After a thrilling Sunday filled with great games, there are five teams that have officially clinched spots heading into Week 16. The NFL season is coming to an end with only two regular-season games left, which is why it is important to know who is in and who still needs to win. Here are the five NFL teams that have clinched a playoff spot.
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Below you will see the symbols x,y,z, and *. The meaning of those symbols is here:
X: Clinched Playoff Birth
Y: Clinched Division
Z: Clinched First Round Bye
*: Clinched Home Field Advantage
AFC Clinched
1.) New England Patriots (11-3), (XY)
A crazy ending to the Patriots and Steelers game leaves the Patriots as the current number one seed in the playoffs from the AFC. The win also locked up the AFC East title for them for the ninth season in a row. All they have to do is beat the Buffalo Bills and the New York Jets and home-field advantage is all theirs.
2.) Pittsburgh Steelers (11-3), (XY)
With the Steelers losing 27-24 to the Patriots, their hopes of home field advantage are likely over. The Steelers need to win out or have the Jaguars lose one game in order to earn a first-round bye because they do not own the tiebreaker against the Jags.
3.) Jacksonville Jaguars (10-4), (X)
For the first time since 2007, the Jaguars will be going to the playoffs. The team still has a chance for a first-round bye if they win their next two games and the Steelers lose once. With the same record as the Steelers, they would get the two seed since they beat them earlier in the season 30-9. The Jaguars were able to win without starting running back Leonard Fournette and this defense continues to show why they are nicknamed "Sacksonville". Watch out for the Jags in the playoffs because they are for real.
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NFC Clinched
1.) Philadelphia Eagles (12-2), (XYZ)
No Carson Wentz, no problem for the Eagles as they take care of the New York Giants, 34-29, in MetLife Stadium. The win has locked up a first-round bye in the playoffs for them and with a win this week against the struggling Oakland Raiders, they will lock up home-field advantage.
2.) Minnesota Vikings (11-3), (XY)
Minnesota's 34-7 win on Sunday against the Bengals clinches the NFC North for the second time in three years. The Vikings' remaining two games are against the Green Bay Packers and Chicago Bears, two teams who have nothing to play for. The only way the Vikings can secure home-field advantage in the playoffs is if the Eagles lose both games and the Vikings win out. However, one victory would clinch a first-round bye for the first time since 2009.
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Mitchell Renz is the Senior Writer & On-Air Host at Chat Sports. Check out his article archive and live videos on Chat Sports Facebook page. Please follow him on Twitter @MitchellRenz365.
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