Week 16 of the 2024 NFL season is here, and with it arrives perhaps the best part of the year’s schedule.
Because not only do we get NFL games on Saturday — and with the College Football Playoff first round games taking place this weekend, that makes for an incredible weekend of football — but we also get de facto playoff games, as teams can either clinch a spot in the postseason, or face elimination this weekend.
Two teams that can clinch a spot in the playoffs in Week 16 are the Denver Broncos and the Los Angeles Chargers, and as luck would have it, those two AFC West rivals square off to begin the week on Thursday Night Football. Here is how Los Angeles can clinch a playoff spot this week.
Chargers playoff berth clinching scenarios
While the Broncos have a simple “win and in” situation Thursday night, things are decidedly more complicated for the Chargers. Even with a win over their AFC West rivals on Thursday Night Football, they still need a little help.
Here is how the Chargers can clinch a playoff spot this weekend.
First, they can get in if they beat the Broncos, and then the Miami Dolphins lose or tie against the San Francisco 49ers, and the Indianapolis Colts lose or tie against the Tennessee Titans.
- Chargers win AND Dolphins loss/tie AND Colts loss/tie
However, the Chargers can also get into the playoffs in the unlikely scenario that their game against the Broncos ends in a tie. If that happens. the Chargers get into the playoffs if the Dolphins lose to the 49ers, the Colts lose to the Titans, and the Cincinnati Bengals lose or tie against the Cleveland Browns.
- Chargers tie AND Dolphins loss AND Colts loss AND Bengals loss/tie
Should the Chargers lose, they cannot clinch a playoff spot in Week 16.
AFC standings entering Week 16
1. y-Kansas City Chiefs (13-1)
2. y-Buffalo Bills (11-3)
3. x-Pittsburgh Steelers (10-4)
4. y-Houston Texans (9-5)
5. Baltimore Ravens (9-5, win over DEN)
6. Denver Broncos (9-5, loss to BAL)*
7. Los Angeles Chargers (8-6)*
8. Indianapolis Colts (6-8, 5-5 AFC, win over MIA)*
9. Miami Dolphins (6-8, 5-5 AFC, loss to IND)*
10. Cincinnati Bengals (6-8, 3-6 AFC)*
11. New York Jets (4-10) — eliminated
12. Cleveland Browns (3-11, win over JAX) — eliminated
13. Jacksonville Jaguars (3-11, win over TEN, loss to CLE, win over NE) — eliminated
14. Tennessee Titans (3-11, loss to JAX, win over NE) — eliminated
15. New England Patriots (3-11, losses to JAX & TEN) — eliminated
16. Las Vegas Raiders (2-12) — eliminated
Teams with an asterisk (*) have been eliminated from divisional contention
Teams with an (x) have clinched a playoff spot
Teams with a (y) have clinched their division