Yahoo Sports NFL playoff bracket: Projecting AFC, NFL postseason matchups after Week 11
Buckle up, NFL fans. We are entering the stretch run of the 2024 season, and the league's playoff picture is starting to take form.
Week 11 taught NFL fans several lessons about what to expect during the rest of the season. For one, the Kansas City Chiefs are beatable, as the Buffalo Bills proved in their 30-21 victory. Additionally, the Pittsburgh Steelers continue to defy the odds, beating the Baltimore Ravens to take control of the AFC North.
On the NFC side of the bracket, the Detroit Lions scored 52 points for the second time during the 2024 NFL season to establish themselves as Super Bowl favorites. They are doing so as part of the NFC North, which may be the best division in football and is on track to produce three playoff teams.
What does the NFL's playoff picture look like? Below is a look at the potential NFL playoff bracket with just the Houston Texans vs. Dallas Cowboys "Monday Night Football" game to be played in Week 11.
NFL WEEK 11: 32 things we learned, including rivalries revealing plenty about top teams
NFL playoff bracket Week 11
AFC
1. Kansas City Chiefs (9-1, AFC West leaders): BYE
The Chiefs may have lost their first game of the season in Week 11 against the Bills, but they still are the only one-loss team in the conference. That gives them the inside track to a the AFC's No. 1 seed, and the coveted bye that comes with it.
Kansas City was last the No. 1 seed during the 2023 NFL playoffs. They beat the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl 57 that year.
2. Buffalo Bills (8-2, AFC East leaders) vs. 7. Denver Broncos (6-5, wild card No. 3)
The Bills are now the clearest challenger to the Chiefs' status as the No. 1 seed, but they would settle for the No. 2 seed if the postseason began after Week 11. That would set Josh Allen and Co. up for an intriguing matchup against a Broncos team that ranks third in the league in scoring defense (16.6 points per game) and sports an up-and-coming young quarterback in Bo Nix.
Sean Payton's squad is fresh off a 38-6 thrashing of the Atlanta Falcons and figures to be a pesky team to beat down the stretch. They have the inside track to the AFC's seventh seed, but matchups against the Los Angeles Chargers and Indianapolis Colts in Weeks 15 and 16 will likely decide whether the Broncos can end their eight-season postseason drought.
3. Pittsburgh Steelers (8-2, AFC North leaders) vs. Baltimore Ravens (7-4, wild card No. 2)
That's right: the Steelers vs. Ravens matchup fans were treated to in Week 11 projects to be a wild-card matchup at this point, too. As is the case with most AFC North games, the contest was a defensive slog that saw both Russell Wilson and Lamar Jackson look shakier than usual. The Steelers won the game 18-16 despite failing to score a touchdown (Chris Boswell made all six of his field goal attempts).
This postseason matchup would likely be another grind-it-out affair, but it would give Jackson a chance to exorcise his Steelers demons. The two-time MVP has just a 2-5 career record against Pittsburgh and has completed 57% of his passes in those contests for 1,077 yards, five touchdowns and eight interceptions.
RAVENS VS. STEELERS Lamar Jackson can't find explanation for struggles vs. Pittsburgh
4. Houston Texans (6-5, AFC South leaders) vs. 5. Los Angeles Chargers (7-3, wild card No. 1)
The Chargers proved two things in their 34-27 Week 11 win over the Cincinnati Bengals. They can compete against the league's best quarterbacks defensively and Jim Harbaugh's presence may make "Chargering" – a term NFL fans colloquially use to describe teams blowing big leads or opportunities to win close games – a thing of the past.
Los Angeles' defense would be a tough matchup for C.J. Stroud, who has had an up-and-down season to date. But with Nico Collins healthy, this could end up being a fun showdown between two top, young quarterbacks, especially with Justin Herbert rounding into form.
NFC
1. Detroit Lions (9-1, NFC North leaders): BYE
The Lions have scored 52 points twice this season, including in their 52-6 destruction of the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 11. They have one of the NFL's most balanced and explosive offenses and sport a respectable defensive unit to match it.
Detroit may feel the effects of missing top edge rusher Aidan Hutchinson at some point during its potential Super Bowl run, but the Lions are positioned to be the NFC's top team. They will face stiff competition for it, however, as they play in one of the NFL's most competitive divisions, the NFC North.
2. Philadelphia Eagles (8-2, NFC East leaders) vs. 7. Washington Commanders (7-4, wild card No. 3)
Here's another Week 11 matchup that could end up being a postseason preview. The Eagles earned a convincing 26-18 win over the Commanders on "Thursday Night Football" during which Saquon Barkley helped Philadelphia pull away late. The two teams are on a collision course again in Week 16 and could end up facing one another in the postseason as well.
The Commanders have hit a mini two-game skid as rookie Jayden Daniels has faced tough, well-coached defenses (the Steelers and Eagles) in back-to-back weeks. He will be granted a chance to break out of his short rough patch and improve Washington's playoff standing in more favorable upcoming matchups against the Dallas Cowboys, New Orleans Saints and Tennessee Titans.
NFL WEEK 11 WINNERS, LOSERS: Bengals' season might not be salvageable
3. Arizona Cardinals (6-4, NFC West leaders) vs. 6. Green Bay Packers (7-3, wild card No. 2)
Few would have expected the Cardinals to lead the NFC West through 11 weeks of the season, but Jonathan Gannon has done an admirable job coaching up Arizona's roster. The Cardinals play hard, and it's easy to see some parallels between Gannon's squad and the early days of Dan Campbell's Lions teams.
The Cardinals will need to stave off competition from a host of 5-5 teams trailing them in the division, but if they do, they will have a chance to engage in a playoff shootout with the Packers. Green Bay continues to win despite Jordan Love's penchant for throwing interceptions. If Love can get hot at the right time though, just as he did last year, the Packers will be a legitimate Super Bowl contender.
4. Atlanta Falcons (6-5, NFC South leaders) vs. 5. Minnesota Vikings (8-2, wild card No. 1)
The Falcons have dropped back-to-back games to whittle their once-safe NFC South lead to just 1.5 games over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. They have a tough schedule upcoming with games against the Chargers and the Vikings after their bye, so they are no lock to win the division.
Meanwhile, the Vikings are in the thick of the NFC North race but may not be able to outduel the Lions for that honor. If they can't, Kevin O'Connell's squad will pose a difficult matchup for the Falcons, who may struggle to contain Minnesota's plethora of passing-game weapons, from Justin Jefferson to T.J. Hockenson. Their Week 14 matchup should give us an idea of which team might have the advantage in this potential matchup, but the Buccaneers and Saints are lurking and ready to pounce if the Falcons slip up before then.
NFL playoff picture
AFC
Kansas City Chiefs (9-1, AFC West leaders)
Buffalo Bills (8-2, AFC East leaders)
Pittsburgh Steelers (8-2, AFC North leaders)
Houston Texans (6-4, AFC South leaders)
Los Angeles Chargers (7-3, wild card No. 1)
Baltimore Ravens (7-4, wild card No. 2)
Denver Broncos (6-5, wild card No. 3)
In the hunt: Indianapolis Colts (5-6), Miami Dolphins (4-6), Cincinnati Bengals (4-7).
NFC
Detroit Lions (9-1, NFC North leaders)
Philadelphia Eagles (8-2, NFC East leaders)
Arizona Cardinals (6-4, NFC West leaders)
Atlanta Falcons (6-5, NFC South leaders)
Minnesota Vikings (8-2, wild card No. 1)
Green Bay Packers (7-3, wild card No. 2)
Washington Commanders (7-4, wild card No. 3)
In the hunt: Los Angeles Rams (5-5), Seattle Seahawks (5-5), San Francisco 49ers (5-5), Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-6), Chicago Bears (4-6), New Orleans Saints (4-7).
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: NFL playoff bracket Week 11: Breaking down projected AFC, NFC matchups
