Unpacking the NFL playoff picture with 3 weeks to go

An incredible 23 teams can still make the playoffs! What’s at stake for every team and every plausible scenario.

The NFL playoffs are under a month away, and still we know almost nothing. We thought the Rams, Saints, and Chiefs were top three, but two of them stopped scoring and the third almost lost to Lamar Jackson. We thought the Patriots and Steelers were back, but then they lost in Miami and Oakland. We thought the Cardinals were awful and, well, even we get one right every now and then.

Still, the playoff picture is a mess. An astonishing 23 teams are still alive in the playoff race with only three games left — 72% of the league! The Browns can still make the playoffs! The Giants can make the playoffs! Josh Johnson can still make the playoffs, and he hadn’t played professional football since 2011!

We all know how to read the standings, but somebody had to do the hard work of analyzing the 48 remaining games and unscrambling this playoff mess. I am that someone. Below is what’s likely to happen for each remaining playoff spot. I ruled out the implausible scenarios and looked at only the most likely outcomes. Let’s hop into the ESPN playoff machine and get to it.