NFL playoff picture: What does Jets-Seahawks mean for AFC, NFC playoff standings

The Emerald City will play host to a critical inter-conference matchup in Week 17. The Seattle Seahawks will face the New York Jets at Lumen Field, with kickoff set for 4:05 p.m. ET. Both teams are on the wrong side of the playoff picture and a win would be a big boost. The Jets are a two-point favorite at DraftKings Sportsbook.

Jets playoff picture

New York is 7-8 and tied with the Patriots and Steelers in the wild card race, a game back of the Dolphins. The Jets claim the tiebreaker over Pittsburgh in the head-to-head, but the Patriots have the head-to-head edge over the Jets. New York beat Miami in their first matchup and gets one more against them in Week 18.

If the Jets lose to the Seahawks, they're eliminated from playoff contention. They have one path to a wild card berth if we exclude tie results. The Jets need to beat the Seahawks and Dolphins to close the season and have the Patriots lose one of their two remaining games. New England hosts Miami and travels to Buffalo the final two weeks.

Seahawks playoff picture

Seattle is 7-8 and sits a half game back of the seventh-place Commanders. If the Seahawks lose to the Jets, they would be eliminated from playoff contention by a Commanders win over the Browns or wins by the Lions and Packers over the Bears and Vikings, respectively. And even if neither elimination scenario hit, it would still increase Seattle's degree of difficulty to claim a wild card berth.

The Seahawks' best shot at a playoff berth involves them winning out and then one of the following three scenarios:

• WAS loses a game (vs. CLE, vs. DAL), and NYG loses out (vs. IND, @ PHI), OR
• WAS loses a game and GB loses a game (vs. MIN, vs. DET), OR
• NYG loses out, WAS wins out, GB loses a game

Tiebreaker implications

This game will have no implications on tiebreakers barring unlikely tie scenarios in the wild card races.

  
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