NFL Playoff Clinching Scenarios For 49ers, Eagles, Bengals & More In Week 17 – Sporting News

The NFL playoff picture got a lot clearer in Week 16. Only one team had clinched passage to the postseason prior to the third-to-last week of the season. But when the dust settled following Sunday’s post-Christmas NFL action, five more playoff spots had been clinched.

Now, a total of six teams have booked their passage to the postseason. That said, there are still eight playoff spots to be decided and half of the NFL’s eight division titles are up for grabs as well. Thanks to the logjam of eight- and nine-win teams in the AFC, we might not see a whole lot get clinched until the final week of the season.

Things are much clearer on the NFC side of things. Five of seven playoff teams have been decided, including three of the four division winners. The Packers clinched the NFC North, the. Cowboys clinched the NFC East and the Buccaneers clinched the NFC South. The NFC West is the only one that is still an open race with the Rams and Cardinals being separated by just one game, but both teams have clinched playoff spots and will be top-five seeds.

There is still plenty of potential for drama on the NFC side of things — five teams have either seven or eight wins and are battling for the final two Wild Card spots — but the drama on the AFC side of the bracket will be greater. It could be absolute chaos if no team separates itself from the eight-win pack.

Here are all of the NFL playoff clinching scenarios for teams that can guarantee themselves a postseason berth in Week 17. And also, a complete look at the NFL playoff picture.

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NFL playoff clinching scenarios for Week 17

• AFC

Kansas City Chiefs (11-4)

Remaining games: at Bengals, at Broncos

Kansas City clinches AFC’s No. 1 seed with:

1. Chiefs win AND Titans loss or tie OR
2. Chiefs tie AND Titans loss

Tennessee Titans (10-5)

Remaining games: vs. Dolphins, at Texans

Tennessee clinches AFC South division title with:

1. Titans win OR
2. Colts loss OR
3. Titans tie AND Colts tie

Tennessee clinches playoff berth with:

1. Titans tie OR
2. Chargers loss or tie AND Ravens loss or tie OR
3. Chargers loss or tie AND Patriots loss or tie OR
4. Ravens loss or tie AND Patriots loss or tie

Cincinnati Bengals (9-6)

Remaining games: vs. Chiefs, at Browns

Cincinnati clinches AFC North division title with:

1. Bengals win OR
2. Bengals tie AND Ravens loss or tie OR
3. Ravens loss AND Browns/Steelers tie

Cincinnati clinches a playoff berth with:

1. Bengals tie AND Chargers loss AND Raiders loss AND Dolphins loss or tie OR
2. Bengals tie AND Chargers loss AND Raiders loss AND Patriots loss OR
3. Bengals tie AND Chargers loss AND Raiders tie AND Dolphins loss or tie AND Patriots win OR
4. Bengals tie AND Chargers loss AND Raiders tie AND Patriots tie AND Dolphins tie AND Bills win or tie OR
5. Bengals tie AND Chargers loss AND Raiders tie AND Patriots loss AND Dolphins win AND Bills win or tie

Buffalo Bills (9-6)

Remaining games: vs. Falcons, vs. Jets

Buffalo clinches a playoff berth with:

1. Bills win AND Ravens loss or tie OR
2. Bills win AND Chargers loss or tie AND Raiders loss or tie OR
3. Bills tie AND Dolphins loss or tie AND Chargers loss AND Raiders loss OR
4. Bills tie AND Dolphins loss or tie AND Chargers loss or tie AND Ravens loss AND Steelers loss or tie OR
5. Bills tie AND Dolphins loss or tie AND Raiders loss or tie AND Ravens loss AND Steelers loss or tie
6. Bills tie AND Patriots loss or tie AND Chargers loss AND Raiders loss OR
7. Bills tie AND Patriots loss or tie AND Chargers loss or tie AND Ravens loss AND Steelers loss or tie OR
8. Bills tie AND Patriots loss or tie AND Raiders loss or tie AND Ravens loss AND Steelers loss or tie OR
9. Bills tie AND Chargers loss AND Raiders loss AND Ravens loss AND Steelers loss or tie

Indianapolis Colts (9-6)

Remaining games: vs. Raiders, at Jaguars

Indianapolis clinches a playoff berth with:

1. Colts win OR
2. Colts tie AND Ravens loss AND Patriots loss or tie OR
3. Colts tie AND Ravens loss AND Dolphins loss or tie

New England Patriots (9-6)

Remaining games: vs. Bills, vs. Jaguars, at Dolphins

New England clinches AFC East division title with:

1. Patriots win AND Dolphins loss or tie

New England clinches playoff berth with:

1. Patriots win AND Raiders loss or tie AND Chargers loss OR
2. Patriots win AND Colts loss or tie AND Bengals loss OR
3. Patriots win AND Colts loss or tie AND Ravens loss AND Steelers loss or tie OR
4. Patriots win AND Colts loss or tie AND Chargers loss OR
5. Patriots win AND Ravens loss AND Browns loss or tie AND Steelers loss or tie

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• NFC

Green Bay Packers (12-3)

Remaining games: vs. Vikings, at Lions

Green Bay clinches NFC’s No. 1 seed with:

1. Packers win AND Cowboys loss or tie OR
2. Packers tie AND Cowboys loss AND Rams loss AND Buccaneers loss or tie OR
3. Packers tie AND Cowboys loss AND Rams tie AND Buccaneers loss

Los Angeles Rams (11-4)

Remaining games: at Ravens, vs. 49ers

Rams clinch NFC West division title with:

1. Rams win AND Cardinals loss or tie OR
2. Rams tie AND Cardinals loss

San Francisco 49ers (8-7)

Remaining games: vs. Texans, at Rams

San Francisco clinches a playoff berth with:

1. 49ers win AND Saints loss or tie OR
2. 49ers tie AND Vikings loss or tie AND Saints loss AND Falcons loss or tie

Philadelphia Eagles (8-7)

Remaining games: at Washington, vs. Cowboys

Philadelphia clinches a playoff berth with:

1. Eagles win AND Vikings loss or tie AND Saints loss or tie OR
2. Eagles win AND Vikings loss or tie AND 49ers win or tie OR
3. Eagles tie AND Vikings loss AND Saints loss AND Falcons loss or tie OR
4. Eagles tie AND Vikings loss AND Saints tie AND Falcons loss or tie AND 49ers win or tie

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NFL playoff picture 2021

• AFC

In the hunt: Ravens (8-7), Chargers (8-7), Raiders (8-7), Steelers (7-7-1), Browns (7-8), Broncos (7-8)

• NFC

In the hunt: Vikings (7-8), Saints (7-8), Falcons (7-8)