Surprising number of NFL teams still have playoff chances heading into Week 17
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Most of the NFL’s playoff races are still wide open going into Week 17 of the season, and 24 teams have already clinched a playoff spot or still have a mathematical chance of making the postseason.
As noted by Troy Vincent, that number is tied for the most teams still playoff eligible with two weeks remaining over the past 20 years.
There are only eight teams that have been mathematically eliminated going into Week 17. That list includes the New York Jets, Tennessee Titans, Los Angeles Chargers, New England Patriots, New York Giants, Washington Commanders, Arizona Cardinals and Carolina Panthers.
The only teams that have clinched a playoff spot are the San Francisco 49ers, Baltimore Ravens, Miami Dolphins, Detroit Lions, Philadelphia Eagles and Dallas Cowboys.
The NFC West (San Francisco) and NFC North (Detroit) are the only divisions that have been clinched.
All of that means there are still 18 teams fighting for the eight remaining playoff spots that are still up for grabs.
There are two important things to keep in mind about those numbers. The first is that this is simply the product of the league adding two teams to the postseason mix a couple of years ago. More playoff teams means more squads that have a chance to qualify.
The second is that this is what the NFL wants to see and the way the league is designed to run. The NFL wants parity, competition and as many fan bases as possible believing they have a chance every week to eventually be a Super Bowl contender.
Critics might argue that it makes the quality of the league more mediocre and cuts down on the number of great teams. There is some truth to that, as there are not many consistently dominant teams in the league, but there are also not a lot of truly awful teams that don’t have a chance. It also allows lesser teams to turn themselves around quickly and have a chance to get into the postseason.
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