NFL Playoffs Week 16 Image: Bengals Win, Jaguars Now AFC South Favorites

Half of the 14 playoff spots are clinched after the first game of Week 16. Here’s the NFL playoff picture following the Jaguars’ 19-3 win over the Jets on Thursday night. The listed odds for making the playoffs, securing the No. 1 seed, and winning the Super Bowl are all via the athleticAustin Mock’s NFL betting model. Projected playoff chances have been adjusted to account for potential Week 18 bye scenarios and injuries to quarterbacks Jalen Hurts, Lamar Jackson and Ryan Tannehill.

x — Secured playoff spot | and – Division title secured

buffalo bills

Up three games in the AFC East standings, the Bills can clinch their third straight division title with a win or tie against the Bears on Saturday or a Dolphins loss or tie against the Packers on Sunday.

Remaining hours: in Bearsin bengalisagainst patriots

Possibilities: To make the playoffs: 100 percent | To win bye: 60.1 percent | To win the Super Bowl: 14.2 percent

Kansas City Chiefs

The Chiefs clinched their seventh straight AFC West title in Week 15, so the search for the No. 1 seed is all they have left. After losing head-to-head meetings against the Bills and Bengals, the Chiefs will need to finish with a better record than both teams to secure a first-round bye and home field advantage during the conference championship round.

Remaining hours: against Seahawksagainst broncosin raiders

Possibilities: To make the playoffs: 100 percent | To win bye: 36.2 percent | To win the Super Bowl: 12.8 percent

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Cincinnati Bengals

The Jets’ loss to the Jaguars on Thursday clinched a playoff berth for the Bengals. Cincinnati made back-to-back playoff appearances for the last time during their five-year career, from 2011 to 2015. Our model gives the Bengals a 68.5 percent chance of winning the AFC North.

Remaining hours: in patriotsagainst invoices, against ravens

Possibilities: To make the playoffs: 100 percent | To win bye: 3.7 percent | To win the Super Bowl: 6.3 percent

tennessee titans

The Jaguars’ win Thursday night puts more pressure on the Titans, who have lost four straight. “most likely” will be without Ryan Tannehill for the rest of the season and now they’re just a half-game ahead in the AFC South standings going into Tennessee’s Week 16 game against the jeans.

The jaguars won the first head-to-head meeting with the Titans. The second head-to-head, in Jacksonville in week 18, is shaping up to be a winner-take-all matchup, provided the Jaguars post an identical or better record than the Titans over the next two weeks.

If the Titans enter Week 18 a game before the Jaguars, a Jacksonville win in the regular season finale would even the overall records for the two teams and give the Jaguars the head-to-head tiebreaker.

If the Jaguars enter Week 18 one game ahead of the Titans, a Tennessee win would give the Titans the division based on a superior divisional record, as both teams would enter their regular season finale 3-2 against the AFC South in this scenario. Like the Titans, the Jaguars have one more game against the Texans on their schedule.

Our model gives Tennessee a 46.3 percent chance of winning the AFC South for the third straight year.

Remaining hours: against jeansagainst Cowboysin Jaguars

Possibilities: To make the playoffs: 47.7 percent | To win bye: 0.0 percent | To win the Super Bowl: 1.6 percent

Baltimore Ravens

The ravens they can clinch a playoff spot this weekend with any of five scenarios involving wins or ties for them and wins, losses or ties for up to seven other teams. There’s even a scenario that puts Baltimore in regardless of its outcome if the Patriots lose, the brownsmuggers and titans they lose or tie, and the Chargers win.

But how the athletic‘s jeff zrebiec writesit’s going to be hard to consider the Ravens a serious contender come playoff time without a version of Lamar Jackson who can put this team on its back. The quarterback will miss his third straight game with a knee injury.

Remaining hours: against hawksagainst steelersin flares

Possibilities: To make the playoffs: 96.7 percent | To win bye: 0.0 percent | To win the Super Bowl: 3.5 percent

Los Angeles Chargers

The Chargers clinch a playoff spot with a win at Indianapolis on Monday and a mix of losses or ties from the raiders, patriotsjets and/or dolphins. Based on our model, they face the seventh-easiest remaining schedule, starting with a trip to Indianapolis to face a Colts team that starting quarterback Nick Foles for the first time this weekend.

The Chargers hold the head-to-head tiebreaker over the Dolphins and have a better conference record (6-4) than a pair of seven-win teams: the Patriots (5-4) and Jets (5-6). The Jaguars are also 6-4 against the AFC following their victory on Thursday night.

Remaining hours: in foalsagainst ramsin broncos

Possibilities: To reach the playoffs: 85.8 percent | To win bye: 0.0 percent | To win the Super Bowl: 3.7 percent

miami dolphins

Losers of three in a row, the Dolphins can’t clinch a playoff spot this weekend. Their upcoming games against the Patriots and Jets are potentially hugely influential, given that both teams currently sit very close to them in the standings.

Remaining hours: against packersin Patriots, vs. Jets

Possibilities: To make the playoffs: 82.5 percent | To win bye: 0.0 percent | To win the Super Bowl: 4.2 percent

on the hunt

• Patriots (7-7) | Playoff odds: 23.0 percent
• Jets (7-8) | 5.4 percent
• Jaguars (7-8) | 54.9 percent
• browns (6-8) | < 1.0 percent
• steelers (6-8) | < 1.0 percent
• raiders (6-8) | 3.0 percent

removed

• Broncos (4-10)
• foals (4-9-1)
• Texans (1-12-1)

x — Secured playoff spot | and – Division title secured

philadelphia eagles

The Eagles, who will be without Jalen Hurts this weekendclinched their playoff berth in week 14, but has yet to clinch the NFC East or secure the No. 1 seed. Here’s how they can do both in week 16:

• Win the NFC East with a win or tie against the Cowboys
• Secure the No. 1 seed with a win against the Cowboys or with a tie against the Cowboys and a Vikings loss or tie against the Giants

Remaining hours: in jeans vs. Saintsagainst giants

Possibilities: To make the playoffs: 100 percent | To win bye: 95.0 percent | To win the Super Bowl: 16.5 percent

minnesota vikings

Even if the Vikings lose, they can’t finish worse than the No. 3 seed. They can thank the sorry state of the NFC South for that.

Based on our model, Minnesota has the sixth-easiest remaining schedule.

Remaining hours: against giantsin packersin Bears

Possibilities: To make the playoffs: 100 percent | To win bye: 1.5 percent | To win the Super Bowl: 9.0 percent

san francisco 49ers

The 49ers acknowledge that their chances of securing the No. 1 seed are slim, but San Francisco made it clear this week that it’s shooting to win and edge out the Vikings for the No. 2 seed.

Remaining hours: against Commandersin Raiders vs. cardinals

Possibilities: To make the playoffs: 100 percent | To win bye: 1.7 percent | To win the Super Bowl: 7.2 percent

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

The 6-8 Bucs remain a game ahead of the other three teams in their division, all of which are 5-9. Surprisingly, the Panthers control their own destiny as they won their first meeting against the Bucs. The second comes in Tampa in Week 17. Our model gives Carolina a 10.4 percent chance of winning the NFC South, compared to 83.7 percent for the Bucs.

Remaining hours: in cardinalsagainst panthersin hawks

Possibilities: To make the playoffs: 83.8 percent | To win bye: 0.0 percent | To win the Super Bowl: 3.3 percent

Dallas Cowboys

The Cowboys clinched a playoff spot last week when the Giants beat the Commanders, but based on our model, Dallas has just a 3.6 percent chance of winning the NFC East and a 1.8 percent chance of clinching the No. . 1.

Remaining hours: vs. Eagles, in Titans, in Commanders

Possibilities: To make the playoffs: 100 percent | To win bye: 1.8 percent | To win the Super Bowl: 5.1 percent

New York Giants

The Giants can clinch their first playoff berth since 2016 this weekend with a win against the Vikings and a mix of losses by the Commanders, Lions and Seahawks. Just a win in Minnesota would increase the Giants’ playoff odds by more than 90 percent.

Remaining hours: at Vikings, against Colts, at Eagles

Possibilities: To make the playoffs: 80.1 percent | To win bye: 0.0 percent | To win the Super Bowl: 2.9 percent

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Washington Commanders

Washington ceded a huge playoff clout by losing to the Giants last week. The Commanders are a seven-point underdog going into their road matchup against the 49ers.

Remaining hours: in the 49ers, against the browns, against the cowboys

Possibilities: To make the playoffs: 37.6 percent | To win bye: 0.0 percent | To win the Super Bowl: 1.8 percent

on the hunt

• Seahawks (7-7) | Playoff odds: 18.1 percent
• lions (7-7) | 57.1 percent
• Packers (6-8) | 6.9 percent
• Panthers (5-9) | 10.4 percent
• Falcons (5-9) | 3.0 percent
• Saints (5-9) | 3.1 percent

removed

• Bears (3-11)
• Cardinals (4-10)
• rams (4-10)

(Photo: Vincent Carchietta/USA Today)