NFL Playoff Bracket Scenarios 2024-25 Week 12: Standings After Texans Beat Cowboys
NFL Playoff Bracket Scenarios 2024-25 Week 12: Standings After Texans Beat Cowboys0 of 2
B/R
The Houston Texans are largely in control of the AFC South, but they needed a win Monday to maintain their cushion following the Indianapolis Colts’ victory over the New York Jets.
And they delivered by defeating the Dallas Cowboys 34-10 at AT&T Stadium.
Houston is still two games ahead of the Colts and have the tiebreaker after sweeping the season series. It would take a collapse for C.J. Stroud and Co. to fall short in the division, which will mean a home playoff game at the very least.
Week 11 is now officially in the books after the Texans’ latest win, so here is a look at the overall standings in both conferences heading into Week 12.
AFC Standings1 of 2
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Division Leaders
1. Kansas City Chiefs (9-1)
2. Buffalo Bills (9-2)
3. Pittsburgh Steelers (8-2)
4. Houston Texans (7-4)
Wild-Card Race
5. Los Angeles Chargers (7-3)
6. Baltimore Ravens (7-4)
7. Denver Broncos (6-5)
8. Indianapolis Colts (5-6)
9. Miami Dolphins (4-6)
10. Cincinnati Bengals (4-7)
11. New York Jets (3-8)
12. New England Patriots (3-8)
13. Cleveland Browns (2-8)
14. Tennessee Titans (2-8)
15. Las Vegas Raiders (2-8)
16. Jacksonville Jaguars (2-9)
Undefeated no more.
The biggest development in the AFC during Week 11 was the Buffalo Bills’ win over the Kansas City Chiefs, which ended the two-time reigning champions’ undefeated start to the season and tightened the race for the conference’s No. 1 overall seed and the home-field advantage and first-round bye that comes with it.
Kansas City has been playing with fire in close games for much of the season but found a way to escape with wins every time but Sunday’s matchup. It looked like it would do so again when Patrick Mahomes found Noah Gray for a touchdown that cut the deficit to two points in the fourth quarter.
However, Josh Allen responded by leading a 12-play, 70-yard drive that he capped off with a 26-yard touchdown run to clinch the win.
Buffalo now has the tiebreaker against the Chiefs if it can make up one more game in the loss column, while the Pittsburgh Steelers are still looming as a threat for the No. 1 seed after their key AFC North win over the Baltimore Ravens.
Pittsburgh didn’t even score a touchdown, but a strong defensive effort and six field goals from Chris Boswell was enough to prevail 18-16. The defense stopped Lamar Jackson and the Ravens on a two-point conversion that would have tied the game and perhaps forced overtime with just more than one minute remaining.
Baltimore chose not to kick an onside kick and never got the ball back after it was unable to stop the Steelers on the final possession.
Pittsburgh still plays the Chiefs in Week 17, so it is very much a factor in that race for the No. 1 seed if it can continue to play defense at such a level.
NFC Standings2 of 2
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Division Leaders
1. Detroit Lions (9-1)
2. Philadelphia Eagles (8-2)
3. Arizona Cardinals (6-4)
4. Atlanta Falcons (6-5)
Wild-Card Race
5. Minnesota Vikings (8-2)
6. Green Bay Packers (7-3)
7. Washington Commanders (7-4)
8. Los Angeles Rams (5-5)
9. Seattle Seahawks (5-5)
10. San Francisco 49ers (5-5)
11. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-6)
12. Chicago Bears (4-6)
13. New Orleans Saints (4-7)
14. Carolina Panthers (3-7)
15. Dallas Cowboys (3-7)
16. New York Giants (2-8)
This might not be entirely fair to teams such as the Minnesota Vikings and Green Bay Packers that are still within striking distance after their respective wins over the Tennessee Titans and Chicago Bears, but it’s starting to feel like the Detroit Lions and Philadelphia Eagles are separating themselves from the rest of the NFC.
Philadelphia’s win over the Washington Commanders on Thursday was arguably the conference’s biggest result of the week, as it now has a two-game lead in the loss column and a head-to-head win to fall back on ahead of the Week 16 rematch.
The Commanders had the game’s only touchdown and held a 10-6 lead entering the fourth quarter, but the Eagles then shifted into takeover mode. Jalen Hurts scored on the team’s famous tush-push play, and Saquon Barkley then broke free for touchdown runs of 23 yards and 39 yards to all but clinch the win with a dominant fourth quarter.
Washington did score to cut into the deficit and had one more chance at an onside kick but failed to recover in the final minute.
As for the Lions, they overwhelmed the Jacksonville Jaguars on the way to a 52-6 win that looked more like the lopsided score of an SEC team playing an FCS team in November than an NFL battle.
But it was more of the same for a Lions team with a 47-9 win over the Dallas Cowboys and 52-14 win over the Titans on its resume.
While Detroit is still just one game ahead of the Vikings and two games up on the Packers in the daunting NFC North, it also has head-to-head wins over both of them on the road. That means it can take care of business at home and potentially clinch the division and a No. 1 seed as the season progresses.
And doing so would be ideal for the Lions considering they lost last season’s NFC Championship Game to the San Francisco 49ers on the road.
