The Dallas Cowboys will kick off Week 17 of the 2022 NFL season on Thursday night against the Tennessee Titans, knowing the team has already locked up a playoff spot.
Eight other teams have done enough already this season to clinch a postseason appearance, leaving just five spots available between the NFC and AFC. Both conferences have intriguing matchups yet to be played this season and plenty of opportunity for underdog stories to emerge.
In the NFC, the Minnesota Vikings and the San Fransisco 49ers have taken the NFC North and NFC West titles, respectively.
The NFC South has been a dumpster fire through most of the season but is suddenly filled with intriguing matchups to see which underperforming team will finally triumph.
The NFC East is positioned to produce a historic outcome in which all four teams could qualify for the playoffs.
Currently, the Philadelphia Eagles hold the lead in the NFC East but suffered a loss to Dallas on Sunday and are dealing with a possibly significant injury to quarterback Jalen Hurts.
The Eagles need just one win in the next two weeks to take the division. They play at home against the New Orleans Saints this Sunday and conclude the season at home against the New York Giants.
Dallas will need the Eagles to lose out the remainder of the season while defeating the Titans on Thursday and the Washington Commanders in the season finale to wrestle away the NFC East title. Any win by Philadelphia or any Cowboys loss gives the Eagles the division title and makes Dallas the No.5 seed.
The No.4 seed hosts the No.5 seed in the Wild Card round of the playoffs. The No.4 seed in the NFC is yet to be determined, but it will fall to the team that ultimately triumphs in the lowly NFC South.
Currently, the 7-8 Tampa Bay Buccaneers hold the division lead, but they are just one game ahead of the 6-9 Carolina Panthers and Saints in the division. The Buccaneers are hosting the Panthers this Sunday in a game that will go a long way to determining the division champion.
The weirdest part of the 2022 Playoffs is that the Giants and Washington Commanders remain in contention for playoff spots in the final two weeks. It will take some help from other teams and victories against tough opponents — including the Eagles and Cowboys — but it is still a slim possibility that all four NFC East teams could qualify.
The AFC shares its own challenges as just two teams have clinched division titles — the Buffalo Bills (AFC South) and the Kansas City Chiefs (AFC West) — but five of the conference’s seven playoff spots are clinched.
The Cincinnati Bengals have clinched a playoff spot and are currently the No.3 seed atop the AFC North. The Baltimore Ravens are just one game behind the Bengals in the AFC North, but their spot in the postseason is secured.
Currently, the No.6 seed belongs to the Los Angeles Chargers, who clinched a playoff berth with a Monday Night win over the Indianapolis Colts.
The 7-8 Jacksonville Jaguars are currently in possession of the No.4 seed as leaders of the AFC South, ahead of the Titans. Jacksonville and the Miami Dolphins — currently the No. 7 seed — will need at least one win in the final two games and at least one loss by a division rival to hold the current seeding.
By Monday evening, when Week 17 has come to a close and a new year has begun, many of these possible future outcomes could be nothing more than memories. At the same time, the likelihood remains high for at least a few teams to complete an unexpected late-season push to get into the playoffs.
