Seventeen teams remain in contention for a trip to Super Bowl LIV and two playoff berths in each conference are up for grabs.
The Buffalo Bills, Green Bay Packers, and San Francisco 49ers have each qualified for the postseason after missing the playoffs last season. From 1990-2018, at least four teams have qualified for the playoffs in every season that were not in the postseason the year before.
The Minnesota Vikings can join that group with a win on Monday Night Football (8:15 p.m. EST, ESPN) at home against the Packers. Depending on the result, either the Packers will clinch the division for the first time since 2016, or the Vikings will clinch a playoff spot.
It’s also a division clash featuring teams with 10-or-more wins. That has happened just three times since the beginning of the 2015 season, and for the second time, the game is featuring the Packers and Vikings.
Green Bay head coach Matt LaFleur has an opportunity to become the 10th rookie head coach in NFL history to win at least 12 games in a season.
The rookie head coaches who have won at least 12 games in NFL history, by wins:
COACH, TEAM |
W |
L |
T |
PCT |
SEASON |
Jim Caldwell, Indianapolis |
14 |
2 |
0 |
.875 |
2009 |
George Seifert, San Francisco |
14 |
2 |
0 |
.875 |
1989 |
Jim Harbaugh, San Francisco |
13 |
3 |
0 |
.813 |
2011 |
Steve Mariucci, San Francisco |
13 |
3 |
0 |
.813 |
1997 |
John MaddenHOF, Oakland |
12 |
1 |
1 |
.893 |
1969 |
Matt Nagy, Chicago |
12 |
4 |
0 |
.750 |
2018 |
Barry Switzer, Dallas |
12 |
4 |
0 |
.750 |
1994 |
Red Miller, Denver |
12 |
2 |
0 |
.857 |
1977 |
Chuck Knox, L.A. Rams |
12 |
2 |
0 |
.857 |
1973 |
The Dallas Cowboys can clinch the NFC East division title with a road win over the Philadelphia Eagles Sunday at Lincoln Financial Field (4:25 p.m. EST, FOX). Winning a division has proven significant this decade — the last team to advance to the Super Bowl without winning a division title was the 2010 Packers, who won Super Bowl XLV. Since then, all 16 teams to appear in the Super Bowl have won their divisions.
On Saturday (4:30 p.m. EST, NFL Network), the Bills and New England Patriots meet with the AFC East division title on the line. With a win, the Patriots (11-3) would take the division for the 11th year in a row. They also would reach 12 wins in a season for the 13th time and match the 49ers (13 seasons) for the most seasons of 12-or-more wins since the 1970 merger. The Cowboys also have 12 seasons of at least 12 victories since 1970.
Patriots quarterback Tom Brady (538) can pass No. 2 Peyton Manning (539) on the NFL’s career passing touchdowns list. And with four touchdown passes, Brady would eclipse No. 1 Drew Brees (541) and hold the record for at least 21 hours, when Brees and the Saints meet the Titans on Sunday (1 p.m. EST, FOX).
Buffalo, meanwhile, has already clinched a playoff spot and can still win its first AFC East title since 1995. The Bills are led by quarterback Josh Allen, who leads NFL quarterbacks with nine rushing touchdowns. In fact, the 2019 season has tied the single-season NFL record for the most rushing touchdowns by quarterbacks.
The seasons with the most rushing touchdowns by quarterbacks in NFL history:
SEASON |
RUSHING TOUCHDOWNS BY QUARTERBACKS |
2019 |
73 |
2002 |
73 |
2018 |
71 |
2017 |
66 |
2012 |
66 |
2011 |
66 |
New Orleans (11-3), who clinched the division on Thanksgiving, visits the Tennessee Titans (8-6) on Sunday (1 p.m. EST, FOX). Including New Orleans, four NFC teams share the best record in the conference. This year marks just the second time since the NFL adopted the 16-game schedule in 1978 that four NFC clubs are tied for the conference’s best record with two-or-fewer weeks to play. In 2014, five NFC teams were 11-4 heading into the final week.
Overall, six NFL teams have won at least 11 games, making the 2019 season just the second since 1978 in which six or more NFL clubs have won 11 or more games through 14 games. In 2004, six teams had at least 11 wins heading into the final two weeks.
Drew Brees, who surpassed Peyton Manning’s career passing touchdowns record to close Week 15 on Monday night, also recorded his 36th career game of four-or-more touchdown passes, breaking Manning’s NFL record of 35. Brees (10,093) also needs 77 pass attempts to become the all-time leader in that category; the record is held by Pro Football Hall of Famer Brett Favre (10,169).
Houston Texans need a win Saturday when they visit the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1 p.m. EST, NFL Network) to clinch their division for a second straight season, and for the fourth time in the last five years. Houston would join New England and Kansas City as the only NFL teams with four-or-more division titles since 2015.
(All times Eastern)
Saturday |
||
Houston Texans at Tampa Bay Buccaneers |
1 p.m. |
NFLN |
Buffalo Bills at New England Patriots |
4:30 p.m. |
NFLN |
Los Angeles Rams at San Francisco 49ers |
8:15 p.m. |
NFLN |
Sunday |
||
Jacksonville Jaguars at Atlanta Falcons |
1 p.m. |
FOX |
Baltimore Ravens at Cleveland Browns |
1 p.m. |
CBS |
Carolina Panthers at Indianapolis Colts |
1 p.m. |
FOX |
Cincinnati Bengals at Miami Dolphins |
1 p.m. |
CBS |
Pittsburgh Steelers at New York Jets |
1 p.m. |
CBS |
New Orleans Saints at Tennessee Titans |
1 p.m. |
FOX |
New York Giants at Washington Redskins |
1 p.m. |
FOX |
Detroit Lions at Denver Broncos |
4:05 p.m. |
CBS |
Oakland Raiders at Los Angeles Chargers |
4:05 p.m. |
CBS |
Dallas Cowboys at Philadelphia Eagles |
4:25 p.m. |
FOX |
Arizona Cardinals at Seattle Seahawks |
4:25 p.m. |
FOX |
Kansas City Chiefs at Chicago Bears |
8:20 p.m. |
NBC |
Monday |
||
Green Bay Packers at Minnesota Vikings |
8:15 p.m. |
ESPN |