NFL Week 17 playoff scenarios: AFC and NFC top seeds, Playoff picture clinching and elimination

We are on to the penultimate week of the 2022 NFL season, with Week 17 kicking off later tonight as the Dallas Cowboys face the Tennessee Titans on Thursday Night Football. With the start of Week 17, the NFL playoffs are looming, with more and more teams clinching their spot into the tournament or being eliminated from postseason consideration.

The AFC and NFC playoff pictures are coming into focus and we are starting to see who has a path to a Lombardi Trophy this year. This week could see the top spots in both conferences get locked in, with the Buffalo Bills looking to claim homefield advantage for the AFC bracket and the Philadelphia Eagles trying to grab the NFC’s first seed.

What teams can clinch this weekend? We take a look at all of the clinching scenarios for this upcoming week. Heading into the Week 17 scheduled, the AFC playoff picture is currently:

1 - Buffalo Bills (12-3, AFC East champion)+
2 - Kansas City Chiefs (12-3, AFC West champion)+
3 - Cincinnati Bengals (11-4, AFC North leader)^
4 - Jacksonville Jaguars (7-8, AFC South leader)
5 - Baltimore Ravens (10-5, Wild Card 1)^
6 - Los Angeles Chargers (9-6, Wild Card 2)^
7 - Miami Dolphins (8-7, Wild Card 3)
^Clinched playoff berth
+Clinched division title

Over in the NFC, the current standings are:

1 - Philadelphia Eagles (13-2, NFC East leader)^
2 - Minnesota Vikings (12-3, NFC North champion)+
3 - San Francisco 49ers (11-4, NFC West champion)+
4 - Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-8, NFC South leader)
5 - Dallas Cowboys (11-4, Wild Card 1)^
6 - New York Giants (8-6-1, Wild Card 2)
7 - Washington Commanders (7-7-1, Wild Card 3)

^Clinched playoff berth
+Clinched division title

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AFC Clinching Scenarios (Week 17):

Buffalo Bills
Clinch AFC top seed (homefield advantage and bye) with:

• Bills win and Chiefs loss

Cincinnati Bengals
Clinch AFC North division title with:

• Bengals win and Ravens loss/tie OR
• Bengals tied and Ravens loss

Miami Dolphins
Clinch playoff berth with:

• Dolphins win and Jets loss/tie OR
• Dolphins tie and Jets loss and Steelers loss/tie

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NFC Clinching Scenarios (Week 17):

New York Giants
Clinch playoff berth with:

• Giants win OR
• Giants tie and Seahawks loss/tie and Commanders loss/tie OR
• Giants tie and Seahawks loss/tie and Lions loss/tie OR
• Giants tie and Commanders loss/tie and Lions loss/tie and Packers loss/tie OR
• Seahawks loss and Commanders loss OR
• Seahawks loss and Lions loss and Packers loss/tie OR
• Commanders loss and Lions loss and Packers loss

Philadelphia Eagles
Clinch NFC East division title with:

• Eagles win/tie OR
• Cowboys loss/tie

Clinch NFC top seed (homefield advantage and bye) with:

• Eagles win OR
• Eagles tie and Vikings loss/tie OR
• Cowboys loss/tie and Vikings loss and 49ers loss/tie

Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Clinch NFC South division title with:

• Buccaneers win

Washington Commanders
Clinch playoff berth with:

• Commanders win and Seahawks loss and Lions loss and Packers loss/tie

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AFC Elimination Scenarios (Week 17):

Previously eliminated:
Cleveland Browns
Indianapolis Colts
Denver Broncos
Houston Texans

Las Vegas Raiders
Eliminated with:

• Raiders loss/tie OR
• Dolphins win/tie OR
• Jets win/tie

New York Jets
Eliminated with:

• Jets loss OR
• Jets ties and Dolphins win

New England Patriots
Eliminated with:

• Patriots loss OR
• Patriots tie and Jets win/loss

Pittsburgh Steelers
Eliminated with:

• Steelers loss OR
• Steelers tie and Jets win/tie OR
• Steelers tie and Dolphins tie OR
• Dolphins win OR
• Dolphins tie and Jets win

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NFC Elimination Scenarios (Week 17):

Previously eliminated:
Los Angeles Rams
Atlanta Falcons
Arizona Cardinals
Chicago Bears

Carolina Panthers
Eliminated with:

• Panthers loss

Detroit Lions
Eliminated with:

• Lions loss and Commanders win

Green Bay Packers
Eliminated with:

• Packers loss and Lions win OR
• Packers loss and Commanders win OR
• Packers loss and Seahawks loss and Saints loss/tie and Commanders tie OR
• Packers tie and Seahawks loss and Commanders win

New Orleans Saints
Eliminated with:

• Saints loss OR
• Saints tie and Buccaneers win and Commanders tie OR
• Saints tie and Buccaneers win/tie and Lions win/tie OR
• Saints tie and Buccaneers win/tie and Packers win/tie OR
• Saints tie and Buccaneers win/tie and Seahawks win OR
• Saints tie and Buccaneers tie and Commanders win/tie OR
• Buccaneers win and Commanders win OR
• Buccaneers win and Lions win and Packers win/tie OR
• Buccaneers win and Lions tie and Packers win

Seattle Seahawks
Eliminated with:

• Seahawks loss and Commanders win OR
• Seahawks loss and Lions win and Packers win/tie OR
• Seahawks loss and Lions tie and Packers win OR
• Seahawks tie and Giants win/tie and Packers win/tie and Commanders win and Lions win OR
• Seahawks tie and Giants win/tie and Packers win and Commanders win and Lions tie

Washington Commanders
Eliminated with:

• Commanders loss and Packers win and Lions win