Tag: clinched

Saints, Rams on collision course to compete for NFC’s 7th playoff seed

The Saints and Rams are on a collision course to compete for the NFC’s 7th playoff seed on Thursday night:

So much talk about the New Orleans Saints’ playoff hopes have centered on the NFC South title, and that’s easy to understand. Whichever team wins the worst division in pro football will secure a home playoff game, so it’s seen as the Saints’ easiest path forwards.

But it’s not the only road they can take. There’s a non-zero chance of the Saints reaching the postseason as the final wild-card seed in the NFC playoff picture. It’s just a significantly more challenging journey to take. The first step: beating the Los Angeles Rams on Thursday night.

The Rams are slotted in just ahead of the Saints in the NFC playoff standings; if the postseason started today, Los Angeles would round out the playoff picture as the No. 7 seed, with New Orleans watching from home at No. 8. A win at SoFi Stadium on Thursday wouldn’t clinch anything for the Saints, but it would be a powerful statement that their playoff ambitions are just as legitimate as the Rams’ are.

And of course it’s the Rams. They’re one of the Saints’ oldest rivals, dating back to their shared history in the old NFC West. New Orleans has logged more wins (35) and losses (43) against the Los Angeles than many other teams even if they aren’t playing each other as often as they used to. It’s almost karmic that they are the hurdle between the Saints and a playoff berth.

But again, a win on Thursday night won’t seal the deal. It would certainly bode well for what comes next, with New Orleans headed for rematches against the same Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Atlanta Falcons teams that beat them earlier this year.

Three of the seven playoff seeds are already accounted for: the Dallas Cowboys, Philadelphia Eagles, and San Francisco 49ers have all clinched postseason berths already. The Saints are likely going to have to take it down to the wire in Week 18, but they’ve got a chance to make the cut. They just need to keep winning. Let’s see if they have it in them.

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Chiefs clinched AFC’s No. 1 seed with win over Raiders in Week 18

With their win over the #Raiders in Week 18, the #Chiefs have officially clinched the AFC’s No. 1 seed and a bye week in the first round of the playoffs.

With their 31-13 win over the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 18, the Kansas City Chiefs have accomplished a key goal in the AFC playoff race.

After clinching a playoff berth and the AFC West division back in Week 15, they’ve also now clinched the No. 1 seed in the AFC conference. That means, they’ll receive the coveted bye week in the first round of the playoffs. Remember, only one team per conference gets a bye week to start the playoffs now. The Chiefs were the No. 2 seed in the playoffs last year and were last a No. 1 seed in the AFC in 2020.

Clinching the No. 1 seed was made easier with the Week 17 game between the Bills-Bengals being declared a “no contest.” As a result, NFL owners approved changes to the 2022 playoffs, changes that could impact Kansas City as the No. 1 seed. Basically, the AFC title game will be played at a neutral site if the participating teams played a different number of regular season games and the lower-seeded team could have been the No. 1 seed in the AFC under normal circumstances.

Here’s a chart with those scenarios (via NFL Research):

On a much smaller note, the Chiefs also accomplished a sweep of the AFC West with this win over Las Vegas. They have six combined wins against the Raiders, Los Angeles Chargers and Denver Broncos on the year. That’s no easy feat in and should again put the league on notice that the AFC West still is Kansas City’s to lose.

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Chiefs clinch playoff berth, win AFC West division for seventh consecutive season

For the seventh consecutive season, the #Chiefs have won the AFC West division and punched their ticket to the playoffs.

The Kansas City Chiefs have done it again, securing the 2022 AFC West division title.

They had a chance to lock up the division a week ago, but they didn’t get the help they needed to do so. This time around, all the Chiefs needed was to take care of business against the Houston Texans in Week 15. They managed to do so with a victory in overtime, now winning another AFC West title and clinching a playoff berth.

Kansas City has now won the AFC West for seven consecutive seasons, the longest active streak for a division winner in any NFL division. The Chiefs set the record last season for the most consecutive AFC West division titles with six and now they extend that record to seven. Each of the Broncos (2011-2015) and Raiders (1972-1976) has seen five consecutive wins.

This marks the eighth consecutive season that Kansas City has made it to the playoffs, extending a franchise record set a season ago. It’s again the longest active streak of playoff appearances by a team in the NFL.

This playoff berth marks the fifth consecutive season that a Patrick Mahomes-led Chiefs team has gone to the playoffs. They’ve still never missed the playoffs since No. 15 has been the team’s starting quarterback.

Speaking of Mahomes, he spoke about the possibility of winning yet another AFC West title after Week 14’s win in Denver.

“Our goal is just to continue to get better each and every week,” Mahomes said. “We go into every season saying we want to win the AFC West, we want to get home field in the playoffs and we want to win the Super Bowl. We have not done it yet, but if we win the AFC West, that is our first goal. It is special. I want to make sure that guys remember that it is special to win the AFC West. Our next goal is to try to establish a home-field advantage. That is going to take us playing great football week in and week out. Then we will try to win the Super Bowl. That all takes building. You are not going to play your best football every week, but how can you build on your past week for the rest of the season to make sure you are playing your best football when the playoffs come around.”

This is merely one goal on the checklist to cross off for the Chiefs. Next up, they’ll look to keep pace with the Bills in hopes they slip up and surrender the No. 1 seed.

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Packers clinch No. 1 seed in NFC with dominant win over Vikings

The Packers will be the No. 1 seed in the NFC for the second consecutive season.

The Green Bay Packers are the No. 1 seed in the National Football Conference for the second consecutive season.

Matt LaFleur’s team improved to 13-3 and clinched the top seed in the conference with a dominant win over the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday night at Lambeau Field.

Securing the No. 1 seed gives the Packers a first-round bye in the postseason and homefield advantage through the NFC playoffs. Under the new playoff format, the Packers will be the only team in the NFC to have a first-round bye.

Green Bay finishes the 2021 regular season next Sunday against the Detroit Lions at Ford Field. The Packers wouldn’t play again until the NFC Divisional Round when they’d face the lowest remaining seed at Lambeau Field.

The Packers clinched the NFC North title for the third consecutive season last month. Securing the No. 1 seed in the NFC was the next goal on the list.

Mission accomplished. Now, the path to the Super Bowl runs through Lambeau Field in the NFC.

As the No. 1 seed last season, the Packers beat the Los Angeles Rams in the divisional round before losing to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the NFC Championship Game.

Chiefs clinch playoff berth, win AFC West for 6th consecutive season

The #Chiefs have won the AFC West for the 6th consecutive season, making some NFL and franchise history in the process.

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The Kansas City Chiefs took care of business in Week 16, defeating the Pittsburgh Steelers 36-10. As a result, they’ve become the first AFC team to punch their ticket to the playoffs and they solidified their place as AFC West division winners for the 2021 NFL season.

All the team needed to do in order to clinch a playoff berth this week was to come away with the win and they did just that, despite being down several players due to COVID-19. This marks the seventh consecutive season that Kansas City has made it to the playoffs, breaking the franchise record set by Marty Schottenheimer’s Chiefs squad in the ’90s. This is also the longest active streak of playoff appearances in the NFL today.

Another impressive feat for the good guys today: This marks the fourth consecutive season that a Patrick Mahomes-led Chiefs team has gone to the playoffs. They’ve never missed the playoffs since No. 15 has been the team’s starting quarterback.

With some help from the Houston Texans, who defeated the Los Angeles Chargers 34-24 in Week 16, the Chiefs have also won the AFC West for the sixth consecutive season. It’s also good for the longest active streak in the NFL today. This is the first time in the history of the AFC West division that a team has won the division for six consecutive seasons. Each of the Broncos (2011-2015) and Raiders (1972-1976) has seen five consecutive wins, but Kansas City gets another piece of NFL history with this win.

In addition to all of the clinching done today, the Chiefs did keep their hold over the No. 1 seed in the AFC conference with a victory. They still control their own destiny, but they have no room for error in the final two weeks of the season. The Tennessee Titans are just one game back and hold a tiebreaker over Kansas City should they finish with the same record.

These accomplishments serve as a stark reminder that we’re living through the golden era of Chiefs football and that we best enjoy it. Teams like this don’t come around very often in the NFL.

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NFC playoff scenarios: How Seahawks can clinch 1st-round bye Week 17

A look at what the Seattle Seahawks will have to do to clinch a first-round bye in the playoffs following their win of the NFC West in 2020.

The Seattle Seahawks won the NFC West division title on Sunday with a victory over the Rams at Lumen Field. Despite the change to the playoff structure this season, Seattle still has a slim chance at a first-round bye.

To secure the first-round bye, the Seahawks would need a win against the 49ers in Week 17 AND a loss from the Packers AND a loss or tie by the Saints.

Here’s a look at the rest of the playoff scenarios in the NFC this week.

ARIZONA CARDINALS at L.A. Rams

Arizona clinches playoff berth with:

  1. ARI win OR
  2. ARI tie + CHI loss

CHICAGO BEARS vs. Green Bay

Chicago clinches playoff berth with:

  1. CHI win OR
  2. ARI loss OR
  3. CHI tie + ARI tie

DALLAS COWBOYS at N.Y. Giants

Dallas clinches NFC East division title with:

  1. DAL win + WAS loss or tie OR
  2. DAL tie + WAS loss

GREEN BAY PACKERS at Chicago

Green Bay clinches the first-round bye with:

  1. GB win or tie OR
  2. SEA loss or tie

LOS ANGELES RAMS vs. Arizona

Los Angeles clinches playoff berth with:

  1. LAR win or tie OR
  2. CHI loss or tie

NEW ORLEANS SAINTS at Carolina

New Orleans clinches the first-round bye with:

  1. NO win + GB loss + SEA win

NEW YORK GIANTS vs. Dallas

New York clinches NFC East division title with:

  1. NYG win + WAS loss

SEATTLE SEAHAWKS at San Francisco

Seattle clinches the first-round bye with:

  1. SEA win + GB loss + NO loss or tie

WASHINGTON FOOTBALL TEAM at Philadelphia

Washington clinches NFC East division title with:

  1. WAS win OR
  2. WAS tie + DAL loss or tie

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The good, the bad, and the ugly from Seahawks’ win over Washington

The Seattle Seahawks pulled out a 20-15 win over the Washington Football team on Sunday morning and earned a spot in the playoffs.

The Seattle Seahawks clinched a playoff spot on Sunday with their 20-15 victory over the NFC East-leading Washington Football Team and, as of Sunday evening, are leading the Los Angeles Rams in the NFC West by one game.

For three quarters, Seahawks fans had plenty to feel good about, however, Seattle’s luck got a bit dicey at the end of the game, requiring the team to lean on their 17-point lead to keep them on top.

Let’s look at the good, the bad, and the ugly from the Seahawks’ 10th win of 2020.

Seahawks safety Jamal Adams on clinching playoff spot: ‘Hell yeah!’

Seattle Seahawks safety Jamal Adams isn’t used to qualifying for the playoffs having come from the Jets and can’t wait for the experience.

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“HELL YEAH, ” Jamal Adams screamed from the podium after the Seattle Seahawks clinched a playoff spot this season following their Week 15 win over the Washington Football Team.

Adams, formerly of the Jets, is not accustomed to routinely making the postseason. He’s excited as a kid on Christmas morning.

“That’s a hell of a feeling, man,” Adams continued in his virtual postgame interview. “I’m sorry, I’m not used to this, guys. Forgive me. I know you guys are used to Seattle always going to the playoffs.

“I’m not used to this.”

The win in Washington guarantees Adams and his teammates a trip to the playoffs. Seattle has qualified for the postseason eight of the last nine years.

Adams hasn’t been so lucky in the past.

“I’m used to sending my cars home by this time, and hey, I’m already packing up, wondering where I’m going next, where’s the vacation? When am I seeing family?” Adams interrupted. “Sorry to cut you off, brother, I’m just excited, man. God is good.”

The Seahawks next square off against the division-rival Rams with the hopes of securing an NFC West win.

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Seahawks clinch playoff spot with Week 15 win over Washington

The Seattle Seahawks are headed to the postseason after clinching a playoff spot in Week 15 against the Washington Football Team.

The Seattle Seahawks are headed to the postseason after clinching a playoff spot in Week 15 against the Washington Football Team.

Seattle beat Washington 20-15 on Sunday at FedExField to seal the deal.

Sunday marks the 14th time over the last 18 seasons the Seahawks have qualified for the postseason and ninth time under coach Pete Carroll.

The Seahawks are now at 10-4 on the year and eagerly awaiting the outcomes of the Rams and Cardinals games set to be played later this afternoon.

Seattle hosts the Rams next week at Lumen Field, which could very well be for control of the NFC West. The Seahawks then face off against the 49ers in another divisional matchup for their final regular-season game of the year.

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Chiefs make franchise history by winning AFC West for fifth consecutive season

This marks the first time the Chiefs have won the AFC West for five-straight seasons.

Last week the Kansas City Chiefs clinched a playoff berth and this week they’ve clinched the AFC West division.

With a 33-27 win over the Miami Dolphins in Week 14, Kansas City has officially won the AFC West division. They have a 12-1 record for the first time in franchise history. The win also marks the fifth consecutive season that the Chiefs have won the AFC West division, which is the most consecutive division wins in franchise history. It breaks the record set last season with four-straight division titles. Prior to this run, the team had never won the AFC West in consecutive seasons.

They’re now the third AFC West team to ever win the division in five consecutive seasons, following the 1972-1976 Raiders and the 2011-2015 Broncos. Next year they become the only franchise in the history of the AFC West to have won the division in six consecutive seasons.

Their tremendous run on the AFC West started back in 2016 with Alex Smith quarterbacking the team. It has been extended thanks to the phenomenal play of Patrick Mahomes and the incredible consistency of Chiefs HC Andy Reid. There’s not enough to be said about Reid, who really seems to have this division figured out. He’s now won 11 division titles in his career. The 31-4 record the Chiefs have over division opponents since 2015 is the best divisional record of any team in any 6-year span since the 1970 AFL-NFL merger according to NFL Research.

While a playoff berth and the AFC West division are settled, Kansas City still has plenty to play for in these final weeks. The No. 1 seed is on the line with the Pittsburgh Steelers losing to the Washington Football Team in Week 14. The Chiefs are currently tied with the Steelers for the AFC’s top record and they’ll need to continue to keep pace if they want to be declared the top team in the conference and receive the only first-round bye week.

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