NFL Playoff Picture 2023-24: Standings, Scenarios Bengals Colts Lions Wins

The first NFL Saturday of the 2023 season saw six teams battle to improve their playoff chances. The playoff picture is tight.

The opening Saturday of the 2023 NFL season brought some intense action as six teams fought for their playoff chances. The Cincinnati Bengals started the day with a 27-24 comeback win against the Minnesota Vikings in overtime at Paycor Stadium. Following this, the Indianapolis Colts secured a 30-13 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers at Lucas Oil Stadium. The night ended with the Detroit Lions dominating the Denver Broncos with a 42-17 win at Ford Field.

With the first day of football in the books, let's take a look at the updated AFC and NFC playoff pictures and clinching scenarios before Sunday's games. The AFC playoff picture is incredibly tight, with 11 teams having recorded at least seven wins and still very much alive in postseason contention. The Baltimore Ravens and Miami Dolphins are likely to secure playoff berths, but things get dicey in the conference standings from the Kansas City Chiefs through the Buffalo Bills.

Cincinnati's comeback victory over Minnesota significantly improved their playoff chances, as they jumped ahead of 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.

Saturday's loss to the Colts was devastating for the Steelers' playoff chances, as they dropped to No. 11 in the AFC following another poor 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, on the other hand, continue to impress with Gardner Minshew taking 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.

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 reach the nine-win mark.

The NFC playoff picture looks different, with four teams boasting 10 wins. 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.

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.

In the 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 the New York Giants.