USA TODAY Sports will offer timely updates on the league’s constantly changing playoff picture every week during the 2024 NFL regular season.
Usually, this will begin after Sunday afternoon’s late games and continue for the rest of the week (through Monday’s and Thursday’s games or Saturday’s, if applicable).
What just took place? What does it signify? As the seven-team bracket for each conference starts to take shape, what important factors—and maybe tiebreakers—are at play?
Everything will be discussed and examined until Sunday, January 5, when the playoff field is decided. Now that Week 16 of the 2024 season is over, this is the current situation:
NFC North leaders: Detroit Lions (13-2), NFC playoff picture x-1 They started Sunday tied with Minnesota for the division lead and in a three-way tie at the top of the league.
