NFL playoff picture: Giants fail to clinch spot, what's at stake in Week 16

Week 16 of the NFL season is underway. The New York Giants blew their chance to clinch a playoff spot by losing to the Philadelphia Eagles 24-19 on Thursday. In the process, the Giants handed the NFC East crown, a first-round bye and the No. 1 overall seed in the NFC to the Dallas Cowboys. The Giants can still clinch a playoff spot this weekend, but they'll need someone else to do their work for them now.

Here's how the rest of the NFL playoff picture looks, as well as a snapshot of some games that could impact what it looks like after Week 16 and beyond.

AFC: Who's in

1. (xyz) New England Patriots (12-2)

Fresh off victories over the Ravens and Broncos, the Pats get to take it a bit easier with the banged-up Jets coming to Foxborough this week.

2. (x) Oakland Raiders (11-3)

The Raiders, back in the No. 2 seed (doesn't it seem like they keep trading it back and forth with the Chiefs?), welcome the Indianapolis Colts to the Black Hole on Saturday. They have a one-game lead on the Chiefs and are in the driver's seat for a first-round bye.

3. Pittsburgh Steelers (9-5)

The Steelers and Ravens will meet Sunday in a game that seems likely to decide the winner of the AFC North (the Steelers take the division with a victory). It should be one of the best games of the weekend.

4. Houston Texans (8-6)

The Brock Osweiler Era is over. Tom Savage will lead the Texans against Bengals on Saturday night this week.

5. Kansas City Chiefs (10-4)

The Chiefs are set to take on the Broncos on Christmas night in what should be one of the best games of the weekend, based on how these two teams tend to play each other. The Broncos have dropped out of playoff position and the Chiefs will surely want to keep them there.

6. Miami Dolphins (9-5)

The Dolphins head to upstate New York to take on the division rival Bills. Buffalo still has the faintest of playoff hopes, and the Dolphins have a chance to knock them out for good.

AFC: Who's out

No. 7 Baltimore Ravens (8-6)
No. 8 Tennessee Titans (8-6)
No. 9 Denver Broncos (8-6)
No. 10 Indianapolis Colts (7-7)
No. 11 Buffalo Bills (7-7)

Eliminated

No. 12 Cincinnati Bengals (5-8-1)
No. 13 San Diego Chargers (5-9)
No. 14 New York Jets (4-10)
No. 15 Jacksonville Jaguars (2-12)
No. 16 Cleveland Browns (0-14)

x - clinched playoff berth, y - denotes division winner z - denotes first-round bye * - denotes No. 1 seed

NFC: Who's in

**1. (xyz*) Dallas Cowboys (12-2)**

The Cowboys are back in prime time this week, hosting the Detroit Lions on "Monday Night Football." After the Giants' loss to the Eagles, they've clinched the NFC East, a first-round bye, the No. 1 seed in the NFC and home field throughout the NFC playoffs.

2. (xy) Seattle Seahawks (9-4-1)

The Seahawks moved into the No. 2 seed after the Lions lost last week. They're taking on the Cardinals in a matchup most probably figured would be the NFC West title game when the season started. It obviously hasn't worked out that way.

3. Atlanta Falcons (9-5)

The Falcons have a chance to end their division rival's season Saturday as they take on a Carolina Panthers team that is technically still alive but needs a whole lot of help to get in, starting with two wins to end the season.

4. Detroit Lions (9-5)

Detroit has a chance to rebound this week, but it has a tough matchup on its hands. The Cowboys are 6-1 at Jerry World.

5. New York Giants (10-5)

The Giants no longer have a chance to win the division after a disappointing loss to the Eagles on Thursday night. They're still in firm control of the No. 5 seed in the NFC, though, and can actually clinch a playoff spot through a combination of losses Saturday.

6. Green Bay Packers (8-6)

Aaron Rodgers and the Packers are on a roll. Green Bay has won four in a row and has a chance to put what could be the final nail in the Vikings' coffin this Saturday.

NFC: Who's out

No. 7 Tampa Bay Buccaneers (8-6)
No. 8 Washington Redskins (7-6-1)
No. 9 Minnesota Vikings (7-7)
No. 10 New Orleans Saints (6-8)
No. 11 Carolina Panthers (6-8)

Eliminated

No. 12 Philadelphia Eagles (6-9)
No. 13 Arizona Cardinals (5-8-1)
No. 14 Los Angeles Rams (4-10)
No. 15 Chicago Bears (3-11)
No. 16 San Francisco 49ers (1-13)

x - clinched playoff berth, y - denotes division winner z - denotes first-round bye * - denotes No. 1 seed

Games to watch in Week 16

The rest of Week 16 features only one game where both teams are currently in playoff position heading into the contest.

Lions at Cowboys

Kickoff: 8:30 p.m. ET (Monday), TV: ESPN

How it affects the standings: The Eagles did the Cowboys a favor Thursday evening, knocking off the Giants and clinching the NFC East, the No. 1 seed and home field throughout the NFC playoffs for Dallas. Detroit is locked in an intense battle for the NFC North with the Packers (and, technically, the Vikings) and for the No. 2, No. 3 or No. 4 seed with the Seahawks and the eventual NFC South champions.

Week 16 features four additional games where both teams are at least within one game of a playoff spot heading into the contest.

Vikings at Packers

Kickoff: 1 p.m. ET (Saturday), TV: FOX

How it affects the standings: The Vikings were the NFL's last undefeated team this season, but they're now 7-7 and in danger of being knocked out of the playoff race altogether. Four consecutive wins have vaulted the Packers into the No. 6 seed, but they're only ahead of the Bucs on the tiebreaker, so they need to keep winning as well.

Colts at Raiders

Kickoff: 4:05 p.m. ET (Saturday), TV: CBS

How it affects the standings: The AFC South is horrible, so yes, the Colts still have a chance to win the division. Unbelievable. All Oakland has to do to hang onto the AFC's No. 2 seed is win its final two games.

Ravens at Steelers

Kickoff: 4:30 p.m. ET (Sunday), TV: CBS

How it affects the standings: The Ravens are currently outside the playoff picture, even after bouncing back from their loss to the Patriots with a win over the Eagles last week. They're a game behind the Dolphins for the No. 6 seed and the Steelers for the AFC North lead. If they beat Pittsburgh, the Ravens will have swept them this season and will hold the tiebreaker.

Broncos at Chiefs

Kickoff: 8:30 p.m. ET (Sunday), TV: NBC

How it affects the standings: After their loss to the Patriots, the Broncos are now on the outside of the playoff picture looking in. They'll have to win out and get some help in order to grab a spot in the postseason. The Chiefs' loss last week knocked them out of the No. 2 seed but they still have a shot at retaining the division crown. They can also still fall to the No. 6 or out of the playoffs entirely, so coming up with a win is important.

Other games with playoff implications

A few other games, like Dolphins at Bills (1 p.m., Saturday), Redskins at Bears (1 p.m., Saturday), Falcons at Bears (1 p.m., Saturday) and Buccaneers at Saints (4:25 p.m., Saturday) feature either two teams within shouting distance of a playoff spot or one team that could conceivably be knocked too far out of the picture to reasonably come back by the end of the season, pending results of other games.