As seems to happen every season, the 2018 NFL regular-season schedule is breezing by. With the calendar now in December, the playoff picture will start to become more clear.

On Sunday, the Los Angeles Rams became the first team in the league to secure a postseason berth with their 30-16 road win against the Detroit Lions. It marked the second straight NFC West title for the Rams after more than a decade of mediocrity, and they continue to boast the best record in the league, now at 11-1.

“First tick, check it off, men,” coach Sean McVay told players in the locker room, many of them wearing T-shirts and hats celebrating the division win. “You never take it for granted. Love you guys. This is special, this is special, but we got more work to do.”

Here are the playoff standings after Week 13.

NFC

1. Los Angeles Rams (11-1): McVay and his players know all too well that getting into the playoffs is just Step 1 after last season’s disappointing loss in the wild-card round, spoiling their surprise 11-5 season. The Rams’ final four games: at Chicago Bears, vs. Philadelphia Eagles, at Cardinals and vs. 49ers.

2. New Orleans Saints (10-2): The Saints could have joined the Rams as playoff ticket-holders, but their listless loss to the Dallas Cowboys on Thursday night put that on ice for now. New Orleans’ final four games: at Tampa Bay Buccaneers, at Carolina Panthers, vs. Pittsburgh Steelers and vs. Carolina.

3. Chicago Bears (8-4): It’s easy to second-guess the Bears taking the cautious approach with Mitchell Trubisky (throwing shoulder) after Sunday’s loss to the Giants, but Chicago is comfortably atop the NFC North and it’s far better to have Trubisky healthy in January. Chicago’s final four games: vs. Rams, vs. Green Bay Packers, at 49ers, at Minnesota Vikings.

4. Dallas Cowboys (7-5): Dallas has turned its season around with a four-game winning streak, including that Thursday victory against New Orleans, holding one of the NFL’s highest-scoring offenses to just 10 points. The Cowboys’ final four games: vs. Philadelphia, at Indianapolis Colts, vs. Tampa Bay, at New York Giants.

5. Seattle Seahawks (7-5): The Seahawks jumped into a wild-card berth thanks to their drubbing of the 49ers on Sunday and the Minnesota Vikings’ loss in New England; what has been widely seen as a rebuilding year could still include the playoffs. Seattle’s final four games: vs. Vikings, at San Francisco, vs. Kansas City Chiefs, vs. Cardinals.

6. Minnesota Vikings (6-5-1): The Vikings moved back into the playoff picture despite a loss Sunday after the Washington Redskins lost on Monday against the Eagles. They’ll need good Kirk Cousins to show up in a critical matchup against the Seahawks next week. Minnesota’s final four games: at Seattle, vs. Miami Dolphins, at Lions, vs. Chicago)

Also in contention: Eagles (6-6; at Cowboys, at Rams, vs. Houston Texans, at Redskins); Redskins (6-6; vs. Giants, at Jacksonville Jaguars, at Tennessee Titans, vs. Eagles); Carolina Panthers (6-6; at Cleveland Browns, vs. Saints, vs. Atlanta Falcons, at Saints).

AFC

1. Kansas City Chiefs (10-2): The Chiefs’ two losses are to teams that are likely postseason-bound: New England and the Rams, and those games were both shootouts. The Chiefs’ final four games: vs. Baltimore, vs. Los Angeles Chargers, at Seattle, vs. Oakland.

2. New England Patriots (9-3): Two of New England’s losses have been confounding; they lost early to the Lions, and looked flat-out bad against the Titans. On Sunday they met one of the best defenses of the league in the Vikings and held their own. The Patriots’ final four games: at Miami, at Pittsburgh Steelers, vs. Buffalo Bills, vs. Jets.

3. Houston Texans (9-3): The Texans are riding a league-best nine-game win streak, and showing they can handle close games – five of those wins have been by a touchdown or less. Houston’s final four games: vs. Colts, at Jets, at Eagles, vs. Jaguars.

4. Pittsburgh Steelers (7-4-1): As ever, the AFC North goes through Pittsburgh, a testament to the oft-criticized Mike Tomlin’s ability to keep his team focused despite frequent drama. The Steelers’ final four games: at Oakland, vs. Patriots, at New Orleans, vs. Cincinnati Bengals.

5. Los Angeles Chargers (9-3): Tom Brady and Drew Brees get a lot of the pub as the NFL’s elder statesman quarterbacks, but Philip Rivers, who turns 37 this week, is still playing at a very high level too. The Chargers’ final four games: vs. Bengals, at Chiefs, vs. Baltimore Ravens, at Denver Broncos.

6. Baltimore Ravens (7-5): Joe Flacco returned to practice last week, which could make this week interesting. Do the Ravens stick with rookie Lamar Jackson, who has led them to wins in each of his three starts, or return to the playoff-tested Flacco? Baltimore’s final four games: at Kansas City, vs. Buccaneers, at Chargers, vs. Browns.

Also in contention: Miami (6-6; vs. New England, at Minnesota, vs. Jaguars, at Bills); Indianapolis (6-6; at Texans, vs. Dallas, vs. Giants, at Tennessee); Denver (6-6; at 49ers, vs. Cleveland, at Oakland, vs. Chargers); Tennessee (6-6; vs. Jaguars, at Giants, vs. Washington, vs. Indianapolis)

More from Yahoo Sports NFL:
• Kimberley Martin: Enough of the excuses and apologies when it comes to domestic violence
• Terez Paylor: It will be a long road back for Kareem Hunt, but eventually he’ll get second chance
• Week 13 Winners and Losers: What’s happened to Cam Newton and the Panthers?
• Green Bay Packers fire coach Mike McCarthy after 12-plus seasons