Tag: NFL Playoff Picture

NFL standings, Week 18: Jaguars end year on outside looking in

The Jaguars fumbled away their season by losing five of their last six games.

The Jacksonville Jaguars’ path to the playoffs was boiled down to one scenario Saturday night.

After the Pittsburgh Steelers got a 17-10 win against the Baltimore Ravens, who were resting many of their starters, the Jaguars couldn’t earn a wild card berth. Jacksonville’s only path to the postseason was to win Sunday against the Tennessee Titans and secure the AFC South.

They didn’t pull it off. Instead, the Jaguars were bounced from the playoff field with a 28-20 loss in Nashville. After finishing November with an 8-3 record, the Jaguars won just one of their last six games to fumble away the division title to the Houston Texans.

With the 2023 regular season officially in the books, here are the final standings in the AFC:

NFL playoff scenarios: Here’s what has to happen in Week 18 for teams still in the running

A look at what the teams left in the running need in order to make it to the playoffs.

The final week in the NFL — Week 18! — is here for the 2023 season, even though we’re now in 2024.

And while the NFL playoff picture is decently clear in the AFC — all but three teams have clinched — and the NFC (with just two spots up for grabs), that means there are still squads that are very much alive heading into the final week of regular-season action on Saturday and Sunday.

So it’s time for that always fun and sometimes complicated breakdown of what needs to happen for certain teams heading into the week. Let’s break it all down by team and scenario:

How 5 games in Week 18 affected the AFC playoff bracket

The AFC playoff bracket is set after a few Week 18 games shook things up.

The regular season is in the books and the AFC postseason bracket is set.

The Baltimore Ravens will have next week off as the No. 1 seed in the conference, while the Buffalo Bills, Kansas City Chiefs, and Houston Texans will all host playoff games.

For the Jaguars, it was a disastrous weekend. A win against the Tennessee Titans would’ve secured Jacksonville the AFC South title for the second straight season. That didn’t happen, nor did a backdoor scenario that would’ve seen the Jaguars sneak in as the No. 7 seed.

Here’s how every result with the potential to shake things up in the AFC went down in Week 18:

Eagles nearing full strength to begin NFC playoff run

Nick Sirianni says he believes DeVonta Smith, Darius Slay and Zach Cunningham and all players on 53-man roster will be able to play Sunday

The Eagles are set to face the Giants in the season finale, and after blowing any shot at the No. 1 seed and a first-round bye, they’ll likely travel to an NFC South foe not yet known in the Wild Card round.

Unlike last year, Philadelphia will spend the next ten days working out the kinks of inconsistency on both sides of the football as they enter the postseason playing like a team looking towards the offseason.

There are injury concerns to monitor, two assistants who could be replaced, and an offense that needs to regain efficiency in the running game.

With preparation for the wild card round set to begin, Philadelphia is nearing full strength ahead of the divisional round.

Takeaways from A.J. Brown addressing the media ahead of Eagles regular season finale

We’re looking at takeaways and observations from A.J. Brown addressing the media prior to the Philadelphia Eagles matchup vs. New York Giants

The Eagles are looking to enter the postseason on a positive after losing four of their past five games, and with the season finale just days away, A.J. Brown broke his media silence.

Brown praised Nick Sirianni, saying the third year head coach has been taking the heat for Philadelphia players, and even covered for the wide receiver group going rogue in the loss to Seattle a few weeks back.

Brown frustration in the loss to Arizona stemmed from DeVonta Smith suffering an ankle injury on a bubble screen late in the dissapointing loss.

The former Ole Miss star is just 53 yards shy amassing 1,500-yards receiving, becoming the first Eagles receiver to record that amount in a single season.

With the media freeze out now in the past, here are takeaways from the session.

Eagles PFF grades: Best and worst performers from 35-31 loss to Cardinals

We’re looking at the highest and lowest graded players in the Philadelphia Eagles 35-31 loss to the Arizona Cardinals in Week 17

The Eagles no longer control their destiny for the No. 2 overall seed and NFC East after a 35-31 loss to the Cardinals at home.

In Jonathan Gannon’s return to Philadelphia, Arizona rushed for 221 yards, with James Conner logging 26 carries for 128 yards and one touchdown.

The Cardinals’ win put the Cowboys in the No. 2 seed entering Week 18, and a victory over Washington would give Dallas the NFC East.

With fans and pundits outraged by the loss, we’re looking at the highest and lowest-graded players via PFF. 

NFL playoff picture, Week 18: Who’s in, out or clinched as the final week approaches?

A look at the NFC and AFC as it stands right now, with Week 18 looming.

We’re down to one final week of regular-season NFL action in the 2023 season (although it’s 2024 now!), with one more slate of games to decide who’s facing whom in the postseason, as the road to Super Bowl 58 will truly begin.

Now, if you’re wondering what the playoff picture looks like, you’ve come to the right place.

There have already been a bunch of teams eliminated (sorry to your squad if you root for them, but here’s the NFL Draft order right now to help!) that we’ll also list below, but we’ll split it into the NFC and AFC and see who’s up, who’s down and who’s in between:

NFL playoff picture: Jaguars clinching, elimination scenarios for Week 18

The Jaguars’ path to the playoffs is pretty simple with one week left.

The path to the postseason isn’t hard to figure out for the Jacksonville Jaguars anymore.

While the Jaguars blew the doors off the Carolina Panthers on Sunday, they didn’t get much help elsewhere. The Houston Texans blew out the Tennessee Titans and the Indianapolis Colts held off a second half surge from the Las Vegas Raiders.

It’s all pretty simple now: if the Jaguars beat the Titans next week in Nashville, they’ll be AFC South champions. If they lose, they’ll need some help to keep their season alive.

With only one weekend of regular season play left, here’s every postseason scenario for the Jaguars heading into Week 18:

NFC playoff picture: Eagles fall behind Cowboys after shocking loss to Cardinals

We’re looking at an updated NFC playoff picture after the Philadelphia Eagles shocking 35-31 loss to Arizona Cardinals

The Eagles entered Sunday controlling their own destiny in the NFC, while still having opportunity to move up as far as No. 1 with help.

That plan was demolished, as Arizona upset Philadelphia 35-31 at Lincoln Financial Field, upending the NFC race, while sending Nick Sirianni’s team to the No. 5 seed, and a date on the road against the NFC South’s division winner.

With fans and pundits in shock, here’s an updated look at the NFC playoff picture.

NFL standings, Week 17: Jaguars still atop three-way AFC South tie

The AFC South race will come down to the last day of the regular season.

The Jacksonville Jaguars finally got a December win, but didn’t get the help they needed to clinch the AFC South.

Instead the division will be decided in Week 18 after all three teams tied for the lead got wins Sunday. Jacksonville ended its four-game losing streak by beating the Carolina Panthers, the Indianapolis Colts held off a late surge from the Las Vegas Raiders, and the Houston Texans beat the brakes off the Tennessee Titans.

With only one week of regular season action left for each of the three teams, the Jaguars need only a Week 18 win against the Titans to lock up the title. If Jacksonville stumbles next week, the battle between the Colts and Texans in Indianapolis will crown the AFC South champ.

Elsewhere in the AFC, the Baltimore Ravens laid claim to the No. 1 seed in the conference with a demolition of the Miami Dolphins. With all of the AFC’s teams done with Week 17, here’s how the standing look across the conference with one week left: