Right now the teams that can make the NFL playoffs are exactly those that still have at least one mathematical path to finishing in the top seven of their conference standings under the current format.

Basic playoff format

  • Since the 2020 season, 14 teams make the postseason: 7 from the AFC and 7 from the NFC.
  • In each conference:
    • 4 division winners get the top four seeds automatically.
* 3 non‑division winners with the best records get in as wild cards.
  • Only the No. 1 seed in each conference gets a first‑round bye and guaranteed home field as long as it keeps winning.

Who “can” make it, conceptually

At any given moment in the season, a team can still make the playoffs if:

  1. Its remaining schedule allows it to reach a record that could land in the top seven of the conference.
  2. There is at least one combination of other game results that lets it win its division or secure a wild‑card spot.
  3. It is not already eliminated by tiebreakers once all possible outcomes are considered.

This is why you often see “clinched” and “eliminated” labels and then a cluster of “in the hunt” teams that still have a path, even if it’s very unlikely.

How ties and close races are decided

When multiple teams fight over the last spots, the league uses tiebreaker rules:

  • Head‑to‑head record between the tied teams.
  • Division record (for division titles).
  • Record in common games and then conference games.
  • If still tied, strength of victory, strength of schedule, and eventually net points or even a coin toss decide it.

Because of that, a team can “technically” still make the playoffs even at the edge of elimination if strange combinations of wins, losses, and tiebreakers break its way.

Current‑season nuance and trending chatter

  • Late in the year (Week 18 era), fan discussions and forum threads tend to center on detailed scenario trees: “If Team A wins and Team B loses, and this other game doesn’t end in a tie, then we’re in.”
  • Media and analytics sites now generate live simulation pages that update these odds after every game, so fans can check exactly who still can make the playoffs, down to long‑shot 1% scenarios.

In forum style posts, fans often boil it down to: “If the schedule and tiebreakers haven’t shut the door yet, your team can still make the NFL playoffs — you just might need a little miracle.”

TL;DR: Any NFL team that is not yet mathematically or tiebreaker‑eliminated from finishing among the top seven in its conference can make the playoffs under the 14‑team format of 4 division winners plus 3 wild cards per conference.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.