to-back wins. The Titans need to break their four-game losing streak or they could be a mere spectator by mid-January.
Because the Titans also lost the direct duel against the Los Angeles Chargers in the last second on Sunday. The Chargers have their destiny in their own hands, even if the Chiefs win the AFC West. If the team around quarterback Justin Herbert no longer loses, nobody can take the playoffs from them.
New York Giants with a good starting position
In the NFC, the New York Giants won their key game for the playoffs. They now hold the so-called tie-breaker against Washington even if they have the same number of points.
Tampa Bay is locked in a slug race with the competition in the NFC South. At a record of 6-8, they still have just one more win than their rivals from Charlotte, Carolina, New Orleans and Atlanta. Only those who win the division in the end make it into the playoffs and everything currently looks as if a team could even make it, even though it has suffered more losses than wins this season.
In wait
Referred to as “In the Hunt,” other teams are in wait for the NFL Playoffs. In addition to all teams from the NFC South due to the scenario just mentioned, the German-American Amon-Ra St. Brown has just as high hopes with the Detroit Lions as the Seattle Seahawks. In the year-end sprint, they have to hope for as many victories as possible and hope for blunders from the competition.
The Green Bay Packers are vacant in the NFC. If they win tonight, Aaron Rodgers could once again fight for the playoff spots.
Super Bowl champion already out
The Suepr Bowl champion certainly imagined the season differently. Title defense was the plan, but a catastrophic year is the reality. With the defeat in the Monday Night Game against the Packers, it was clear that the Los Angeles Rams no longer had a mathematical chance of making the playoffs. The season ends for them in January. A fate that the Houston Texans, Chicago Bears, Denver Broncos and Arizona Cardinals also have to face. You are planning for the offseason, the NFL Draft or you are looking for a coach and have nothing to do with the outcome of the season.
Only theoretical chances in Indianapolis
In the AFC, the Indianapolis Colts only have theoretical prospects for the playoffs. The Miami Dolphins, who are currently in the last wild card place, and a handful of other teams are fighting for one of the last tickets.
A large number of calculation examples could now be tried here for a wide variety of scenarios. Therefore, the TOUCHDOWN24 editorial team recommends the ESPN Playoff Machine . All remaining games can be bet on here and the outcome of the regular season is calculated immediately.
As every year, it remains exciting until the end in the NFL. In most cases, who secures the last playoff tickets or which team gets a game-free first week is only decided at the very end.
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