It is the time of the year when the debates about which teams will make the playoffs turn to discussions about which teams in the playoffs will be playing against each other.
Half of the playoff spots have been claimed already, but only one team has successfully clinched the division.
Week 16 could see several significant changes in the NFL playoff picture that might include changes at the top but are most likely to result in more teams being added to the six already eliminated from postseason contention.
The Philadelphia Eagles stand the best chance of wrapping up the NFC East title this week when they face the Dallas Cowboys on Christmas Eve. The Eagles lead the NFL with a 13-1 record, but the intense competition in the division has prevented them from locking up the top spot.
To clinch the division, Philadelphia must win one of the final three games of the regular season. The Cowboys are the strongest challengers for the NFC East title and the No.1 seed but will need three wins and three Eagles losses to pull off the upset.
The NFC East is perhaps the most intriguing division in all of football and has been so for months. The bottom two teams, the New York Giants and the Washington Commanders, currently hold the No.6 and No.7 seeds, respectively.
Though it is a slim chance, there is still a possibility that all four teams in the NFC East could make the playoffs this year, a feat that has never happened in the 102-year history of the NFL.
New York will need wins over at least two of the final three opponents. Washington likely needs three wins or some significant help from the Seattle Seahawks and the Detroit Lions, both chomping at the bit to earn a wildcard spot this season.
In the AFC, the playoff picture is somewhat murkier. As it stands today, the Buffalo Bills hold the top spot over the Kansas City Chiefs, both teams boasting an 11-3 record. Buffalo can clinch the AFC East title this week with a win over Chicago.
Nipping at their heels, the Cincinnati Bengals are just one game back and have been surging in recent weeks. Only the Chiefs have clinched their division so far this season in the AFC.
The Bengals will not be afforded the luxury of relaxing in the last weeks. Baltimore is just one game back and could easily take the AFC North from the Bengals and cause a seismic shift in the standings.
The Tennessee Titans are in similar shaky territory. The Titans are clinging to the No.4 seed but have lost four straight, and division-rival Jacksonville, fresh off a stunning overtime upset of the Cowboys, has won four of five to match Tennessee with seven wins.
The Los Angeles Chargers are right in the thick of things at 8-6 and holding the No.6 seed over the Miami Dolphins at No.7. The Chargers beat the Dolphins two weeks ago and have one of the easier remaining schedules of the season of any of the contenders still in the race.
Only the Bills can clinch a playoff spot this week without needing help from other teams. Everyone else will have to wait and see how things shake out after the Monday Night Football contest between the Chargers and the Indianapolis Colts before the Week 17 picture can start to come into focus.
