Just five weeks remain in the 2017 NFL season, and as of yet, no team has secured a spot in the postseason. That could change Thursday night, however.
Here’s a look at the playoff picture entering Week 13:
AFC
1. Pittsburgh Steelers (9-2; AFC North leader)
2. New England Patriots (9-2; AFC East leader)
3. Tennessee Titans (7-4; AFC South leader)
4. Kansas City Chiefs (6-5; AFC West leader)
5. Jacksonville Jaguars (7-4; first wild card)
6. Baltimore Ravens (6-5; second wild card)
In the hunt: Buffalo Bills (6-5), Cincinnati Bengals (5-6), Los Angeles Chargers (5-6), Oakland Raiders (5-6)
Long shots: New York Jets (4-7), Miami Dolphins (4-7), Houston Texans (4-7), Indianapolis Colts (3-8), Denver Broncos (3-8)
Eliminated: Cleveland Browns (0-11)
NFC
1. Philadelphia Eagles (10-1; NFC East leader)
2. Minnesota Vikings (9-2; NFC North leader)
3. Los Angeles Rams (8-3; NFC West leader)
4. New Orleans Saints (8-3; NFC South leader)
5. Carolina Panthers (8-3; first wild card)
6. Atlanta Falcons (7-4; second wild card)
In the hunt: Seattle Seahawks (7-4), Detroit Lions (6-5)
Long shots: Green Bay Packers (5-6), Dallas Cowboys (5-6), Washington Redskins (5-6), Arizona Cardinals (5-6), Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-7), Chicago Bears (3-8)
Eliminated: New York Giants (2-9), San Francisco 49ers (1-10)
Some observations:
— If the Cowboys lose to the Redskins on Thursday night, the Eagles would clinch their first NFC East title since 2013. Philly also can clinch with a win over the Seahawks on Sunday night.
— The AFC still looks like a two-horse race between the Patriots and Steelers, who meet at Heinz Field in Week 15.
— The Chiefs, who began the season 5-0, still hold a slim lead in the AFC West, but it’s rapidly evaporating. Both the Chargers and Raiders sit just one game back in the divisional standings, and L.A. is coming off consecutive impressive wins over the Bills and Cowboys.
— The NFC South easily is the deepest in the NFL. If the season ended today, it would send three teams to the playoffs: the Saints, Panthers and Falcons. Those teams are separated by just one game.
— The AFC South looks like a pick-’em right now, with the Titans currently holding the top spot over the Jaguars thanks to a tiebreaker. Each team has one more difficult matchup remaining (Jacksonville vs. Seattle in Week 14; Tennessee vs. the Rams in Week 16) before meeting each other in Nashville in the regular-season finale. The Titans haven’t won the South since 2008, and the Jags are seeking their first division title since 1999.
— Only a stunning collapse would prevent Minnesota from winning the NFC North for the second time in three years. The Vikings haven’t won a playoff game since Brett Favre led them to the NFC Championship Game in 2009.
— The Bills currently sit just a tiebreaker out of a wild-card spot, making their decision to bench Tyrod Taylor two weeks ago all the more puzzling. A tough home stretch awaits Sean McDermott’s squad, however, including two games against the Patriots.
