NFL playoff picture: Where the Patriots stand after Week 8

The New England Patriots have not been in the playoffs since the 2021 season, but their drought could be nearing its end. Winning a fifth straight game on Sunday versus the Cleveland Browns to improve to 6-2 on the year, the club of first-year head coach Mike Vrabel remains in the No. 2 seed in the AFC.

That position paired with a schedule that features only two more opponents with winning records means that the Patriots are facing a very favorable outlook. In fact, according to the playoff simulator over at The Athletic, they currently have a 96% chance of qualifying for the tournament — an increase of 4% compared to last week.

AFC playoff picture after Week 8

1. Indianapolis Colts (7-1)
2. New England Patriots (6-2)
3. Denver Broncos (6-2)
4. Pittsburgh Steelers (4-3)
5. Buffalo Bills (5-2)
6. Los Angeles Chargers (5-3)
7. Kansas City Chiefs (5-3)

On the bubble: 8. Jacksonville Jaguars (4-3), 9. Houston Texans (3-4)

Not technically eliminated but let’s be real here: 10. Cincinnati Bengals (3-5), 11. Las Vegas Raiders (2-5), 12. Baltimore Ravens (2-5), 13. Cleveland Browns (2-6), 14. Miami Dolphins (2-6), 15. New York Jets (1-7), 16. Tennessee Titans (1-7)

Nearing the halfway point of the season, the playoff picture in the AFC is starting to take shape. And what this means is that we can rule out a large portion of the conference already when it comes to postseason outlook: up to seven teams might be best served planning for the future, the lone exception possibly being a Ravens team that despite standing at 2-5 has a shot at the postseason due to the Steelers also not looking particularly hot atop the AFC North either.

The NFC playoff picture, meanwhile, looks as follows:

NFC playoff picture after Week 8

1. Green Bay Packers (5-1-1)
2. Philadelphia Eagles (6-2)
3. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6-2)
4. Seattle Seahawks (5-2)
5. Detroit Lions (5-2)
6. Los Angeles Rams (5-2)
7. San Francisco 49ers (5-3)

On the bubble: 8. Chicago Bears (4-3), 9. Carolina Panthers (4-4), 10. Dallas Cowboys (3-4-1), 11. Atlanta Falcons (3-4), 12. Minnesota Vikings (3-4), 13. Washington Commanders (3-5)

*Not technically eliminated but let’s be real here: *14. Arizona Cardinals (2-5), 15. New York Giants (2-6)**, 16. New Orleans Saints (1-7)

The NFC remains more wide open than its counterpart at this point in the season. While teams like the Vikings and Commanders are reeling at the moment, they too could still end up making some noise in the battle for wild card spots in the conference.