NFL Playoff Picture 2018: Browns, Panthers, Dolphins, Redskins Are Still Alive In Week 16

Nineteen of the NFL’s 32 teams are still mathematically alive in the playoff race. While teams like the Baltimore Ravens, Pittsburgh Steelers, Seattle Seahawks and Minnesota Vikings are among the realistic contenders to clinch the final postseason spots, a few unlikely candidates still have something to play for in Week 16.

The Philadelphia Eagles, Washington Redskins and Miami Dolphins are all technically alive in both their respective division and wild-card races. They enter their games on Sunday with a 7-7 record.

Philadelphia and Washington are a game behind the Dallas Cowboys in the NFC East, though both teams would lose a potential tiebreaker. At least one of them is just about guaranteed to finish with a .500 record since they’ll go head-to-head in the season finale.

Believe it or not, Miami is still alive in the AFC East. They trail the New England Patriots by two games. One win for the Patriots or a loss for the Dolphins would give Tom Brady and Bill Belichick their 10th straight division title.

The Carolina Panthers and Cleveland Browns are both below .500. Neither team has a chance to win their division, but they are somehow alive for the wild-card, though that probably won’t last into the final week of the season.

Carolina is 1.5 games behind Minnesota for the second NFC wild-card berth. They are a game behind both Philadelphia and Washington. The Panthers seem resigned to the fact that they won’t reach the postseason with the decision to bench Cam Newton as he deals with a shoulder injury.

Cleveland is even more unlikely to make the playoffs than Carolina. They are 1.5 games behind the No.6 seed Ravens, who have the same record as the Tennessee Titans and Indianapolis Colts. The Dolphins are a half-game ahead of the Browns.

It would be stunning to see Cleveland make the playoffs. The Browns need losses from the Ravens, Titans and Colts to stay alive beyond Week 16. They’d need Indianapolis and Tennessee to play to a tie in their Week 17 matchup to have a chance at reaching the postseason.

Washington sat atop the NFC with a 6-3 record in Week 10, but their playoff chances all but came to an end with injuries to Alex Smith and Colt McCoy. Philadelphia hopes Nick Foles can take them to the playoffs for a second straight year.