The Chiefs have been eliminated from playoff contention with the Chargers ' 16-13 win. Quarterback Patrick Mahomes tore his ACL in today's loss. Meanwhile atop the AFC East, the Bills held off the Patriots in a 35-31 win.

The rise of once-lowly teams and the regression of established powers have combined to turn the playoff picture upside down.

The four division champions from each conference make the playoffs and are seeded No. 1 through No. 4 based on record. The three remaining teams in each conference with the best record qualify for the postseason as wild-card teams and are seeded No. 5 through No. 7.

The 49ers face the Titans at home in Santa Clara in Week 15. We break down what the game means for the NFL playoff picture.

NFL schedule set up perfect Buccaneers, Panthers finish for NFC South standings originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here. The NFL schedule makers like to backlog the calendar with divisional matchups. But even then, there's no guarantee that those games will have any meaning.