NFL Playoff Picture 2022: Week 17 Scenarios, Standings and Predictions
In the NFC, three of the four division titles have been clinched and five of the seven playoff berths have been secured entering Week 17. As for the AFC, things are much more wide-open with only two weeks to go in the regular season.
Through 16 gameweeks, the Kansas City Chiefs are the only AFC team to have clinched a place in the playoffs. They did so by securing their sixth straight AFC West title, and they could clinch the conference's No. 1 seed Sunday.
The Green Bay Packers (NFC North), Dallas Cowboys (NFC East) and Tampa Bay Buccaneers (NFC South) are also division champions. Meanwhile, the Los Angeles Rams and Arizona Cardinals are still battling for the NFC West crown, but both teams have already clinched playoff berths.
Heading into Week 17, here's a look at the playoff picture and clinching scenarios for both conferences, per NFL.com, followed by predictions for what will happen this week.
AFC
Bye: No. 1 Kansas City Chiefs (11-4)
No. 2 Tennessee Titans (10-5) vs. No. 7 Miami Dolphins (8-7)
No. 3 Cincinnati Bengals (9-6) vs. No. 6 New England Patriots (9-6)
No. 4 Buffalo Bills (9-6) vs. No. 5 Indianapolis Colts (9-6)
In the hunt: Los Angeles Chargers (8-7), Las Vegas Raiders (8-7), Baltimore Ravens (8-7), Pittsburgh Steelers (7-7-1), Cleveland Browns (7-8), Denver Broncos (7-8)
The AFC North and AFC South are the two divisions in the conference that could have champions crowned in Week 17. And both teams that are in the lead won't need any outside help to do so.
The Cincinnati Bengals could clinch the AFC North with a home victory against the Kansas City Chiefs. However, there's no other scenario that doesn't involve a tie that would see Cincinnati clinch this week, so it will likely need to beat Kansas City in order to do so.
The Tennessee Titans could clinch the AFC South with a home win over the Miami Dolphins. However, they could also clinch even if they lose if the Indianapolis Colts lose at home to the Las Vegas Raiders.
Even if the Titans don't win the division crown Sunday, they could still clinch a playoff berth if two of the following three teams lose: the Los Angeles Chargers (vs. the Denver Broncos), Baltimore Ravens (vs. the Los Angeles Rams) and New England Patriots (vs. the Jacksonville Jaguars).
The Colts may get eliminated from AFC South title contention Sunday, but they will clinch a playoff berth with a win over the Raiders. Otherwise, they will have to wait until Week 18 for another chance to secure a spot.
With the Buffalo Bills, Patriots and Dolphins all still alive in the AFC East title race, the division crown can't be won until Week 18. However, Buffalo and New England could at least clinch playoff berths this week.
The Bills need to beat the Atlanta Falcons and have either the Ravens (vs. the Rams) or both the Chargers (vs. the Broncos) and Raiders (at the Colts) lose in order to secure a spot in the postseason.
The Patriots can clinch a playoff berth with a win over the Jaguars and a loss by either the Dolphins (at the Titans) or the Raiders (at the Colts).
As for the race for the No. 1 seed, the Chiefs can clinch a first-round bye and home-field advantage with a win over the Bengals and a Titans loss to the Dolphins.
NFC
Bye: No. 1 Green Bay Packers (12-3)
No. 2 Dallas Cowboys (11-4) vs. No. 7 Philadelphia Eagles (8-7)
No. 3 Los Angeles Rams (11-4) vs. No. 6 San Francisco 49ers (8-7)
No. 4 Tampa Bay Buccaneers (11-4) vs. No. 5 Arizona Cardinals (10-5)
In the hunt: Minnesota Vikings (7-8), Atlanta Falcons (7-8), New Orleans Saints (7-8), Washington Football Team (6-9)
The final NFC division title could be clinched Sunday, when the Rams have an opportunity to secure their first NFC West crown since the 2018 season. In order for that to happen, Los Angeles will need to win at Baltimore and the Arizona Cardinals will have to lose at the Dallas Cowboys.
If one of those things doesn't happen, then the Cardinals will stay alive in the NFC West race and still have an opportunity to move ahead of the Rams in Week 18.
The San Francisco 49ers and Philadelphia Eagles are both in control of their postseason destinies. And it's possible that both teams could clinch playoff berths Sunday.
San Francisco can seal a spot with a home win over the Houston Texans and a New Orleans Saints loss to the Carolina Panthers. As long as the 49ers win, though, they will still be in a good position to secure a postseason berth in Week 18.
Philadelphia can clinch with a road win over the Washington Football Team and losses by either the Minnesota Vikings (at the Green Bay Packers) and New Orleans (vs. Carolina) or Minnesota and Houston (at San Francisco). The Eagles are on a roll, having won five of their past six games.
Green Bay has an opportunity to clinch the NFC's No. 1 seed, but it will need a home win over Minnesota and a Dallas loss to Arizona.
As surprising as it may sound, the three undecided AFC division title races will all remain that way until the final week of the regular season. Cincinnati will lose to Kansas City, and Tennessee will lose to Miami, as both the Chiefs and Dolphins have been rolling of late and will keep their momentum going.
The Titans will have to wait to clinch a playoff berth too, as the Chargers and Patriots will both win. However, the Colts will secure a playoff berth with a victory over the Raiders.
Buffalo and New England should both win and get the necessary help to clinch playoff berths Sunday. So while the AFC East title race will remain undecided, those teams will secure their spots in the postseason.
In the NFC, the only thing that will be clinched is the NFC West title. The Rams will beat the Ravens on the road, while the Cardinals' recent struggles will continue when they visit the Cowboys.
Neither the Chiefs nor Packers will secure a No. 1 seed Sunday, meaning both will still have something to play for in Week 18.
