Tag: nfl playoffs

NFC West leads Super Bowl odds; 4 road teams favored in opening round

Posted on | by Field Level Media

While 14 teams from all eight divisions made this year’s NFL playoffs, the betting market has a lot of belief behind an NFC West team bringing home the title.

The Seattle Seahawks (+340 on DraftKings, +420 on FanDuel) and Los Angeles Rams (+425, +430) are the teams with the best odds to win Super Bowl LX and hoist the Lombardi Trophy on Feb. 8 in Santa Clara, Calif.

Seattle (14-3) earned the No. 1 seed with a 13-3 win over the San Francisco 49ers on Saturday night. The Rams (12-5) are the No. 5 seed in the NFC. The 49ers (12-5), whose stadium will host this year’s Super Bowl, are the No. 6 seed and have the 11th-best odds to win the Super Bowl at +2200 on FanDuel and +2800 on DraftKings.

The Denver Broncos, the No. 1 seed in the AFC with a 14-3 record, have the best odds on that side of the bracket at +650 on both sites.

The New England Patriots (+950 on DraftKings, +1000 on FanDuel), Buffalo Bills (+950, +1000) and the defending-champion Philadelphia Eagles (+1000, +850) round out the top six in odds.

Although the Jacksonville Jaguars (+1400 on DraftKings, +1500 on FanDuel) won the AFC South and will start with a home playoff game, the sportsbooks gave the Houston Texans (+1200, +1100) slightly better odds even though they finished a game back in the division.

The sportsbooks also view NFC North competitors in the Chicago Bears (+2200, +1800) and Green Bay Packers (+2200, +1700) similarly after the pair split the season series and Chicago won the division.

The Carolina Panthers (+15000, +22500) have by far the longest Super Bowl odds after winning a three-way tie in the NFC South with an 8-9 record.

Well ahead of them are the Los Angeles Chargers (+3000 in both) and Pittsburgh Steelers (+5000, +5500), who have the third- and second-longest odds.

As for odds on individual games in the wild-card round, the Rams are 10- to 10.5-point road favorites at the No. 4 seed Panthers (4:30 p.m. ET) and the Packers are 1.5-point road favorites at the Bears (8 p.m. ET) in Saturday action.

On Sunday, the Bills are 1.5-point road favorites at the Jaguars (1 p.m. ET), the Eagles are 3.5-point home favorites against the 49ers (4:30 p.m. ET) and the Patriots are 3.5-point home favorites against the Chargers.

In Monday’s wild-card finale, the Texans, who enter on a nine-game winning streak, are 3- to 3.5-point road favorites over the Steelers.

–Field Level Media

Packers-Bears locked into NFC wild-card game; Broncos top AFC picture

Posted on | by Field Level Media

The Green Bay Packers will take their Super Bowl dreams into Soldier Field and battle the rival Chicago Bears in the only intra-division matchup of the NFL’s wild-card weekend.

The Bears (11-6) landed the No. 2 seed in the NFC from Sunday’s Week 18 results, while the Packers (9-7-1) were locked into the seventh and final seed in the conference before the weekend began.

The Packers and Bears have played since 1921 but will meet in the playoffs for only the third time. Chicago defeated Green Bay in the 1941 NFL postseason, and the Packers prevailed in the 2010 NFC Championship Game en route to their Super Bowl XLV victory with Aaron Rodgers at the helm.

All dates and times for the wild-card round will be announced by the league later Sunday.

The eliminated Detroit Lions beat Chicago on a late field goal Sunday evening, but the Bears’ only competition for the No. 2 seed, the Philadelphia Eagles, also ended on a losing note against the Washington Commanders.

The third-seeded Eagles (11-6) draw the sixth-seeded San Francisco 49ers (12-5) and the NFC South champion Carolina Panthers (8-9) will welcome the Los Angeles Rams (12-5) in the 4-5 game. The Seattle Seahawks (14-3) locked up the conference’s No. 1 seed by beating San Francisco on Saturday night.

The AFC playoff picture grew clearer when the Denver Broncos secured the top seed and first-round bye with a win over the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday.

Both Denver and New England finished 14-3 after the Patriots’ season-ending win over Miami, but the Broncos hold the tiebreaker over the Patriots thanks to a better record over common opponents.

The No. 2 seed Patriots will host the No. 7 Chargers (11-6). The Jacksonville Jaguars (13-4) locked up the AFC South and will host the sixth-seeded Buffalo Bills (12-5).

And Sunday night’s Ravens-Steelers game in Pittsburgh will determine the last of the league’s 14 playoff berths by virtue of the AFC North title. The Steelers advance with a win or a tie, while Baltimore must win to leapfrog its rivals.

The reward will be a home game against the red-hot Houston Texans, who won their ninth in a row Sunday over Indianapolis to finish 12-5 and claim the fifth seed in the AFC bracket.

–Field Level Media

Playoff Picture entering Week 15: Patriots can clinch AFC East

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel wants no part of New England playing in a “shirt and hat game” Sunday.

The first-year coach brought up in the Patriot Way under Bill Belichick is on the verge of placing New England back in the postseason for the first time since the 2021 season.

If the Patriots (11-2) beat the Buffalo Bills (9-4) at Gillette Stadium on Sunday, New England would be the first team to clinch a division this season. Even in the event of a loss or tie, there are combinations of results in Week 15 that could send the Patriots to the playoffs with three more regular-season games to go. The Patriots went 4-13 last season.

“We’re just trying to play for the championship that we have available this week,” Vrabel said. “It’s a great testament to our players who have put us in this position. It’s not going to be easy. There’s a reason they’ve won this division five years in a row.”

New England and Denver are jostling for the top seed in the AFC. The Broncos (11-2) have won 10 consecutive games and face NFC frontrunner Green Bay (9-3-1) later Sunday afternoon (4:25 p.m. ET).

The Broncos can clinch a playoff spot in the AFC with a win, or the combination of a tie and losses by either the Chargers or the AFC South’s three contenders: Jacksonville, Indianapolis or Houston.

There’s only one NFC team — the Los Angeles Rams (10-3) — with a chance to secure a playoff spot on Sunday. The Rams play the Lions (8-5) in Los Angeles in a win-and-in scenario.

Here’s the complete playoff picture as it stands entering Week 15:

AFC
Division leaders
1. Denver Broncos, 11-2, 7-2 vs. AFC
2. New England Patriots, 11-2, 6-2 vs. AFC
3. Jacksonville Jaguars, 9-4l, 6-2 vs. AFC
4. Pittsburgh Steelers, 7-6, 6-3 vs. AFC

Wild-card leaders
5. Los Angeles Chargers, 9-4, 7-2 vs. AFC
6. Buffalo Bills, 9-4, 6-3 vs. AFC
7. Houston Texans, 8-5, 7-2 vs. AFC

In the hunt
Indianapolis Colts, 8-5, 6-4 vs. AFC
Baltimore Ravens, 6-7, 4-5 vs. AFC
Kansas City Chiefs, 6-7, 3-5 vs. AFC
Miami Dolphins, 6-7, 3-6 vs. AFC

NFC
Division leaders
1. Los Angeles Rams, 10-3, 5-3 vs. NFC
2. Green Bay Packers, 9-3-1, 7-2-1 vs. NFC
3. Philadelphia Eagles, 8-5, 7-3 vs. NFC
4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 7-6, 5-4 vs. NFC

Wild-card leaders
5. Seattle Seahawks, 10-3, 6-3 vs. NFC
6. San Francisco 49ers, 9-4, 8-2 vs. NFC
7. Chicago Bears, 9-4, 6-3 vs. NFC

In the hunt
Detroit Lions, 8-5, 5-4
Carolina Panthers, 7-6, 5-3
Dallas Cowboys, 6-6-1, 3-5-1
Minnesota Vikings, 5-8, 3-5

–Field Level Media

Jan 18, 2025; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels (5) runs the ball against Detroit Lions during the second half at Ford Field. Mandatory Credit: David Reginek-Imagn Images

Playoff Picture entering Week 11: Woe in Washington

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Good news, Commanders fans: At 3-7, Washington can still become bowl eligible this season.

Bad news: Six wins won’t mean much in the NFL, and those Super Bowl thoughts percolating in January when the Commanders crashed the NFC Championship game are a distant memory.

Hard times are hanging around the NFC East. The Philadelphia Eagles are the lone playoff contender at this early stage in the race, the Dallas Cowboys have three wins and the New York Giants fired head coach Brian Daboll after a 2-8 start to 2025.

Philadelphia (7-2) outlasted the Green Bay Packers on Monday night. Now the Eagles are in a spotlight game with the Detroit Lions (6-3) in what sets up as a massive week for the playoff standings, potential tiebreakers and even a couple last-chance turnarounds.

The headlines on the Week 11 schedule are the AFC West duel in Denver between the Broncos (8-2) and Kansas City Chiefs (5-4). Kansas City currently is out of the playoffs and the No. 8 seed on the heels of the Jacksonville Jaguars (5-4), who own a head-to-head win over KC. The Broncos are right in the thick of the race for the AFC’s first-round bye and home field with the Indianapolis Colts (8-2) and New England Patriots (8-2).

Indianapolis beat Denver 29-28 in Week 2 and is one of two teams with just one loss against conference teams (6-1). The Chargers (6-3) are the AFC’s other one-loss team.

NFC playoff standings are a rollercoaster.

A three-point home loss Monday cost the Packers (5-3-1) the top spot in the NFC and then some. They enter Week 11 as the last team in the conference bracket with a ticket to play in Seattle in the wild-card round based on current standings.

In pursuit of the Eagles, the Seahawks (7-2) and Rams (7-2) duel Sunday for the top spot in the NFC West and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6-3) visit the Buffalo Bills (6-3).

How crowded is the NFC West? The loser of Rams-Seahawks slides from the No. 2 spot in the conference to a potential trip to Tampa — or Carolina — depending on how the NFC South shakes out.

And the six-win 49ers, who have wins at Seattle and Los Angeles, are not in the playoffs at the moment.

Here is a complete look at the playoff bracket in each conference after 10 weeks:

AFC
First Round Bye: 1. Indianapolis Colts (8-2)

7. Jacksonville Jaguars (5-4) at 2. Denver Broncos (8-2)
6. Buffalo Bills (6-3) at 3. New England Patriots (8-2)
5. Los Angeles Chargers (7-3) at 4. Pittsburgh Steelers (5-4)

Wild-card contenders:
8. Kansas City Chiefs (5-4)
9. Houston Texans (4-5); Texans own a head-to-head win over the Ravens.
10. Baltimore Ravens (4-5)
11. Cincinnati Bengals (3-6)
12. Miami Dolphins (3-7)

NFC
First Round Bye: 1. Philadelphia Eagles (7-2)

7. Green Bay Packers (5-3-1) at 2. Seattle Seahawks (7-2)
6. Chicago Bears (6-3) at 3. Detroit Lions (6-3)
5. Los Angeles Rams (7-2) at 4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6-3)

Wild-card contenders:
8. San Francisco 49ers (6-4)
9. Carolina Panthers (5-5)
10. Minnesota Vikings (4-5)
11. Dallas Cowboys (3-5-1)

–Field Level Media

Oct 2, 2022; Arlington, Texas, USA; Washington Commanders owner Dan Snyder (L) and president Jason Wright (R) pose for a photo before the game against the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-Imagn Images

Report: Commanders’ success is ‘killing’ ex-owner Dan Snyder

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Growing up in Maryland, Dan Snyder loved the Washington NFL team. His passion for the club only grew when his father scraped together the cash to buy tickets to take his young son to a game.

That’s according to an ESPN report on Saturday, which chronicles the life of Snyder since he was forced by his fellow NFL owners to sell his beloved Commanders.

Since that sale was completed before the 2023 NFL season, Snyder and his wife have abandoned their life on the East Coast, moving to London. They are divesting themselves of their megamansion properties in the D.C. area, donating one to charity and trying to sell another, in favor of living on their yacht or in a hotel as they await renovations being done on their future home in London.

The Commanders, now owned by a group put together by Josh Harris and his Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment, will play Sunday in the NFC Championship Game against the Philadelphia Eagles, seeking their first Super Bowl berth since after the 1991 season — a game Washington never reached under Snyder’s stewardship.

It’s a good bet Snyder won’t be watching rookie sensation Jayden Daniels and the Commanders from across the pond.

“He f—ing hates it,” ESPN reported a Snyder colleague saying of the Commanders’ success under a new off-field and on-field regime.

Snyder sold the team for a record $6.05 billion, minus a $60 million fine assessed by the NFL for a variety of improprieties that included instigating sexual harassment, running a toxic workplace and withholding revenue from the league.

Now 60, Snyder bought the team in 1999 for $800 million. He and his representatives declined to speak to ESPN for the story.

In the end of his regime, he was forced by fellow owners to list the team for sale, and he thought the $6 billion pricetag he attached would be out of reach for prospective buyers. Then, Harris showed up, and he and his partners were able to piece together the money.

But he tried to get a reprieve and cancel the deal at the last hour before its closing on July 20, 2023. Per ESPN, Snyder refused to hand over his bank account number for a transfer of funds to complete the sale before he finally relented. His confidantes until the end included Super Bowl-winning coach Joe Gibbs, a longtime ally, who finally convinced Snyder that letting the sale go through was for the good of the team and the fans.

“We don’t get the Commanders if not for Joe Gibbs,” said Tad Brown, the CEO of the Harris group, per ESPN.

Snyder’s business dealings with the Commanders remain under investigation in the United States. Former NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue recently called Snyder “the worst owner in the history of the National Football League,” per ESPN.

Snyder has registered an investment firm in England and is conducting business from there. Rumors reportedly persist that he is looking to buy an English Premier League team — something one ESPN source shot down.

“He isn’t a fan of other sports,” the source said. “He’s a fan of the [Commanders]. That was the biggest thing.”

Another source said Snyder still his “in denial” about that everything that led up to his departure from the NFL ownership ranks.

“Sadness — for himself,” the source said of Snyder’s attitude. “It’s killing him. … It’s devastating for him.”

–Field Level Media

Sep 25, 2023; Tampa, Florida, USA; Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts (1) against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during the second half at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-USA TODAY Sports

Wild-card Weekend Betting: Preview, Prediction and Picks

Posted on | by Field Level Media

The NFL playoffs kick off Saturday and run through Monday night as the league spreads the wealth for its fans.

Speaking of spreads, that Buffalo line feels a little high. And that Rams-Lions matchup just might have the wrong team favored.

See how this primary wager developed, along with a bonus play and a player prop below.

SUNDAY HEADLINERS

Pittsburgh Steelers at Buffalo Bills (-10), 1 p.m. ET on CBS
Los Angeles Rams at Detroit Lions (-3), 8 p.m. ET on NBC

We will use adjusted lines to produce a two-leg parlay on this pair of playoff games.

First up: The case for a closer-than-expected, bad-weather matchup between flawed teams.

By now, sports-betting fans are not fooled by the Buffalo Bills. This is a flashy-looking team with middling results that needed a punt return TD to help win its Week 18 game in Miami.

Josh Allen is an elite quarterback who will throw into small windows and risk interceptions. His legs provide the extra element in his array of tools; there’s no doubt he’s entertaining to watch.

The issue is whether his Bills can maintain an adequate ground attack, which should be an easier task against the Steelers’ addled defense (all-world linebacker TJ Watt is injured and will miss Sunday’s game).

But Pittsburgh has prospered by using a cold-weather offense with running back Najee Harris’ physical presence leading the ground attack. This not only will provide some scoring opportunities, but also will help shorten the game — and lessen the chances for a blowout.

It’s been snowing all week in Buffalo and flurries are expected Sunday, but the wind gusts of 20-30 miles per hour would conspire to keep Allen somewhat grounded.

Buffalo is good enough to pound out a victory; the Steelers gained only 289 yards last week against a Baltimore Ravens team resting its top defensive players.

Against all odds, though, Mason Rudolph has quarterbacked Pittsburgh to some success the past few weeks and isn’t likely to be rattled by playoff pressure.

Pressure is something the Lions will say has no effect on their Sunday matchup with the Rams, but LA knows about Detroit QB Jared Goff.

Rams defensive coordinator Raheem Morris has plenty of research and options to exploit Goff’s shortcomings.

The LA offense, though, has been a shining reason for the Rams’ 7-1 record to close the regular season.

Matthew Stafford is the better QB in this matchup, Kyren Williams is the top running back and although Detroit’s Amon-Ra St. Brown is arguably the top talent at wide receiver, the Rams’ receiver room is the better of the two teams.

Cooper Kupp has seen his health and production improve, and LA has benefited from a shocking rookie season from Puka Nacua. There are just too many options for the Lions to handle.

Want trends? According to Action Network, home teams winning their last game in the regular season by 10 points or fewer — as Detroit did — stand 17-30-3 (36 percent) against the spread (ATS) in their first playoff game (trend covers the past 20 years).

The Rams have to feel as if they are playing with house money. The Lions have to feel excited just to be back in the playoffs, along with a mix of anxious desperation to please a very hungry city without a home playoff win in 30 years.

On that note, home playoff teams that failed to make the prior season’s playoffs are only 13-29 (31 percent) ATS in the first playoff game.

The bet: Two-leg parlay featuring adjusted line, the Steelers +17.5 with the Rams +7.5 (-118 at DraftKings.)

THEY SAID IT

“I so badly want to win a playoff game for this city, that hasn’t had one in so long. That’s so much more important than anything personally for me.”

–Lions quarterback Jared Goff

BONUS PLAY

Philadelphia Eagles at Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 8:15 p.m. ET Monday.
Eagles -3, total 44

The Eagles are grasping for an explanation; the Bucs have a banged-up quarterback.

Baker Mayfield is preparing to play through ankle and rib injuries for Tampa Bay against Philadelphia, which went 1-5 to finish the season.

This Monday game provides dessert after a five-course NFL weekend meal, but it’s not terribly tasty. In fact, the play here is to fade the excitement.

A trend to spotlight comes from the laboratory at Vegas Insider, which found this game’s total to have encouraged enough “under” betting action to qualify.

The past season and a half, when 56 percent or more of the money is showing up on the “under,” the bet has a mark of 45-29 ATS (60.8 percent) to the “under.”

It’s not just sharp money, either. The number of bets (at 56 percent or better), too, brought a record of 35-22 (61.4 percent) to the under.

Both “under” stats were qualifying as of Thursday.

The bet: Eagles-Buccaneers UNDER 44.

PROP CORNER

Steelers coach Mike Tomlin will gladly try to shove Harris down the Bills’ throats.

If the wind kicks up in Buffalo, this will be an even better option. Grab the “over” 15.5 carries as soon as you can.

Prop play: Steelers running back Najee Harris “over” 15.5 carries. (-114 at FanDuel.)

–Field Level Media

Dec 31, 2023; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford (9) throws the ball during the first half against the New York Giants at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports

Playoff primer: Storylines galore as matchups are nearly set

Posted on | by Field Level Media

The Baltimore Ravens haven’t been to the Super Bowl since the 2012 season and the San Francisco 49ers have had some close calls in recent years while chasing their first Super Bowl title since the 1994 campaign.

The two clubs are in the favorite’s roles with first-round byes as the NFL’s 14-team playoff field came closer into focus on Sunday.

The Ravens are the No. 1 seed in the AFC and the 49ers are the top seed in the NFC as the competition for the Lombardi Trophy heats up.

The Dallas Cowboys earned the No. 2 seed and will host the No. 7 seed Green Bay Packers next weekend. The Cowboys perennially receive a lot of attention but the club hasn’t played in the Super Bowl since the 1995 season when quarterback Troy Aikman, running back Emmitt Smith and receiver Michael Irvin were all superstars.

The Detroit Lions are the No. 3 seed and will host the red-hot No. 6-seed Los Angeles Rams in what will be the first playoff game held in Detroit in 30 years. The No. 4 Tampa Bay Buccaneers will host the No. 5 Philadelphia Eagles, the defending NFC champions who are spiraling downward with five defeats in six games.

The AFC matchups won’t be fully known until the Miami Dolphins and Buffalo Bills complete their Sunday night showdown. The AFC matchups won’t be fully known until the Miami Dolphins and Buffalo Bills complete their Sunday night showdown. If the Dolphins win, they would host the Bills again next week, and the defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs would host the Pittsburgh Steelers. If the Bills win, they would host the Steelers next week and the Dolphins would travel to play the Chiefs.

The one fully known matchup in the AFC is that the No. 4 Houston Texans will host the No. 5 Cleveland Browns. Rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud leads the Texans into battle against veteran Joe Flacco of the Browns.

Baltimore can rest this week and ponder why it has just two playoff victories since winning the Super Bowl. The 49ers have won six playoff games while qualifying in three of the past four seasons, but have failed to win it all despite three NFC title game appearances, one prior to a Super Bowl loss.

Green Bay Packers (9-8) at Dallas Cowboys (12-5)
Dak Prescott has yet to lead the Cowboys to more than one win in a single postseason. This time around, Dallas has a chance at two home games as it holds the tiebreaker edge over the Lions (oh yeah, the failure to report controversy). Jordan Love has quickly shown that the Packers can be viable without the departed Aaron Rodgers, who failed to come through on last season’s win-and-in contest while Love did get the job done Sunday.

Los Angeles Rams (10-7) at Detroit Lions (12-5)
Matthew Stafford went 0-3 in the playoffs in 12 seasons with the Lions and will now be looking to keep his former team winless in the postseason since the Barry Sanders-led club beat the Dallas Cowboys in the 1991 season. While “Restore the Roar” is real in Motown behind former Los Angeles QB Jared Goff, the Rams have won seven of eight games since their Week 10 bye. Los Angeles used a similar hot stretch drive two seasons ago en route to the Super Bowl crown.

Philadelphia Eagles (11-6) at Tampa Bay Buccaneers (9-8)
Baker Mayfield directed a ragged 9-0 victory over the Panthers on Sunday that sent the Buccaneers home to welcome the Eagles in a wild-card matchup. Philadelphia won just once since Thanksgiving, going 1-5 to crumble down the stretch and surrender the NFC East division lead to the Cowboys. The Eagles are facing huge injury questions surrounding the health of QB Jalen Hurts (finger) and WR A.J. Brown (right knee) after both exited Sunday’s loss to the Giants. But can Mayfield pull off a Tom Brady impersonation?

Cleveland Browns (11-6) at Houston Texans (10-7)
Stroud quickly revived the atmosphere around the Texans with a stellar rookie season that saw Houston almost equal its victory total (11) of the past three seasons. Cleveland is thriving behind Flacco, a former Super Bowl MVP who is 4-1 as the starter. Pretty ironic that Houston is hosting the Browns in a playoff game and former Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson isn’t on the field. The player infamous in Houston for sexually harassing massage therapists is out for the season with a shoulder injury.

–Field Level Media

Dec 25, 2023; Santa Clara, California, USA; Baltimore Ravens linebacker Del'Shawn Phillips (53), safety Marcus Williams (32), and cornerback Daryl Worley (41) celebrate in the end zone after Williams intercepted a pass against the San Francisco 49ers in the fourth quarter at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports

Ravens, 49ers can land No. 1 playoff seeds in Week 17

Posted on | by Field Level Media

The Baltimore Ravens and San Francisco 49ers each can clinch the top playoff seed in their respective conferences during NFL Week 17 play.

The Ravens can tie up the No. 1 seed in the AFC with a win against the Miami Dolphins on Sunday. They can also clinch the AFC North title with a win or a tie on Sunday, or get a loss or a tie from the Cleveland Browns on Thursday against the New York Jets.

The 49ers can seal the top seed in the NFC with a victory Sunday against the Washington Commanders, while also getting losses from the Detroit Lions and the Philadelphia Eagles. San Francisco already is the NFC West champion.

The Ravens earned a 33-19 road victory against the 49ers on Monday.

In the AFC, the Buffalo Bills need a win or a tie and a number of scenarios involving the Cincinnati Bengals, Pittsburgh Steelers, Jacksonville Jaguars, Indianapolis Colts and Houston Texas in order to clinch a playoff berth.

The Browns can land a playoff spot with a win or a tie. Cleveland can also make postseason plans with a Steelers loss or tie, a Jaguars loss or tie or a Bills loss. It also works in their favor if the Texans lose or tie combined with the Colts losing or drawing.

The Jaguars earn a playoff spot and the AFC South title with a win, combined with a Colts loss and a Texans loss.

The Kansas City Chiefs clinch a playoff spot and the AFC West title with a win or a tie. They also do the same with a Las Vegas Raiders loss or tie, combined with a Denver Broncos loss or tie.

The Dolphins clinch the AFC East with a win or a tie. They also land the honor with a Bills loss or tie.

The Ravens and Dolphins already have clinched a playoff spot in the AFC.

In the NFC, the Los Angeles Rams clinch a playoff spot with a win and a Seattle Seahawks loss. They also get back into the postseason with a win and a Packers-Vikings tie.

The Philadelphia Eagles will clinch the NFC East with a win along with a Dallas Cowboys loss or tie. They also win the NFC East with a tie plus a Cowboys loss.

The Seahawks clinch a playoff spot with a win and a Packers-Vikings tie. The Buccaneers land a playoff spot and the NFC South title with a win. Tampa also lands the NFC South title with a tie to go along with a Falcons loss.

The Lions, 49ers, Cowboys and Eagles already have clinched playoff spots in the NFC.

–Field Level Media

Dec 3, 2023; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey (23) makes a catch against the Philadelphia Eagles during the third quarter at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports

NFL playoff picture: 3 teams have chance to clinch in Week 14

Posted on | by Field Level Media

With five games remaining in the regular season, three NFC teams have a chance to clinch an NFL playoff berth in Week 14.

But not more than two of them will.

That’s because the Dallas Cowboys (9-3) meet the visiting Philadelphia Eagles (10-2) on Sunday night, with the winner having a shot at gaining the playoff spot and the loser being forced to wait.

Among the two, the path to the playoffs is easiest for the Eagles, the defending NFC champion. They will clinch with a:

PHI win + SEA loss or tie OR
PHI win + LAR loss or tie OR
PHI win + GB loss or tie + MIN loss or tie OR
PHI win + GB loss or tie + DET loss OR
PHI tie + LAR loss + SEA loss OR
PHI tie + LAR loss + MIN loss or tie OR
PHI tie + LAR loss + GB loss or tie OR
PHI tie + SEA loss + MIN loss or tie OR
PHI tie + SEA loss + GB loss or tie OR
PHI tie + MIN loss + GB loss

For the Cowboys to clinch, they’ll need a:

DAL win + MIN loss or tie + GB loss or tie + SEA loss + TB loss or tie + DET win or tie + LAR loss or tie (as long as GB and MIN both don’t tie) OR
DAL win + MIN loss or tie + GB loss or tie + SEA loss + TB loss or tie + DET win or tie + NO loss or tie (as long as GB and MIN both don’t tie) OR
DAL win + MIN loss or tie + GB loss or tie + SEA loss + TB tie + DET win or tie (as long as GB and MIN both don’t tie)

The San Francisco 49ers (9-3) take on the Seattle Seahawks (6-6) on Sunday with the following scenarios in play for a playoff berth:

SF win + GB loss OR
SF win + MIN loss OR
SF win + GB tie + MIN tie

In Week 15, the Cowboys are at the Buffalo Bills, the 49ers meet the Cardinals in Arizona and the Seahawks host the Eagles.

–Field Level Media

Nov 20, 2022; Inglewood, California, USA; NBC Sunday Night Football broadcaster Mike Tirico reacts during the game between the Los Angeles Chargers and the Kansas City Chiefs at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Peacock lands NFL’s first exclusive streamed playoff game

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Peacock reached a one-year deal with the NFL to become the first streaming platform with exclusive rights to an NFL playoff game on Monday.

According to the league and NBCUniversal’s announcement, Peacock will carry a prime-time game in the wild-card round on Saturday, Jan. 13, immediately following a late-afternoon playoff game shown on NBC and Peacock. The cities of the two teams playing in the game will still have the game carried on NBC.

The deal was in the $110 million range, the Wall Street Journal reported.

“We are excited to work with a great partner in Peacock to present the first-ever exclusively live streamed NFL playoff game this upcoming season,” said Hans Schroeder, NFL Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of NFL Media. “Expanding the digital distribution of NFL content while maintaining wide reach for our games continues to be a key priority for the League, and bringing the excitement of an NFL playoff game exclusively to Peacock’s streaming platform is the next step in that strategy.”

Peacock formerly had a free option; now subscriptions cost either $4.99 or $9.99 per month.

The platform will also have exclusive rights to one regular-season game for the first time, a Saturday night tilt in Week 16 between the Buffalo Bills and host Los Angeles Chargers.

–Field Level Media