The NFL playoffs standings in Week 16 have the New England Patriots and Carolina Panthers leading the AFC and NFC as the top seeds. Things are not fully set yet in the conferences or the wild card race after the Jets won over the Patriots and the Steelers lost, giving the Chiefs a clinched playoff spot.
The weekend schedule saw the Washington Redskins clinch the NFC East with a win over the Philadelphia Eagles, while the Bengals clinched the AFC North with the Steelers losing. The Bengals play against the Broncos on Monday night football and that game has a lot riding on it for the standings in the AFC. The Carolina Panthers lost on Sunday against the Falcons to end their chance at staying undefeated, but they remain in position as the top seed in the NFC.
The Patriots are 12-3 on the season and have the chance to stay as the top overall seed in the AFC, but if they lose their final two games and the Broncos win those, Denver will be the top seed. The Patriots lost to the Jets and that put New York in wild card position after the Steelers lost on Sunday. The Patriots are the top seed right now over the Bengals and Broncos, while the Houston Texans are in the AFC South lead.
The wild card has the Kansas City Chiefs in the fifth spot and they have now clinched a playoff spot and are still alive for the AFC West title. The Jets are the sixth seed and they will be into the playoffs with a win next week. The Steelers remain in the hunt at 9-6, but they need the Jets to lose and a win in Week 17 to get in. The Broncos are in an odd position, as they could be the top seed potentially, but they also could end up out of the playoffs if they lose out and the Chiefs and Steelers win next week. That adds even more pressure to the Broncos for Monday night football against the Bengals.
The Carolina Panthers and Arizona Cardinals are the top seeds in the NFC and both teams have clinched first round byes and their divisions. The Panthers lost on Sunday to fall to 14-1 after being undefeated, while the Packers lost big against the Cardinals. The Cardinals are 13-2 this season and they are second ahead of the Packers, who are third in the conference at 10-5. The Vikings can still potentially win the division title if they win Sunday night against the Giants and then win over the Packers in Week 17.
The Redskins clinched the NFC East with a win over the Philadelphia Eagles on Saturday, while the Vikings and Seahawks are the current wild card teams. The Seahawks lost on Sunday against the Rams, but the team has already clinched a playoff spot.