Week 14 of the 2024 NFL season featured 13 games, including a number of matchups that will significantly impact the NFL playoff picture.
However, several teams have already clinched a spot in the NFL playoffs. While these teams are still jockeying for playoff positioning and the No. 1 seed in their conference, they are guaranteed a spot in the postseason.
NFL Teams That Have Clinched a Playoff Berth
Four NFL teams have clinched a postseason spot through Week 14. Let’s examine each team and when they officially punched their ticket to the big dance.
Kansas City Chiefs, Week 13
Thanks to the Miami Dolphins’ loss on Thanksgiving, Kansas City formally clinched a playoff spot with its Week 13 Black Friday win over the Las Vegas Raiders. Then, in Week 14, the Chiefs clinched their ninth straight AFC West title by defeating the Los Angeles Chargers.
The defending Super Bowl champions got off to a 9-0 start before suffering a Week 11 road loss to the Bills. Ever since, they narrowly defeated the Panthers, Raiders, and Chargers.
Kansas City hasn’t looked like the best team in the league, as they’ve been tied or trailing in the fourth quarter of six straight games. But with an NFL-record 15 straight wins in one-score games, Kansas City continues to maintain an aura of inevitability.
Kansas City’s performances are trending downward despite having played the NFL’s third-easiest schedule to this point. The PFN luck metric, which uses Offense+ and Defense+ numbers from each game to produce an expected win-loss record and calculate how many wins each team has above expectation, has the Chiefs graded as the “luckiest” team in the NFL, with 3.21 wins above expectation entering this week.
According to PFN’s Offense+ and Defense+ metrics, the Chiefs have the NFL’s ninth-best offense, 13th-best defense, and 26th-ranked special teams unit. PFN’s Playoff Predictor gives the Chiefs a 77.9% chance of landing the AFC’s top seed.
Buffalo Bills, Week 13
With the Dolphins’ loss on Thanksgiving and the Buffalo Bills’ SNF win against the San Fransico 49ers in Week 13, they clinched the AFC East for the fifth consecutive season.
Their win over the 49ers was an impressive showing of their abilities in adverse weather conditions, but it also came against a warm-weather team that has injuries stacking up on both sides of the ball.
However, Buffalo followed up that win with a 44-35 loss to the Los Angeles Rams in Week 14. Josh Allen had a phenomenal performance in Week 14, becoming the first player in NFL regular-season history with three passing TDs and three rushing TDs in the same game. He threw for 342 yards, three touchdowns, and zero interceptions while adding 82 rushing yards and three scores, but it wasn’t enough to take down Los Angeles.
Next week, the Bills will go on the road to face the Detroit Lions in a potential preview of Super Bowl LIX. If they defeat Detroit on the road, Buffalo could potentially get their hands on the first seed in the AFC. PFN’s model currently gives the Bills a 13.9% chance of landing the No. 1 seed.
According to PFN’s Offense+ and Defense+ metrics, the Bills have the NFL’s fourth-best offense and 17th-best defense.
Detroit Lions, Week 14
After defeating the Green Bay Packers on Thursday Night Football in Week 14, the Lions clinched a playoff spot and remained the favorites to earn the NFC’s No. 1 seed. PFN’s model gives them a 55.6% chance of securing home-field advantage.
With their 11th straight win, the Lions are now on their longest winning streak in franchise history. According to PFN’s Offense+ and Defense+ metrics, the Lions have the NFL’s best offense and second-best defense, making them by far the most well-rounded team in the league.
PFN’s Playoff Predictor has been a fan of Detroit all season, giving them a 55.6% chance of securing the NFC’s top seed and an NFL-high 38.2% chance of winning the Super Bowl.
A rematch against the Bears in Week 16 is Detroit’s only remaining game against a team out of playoff contention, and they still have a rematch with the Vikings on tap (albeit at home) and a matchup against the Bills.
Still, the Lions are returning to the postseason for the second season in a row.
Philadelphia Eagles, Week 14
In Week 14, the Philadelphia Eagles stopped the Carolina Panthers on fourth down with under a minute to go to hang on for a 22-16 win against the upstart Panthers.
After a slow start, Jalen Hurts threw two touchdowns and ran for another, while Saquon Barkley added another good game to his MVP résumé, running for 124 yards and setting the Eagles’ single-season rushing record.
Philly (11-2) won its ninth straight game and is one game behind the NFC-leading Lions for the top seed.
Per PFN’s model, the Eagles have a 22.4% chance of catching Detroit for the NFC’s No. 1 spot. The Eagles will be looking for their 10th straight win next week when they host the Steelers in a battle of Pennsylvania teams.