As the regular season nears its end, several NFL teams clinched playoff spots in Week 16 while others were eliminated from contention.
Five more teams clinched spots after Sunday’s early slate of games, with four of them being from the NFC. The Buccaneers clinched a spot after they won the NFC South with a win over the Panthers. It’s the first time Tampa Bay won a division title since 2007.
The Rams clinched a playoff spot and moved into first place in the NFC West after their 30–23 win against the Vikings. The Cardinals also clinched a spot despite not playing a single snap on Sunday. Nevertheless, even after losing to the Colts on Saturday, they are playoff bound following the Vikings and 49ers’ Week 16 defeats, joining the Packers and Cowboys, who had previously clinched their postseason berths.
The Cowboys clinched the NFC East title after the Raiders defeated the Broncos. Finally, the Chiefs secured the AFC West, becoming the first AFC team to clinch a playoff spot after their 36–10 win over the Steelers. They started the season 3–4, but have won their last eight games. While the Bills didn’t clinch a playoff spot Sunday, their win over the Patriots put them in the driver’s seat in the AFC East.
In the AFC, the Jets, Texans and Jaguars are eliminated from playoff contention. Over in the NFC, the Panthers, Bears, Giants and Lions are no longer eligible as well.
