It’s nearing the end of December, and the NFL playoffs are almost here. So, who’s in and who’s out?
To date, four teams are definitely in the playoffs: the Denver Broncos, New England Patriots, and Indianapolis Colts of the American Football Conference (AFC) and the Arizona Cardinals of the National Football Conference (NFC).

However, there are still five divisions that have not been finalized, with several teams still trying to make their way to the playoffs.

The AFC North may have the closest race in all of football, with the Cincinnati Bengals, Pittsburg Steelers, and Baltimore Ravens all having eight wins. If the season ended today, the division would go to the Bengals since they only have four loses due to a tie with the Carolina Panthers, whereas the Steelers and Ravens both have five losses. Likewise, over the final two weeks of the season, the Steelers will face the 8 win and 6 loss record of the Kansas City Chiefs, the Bengals will face the division-winning Broncos on Monday night, and the Steelers and Bengals will face off in a crucial final week matchup since it will most likely determine the division winner. In contrast, the Ravens have a relatively easy road ahead, facing two 7 win and 7 loss teams. Being the tightest division in football, with a minuscule half a game separating the three teams, the AFC North race will go down to the wire.

Another close race is the NFC North, with the Detroit Lions and Green Bay Packers duking it out for the top spot. The two teams are polar opposites, with Detroit having little offense but being able to win close games with their strong defense and Green Bay with its high-octane offense lead by quarterback Aaron Rodgers and running back Eddie Lacy. With still one more matchup between the two in the final week, this is another race that will go down to the final minute.

Likewise, the NFC West will be decided in at the eleventh hour, with the Cardinals (who have already clinched a playoff spot, or at least a wild card) and the reigning Super Bowl Champion Seattle Seahawks both competing for the Division title and the top record in the NFC. Both teams are known for their stellar defense, as they have both allowed the fewest points per game, according to ESPN. However, both teams have disadvantages, with Seattle getting off to a slow start to their season and Arizona having to play their third string quarterback since both their starting quarterback, Carson Palmer, and backup, Drew Stanton, went down with injuries. With another matchup between the two teams taking place this week, the time is now for these teams to outperform the other.

Also, despite being widely considered the worst division in the NFL, the NFC South is a fierce three team race, with the New Orleans Saints, Atlanta Falcons, and Carolina Panthers all still in the running for the first place title. However, all three of these teams have losing records, with the possibility of the first place team in the division being among the worst teams in football. Furthermore, the team that comes in second in the NFC South could receive a top ten first round draft pick in June, or when teams select college players to join their teams, with the teams with the worst records picking earlier in the draft. That does not make this race any less exciting, and the division will still go down to the wire.

The final division that’s still up for grabs is the race between the Dallas Cowboys (10 – 4) and the Philadelphia Eagles (9 – 5) in the NFC East. The two teams have been known over the past several years for their offense, with running backs LeSean McCoy for Philladelphia and DeMarco Murray for Dallas. Both running backs have had one thousand yards rushing, igniting their offenses with their legs. Also, Dallas is led by quarterback Tony Romo, who is having a career year so far as evident by his career high in quarterback rating (82.7). Dallas has also been led by a much-improved defense that has helped them get over a five hundred winning percentage for the first time in several years. Though they have been ravished by their starting quarterback, Nick Foles, getting injured, and have had a spotty defense to this point in the season, the Eagles have been able to win close games and look to be a dangerous team if they make the playoffs. With two more weeks to go, the NFC East will be decided by the final snap.

Thus, there is still much to be determined before the playoffs begin next week. With five divisions still up for grabs and a myriad of possibilities at hand, there is no way of telling who will win out their respective divisions. May the odds be ever in their favor.