NFL Playoff Picture 2023-24: Standings, Scenarios After Bengals ...

The first NFL Saturday of the 2023 season did not disappoint as six teams across the league went to battle hoping to improve their playoff chances.

The Cincinnati Bengals kicked off the action with a 27-24 comeback victory over the Minnesota Vikings in overtime at Paycor Stadium, and the Indianapolis Colts followed that with a 30-13 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers. at Lucas Oil Stadium.

The Detroit Lions finished off the night with a 42-17 win over the Denver Broncos at Ford Field.

With another exciting day of football in the books, here's a look at the updated AFC and NFC playoff pictures and clinching scenarios before Sunday's action kicks off.

Clinching Scenarios

AFC Standings

1. Baltimore Ravens: 10-3

2. Miami Dolphins: 9-4

3. Kansas City Chiefs: 8-5

Kansas City is ahead of Jacksonville based on head-to-head record.

4. Jacksonville Jaguars: 8-5

5. Cleveland Browns: 8-5

6. Cincinnati Bengals: 8-6

Cincinnati is ahead of Indianapolis based on head-to-head record.

7. Indianapolis Colts: 8-6

8. Houston Texans: 7-6

Houston is ahead of Buffalo based on conference record.

9. Buffalo Bills: 7-6

10. Pittsburgh Steelers: 7-7

Pittsburgh is ahead of Denver based on conference record.

11. Denver Broncos: 7-7

12. Las Vegas Raiders: 6-8

13. New York Jets: 5-8

New York is ahead of Tennessee based on strength of victory.

14. Tennessee Titans: 5-8

15. Los Angeles Chargers: 5-9

16. New England Patriots: 3-10, Eliminated

AFC Analysis

The AFC playoff picture is very tight as 11 teams have recorded at least seven wins and are still very much alive in postseason contention.

The Baltimore Ravens and Miami Dolphins will almost surely secure playoff berths, but things get pretty dicey in the conference standings from the Kansas City Chiefs through the Buffalo Bills.

Cincinnati's comeback victory over Minnesota did wonders for the team's playoff chances as the Bengals leapfrogged the Denver Broncos, Houston Texans, Indianapolis Colts and Pittsburgh Steelers for the No. 6 seed.

What's even more impressive is that the Bengals are 3-1 with backup quarterback Jake Browning under center as Joe Burrow has been ruled out for the season with a wrist injury. When Burrow went down, fans assumed any hope Cincinnati had of making the playoffs was gone, but it has been the complete opposite to this point.

Saturday's loss to the Colts was devastating for the Steelers' playoff chances as they dropped to No. 11 in the AFC following another abysmal performance by quarterback Mitchell Trubisky.

The Steelers have lost three of their last four games and are spiraling in the wrong direction following the loss of Kenny Pickett to a high-ankle sprain.

The Colts, meanwhile, continue to impress with Gardner Minshew having taken over the reigns of the offense following Anthony Richardson's season-ending shoulder injury in October.

Indianapolis is now the No. 7 seed and is creeping up on the Jacksonville Jaguars for the top spot in the AFC South.

Like the Steelers, the Broncos have also seen their playoff chances dwindle following their loss to the Lions on Saturday, and depending on how things turn out on Sunday, sitting 7-7 could look a lot worse.

Moving on to Sunday's action, the Cleveland Browns have a favorable matchup against the Chicago Bears on tap as they look to remain ahead of the Bengals in the AFC North standings.

The Kansas City Chiefs also face a favorable matchup against the New England Patriots, who have already been eliminated from playoff contention, as they aim to become the next team to reach the nine-win mark.

The Bills, meanwhile, face a tough matchup against the Dallas Cowboys. It's considered a must-win game for Buffalo as they try to stay afloat in the Wild Card race in what has been a rather disappointing season for the franchise.

The Baltimore Ravens and the Jaguars will meet on Sunday Night Football, and the game has larger playoff implications for Jacksonville as it aims to widen the gap in the AFC South.

NFC Standings

1. San Francisco 49ers: 10-3, Clinched playoff berth

San Francisco is ahead of Dallas based on head-to-head record.

2. Dallas Cowboys: 10-3

Dallas is ahead of Philadelphia in the NFC East based on division record.

3. Detroit Lions: 10-4

4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 6-7

Tampa Bay is ahead of New Orleans based on head-to-head sweep. Tampa Bay is ahead of Atlanta based on common games record.

5. Philadelphia Eagles: 10-3

6. Minnesota Vikings: 7-7

7. Green Bay Packers: 6-7

Green Bay is ahead of Atlanta based on conference record. Green Bay is ahead of Los Angeles based on head-to-head record.

8. Los Angeles Rams: 6-7

Los Angeles is ahead of Atlanta based on conference record. Los Angeles is ahead of Seattle based on head-to-head sweep.

9. Seattle Seahawks: 6-7

Seattle is ahead of Atlanta based on conference record.

10. Atlanta Falcons: 6-7

Atlanta is ahead of New Orleans based on head-to-head-sweep.

11. New Orleans Saints: 6-7

12. New York Giants: 5-8

New York is ahead of Chicago based on conference record.

13. Chicago Bears: 5-8

14. Washington Commanders: 4-9

15. Arizona Cardinals: 3-10

16. Carolina Panthers: 1-12, Eliminated

NFC Analysis

The NFC playoff picture looks a little different with four teams boasting 10 wins, but the fight for the No. 1 seed is looking like it's going to come down to the San Francisco 49ers, Dallas Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles.

Of the NFC's top three teams, San Francisco faces the most favorable matchup on Sunday against the struggling Arizona Cardinals, who will likely miss the playoffs after beginning the year without quarterback Kyler Murray due to a torn ACL.

With Saturday's loss to the Bengals, the Vikings dropped to 7-7 and will risk dropping further in the standings following Sunday's slate. However, after Kirk Cousins was ruled out for the season with a torn Achilles, not many expected the franchise to compete for a playoff spot.

As for the Lions, they became the NFC's fourth team to reach 10 wins with Saturday's win over the Broncos. At 10-4, Detroit is in line to win the division for the first time since 1993.

Turning to the lowly NFC South, the Atlanta Falcons, New Orleans Saints and Tampa Bay Buccaneers all boast the same record at 6-7.

However, the Falcons have a great chance to leapfrog the Buccaneers for the top spot in the division on Sunday as they go up against the Carolina Panthers, who have been the worst team in the NFL this season.

The Bucs, meanwhile, will face a surging Green Bay Packers squad looking to bounce back from a tough loss to Tommy DeVito and the New York Giants.