2023 NFL playoff picture: Here are the 14 teams projected to make the postseason with Packers sneaking in

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It took 16 weeks, but the NFL playoff picture is finally starting to clear up.

In the AFC, five of the seven spots have been clinched, but there still should be plenty of drama with multiple teams battling it out for the final wild-card spot. In the NFC, the situation is almost identical. Four of the seven spots have been clinched and the Giants can become the fifth team to get in with a win on Sunday against the Colts. However, like the AFC, there's going to be a dog fight for the seventh-spot.

With the seventh-seed in both conferences still up for grabs -- along with both the AFC and NFC South -- we're here to help you make sense of all the chaos, and we're going to do that by projecting the 14 teams that are going to make the playoffs. The projections are based on data from number-cruncher Stephen Oh of SportsLine.com. Oh plugged some numbers into his SportsLine computer and simulated the rest of the NFL season, and using those numbers, not only were we able to figure out the playoff chances for every team, but we're also going to project the entire playoff field

Alright, let's get to this week's playoff projections. Actually, before we do that, I have something better for you if you're a fan of a team that's already been eliminated: Here's a mock draft (click here). Let's be honest, if your favorite team is out of the playoff race, a mock draft will probably be much more exciting to read than this projection.

As for everyone else, let's get to the projection.

Note: Remember, this is a projection based on how we think the rest of the regular season will play out. If you want to see the current playoff standings and a breakdown of the playoff picture, be sure to click here.

AFC playoff projection

1. (AFC East champion)	Bills
Not only is the computer projecting that the Bills will get the top seed in the AFC, but it also thinks Buffalo has the best chance of winning the Super Bowl. The Bills are being given a 19.5% of taking home the Lombardi Trophy, which is just ahead of the Chiefs (18.56%) and Eagles (18.25%). Of course, those numbers could change drastically if the Bills lose to the Bengals on Monday night. Remaining schedule: at Bengals, Patriots.
2. (AFC West champion)	Chiefs
The computer thinks the Chiefs will end up with the No. 2 overall seed and a big reason the computer doesn't have them at No. 1 is because the Chiefs lost to the Bills back in Week 6. If those two teams finish with the same record, the Bills will get the top seed thanks to that head-to-head win. Remaining schedule: Broncos, at Raiders
3. (AFC North champion)	Bengals
The Bengals have a one-game lead in the AFC North, but the computer still isn't completely sold on them winning the division. According to SportsLine, the Bengals have a 61.3% chance of taking home the AFC North title while the Ravens are lurking right behind them with a 38.7% chance of winning the division. Remaining games: Bills, Ravens
4. (AFC South champion)	Jaguars
After watching the Titans lose five straight games, the computer has finally given up on them. For the first time all season, the computer is now projecting that the Jaguars will win the AFC South. Of course, what the computer thinks doesn't matter because this one will be decided on the field. The winner of the Week 18 game between the Jags and Titans will win the AFC South no matter what happens this week. Remaining games: at Texans, Titans
5. Wild Card 1	Ravens
The Ravens have quietly won seven of their past nine games and although it's not clear when Lamar Jackson will be back before the end of the regular season, the computer does think Baltimore will be able to hold off the Chargers for the fifth-seed. The fifth-overall seed is a big one in the AFC because it means you get to face the AFC South winner in the wild-card round. Remaining schedule: Steelers, at Bengals
6. Wild Card 2	Chargers
For just the second time since 2014, the Chargers are headed to the playoffs after officially punching their ticket with a win on Monday night. The Chargers are currently the sixth-overall seed and the computer thinks that's where they'll be staying. If that happens, the computer is projecting that they'll travel to Cincinnati for the third time in their postseason history. Remaining schedule: Rams, at Broncos
7. Wild Card 3	Dolphins
The Dolphins currently have a one-game lead over every other wild-card contender in the AFC and according to the computer, that edge is going to be the difference in the race for the seventh-seed. Despite the possible loss of Tua Tagovailoa (concussion) this week, the Dolphins still have a 56.6% chance of getting in, which is well ahead of the Patriots (24.5%) and Jets (14.9%). Remaining schedule: at Patriots, Jets

Here's a list of the playoff chances for all the other AFC teams (their percentage chances of getting into the playoffs is listed next to them in parentheses): Titans (26.7%), Patriots (24.5%), Jets (14.9%), Steelers (2.5%), Raiders (0.1%), Browns (Eliminated), Colts (Eliminated), Broncos (Eliminated), Texans (Eliminated)

Note: The 7-8 Titans have a higher chance of getting into the playoffs than the other contenders listed here because Tennessee still has a viable chance to win the AFC South title.

NFC playoff projection

1. (NFC East champion)	Eagles
There's no guarantee that Jalen Hurts is going to play this week, but even if he has to sit out, the computer still likes the Eagles to get the No. 1 seed. To get the top seed, all Philadelphia has to do is win one of its final two games and the computer thinks that's going to happen. If the Eagles can win this week, Jalen Hurts would get three more weeks to let his shoulder heal, which means he'd likely be near 100% by the time Philly has to play its first playoff game, Remaining schedule: Saints, Giants
2. (NFC North champion)	Vikings
The computer has no idea what to make of the Vikings. According to the computer's power ratings, the Vikings are currently the eighth-best team in the NFL (behind the Eagles, 49ers, Cowboys, Bills, Chiefs, Bengals and Ravens), but despite that, the computer still feels that Minnesota will end up with the two-seed. Remaining schedule: at Packers, at Bears
3. (NFC West champion)	49ers
The 49ers currently have the longest-winning streak in the NFL, which is a big reason why the computer likes them so much. Although the 49ers are projected to finish behind the Vikings in the standings, the computer thinks San Francisco has a much better chance of winning the Super Bowl compared to Minnesota. The 49ers are being given a 15.88% chance, which is nearly FIVE times higher than the Vikings (3.42%). Remaining schedule: at Raiders, Cardinals
4. (NFC South champion)	Buccaneers
If the Buccaneers had lost to the Cardinals on Sunday, the computer probably would have malfunctioned trying to figure out who's going to win the NFC South, but thanks to Tampa Bay's victory, the computer loves the Buccaneers to win the division title. According to SportsLine, the Bucs have a 76.9% chance of winning the NFC South, which is well ahead of the Panthers, who are sitting at 19.8%. Of course, those percentages could undergo a huge change this week if Carolina pulls off an upset against the Bucs. Remaining schedule: Panthers, at Falcons
5. Wild Card 1	Cowboys
The Cowboys picked a bad year to be good. The computer is projecting that the Cowboys are going to finish 13-4 this year, but unfortunately, that is only going to be good enough to get them the fifth-seed, which means they're going to have to open the postseason on the road against the winner of the NFC South. Remaining schedule: at Titans, at Commanders
6. Wild Card 2	Giants
If the Giants want to get into the playoffs for the first time since 2016, all they have to do is beat the Colts this weekend. The computer definitely thinks that's going to happen, which is why the Giants currently have a 90.9% chance of getting in the playoffs. On the other hand, if they lose, things could get dicey in Week 18 with the Giants closing the season in Philadelphia. Remaining schedule: Colts, at Eagles
7. Wild Card 3	Packers
In the biggest shock of this week's projection, the computer has the Packers sneaking in as the final wild-card team out of the NFC. On paper, the Packers path to the playoffs is pretty simple: They have to win out and then hope that the Commanders lose one of their final two games OR have the Giants lose BOTH of their remaining games. Although the computer has the Packers in the seventh-spot, it isn't overly confident about its prediction. The Packers have a 31.6% chance of getting in, which is barely above the Commanders (29.7%) and Seahawks (25%). Remaining schedule: Vikings, Lions

Here's a list of the playoff chances for all the other NFC teams (their percentage chances of getting into the playoffs is listed next to them in parentheses): Commanders (29.7%), Seahawks (25%), Lions (21.5%), Panthers (19.2%), Saints (4.7%), Falcons (Eliminated), Cardinals (Eliminated), Rams (Eliminated), Bears (Eliminated)