Sky Sports NFL brings you three live games on Christmas Day weekend; Bengals @ Patriots kicks off the Christmas Eve action at 6pm, while there is also RedZone on Sky Sports Mix on Saturday night; the Packers visit the Dolphins as part of the Christmas Day triple-bill, again starting at 6pm
Sunday 25 December 2022 08:45, UK
As the NFL gets into the holiday spirit with a bumper weekend of NFL action over Christmas, we take a look at precisely what's at stake in Week 16 as the playoff race hots up with just three games of the 2022 regular season remaining...
At the moment, seven teams are guaranteed to be playing football deep into 2023, with four from the NFC having already clinched a playoff place and three from the AFC.
NFC playoff teams: Philadelphia Eagles (13-1), Minnesota Vikings (11-3), San Francisco 49ers (10-4), Dallas Cowboys (10-4)
AFC playoff teams: Buffalo Bills (11-3), Kansas City Chiefs (11-3), Cincinnati Bengals (10-4)
Within that, the Chiefs, Vikings and 49ers have also wrapped up their respective division titles, with the Chiefs claiming the AFC West for the seventh-straight season - the longest active streak in the NFL, and tied for the second-longest in the league's history. Only the New England Patriots and their 11-straight AFC East wins from 2009 to 2019 better Andy Reid's Chiefs.
The Vikings secured the NFC North crown in the most dramatic way possible last Saturday, with an NFL-record comeback win over the Indianapolis Colts (4-9-1). Having trailed 33-0 at half-time, a remarkable second-half performance saw Minnesota take the game to overtime where they'd ultimately triumph 39-36.
The 49ers, meanwhile, clinched the NFC West by seeing off the threat of the chasing Seattle Seahawks (7-7) with a 21-13 win in Week 15. They and the Vikings are now guaranteed to fall no lower than the No 3 seed in the NFC playoff picture, due to their superior records to the current NFC South leaders (and fourth seed), the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6-8).
With a total of 14 playoff places up for grabs, it means there are still seven spots to be fought over (three in the NFC, four in the AFC).
Three teams are in with a chance of confirming their places this weekend, representing the perfect Christmas present over the holiday weekend - the Baltimore Ravens (9-5), Los Angeles Chargers (8-6) and New York Giants (8-5-1).
As a consequence of the Jacksonville Jaguars' (7-8) win over the New York Jets (7-8) on Thursday night, the Bengals (10-4) clinched a postseason berth without even playing. For their AFC North division rivals, the Ravens, it's all a little more complicated.
Baltimore need to both beat the Atlanta Falcons (5-9) at home on Saturday and hope that at least one of the New England Patriots (7-7) or Miami Dolphins (8-6) lose or tie their respective games. The Patriots host the Bengals on Christmas Eve - live on Sky Sports NFL, 6pm - while Miami are also at home against the Green Bay Packers (6-8), on Christmas Day - live on Sky Sports NFL, 6pm.
There are also multiple scenarios in which the Ravens can tie or lose and still clinch a playoff berth, but they'd need a lengthy list of other results to go their way in such a scenario.
As for the Chargers, they can confirm a wild card spot with both a win at the Indianapolis Colts on Monday Night Football - live on Sky Sports NFL, 1.15am, Tuesday - and losses for the Patriots and the Las Vegas Raiders (6-8) in their road game against the Pittsburgh Steelers (6-8) late on Christmas Eve - live on Sky Sports NFL, 1.15am, Sunday.
If the Raiders were to tie, along with a defeat for the Patriots, the Chargers would still confirm their postseason place with a victory, while if it was New England that tied and Las Vegas that lost, they'd need extra help from the Packers in defeating the Dolphins in order to qualify.
Over in the NFC, the Giants can also guarantee themselves a wild card berth with a win on the road at the Vikings PLUS defeats for at least two of the Washington Commanders (7-6-1), Seahawks (7-7) and Detroit Lions (7-7).
The Commanders and Seahawks face fiercely tough trips to San Francisco and Kansas City, respectively, while the Lions too are on the road but have a more winnable game at the Carolina Panthers (5-9).
Despite currently owning the best records in their respective conferences, neither the Eagles (13-1) nor the Bills (11-3) have clinched their division titles just yet - though they can do so this weekend.
Both play their football in the most competitive divisions in the NFL, the NFC East and AFC East - with the potential for all four teams from each division to make the postseason with three weeks to go - meaning they have been pushed right to the wire this season.
Things did, however, become an awful lot easier for the Eagles last weekend when the Cowboys (10-4) suffered a surprise overtime defeat to the Jaguars, allowing for Philadelphia to clinch the division in Dallas itself with a win when the two fiercest of rivals meet on Christmas Eve - live on Sky Sports NFL, 9.25pm.
Not only that, but they can also confirm the NFC's No 1 seed, and with it a first-round bye and home advantage through the playoffs, with a victory or a tie and a Vikings loss.
As for the Bills, they just need a win or a tie as they travel to the lowly Chicago Bears (3-11) and they'll wrap up a third-straight division title. Failing that, a defeat will still secure them the crown should the Dolphins also lose at the weekend.
Plenty.
Not only did the Jaguars (7-8) boost their hopes of securing a wild card spot, and severely dent the Jets' (7-8), with their win on Thursday night, but Jacksonville are also still in with a shout of winning the AFC South division, having gained ground massively on current leaders the Tennessee Titans (7-7) in recent weeks.
The Jags have won three straight and four of their last five, while the Titans have lost four on the trot, though Tennessee should get back to winning ways this weekend when hosting the one-win Houston Texans (1-12-1). The pair face off, in Jacksonville, in a likely winner-takes-all battle on the final weekend of the season.
There is a similar battle for supremacy taking place in the NFC South as, despite their lowly records, the Falcons (5-9), Panthers (5-9) and New Orleans Saints (5-9) are all still in with a shout of beating the Buccaneers (6-8) to the post over these final few weeks.
The Falcons and Saints are on the road on Saturday, at the Ravens (9-5) and Cleveland Browns (6-8) respectively, while the Panthers play host to the Lions (7-7). Tom Brady's Bucs, meanwhile, are in action on Christmas Day, visiting the Arizona Cardinals (4-10) - live on Sky Sports NFL, 1.20am, Monday.
In terms of wild card spots, the Seahawks (7-7) and Lions (7-7) from the NFC and Patriots (7-7), Jaguars (7-8) and Jets (7-7) from the AFC are primed, ready to pounce, should any of the lower seeds from either conference slip up.
Beyond that, there are a cluster of teams sitting at 6-8 on the season, all desperate for victories in Week 16 to stay relevant down the stretch and cling on to their slim postseason aspirations. This includes Aaron Rodgers' Packers (NFC), as well as the Browns, Raiders and Steelers (AFC).
At least one is guaranteed to falter this weekend though, with the Raiders and Steelers duking it out in Pittsburgh on Christmas Eve, a game which marks the 50th anniversary of Franco Harris' 'Immaculate Reception' just days after the sad passing of the legendary Steelers running back.
Sky Sports NFL brings you SIX live games over the Christmas weekend; Bengals @ Patriots kicks off the Christmas Eve festivities at 6pm, while there is also RedZone on Sky Sports Mix on Saturday night; the Packers visit the Dolphins as part of the Christmas Day triple-bill, again the action under way from 6pm.
