What’s at stake in Week 14? NFL playoff scenarios and updated bracket picture

As the NFL regular season begins to wind down, Week 14 carries playoff-level weight across both conferences, with several matchups capable of reshaping the top seeds, the Wild-Card race and multiple division battles.

The New England Patriots’ dominant Monday-night win over the New York Giants in Week 13 pushed the Patriots back into the AFC’s No. 1 seed heading into their Week 14 bye. The Denver Broncos remain right behind them after surviving a tense finish against Washington.

Over in the NFC, the power structure shifted again. The Chicago Bears slid into the conference’s top spot after the Los Angeles Rams stumbled in a surprising loss to Carolina, tightening an already volatile race for postseason positioning.

AFC Standings after Week 13

Division Leaders

1. New England Patriots (11-2)
2. Denver Broncos (10-2)
3. Jacksonville Jaguars (8-4)
4. Baltimore Ravens (6-6)

Wild-Card Contenders

• Los Angeles Chargers (8-4)
• Indianapolis Colts (8-4)
• Buffalo Bills (8-4)
• Houston Texans (7-5)
• Pittsburgh Steelers (6-6)
• Kansas City Chiefs (6-6)
• Miami Dolphins (5-7)
• Cincinnati Bengals (4-8)
• New York Jets (3-9)
• Cleveland Browns (3-9)

The Patriots became the league’s first 11-win team on Monday, giving them a half-game advantage over Denver, at least until the Broncos take the field again in Week 14. With Denver facing the already-eliminated Las Vegas Raiders, the two front-runners appear destined to remain neck-and-neck into the season’s stretch run.

Because the Pats and Broncos don’t meet in the regular season, the chase for the AFC’s top seed could come down to conference record, and both sides currently sit at 6-2 against AFC opponents.

Three divisional matchups will be telling in Week 14 and could dramatically rearrange the bracket:

• Colts vs Jaguars: an outright battle for control of the AFC South.
• Ravens vs Steelers: a rivalry game with massive AFC North implications.
• Chiefs vs Texans: Kansas City must win just to stay in the Wild-Card discussion after a run of damaging head-to-head losses. The Chiefs, now 6-6, may realistically need to win out to stay alive through Week 18.

NFC Standings after Week 13

Division Leaders

1. Chicago Bears (9-3)
2. Los Angeles Rams (9-3)
3. Philadelphia Eagles (8-4)
4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-5)

Wild-Card Contenders

• Seattle Seahawks (9-3)
• Green Bay Packers (8-3-1)
• San Francisco 49ers (9-4)
• Detroit Lions (7-5)
• Dallas Cowboys (6-5-1)
• Carolina Panthers (7-6)
• Atlanta Falcons (4-8)
• Minnesota Vikings (4-8)
• Washington Commanders (3-9)

The Lions (7-5) and Cowboys (6-5-1) meet with both teams clinging to playoff hopes and looking to close the gap on the Wild-Card leaders.

The Lions and Cowboys will also be watching Chicago’s trip to Green Bay closely. A Bears win would create breathing room atop the NFC North, while a Packers victory would thrust Green Bay not only into the divisional lead, but also back into the race for the No. 1 seed.

Meanwhile, the Rams and Eagles both head on the road for tricky matchups against the Cardinals and Chargers, leaving the door open for a major standings shuffle by Sunday night.

AFC playoff scenarios: Week 14

In the AFC, the spotlight falls on three pivotal divisional games. Indianapolis Colts vs Jacksonville Jaguars could effectively decide the AFC South, with the winner gaining both a head-to-head tiebreaker edge and control of the division entering the final month. In the AFC North, the Baltimore Ravens’ meeting with the Pittsburgh Steelers is critical for two inconsistent teams. A Ravens win would stabilize their hold on the division lead, while a Steelers victory would throw the entire AFC North into chaos. The Kansas City Chiefs, meanwhile, face a near must-win scenario against the Houston Texans after costly losses to fellow Wild-Card contenders earlier in the season. A defeat could push the Chiefs to the brink of elimination before December is even halfway finished.

NFC playoff scenarios: Week 14

The NFC picture is just as volatile. Detroit Lions vs Dallas Cowboys is essentially an elimination game disguised as a midseason matchup. Both teams sit on the edge of the Wild-Card race, and a loss could create a nearly insurmountable climb with only four weeks remaining. The Chicago Bears vs Green Bay Packers showdown has massive implications at both the divisional and conference levels. A Chicago win would strengthen its grip on the NFC North, while a Packers victory could send Green Bay surging into the race for the conference’s top seed. With the Los Angeles Rams and Philadelphia Eagles entering difficult road environments in Arizona and Los Angeles respectively, Week 14 could end with a completely reshuffled NFC hierarchy.

The results this weekend could determine which teams are still playing in January.

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