Welcome to December. With only five weeks remaining in the 2015 NFL season, the race to the finish line has begun.
Here’s an in-depth look at the NFL’s postseason picture as the schedule hits Week 13:
AFC
1. New England Patriots (10-1)
2. Cincinnati Bengals (9-2)
3. Denver Broncos (9-2)
4. Indianapolis Colts (6-5)
5. Kansas City Chiefs (6-5)
6. Houston Texans (6-5)
Other contenders: New York Jets (6-5), Pittsburgh Steelers (6-5), Oakland Raiders (5-6) Buffalo Bills (5-6)
Biggest games in Week 13:
Texans at Bills
These are two teams going in opposite directions. Houston has won four straight games to jump into a wild card slot in the AFC, while the Bills have lost two straight since beating the Jets in Rex Ryan’s homecoming. Buffalo can’t afford to lose a third consecutive game.
Chiefs at Raiders
Kansas City is one of the hottest teams in football, having won five straight after a 1-5 start. The Raiders bounced back from a three-game losing streak with a win over Tennessee last week. This is a huge matchup in the AFC West.
Colts at Steelers
Indianapolis is holding on for dear life atop the AFC South, while the Steelers dropped out of a wild card slot by losing to Seattle last week. Can the Colts stay perfect with Matt Hasselbeck under center? And can Pittsburgh respond after a physical defeat last Sunday?
(Note: Patriots can clinch AFC East with a win over Eagles and Jets loss to Giants)
NFC
1. Carolina Panthers (11-0)
2. Arizona Cardinals (9-2)
3. Minnesota Vikings (8-3)
4. Washington Redskins (5-6)
5. Green Bay Packers (7-4)
6. Seattle Seahawks (6-5)
Other contenders: Atlanta Falcons (6-5), Tampa Bay Buccaneers (5-6) New York Giants (5-6), Chicago Bears (5-6), St. Louis Rams (4-7), Detroit Lions (4-7), Philadelphia Eagles (4-7), New Orleans Saints (4-7)
Biggest games in Week 13:
Packers at Lions
The bye week has had the opposite effect for these two NFC North rivals. The Packers are 1-4 since their week off, while the Lions have won three straight—including a win over Green Bay—since their bye. Detroit needs to keep winning to stay in the NFC race. The Packers have to start finding some answers.
Seahawks at Vikings
This is the best game of Week 13. The Seahawks have won four of their last five games, while the Vikings are currently riding a 6-1 mark since the start of October. If the season ended today, the two teams would meet in Minnesota for the NFC Wild Card Round. They’ll provide a nice little preview Sunday.
Jets at Giants
Both Big Apple teams need a win to get back on track. The Jets have lost two straight and four out of the last five, while the Giants lost their hold in the NFC East with a defeat to Washington last Sunday.
Cardinals at Rams
Arizona needs to keep stockpiling wins, both to hold off Seattle in the NFC West and keep control in terms of getting one of the top two seeds in the conference. The Rams will be all but eliminated with a home loss.
Falcons at Buccaneers
The Falcons are 1-5 since starting 5-0, so getting back on track is absolutely imperative on Sunday. Tampa Bay lost in Week 12 after winning two straight, but the next two weeks—featuring home games against Atlanta and New Orleans—will have a big say in how the Bucs’ season turns out.
Panthers at Saints
The Saints’ season is on the brink after three straight losses. Snapping out of the slump won’t be easy with the unbeaten Panthers coming to town. Another loss could be all she wrote for New Orleans in 2015.
Redskins at Cowboys
Only in the NFC East could a 5-6 vs. 3-8 matchup be compelling. But here we are, with the division leading Redskins hoping to stay atop the division and the Cowboys trying to stay alive. Anything could happen in Dallas on Monday night.