NFL Playoff Picture: Going into Week 17

The updated playoff picture: By Joe Bacanovic


AFC PLAYOFF PICTURE
If season ended today: First-round byes: 1. Tennessee, 2. Pittsburgh.

1st Round Match-ups
6. Baltimore at 3. Miami,
5. Indianapolis at 4. Denver.


1. Tennessee Titans (13-2) – Clinched No. 1 seed, AFC South title, first-round bye and home-field advantage through AFC playoffs.

2. Pittsburgh Steelers (11-4) – Clinched No. 2 seed, AFC North title and first-round bye.

3. Miami Dolphins (10-5) – Clinch No. 3 seed and AFC East title with:
a) win at NY Jets, OR
b) tie vs. NY Jets AND New England loss/tie at Buffalo.
Clinch No. 6 seed with tie AND Baltimore loss to Jacksonville (AND New England win).
Eliminated with loss.

4. Denver Broncos (8-7) – Clinch AFC West title, No. 4 seed and first-round playoff game vs. Indianapolis with win or tie at San Diego. Eliminated with loss.

5. Indianapolis Colts (11-4) – Clinched No. 5 seed and first-round playoff game at Denver/San Diego.

6. Baltimore Ravens (10-5) – Clinch playoff berth, No. 6 seed and first-round playoff game at AFC East champion with:
a) win over Jacksonville, OR
b) New England loss at Buffalo, OR
c) tie AND Miami and/or New England tie.


Still alive

New England Patriots (10-5) – Clinch No. 3 seed and AFC East title with:
a) win AND Miami loss/tie at NY Jets, OR
b) tie AND Miami loss.

Clinch No. 6 seed with:
a) win at Buffalo AND Baltimore loss/tie vs. Jacksonville, OR
b) tie AND Baltimore loss.


New York Jets (9-6) – Clinch No. 3 seed and AFC East title with: win over Miami AND New England loss at Buffalo.

Clinch No. 6 seed with: win AND Baltimore loss to Jacksonville (AND New England win/tie).

San Diego Chargers (7-8) – Can clinch AFC West title, No. 4 seed and first-round playoff game vs. Indianapolis with win vs. Denver.


NFC PLAYOFF PICTURE
If season ended today: First-round byes: 1. NY Giants, 2. Carolina.

1st Round Match-ups
6. Tampa Bay* at 3. Minnesota,
5. Atlanta at 4. Arizona (* Dallas, not Tampa Bay, controls its own fate in Week 17).


1. New York Giants (12-3) – Clinched No. 1 seed, NFC East title, first-round bye and home-field advantage through NFC playoffs.

2. Carolina Panthers (11-4) – Clinched playoff berth. Can clinch No. 2 seed, NFC South title and first-round bye with:
a) win/tie at New Orleans OR
b) Atlanta loss/tie to St. Louis.
Will be No. 5 seed with: loss at New Orleans AND Atlanta win over St. Louis.

3. Minnesota Vikings (9-6) – Clinch No. 3 seed and NFC North title with:
a) win vs. NY Giants, OR
b) Chicago loss at Houston, OR
c) tie AND Chicago tie.
Clinch No. 6 seed and first-round playoff game at Chicago with: tie AND Dallas loss at Philadelphia AND Tampa Bay loss to Oakland (AND Chicago win).

4. Arizona Cardinals (8-7) – Clinched No. 4 seed and NFC West title.

5. Atlanta Falcons (10-5) – Clinched playoff berth. Clinch No. 2 seed, NFC South title and first-round bye with: win over St. Louis AND Carolina loss at New Orleans.
Clinch at worst No. 5 seed with: win/tie OR Dallas loss/tie.
Otherwise clinch No. 6 seed and open playoffs at NFC North champion.

6. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (9-6) – Currently the No. 6 seed because of better conference record (8-4) than Dallas (7-4) and Chicago (7-5). However, Dallas will win the tiebreaker if teams finish 10-6 because both teams will have 8-4 conference record (eliminating Chicago), and Dallas beat Tampa Bay head to head.

Clinch No. 6 seed and playoff game at NFC North champion with:
a) win over Oakland AND Dallas loss/tie at Philadelphia, OR
b) tie AND Dallas loss AND either Minnesota or Chicago loss, OR
c) tie AND Dallas tie AND either Minnesota or Chicago tie AND either Minnesota or Chicago loss Eliminated with loss OR Dallas win.

Still alive

Dallas Cowboys (9-6) – Clinch No. 5 seed with: win at Philadelphia AND Atlanta loss to St. Louis.

Clinch No. 6 seed and playoff game at NFC North champion with:
a) win at Philadelphia (and Atlanta win/tie), OR
b) tie AND Tampa Bay loss to Oakland AND either Minnesota loss/tie or Chicago loss/tie, OR
c) tie AND Tampa Bay tie AND either Chicago loss at Houston or Minnesota loss to NY Giants. Eliminated with loss.

Chicago Bears (9-6) – Clinch No. 3 seed and NFC North title with:
a) win at Houston AND Minnesota loss/tie at NY Giants, OR
b) tie at Houston AND Minnesota loss at NY Giants.
Clinch No. 6 seed and playoff game at Minnesota with:
a) win AND Tampa Bay loss/tie at Oakland AND Dallas loss/tie at Philadelphia.
b) tie AND Tampa Bay loss AND Dallas loss.


Philadelphia Eagles (8-6-1) – Clinch playoff berth, No. 6 seed and playoff game at NFC North champion with: win over Dallas AND Tampa Bay loss to Oakland AND either Minnesota loss to NY Giants or Chicago loss at Houston.