The NFL playoff picture gets tighter after Week 16.
Minshew Mania remains on hold. The Philadelphia Eagles couldn’t wrap up the NFC East and the No. The Eagles’ backup quarterback was also there, tightening the playoff picture.
Only one win is needed by the Eagles (13-2) to secure home-field advantage during the playoffs. 40-34 loss at Dallas (11-4) on Saturday kept alive the Cowboys’ slim hopes of securing the top spot.
Philadelphia beat Dallas at home, with Jalen Hurts starting in the lineup for Philadelphia and backup Cooper Rush beginning for the Cowboys. Dak Prescott was the Cowboys’ center. Minshew in for the injured Hurts.
With Hurts facing off against Prescott for the first time in this season, the teams could be heading for a rubber match during the playoffs.
“I think this is a really (ticked)-off team right now,” Eagles defensive tackle Fletcher Cox said after the Eagles twice blew 10-point leads. “We didn’t like the outcome of what went on. We know the type of club that we are and I think this team is really (ticked) off.”
The Minnesota Vikings (12-3). San Francisco 49ers (11-4) have already won their divisions and are now fighting for position. Both teams have the potential to finish anywhere between the top three spots.
The No. The No. 2. The host team can host at least 2 playoff games.
“I think we’re all aware of the importance of trying to get the right seed position, but there’s a lot in that that’s out of our control,” Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins said after Greg Joseph kicked a 61-yard field goal to give Minnesota a 27-24 victory Over the Giants on Saturday. “There’s certainly a large part that’s in our control. It’s up to you to just play each game, and let the chips fall where they may at year’s end. You try to go win all these games and go from there.”
Four division titles are up for grabs while seven teams have a chance to win the No. Two weeks remain to determine the AFC and NFC No. 1 seeds.
The Buffalo Bills (12-3) maintained their dominance in the AFC’s top spot with a 35-13 win On Saturday, they will be in Chicago. However, they will face a tough opponent next Monday in Cincinnati. The AFC champion Bengals (11-4), who have won seven consecutive games, still have a chance of winning the No. 1 seed. A loss could see them drop out of the top spot. The AFC North could come down to Week 18, when the Baltimore Ravens (10-5), visit Cincinnati.
The Kansas City Chiefs (12-3) are rooting for Joe Burrow’s Bengals win over Buffalo. With wins in Denver and Las Vegas, the seven-time AFC West champions will be able to secure home-field advantage during the playoffs.
“Obviously we don’t control our own destiny as far as the No. 1 seed, but we want to put ourselves in the best position to be at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium as much as possible in the playoffs, and that takes us getting better as a team every single week,” Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes said. “You want to be playing your best football going into the playoffs and I feel like that’s where we have to continue to get better and better is let’s put that full game together — offense, defense, special teams and I thought we did a pretty good job of it (Saturday), but we can be even better going into these last two weeks.”
Two teams could lose out on the AFC South or NFC South.
The NFC South title is up for grabs by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6-8), Carolina Panthers (6-29) and New Orleans Saints (6-29). The division will likely be decided by Tom Brady and the Buccaneers’ game against the Panthers on January 1.
The AFC South’s struggling Tennessee Titans (7-8), have been beaten by the Jacksonville Jaguars (7-8). The Jaguars host the Titans in Week 18. This will determine which division winner they are.
In an NFL season filled with close games and comeback wins, it’s fitting that only eight teams have been eliminated from playoff contention entering Sunday’s games.
___
Follow Rob Maaddi on Twitter at https://twitter.com/robmaaddi
___
AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl and https://twitter.com/AP_NFL