Three NFL teams clinch playoff berths in Week 15
The NFL playoff field became a little clearer entering the week, with the Dallas Cowboys, Philadelphia Eagles and Baltimore Ravens all firming up spots in Week 15.
The Cowboys became the second NFL team to clinch a playoff berth this season, thanks to the Green Bay Packers’ 3420 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers along with the Atlanta Falcons’ 9-7 loss to the Carolina Panthers. Those results, combined with the Detroit Lions’ 42-17 win over the Denver Broncos, wrapped up a berth for Dallas.
The Eagles later sealed a spot in the playoffs thanks to several results, with the San Francisco 49ers’ victory over the Arizona Cardinals being the final piece that nudged the defending NFC champions into the postseason.
The Ravens capped the night by earning a berth with a 23-7 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars, becoming the first AFC team to secure a place in the field.
The 49ers, meanwhile, wrapped up the NFC West crown with their win.
Dallas is in the postseason for the third consecutive season, marking the first time since 1994-96 that the organization has strung together such a streak. The franchise is still seeking to reach at least the NFC championship game for the first time since 1995.
The Cowboys last week leapfrogged the Eagles to take the NFC East lead last week after beating their division rivals 33-13, but Sunday’s 31-10 loss to the Buffalo Bills dropped the team back into a wild-card spot for the time being.
Philadelphia, which will be in the postseason for a third consecutive season and the sixth time in seven years, is seeking to become the first NFC East team to repeat as champions since the franchise claimed four consecutive division titles from 2001 to 2004.
The Eagles lost to the Seahawks on Monday night.
Baltimore is making its fifth trip to the playoffs in the last six years, but the team has not advanced beyond the divisional round since it won the Super Bowl in the 2012 season. The Ravens are currently the front-runner for the No. 1 seed in the AFC.
San Francisco has now claimed consecutive division titles for the first time since 2011-12.
The Lions still had a chance to clinch a berth on Monday night but the Seahawks won.