While numerous teams enter the week with playoff spots guaranteed, only one team has absolutely nothing to play for. The New England Patriots have locked up the No. 1 seed in the AFC and will have home field advantage throughout the playoffs regardless of what happens in Sunday’s game against the Bills.
There are numerous scenarios which could unfold on Sunday but only a few are reasonable.
AFC Playoff Scenarios for Week 17
Unlike the NFC, the AFC has a bunch of teams fates undecided.
Knows entering Week 17: New England – AFC East and home-field advantage throughout AFC playoffs; Denver – AFC West; Indianapolis – AFC South; Cincinnati and Pittsburgh – playoff berth.
DENVER (vs. Oakland)
Clinches first-round bye with:
— Win or tie, OR
— Cincinnati Loss, OR
— Cincinnati tie and Indianapolis win
CINCINNATI (at Pittsburgh)
Clinches AFC North with:
— Win or tie
Clinches first-round bye with:
— Win and Denver loss or tie, OR
— Tie and Denver loss and Indianapolis loss or tie
PITTSBURGH (vs. Cincinnati)
Pittsburgh clinches AFC North with:
— Win
SAN DIEGO (at Kansas City)
Clinches playoff spot with:
— Win, OR
— Tie and Baltimore loss or tie
BALTIMORE (vs. Cleveland)
Clinches playoff spot with:
— Win and San Diego loss or tie, OR
— Tie and San Diego loss
KANSAS CITY (vs. San Diego)
Clinches playoff spot with:
— Win (Chargers loss) and Baltimore loss and Houston loss or tie
HOUSTON (vs. Jacksonville)
Clinches playoff spot with:
— Win and Baltimore loss and San Diego loss
NFC Playoff Scenarios for Week 17
Known entering Week 17: Arizona – playoff berth; Seattle – playoff berth; Detroit – playoff berth; Green Bay – playoff berth; Dallas – NFC East.
DALLAS (at Washington)
Clinches home-field advantage throughout NFC playoffs with:
— Win and Arizona loss or tie and Detroit/Green Bay tie
Clinches first-round bye with:
— Win and Seattle loss or tie and Arizona loss or tie, OR
— Win and Detroit/Green Bay tie, OR
— Seattle loss and Arizona loss, OR
— Tie and Seattle tie and Arizona loss or tie and Detroit/Green Bay does not end in a tie
DETROIT (at Green Bay)
Clinches NFC North with:
— Win or tie
Clinches home-field advantage throughout NFC playoffs with:
— Win and Seattle loss or tie and Arizona loss or tie, OR
— Tie and Seattle loss and Arizona loss and Dallas loss or tie
Clinches first-round bye with:
— Win, OR
— Tie and Dallas loss or tie, OR
— Tie and Seattle loss and Arizona loss
GREEN BAY (vs. Detroit)
Clinches NFC North and first-round bye with:
— Win
Clinches home-field advantage throughout NFC playoffs with:
— Win and Seattle loss or tie
SEATTLE (vs. St. Louis)
Clinches NFC West with:
— Win, OR
— Tie and Arizona loss or tie, OR
— Arizona loss
Clinches home-field advantage throughout NFC playoffs with:
— Win and Detroit/Green Bay game does not end in a tie, OR
— Win and Dallas loss or tie, OR
— Tie and Arizona loss or tie and Dallas loss or tie and Green Bay/Detroit tie
Clinches first-round bye with:
— Win, OR
— Tie and Arizona loss or tie and Dallas loss, OR
— Tie and Arizona loss or tie and Green Bay/Detroit tie
ARIZONA (at San Francisco)
Clinches NFC West with:
— Win and Seattle loss or tie, OR
— Tie and Seattle loss
Clinches home-field advantage throughout NFC playoffs with:
— Win and Seattle loss or tie and Green Bay loss or tie, OR
— Tie and Seattle loss and Dallas loss or tie and Green Bay/Detroit tie
Clinches first-round bye with:
— Win and Seattle loss or tie, OR
— Tie and Seattle loss and Dallas loss or tie, OR
— Tie and Seattle loss and Green Bay/Detroit tie
CAROLINA (at Atlanta)
Clinches NFC South with:
— Win or tie
ATLANTA (vs. Carolina)
Clinches NFC South with:
— Win
