With the Chiefs out of the way, can Josh Allen's Bills take advantage? Sarah Stier / Getty Images
We’re getting down to the wire. Counting this week, just three weeks of regular-season action remain, and for some teams, the goal of reaching the postseason is within reach.
The Seattle Seahawks became the third team to clinch a playoff spot with Thursday night’s overtime win over the Los Angeles Rams. The Philadelphia Eagles joined them with their 29-18 win on Saturday over the Washington Commanders and also wrapped up the NFC East in the process.
Seven more teams — the Buffalo Bills, Jacksonville Jaguars, Los Angeles Chargers, New England Patriots, Chicago Bears, Green Bay Packers and San Francisco 49ers — can join the Seahawks, Rams, Eagles and Denver Broncos and clinch playoff berths this week, while the Broncos can wrap up a division title.
Here’s a breakdown of five of the most compelling storylines across the league this week.
Buffalo’s path
For years, the Kansas City Chiefs have represented the primary stumbling block in the Bills’ quest for a Super Bowl. The Chiefs, however, saw their run of 10 straight playoff appearances come to an end with last week’s elimination loss to the Chargers. Is the door finally open for the Bills and Josh Allen to win the long-elusive Lombardi Trophy?Buffalo has some work to do, but it did take a step in the right direction by beating New England last week in Foxboro. The Bills still trail the Patriots in the race for the AFC East, but overtaking them remains possible with a strong finish and some help. And the Bills do appear to be building momentum. After working through a rocky midseason stretch to win three straight, Buffalo will try to extend that streak to four in Cleveland this weekend.
Despite their 3-11 record, the Browns pose a challenge because of their fierce defense, which ranks third in the league in total defense and first against the pass (only 169 passing yards allowed per contest). Leading the way is Myles Garrett, who leads the NFL with 21 1/2 sacks and needs just 1 1/2 sacks to break the single-season record shared by Michael Strahan (2001) and T.J. Watt (2021). (Bills at Browns, 1 p.m. ET, Sunday, CBS)
NFC South lead up for grabs
Count the Carolina Panthers as one of the surprise stories of the season. After a 1-3 start, they have clawed their way into the playoff race, delivering impressive wins against the Packers and Rams along the way. At 7-7, they enter Sunday’s meeting with the visiting Tampa Bay Buccaneers in a dead heat. The Panthers actually had a chance to gain an edge on the Bucs last Sunday after Tampa Bay lost to the Atlanta Falcons the previous Thursday. But the Panthers blew that opportunity by falling to the New Orleans Saints. Now, Dave Canales’ team will try to rebound at home against a Bucs team that has dominated the division the last four years. Do Bryce Young and the Panthers have another upset in them?The Bucs enter this game with plenty of motivation and a clear understanding of the desperate position they have placed themselves in. They have weathered adversity all season as injuries have ravaged their wide receiving unit and offensive line, and they’re finally getting reinforcements back. However, the resilience displayed for much of the year was lacking last week as they blew a fourth-quarter lead against Atlanta and surrendered 15 straight points in a loss. After an obscenity-laced tirade from coach Todd Bowles, the Bucs have focused on holding one another accountable during preparation in hopes of earning a much-needed win after going 1-5 since their Week 9 bye.
While the Bucs find themselves in familiar territory, playing in a high-stakes game late in the season, this is new for the Panthers. They last won the division in 2015 and haven’t reached the playoffs since 2017. A win on Sunday is crucial for Carolina, especially with Seattle awaiting in Week 17 and Tampa Bay set to face the struggling Miami Dolphins before these teams meet again in Week 18 for a potential winner-take-all showdown. (Buccaneers at Panthers, 1 p.m. ET, Sunday, Fox)
Contenders trending in opposite directions?
When the schedule makers pitted the Pittsburgh Steelers and Detroit Lions against each other in Week 16, this contest looked like a potential Super Bowl preview. The Steelers are indeed in the thick of things while seemingly building momentum. The Lions, meanwhile, have struggled with staffing overhauls and injuries and find themselves on shaky footing with three games left.Currently eighth in the NFC and on the outside looking in, the Lions have lost two of their last three games and have just about a 22 percent chance of making the playoffs, according to The Athletic’s NFL playoff simulator. Pittsburgh, however, remains in the driver’s seat of the AFC North.
If shootouts are your thing, this could fit the bill. The Steelers have gotten their passing game on track as of late, and Aaron Rodgers is coming off his best outing of the season (23 for 27 for 224 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions). Detroit’s defense entered the week ranked 24th in the league against the pass, surrendering 231.1 yards per game. But Pittsburgh struggles as well, yielding 242.4 yards (26th), which could bode well for Jared Goff, who entered the week ranked third in the league with 3,672 yards and second with 29 touchdown passes. He has thrown just five interceptions.
It’ll be interesting to see what level of motivation the Steelers present. Even with a loss in each of their next two weeks, their chances of winning their division will still come down to their Week 18 game against the Baltimore Ravens. Regardless, this is a familiar opponent for Rodgers, who compiled an 18-8 record against Detroit during his days as a Packer. There’s definitely a high level of desperation within the Lions organization. Detroit needs a win in its home finale to help its chances with road games at Minnesota and Chicago coming up. (Steelers at Lions, 4:25 p.m. ET, Sunday, CBS)
Aaron Rodgers heads into Sunday’s game against Detroit with an 18-8 record against the Lions.Justin K. Aller / Getty Images
New stars of the AFC
Two teams that have put the competition on notice face off as the Broncos host the Jaguars. Denver remains the hottest team in the NFL. Winners of 11 straight, the Broncos find themselves in position to clinch their division, and possibly the No. 1 seed in the AFC. (They would do so with a win plus a Patriots loss and either a loss or a tie by both the Chargers and Bills.)This week’s opponent knows a little something about momentum as well, having won five straight to move into first place in the AFC South and third in the conference. Denver needs to hold off New England in its quest for the No. 1 seed and homefield advantage throughout the playoffs. Jacksonville, meanwhile, needs to maintain its edge on the Houston Texans and Indianapolis Colts.
This game should serve as a measuring stick for the Jaguars and quarterback Trevor Lawrence in particular. The highly scrutinized 2021 No. 1 pick finally appears to have turned a corner, executing with greater effectiveness, consistency and potency. In the last three games, he has passed for 803 yards, nine touchdowns and no interceptions. He has been more aggressive and has connected more frequently with receivers on the deep ball.
Doing so on Sunday could prove challenging, however. The Broncos lead the NFL with 58 sacks (4.1 per game), have surrendered only 14 touchdown passes all season and have held opponents to just 18.6 points per contest. The Jaguars boast a strong rushing attack led by Travis Etienne, but the Broncos rank among the stingiest units against the run as well.
Lawrence’s counterpart, Bo Nix, is also getting hot at the right time. Last week, he passed for 302 yards and four touchdowns with no interceptions. He’s facing a Jaguars defense that ranks second in the NFL in takeaways (26) and interceptions (18), though, so he, too, will be tested.
This contest should have the feel of a playoff game, and it could serve as a preview for a divisional round matchup, if not the conference championship. (Jaguars at Broncos, 4:05 p.m. ET, Sunday, Fox)
Sunday night pressure cooker
The Ravens welcome the Patriots in a game that both teams badly need.The Patriots have led the AFC East for much of the season, but last week’s loss to Buffalo put a dent in their lead in the division. Now, a loss to Baltimore, coupled with a Buffalo win over Cleveland, could create a tie atop the division (though New England would maintain the tiebreaker edge). A win, however, would enable the Patriots to clinch their first playoff bid since 2021 and keep them within striking distance of Denver, which currently leads the conference.
The Ravens have an even smaller margin for error.
They have found themselves on a roller coaster all season and in a fight for survival. A 1-5 start was followed by a 5-0 run to regain respectability, then a 0-2 stretch that put them in trouble again before hope returned with last week’s blowout win in Cincinnati. Still trailing Pittsburgh in the AFC North, Baltimore would miss the postseason if it started today, and a loss could seal its fate. So, the Ravens essentially find themselves in playoff mode these final three regular-season contests.
Both teams will try to establish their ground game, and they’ll rely on disruptive defenses for key stops. But it’s all about the quarterbacks. Drake Maye continues to put up MVP numbers, but Lamar Jackson, a two-time MVP himself, remains dangerous. Each will make plays with their legs and arms to set the tone for their teams. Who will shine the brightest under these bright lights? (Patriots at Ravens, 8:20 p.m. ET, Sunday, NBC).