Along with the Buffalo Bills and Kansas City Chiefs, the Detroit Lions have already secured their playoff berth this week, solidifying their place in the NFL playoff picture. Which clubs will now follow their lead and book their berth for the NFL playoffs 2024? Based on NFL data insights here are our predictions for playoffs.
While the Chiefs have a strong chance once again to grab the AFC West champ title for the seventh time in a row, the other contenders have difficult routes to follow in their decisive situations. In order to join the Lions in the NFC field, the Minnesota Vikings and Philadelphia Eagles must first defeat or draw with their opponents before receiving assistance from another team.
In the west, the Chiefs' streak of incredible performance this season keeps getting longer. Patrick Mahomes recorded his 100th victory as a starter (including playoffs), and Kansas City defeated Las Vegas to earn their 10th consecutive postseason participation and their 14th consecutive victory in a game determined by a one-score margin—the longest such streak in the NFL. The Chiefs cannot afford to slow down in the slightest now since the Bills are closing in on them. They will have the chance to add a seventh division title in as many seasons to their list of accomplishments soon.
In the east, the Bills have exited Week 13 with a sixth consecutive AFC East title. According to NFL Research, Buffalo's rout of San Francisco made them only the seventh team in history—and the first since the 2009 Colts—to win a division title with more than five weeks left in the regular season. Only one of the six teams who did it before, the legendary and unique '85 Bears, won the Lombardi Trophy, while five of them made it to the Super Bowl. After nine weeks, the Bills had mostly resecured the AFC East title. Buffalo had a high chance of winning the division since they had swept the third-place Dolphins and were four games ahead of the second-place Jets (plus a head-to-head advantage).
The Baltimore Ravens are leading the north, but they have a challenging schedule. Although the Pittsburgh Steelers might be a fierce rival, they would earn a division-best 10th AFC North title since the reorganization in 2002 if they were to stave off the Ravens. The Texans are 2-0 against the Colts (4-5), who are in second place in the south, and are two games ahead of them. But with DeMeco Ryans' squad dealing with an increasing number of injuries, Houston's advantage might be weakened in games against the Chiefs, Ravens, and Lions.
The AFC's two-team competition is still not quite as fierce as the NFC's fight for supremacy. An incredibly talented but badly injured Lions team nearly escaped one of the weirdest endings in recent memory, and they remain within arm's reach of both the Eagles and Vikings. Even if their path is a little more complicated, the Packers are also not out of it yet. The team's defensive depth and toughness will be put to the test in Detroit's last five games. But if any club has the fortitude and spirit to weather the impending assault, it's Dan Campbell's team.
In the current NFC East rankings, Washington Commanders is in first place. However, at the conclusion of the season, the hard-charging Philadelphia Eagles can also surpass the Commanders, demoting Washington to the No. 5 spot. Thanks in part to wins against the Vikings and Packers on their home turf, the Lions are the best team in the NFL's finest division and have a dominant lead in the North, even though Dan Campbell wouldn't call it that. They are the only team in the league to be in the top five in both offensive and defense. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Atlanta Falcons are vying for the top slot in the southern division right now. In the west, the Cardinals and Rams will most likely need to upset the Seahawks, who are presently atop the standings, in order to guarantee a postseason spot.
While some teams still have a long battle ahead of them New England Patriots, Jacksonville Jaguars, and Las Vegas Raiders have been eliminated from the AFC playoff contention. The New York Giants have already been kicked out of the NFC.
The 2024 NFL playoffs feature thrilling games and high-stakes matches, with top clubs like the Bills, Chiefs, and Lions leading the way. Staying ahead in this dynamic climate requires having access to reliable, current real-time sports data. To give your platform a boost, Data Sports Group provides unmatched NFL data insights and player performance data. Get in touch with our team today and take your sports business to the next level.
