A long and thrilling NFL season has entered the final week, and even though multiple teams have already solidified their place in the postseason, other squads still have work to do in order to round out the field. Thanks to strong campaigns that began right from the start, the Denver Broncos, Kansas City Chiefs, Carolina Panthers, New England Patriots, Cincinnati Bengals, Indianapolis Colts, Seattle Seahawks and San Francisco 49ers have all clinched playoff berths, leaving just four spots available for the taking in the final week of the season.
With Carolina, Seattle and San Francisco locking up three of the six spots in the NFC, playoff hopefuls in the Philadelphia Eagles, Dallas Cowboys, Chicago Bears, Green Bay Packers, New Orleans Saints and Arizona Cardinals hope to earn their trip to the 'second season' as well. For the Eagles and Cowboys it's simple. The two NFC East rivals will meet this weekend in Dallas with the winner claiming the East crown and the loser eliminated from contention. The Cowboys learned earlier this week that they'll be without quarterback Tony Romo due to a back injury, thus implementing Kyle Orton as the starting signal caller.
The same scenario exists in the NFC North between the Bears and Packers. Set to play from a balmy Soldier Field in Chicago, the winner of the Week 17 contest will be crowned division champion while the loser exits without a trip to the playoffs. Wild Card positioning in the NFC gets a bit trickier. A win by the Arizona Cardinals this weekend and a Saints loss to Tampa Bay means the Cardinals will get in but any other scenario eliminates the Cards since New Orleans owns the tiebreaker. Arizona earned a crucial win at the Seattle Seahawks in Week 16 and now set to take on the 11-4 49ers, the Cardinals will have earned their place in the postseason if they take care of business and get some help.
While multiple scenarios can still play out in the NFC, only one spot remains in the competitive AFC. The Kansas City Chiefs have already locked up one Wild Card spot and even though they fell to the Buffalo Bills this weekend, the Miami Dolphins currently hold onto the sixth and final playoff slot. The Dolphins (8-7) are tied with the Baltimore Ravens and San Diego Chargers but the Dolphins hold the tiebreaker. The Pittsburgh Steelers sit one game back and would need a win and three losses by the aforementioned clubs to get into the postseason.
If Miami, Baltimore and San Diego all win Sunday, Miami advances to the playoffs as the final Wild Card team. In order for San Diego to advance, the Chargers will need a Week 17 win coupled with losses by the Ravens and Dolphins. A Baltimore win along with a Dolphins loss or a Baltimore win with a Chargers loss will send the defending Super Bowl champion Ravens back to the postseason.
NFC Playoff Picture: X – clinched playoff berth, Y – clinched division
Seattle (12-3) – X
Carolina (11-4) – X
Philadelphia (9-6)
Chicago (8-7)
San Francisco (10-4) – X
New Orleans (10-5)
In the hunt: Arizona (10-5), Green Bay (7-7-1), Dallas (8-7)
AFC Playoff Picture
Denver (12-3) – Y
New England (11-4) – Y
Cincinnati (10-5) – Y
Indianapolis (10-5) – Y
Kansas City (11-4) – X
- Miami (8-7)
In the hunt: Baltimore (8-7), San Diego (8-7), Pittsburgh (7-8)
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