Here’s the current playoff positioning for the AFC and NFC heading into Week 16.
If the season ended right now
AFC: 1. Patriots, 2. Steelers, 6. Jets at 3. Chiefs, 5. Ravens at 4. Colts
NFC: 1. Falcons, 2. Bears, 6. Giants at 3. Eagles, 5. Saints at 4. Rams
Editor’s note: These are teams’ most realistic shots of clinching berths. Tie games are not always included.
AFC playoff picture
1. New England Patriots (12-2) – Would clinch the AFC East, a first-round bye and home-field advantage in the AFC playoffs with a win at the Bills or a Jets loss at the Bears.
2. Pittsburgh Steelers (10-4) – Clinched a playoff berth due to the strength-of-victory tiebreaker. Would clinch the AFC North and a first-round playoff bye with a win vs. the Panthers (Thursday) and Ravens loss at the Browns.
3. Kansas City Chiefs (9-5) – Would clinch the AFC West with a win vs. the Titans and a Chargers loss at the Bengals. Would lose the tiebreaker for the AFC West with the Chargers. Would clinch a first-round bye with two wins, two Steelers losses and two Ravens losses. Cannot be a wild card.
4. Indianapolis Colts (8-6) – Would clinch the AFC South with two wins, or a win and Jaguars loss at the Texans in Week 17. Leading the tiebreaker with the Jaguars based on record against common opponents (5-4 to 4-5) but cannot clinch the division next week (the Jaguars still can finish with a better division record). Cannot be a wild card.
5. Baltimore Ravens (10-4) – Would clinch a playoff berth with a win or tie at the Browns, or the following: a Chiefs loss and Chargers win or tie and either a Colts loss or tie or Jaguars loss or tie. Would lose the tiebreaker with the Steelers for the AFC North title. Would clinch home-field advantage in the AFC playoffs with two wins and a Steelers loss and two Patriots losses and two Jets wins. Have won head-to-head tiebreaker with the Jets.
6. New York Jets (10-4) – Would clinch a playoff berth with a win or tie at the Bears or Colts loss or tie or Jaguars loss or tie or both a Chiefs loss and Chargers win or tie. Would clinch the AFC East, first-round bye and home-field advantage in the AFC playoffs with two wins and two Patriots losses and either a Ravens loss or two Steelers wins.
Next in line
7. Jacksonville Jaguars (8-6) – Would clinch the AFC South with a Week 17 win at the Texans and a Colts loss to the Titans. Still in wild-card contention.
8. San Diego Chargers (8-6) – Would clinch the AFC West with two wins and a Chiefs loss, or a win and two Chiefs losses and a Raiders loss to the Colts. Still in wild-card contention.
10. Oakland Raiders (7-7) – Would clinch the AFC West with two wins and a Chiefs loss to the Titans and a Chargers loss.
11. Tennessee Titans (6-8) – Would clinch the AFC South with two wins and a Colts loss at the Raiders and two Jaguars losses.
NFC playoff picture
1. Atlanta Falcons (12-2) – Have clinched a playoff berth. Would clinch the NFC South, a first-round bye and home-field advantage in the NFC playoffs with a win or tie vs. the Saints.
2. Chicago Bears (10-4) – Clinched the NFC North with a win at the Vikings due to a better division record than the Packers. Would clinch a first-round bye with two wins, or a win vs. the Jets and an Eagles loss to the Vikings and a Giants loss or tie at the Packers.
3. Philadelphia Eagles (10-4) – Would clinch the NFC East with a win vs. the Vikings or Giants loss at the Packers. Would clinch a playoff berth with a Buccaneers loss or tie vs. the Seahawks. Would win a head-to-head
tiebreaker with the Falcons but lose a head-to-head tiebreaker to the Bears.
4. St. Louis Rams (6-8) – Would clinch the NFC West with two wins, or a Week 17 win at the Seahawks and a 49ers loss or tie to the Cardinals. The Rams-Seahawks winner clinches the division if it wins its other game or the 49ers lose or tie.
5. New Orleans Saints (10-4) – Would clinch a playoff berth with a win at the Falcons, or both a Packers loss or tie and a Buccaneers loss or tie. Would clinch the NFC South, a first-round bye and home-field advantage in the NFC playoffs with two wins and a Falcons Week 17 loss to the Panthers.
6. New York Giants (9-5) – Would clinch a playoff berth with a win at the Packers due to better strength of victory than the Buccaneers.
Next in line
7. Green Bay Packers (8-6) – Would clinch a playoff berth with two wins due to the strength-of-victory tiebreaker (and head-to-head win vs. the Giants). Would be eliminated with a loss to the Giants.
8. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (8-6) – Would be eliminated with a loss to the Seahawks or both a Giants win and Saints win or tie. Would finish ahead of the Saints with two wins and a Saints loss at the Falcons due to a better record vs. common opponents but lose the strength-of-victory tiebreaker to other teams.
9. Seattle Seahawks (6-8) – Would clinch the NFC West with two wins, or a Week 17 win vs. the Rams and a 49ers loss. The Rams-Seahawks winner clinches the division if it wins its other game or the 49ers lose or tie.
13. San Francisco 49ers (5-9) – Would clinch the NFC West with two wins and a Seahawks loss due to a 5-1 division record.
Yahoo Sports
If the season ended right now
AFC: 1. Patriots, 2. Steelers, 6. Jets at 3. Chiefs, 5. Ravens at 4. Colts
NFC: 1. Falcons, 2. Bears, 6. Giants at 3. Eagles, 5. Saints at 4. Rams
Editor’s note: These are teams’ most realistic shots of clinching berths. Tie games are not always included.
AFC playoff picture
Next in line
NFC playoff picture
tiebreaker with the Falcons but lose a head-to-head tiebreaker to the Bears.
Next in line
Yahoo Sports