The NFL is separating the wheat from the chaff in the race for the playoffs.
Entering Sunday, only two teams were guaranteed a playoff berth. The Green Bay Packers clinched the NFC North in Week 15, while the Dallas Cowboys would at least be a wild-card team thanks to the San Francisco 49ers' loss to the Tennessee Titans on Thursday.
But there were plenty of playoff permutations that could be fulfilled by Sunday's results. Here's how things stand following the 1 p.m. ET kickoffs.
AFC Standings
- Kansas City Chiefs (10-4)
- Tennessee Titans (10-5)
- Cincinnati Bengals (9-6)
- Buffalo Bills (9-6)
- Indianapolis Colts (9-6)
- New England Patriots (9-6)
- Pittsburgh Steelers (7-6-1)
- Baltimore Ravens (8-7)
- Los Angeles Chargers (8-7)
- Las Vegas Raiders (7-7)
- Miami Dolphins (7-7)
- Denver Broncos (7-7)
- Cleveland Browns (7-8)
- New York Jets (3-11); eliminated
- Houston Texans (3-11); eliminated
- Jacksonville Jaguars (2-12); eliminated
NFC Standings
- Green Bay Packers (12-3); clinched NFC North
- Los Angeles Rams (11-4); clinched playoff berth
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers (11-4); clinched NFC South
- Dallas Cowboys (10-4); clinched playoff berth
- Arizona Cardinals (10-5); clinched playoff berth
- San Francisco 49ers (8-7)
- Philadelphia Eagles (8-7)
- New Orleans Saints (7-7)
- Minnesota Vikings (7-8)
- Atlanta Falcons (7-8)
- Washington Football Team (6-8)
- Seattle Seahawks (5-9)
- Carolina Panthers (5-10); eliminated
- Chicago Bears (4-10); eliminated
- New York Giants (4-11); eliminated
- Detroit Lions (2-12-1); eliminated
With nothing else to play for this season, the Houston Texans fully relished their spoiler role against the Los Angeles Chargers, pulling off a 41-29 upset.