NFL playoff scenarios, Week 17: Falcons, Seahawks fighting for spot
There’s one Sunday and 16 regular-season games remaining in 2017. Who’s in and who’s can still get in when it comes to this season’s NFL playoffs?
This Sunday, the 2017 NFL regular-season concludes and roughly by 8:00 pm ET we will know the entire playoff field. Want to get caught up on all the postseason scenarios? You came to the right place.
AFC
New England Patriots (12-3): Bill Belichick’s team are AFC East champions for the ninth straight year. The Patriots have earned a first-round bye. They can clinch the AFC’s top seed in the playoffs with a win over the New York Jets or a loss by the Pittsburgh Steelers to the Cleveland Browns. If the Pats and Steelers both tie on Sunday, New England is the No. 1 seed.
Pittsburgh Steelers (12-3): The Black and Gold are division champs for the third time in four years. The Steelers have also earned a first-round bye. They can clinch the AFC’s top seed in the playoffs with a win over the Cleveland Browns and a loss or a tie by the Patriots on Sunday. Pittsburgh can also the No. 1 seed with a tie and a Patriots’ loss.
Jacksonville Jaguars (10-5): The team is a division champion for the first time since 1999 (when they won the AFC Central prior to realignment). The Jaguars are in the playoffs for the first time since 2007. They are the AFC’s No. 3 seed.
Kansas City Chiefs (9-6): Andy Reid’s team are AFC West champions for the second straight season. They are the AFC’s No. 4 seed.
Baltimore Ravens (9-6): A win or tie vs. the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday puts the Ravens into the playoffs. They can also reach the postseason with a loss or tie by either the Buffalo Bills or Tennessee Titans.
Tennessee Titans (8-7): The franchise can reach the playoffs for the first time since 2008 with a win over the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday. They can also get in with a tie and a Bills’ loss or tie and a Chargers’ loss or tie. Tennessee can also get in if both the Bills and Chargers lose.
Los Angeles Chargers (8-7): The Bolts can get to the playoffs for the first time since 2013 if they knock off the Oakland Raiders on Sunday and the Titans and Bills both lose or tie. They can also get in if they win and the Titans lose or tie and the Baltimore Ravens win or tie. Finally, the Chargers get in even if they tie the Raiders and the Titans loses and Buffalo loses or tie.
Buffalo Bills (8-7): The team with the longest current playoff drought in the NFL can get back in the postseason for the first time since 1999 if they defeat the Miami Dolphins and the Ravens lose to the Bengals. They can also get in if they win and the both the Chargers and Titans lose or tie. The Bills could tie the Dolphins and both the Chargers and Titans lose and they can still get in.
NFC
Philadelphia Eagles (13-2): The team has already clinched home-field advantage throughout the NFC playoffs.
Minnesota Vikings (12-3): Mike Zimmer’s team are the NFC North champions. The Vikings can clinch a first-round bye with a win or a tie vs. the Chicago Bears on Sunday or the Carolina Panthers lose or earn a tie Sunday’s game with the Atlanta Falcons. They also clinch the NFC’s No. 2 seed with a win by either the New Orleans Saints or Los Angeles Rams.
Los Angeles Rams (11-4): The club are NFC West champions for the first time since 2003.
New Orleans Saints (11-4): The team has clinched a playoff berth for the first time since 2013. Sean Payton’s club wraps up the NFC South with a victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. They can also grab the division with a Carolina loss or both they and the Panthers wind up tying their games.
Carolina Panthers (11-4): Ron Rivera’s squad is back in the postseason for the fourth time in five seasons. And they can still win the NFC South if they knock off the Atlanta Falcons and the Saints lose or tie. If the Panthers tie and the Saints lose, Carolina wins the NFC South. Also, the Panthers can also grab the No. 2 seed in the NFC with a win and both the Saints and Rams lose or tie and the Vikings lose to the Bears.
More fansided.com: NFL power rankings, Week 16: Chiefs, Jaguars clinch division titles
Atlanta Falcons (9-6): The defending NFC titlists can’t repeat as division champions but can get back to the playoffs with a win on Sunday at home against the Carolina Panthers. They can also reach the postseason if the Seattle Seahawks lose to the Arizona Cardinals. If both the Falcons and Seahawks tie on Sunday, the Falcons get the nod.
Seattle Seahawks (9-6): If Pete Carroll’s club wants to get back to the playoffs for the sixth straight years, they need to defeat the Cardinals and hope the Falcons lose or tie. If the Seahawks tie the Card and the Falcons lose to the Panthers, the ‘Hawks are postseason bound.