As the NFL season gets ready to hit Thanksgiving, all 14 playoff spots are still up for grabs, but that may not be the case at the end of Week 13.
A total of three NFL teams can clinch a playoff spot this week, and the first spot can be clinched as soon as Friday.
With that in mind, let's take a look at the playoff scenarios heading into Week 13:
How Chiefs can clinch a playoff berth
If the 10-1 Chiefs want to be the first team to clinch a playoff spot, they need one of the following scenarios to happen:
- Chiefs win over Raiders + Dolphins loss/tie to Packers
- Chiefs tie Raiders + Dolphins loss to Packers
- Chiefs win over Raiders + Broncos loss to Browns
- Chiefs win over Raiders + Chargers lose to Falcons + Broncos tie Browns
If the Dolphins lose to the Packers on Thursday night, then the Chiefs can become the first team to clinch a berth if they beat the Raiders on Black Friday.
If the Chiefs don't clinch a spot, that could open the door for Buffalo to grab the first playoff spot. The Bills are on the cusp of clinching the AFC East title, and it could happen as soon as Sunday if two things go their way this week.
How the Bills can clinch a playoff berth
The Bills only have one scenario for clinching a playoff berth this week:
1. Bills win over 49ers + Dolphins loss to Packers
If both of those things happen, the Bills would clinch the AFC East.
In that situation, Buffalo would become the first team since the 2009 Colts to clinch a division title with five weeks left in the season. That Colts team was led by Peyton Manning, who got Indianapolis all the way to the Super Bowl before losing to the New Orleans Saints.
How the Lions can clinch a playoff berth
Although the scenarios for the Chiefs and Bills are simple, the Lions have a more convoluted route to clinching a playoff berth in Week 13.
Here are the six ways it can happen:
- Lions win + 49ers loss or tie + Cardinals loss or tie + Seahawks loss + Buccaneers loss or tie
- Lions win + 49ers loss or tie + Cardinals loss + Seahawks tie + Buccaneers loss or tie
- Lions win + 49ers loss or tie + Cardinals loss or tie + Seahawks loss + Commanders loss or tie + Falcons loss
- Lions win + 49ers loss or tie + Cardinals loss or tie + Seahawks loss + Commanders loss + Falcons tie
- Lions win + 49ers loss or tie + Cardinals loss + Seahawks tie + Commanders loss or tie + Commanders loss
- Lions win + 49ers loss or tie + Cardinals loss + Seahawks tie + Commanders loss + ATL tie
At this point, the easiest scenario for the Lions getting in this week would be a win over the Bears added with a 49ers loss to the Bills, a Seahawks loss to the Jets, a Cardinals loss to the Vikings and a Buccaneers loss to the Panthers.
If the Lions do get in, we could see three of the 14 playoff spots locked up by the end of Week 13.
