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NFL Playoff Scenarios: Week 17

The NFL schedule has advanced to the final weekend, with 13 of the 16 games having some sort of playoff implications. Who can clinch what, and, more importantly, how? We take a look.

Evan Habeeb-USA TODAY Sports

The NFL Playoffs are just a week away, yet there are still a lot of things to be decided when it comes to the playoff picture. Neither conference has a top seed locked into place yet, Wildcard teams are still jockeying for the last postseason berth, and divisions still need a champion. Here are all of the playoff scenarios for this week:

AFC Playoff Scenarios:

CLINCHED:

Denver - AFC West and first-round bye
New England - AFC East
Cincinnati - AFC North
Indianapolis - AFC South
Kansas City - playoff spot

DENVER BRONCOS (at Oak)

Denver clinches home-field advantage throughout AFC playoffs with:

1) DEN win or tie OR

2) NE loss or tie

NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS (vs. Buf)

New England clinches a first-round bye with:

1) NE win or tie OR

2) CIN loss or tie + IND loss or tie

New England clinches home-field advantage throughout AFC playoffs with:

1) NE win + DEN loss

CINCINNATI BENGALS (vs. Bal)

Cincinnati clinches a first-round bye with:

1) CIN win + NE loss

INDIANAPOLIS COLTS (vs. Jax)

Indianapolis clinches a first-round bye with:

1) IND win + NE loss + CIN loss or tie

MIAMI DOLPHINS (vs. NYJ)

Miami clinches a playoff spot with:

1) MIA win + BAL loss or tie OR

2) MIA win + SD win OR

3) MIA tie + BAL loss + SD loss or tie OR

4) MIA tie + BAL tie + SD tie

BALTIMORE RAVENS (at Cin)

Baltimore clinches a playoff spot with:

1) BAL win + SD loss or tie OR

2) BAL win + MIA loss or tie OR

3) BAL tie + MIA loss + SD loss or tie OR

4) BAL tie + MIA tie + SD loss OR

5) MIA loss + SD loss + PIT loss or tie

SAN DIEGO CHARGERS (vs. KC)

San Diego clinches a playoff spot with:

1) SD win + MIA loss or tie + BAL loss or tie OR

2) SD tie + MIA loss + BAL loss

PITTSBURGH STEELERS (vs. Cle)

Pittsburgh clinches a playoff spot with:

1) PIT win + MIA loss + BAL loss + SD loss

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NFC Playoff Scenarios:

CLINCHED:

Seattle - playoff spot
Carolina - playoff spot
San Francisco - playoff spot

SEATTLE SEAHAWKS (vs. StL)

Seattle clinches NFC West division and home-field advantage throughout NFC playoffs with:

1) SEA win or tie OR

2) SF loss or tie

CAROLINA PANTHERS (at Atl)

Carolina clinches NFC South division and a first-round bye with:

1) CAR win or tie OR

2) NO loss or tie

Carolina clinches home-field advantage throughout NFC playoffs with:

1) CAR win + SEA loss + SF win

PHILADELPHIA EAGLES (at Dal)

Philadelphia clinches NFC East division with:

1) PHI win or tie

CHICAGO BEARS (vs. GB)

Chicago clinches NFC North division with:

1) CHI win or tie

SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS (at Arz)

San Francisco clinches NFC West division and a first-round bye with:

1) SF win + SEA loss

San Francisco clinches NFC West division and home-field advantage throughout NFC playoffs with:

1) SF win + SEA loss + CAR loss or tie

NEW ORLEANS SAINTS (vs. TB)

New Orleans clinches NFC South division and a first-round bye with:

1) NO win + CAR loss

New Orleans clinches a playoff spot with:

1) NO win OR

2) NO tie + ARI tie OR

3) ARI loss

ARIZONA CARDINALS (vs. SF)

Arizona clinches a playoff spot with:

1) ARI win + NO loss or tie OR

2) ARI tie + NO loss

DALLAS COWBOYS (vs. Phi)

Dallas clinches NFC East division with:

1) DAL win

GREEN BAY PACKERS (at Chi)

Green Bay clinches NFC North division with:

1) GB win