"The Panthers (8-7) have a 53.5% chance of winning compared to the Buccaneers, who are at 46.5%. The Panthers can clinch the division title this week with a win over Seattle plus a Bucs' loss to the Dolphins," Breech wrote. "However, if the Panthers lose to the Seahawks, then the division title will be on the line in Week 18 in Tampa Bay."

With the help of Austin Mock, The Athletic has launched its NFL Playoff Simulator, powered by my NFL Projection Model. You’ll get results from my model on how likely each team is to make the playoffs or to win the Super Bowl based on 100,000 simulations ...

We used the ESPN Football Power Index's most likely simulation to project Weeks 16, 17 and 18 -- and how the NFL playoff field could stack up.

We've got the NFL Week 16 Predictions according to Madden 26 to see who the game thinks will win this weekend.

The Chargers (10-4) have one of the most brutal schedules in the NFL over the final three weeks of the season. Their game in Week 17 against the Texans could end determining which team ends up getting the higher playoff seed. For now, the computer has the Chargers locked in at the sixth spot.