NFL Playoffs Future Watch: Which Current NFL Playoff Teams Will Stay There?
Which current NFL Teams occupying playoff positions will Stay in the NFL playoffs mix from now until wildcard weekend?
A lot was made about the Bills dropping to the sixth playoff seed following last week’s loss to the Vikings and blowing up people’s NFL predictions, with both the Dolphins and Jets passing them in the AFC East standings.
As things stand right now, all four AFC East teams are in the playoffs. Since we’ve only had a couple of years of three Wild Card teams, that has never happened before. But will it happen this year? Which of the 14 teams that are currently in the NFL playoff picture are good enough to stay there?
AFC Playoff Teams In
All signs point to the Chiefs winning yet another AFC West title and making the NFL playoffs. Cold, Hard Football Facts ranks the Chiefs second in their Quality Standings, and no other divisional opponent is higher than 21st.
Tennessee has all but wrapped up the AFC South, and they will be in the NFL playoffs for the fourth straight season. AFC North leader Baltimore is ranked eighth in Quality Standings, putting them higher than anyone else in their division. And that leaves just the AFC East.
The Dolphins and Bills have the staying power to both make it into the postseason. They are top-10 teams in Quality Standings, and both will play in January. Who will win the division and host games vs. the Wild Card team that goes on the road remains to be seen.
AFC Playoff Teams Questions
The Jets are currently in, but with a remaining schedule that includes Minnesota, Seattle, Buffalo, and Miami, it’s easy to see them dropping out. The same thing happened for a Patriots team that ranks just 17th on the Quality Standings index.
The most likely teams to replace them are the Chargers and Bengals, who are both ranked highly by Cold, Hard Football Facts in Real Quarterback Rating.
NFC Playoff Teams In
The Vikings have wrapped up the NFC North, and the Eagles, even though their lead in the NFC East is just a game, are also a shoo-in for the NFL playoffs. The Buccaneers will also win the NFC South and actually host a playoff game, even as they struggle to stay at .500.
Based on the Cold, Hard Football Facts index Quality Stats Power Rankings, the Cowboys rank fifth, and the 49ers rank seventh, and that will be enough to power them through the rest of the season and into the postseason.
NFC Playoff Team Questions
The Giants are almost in, but we can’t declare them in just yet. They have games left with the Cowboys and Vikings and two games against the Eagles. Win just one of those games, along with one of their games against the Commanders and Colts, and we’ll move the Giants to the NFL playoffs “in” column.
The other question mark is Seattle. The 49ers could pass them in the NFC West, as the oddsmakers believe will happen. The Seahawks have a tough stretch at the end of the season, with the 49ers, Chiefs, and Jets in consecutive weeks. But the Quality Stats Power Rankings have Seattle ahead of their closest playoff competitors, the Commanders, Falcons, Packers, and Cardinals. So Seattle should get to the NFL playoffs in the end.
