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The simplest way for NFL teams to punch their tickets to the playoffs each year is by winning their division. Entering Week 16 of the 2022 NFL season, the race for each of the division titles is beginning to become clearer.
Three division crowns have already been clinched with just three games remaining this year, meaning five are still up for grabs.
The San Francisco 49ers clinched the NFC West, the Minnesota Vikings grabbed the NFC North, and the Kansas City Chiefs took the AFC West. All five other divisions are still up for grabs at varying levels of competition for the top spot. Here are the three closest division races entering Week 16.
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#3 - AFC North - Cincinnati Bengals and Baltimore Ravens
The Cincinnati Bengals are one of the hottest teams in the NFL. They have won each of their last six consecutive games. This has catapulted them into the top spot in the AFC North division. They have surpassed the Baltimore Ravens, who have also won six of their last eight games.
The Bengals and Ravens faced off for the first time in Week 5, with Baltimore pulling out a 19-17 victory. They will meet for the second time in the final game of the season in Week 18. It could very well be a direct head-to-head battle with the winner of the game taking home the division crown.
#2 - AFC South - 2 contenders and a long shot still alive
The Houston Texans are the only AFC South team that has been eliminated from playoff contention. The Indianapolis Colts are currently a long shot at winning the division title, but it's still mathematically possible.
They need to win all three of their remaining games, and the Tennessee Titans to lose all of theirs, and the Jacksonville Jaguars to also lose two games.
The Jaguars and Titans are each in control of their own fate to win the AFC South division. If either team wins all three of their remaining games, they will take home the division crown. They face off against each other in Week 18, which could potentially be the winner-take-all game.
#1 - NFC South - All 4 NFL teams battling for one spot
All four teams in the NFC South division have been disappointing during the 2022 NFL season. This has set up the closest division race in the entire NFL, with just three games remaining. They are the only NFL division with all four teams still competing for the title. None of them have been mathematically eliminated.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers currently sit in first place with a 6-8 record. The New Orleans Saints, Carolina Panthers, and Atlanta Falcons, each trail by one game, as all of them have a 5-9 record.
Of their combined 12 remaining games this season, six of them are divisional games. Anything can happen in the NFC South entering Week 16 as the division title is completely up for grabs.
