NFL
Which teams can clinch a playoff spot in Week 14 of the NFL?
There are just five weeks remaining in the NFL regular season, and the league's top teams are on the verge of clinching the first playoff spots
There is over a month to go in the NFL regular season, and much is still to be determined in the final five weeks but three teams can get a step closer to the Super Bowl by clinching the first playoff spots of the year.
While no team in the AFC can clinch this week, the NFC leading Arizona Cardinals, the Green Bay Packers, and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers can all punch their playoff tickets, if everything falls into place in Week 14.
What each team needs:
Arizona Cardinals (10-2)
The league’s best team look like the favorite to take home field advantage in the conference. They will play their division rivals, the Los Angeles Rams on Monday night in one of the games of the week. While the Cardinals can’t clinch the division, because the Rams are right on their heels, they can clinch a playoff spot with the following:
- A win or a tie or
- A Minnesota loss or tie and a San Francisco loss or
- A Minnesota loss or tie, a New Orleans loss or tie and a Carolina loss or tie or
- A San Francisco loss, a New Orleans loss or tie and a tie in the Atlanta vs. Carolina tie
Green Bay Packers (9-3)
The Green Bay Packers are coming out of their bye week and can clinch the NFC North against the Chicago Bears on Sunday night. The can lock up the division with the following:
- A win and a Minnesota loss or tie or
- A tie and a Minnesota loss
They can clinch a playoff birth without clinching the division with:
- A win, a New Orleans loss or tie and a San Francisco loss or
- A win, and New Orleans loss or tie, a Los Angeles Rams loss, and a San Francisco tie
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers (9-3)
The defending champions can get back to the playoffs this weekend when they play the Buffalo Bills on Sunday afternoon. They have a big lead in a weak NFC South and can win the division with the following:
- A win, a New Orleans loss or tie, and a Carolina loss or tie
The Bucs can clinch a playoff spot without securing the division with:
- A tie, a Carolina loss, a New Orleans loss, a Minnesota loss, a San Francisco loss or tie and a Washington loss or tie.