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NFL playoff picture: Week 17 provides 10 teams with clinching scenarios

The NFL season enters its final two weeks. Week 17 should bring more clarity to the final playoff field.

By David Fucillo
Davante Adams #17 of the Green Bay Packers celebrates a touchdown during a game against the Cleveland Browns at Lambeau Field on December 25, 2021 in Green Bay, Wisconsin. Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images

The NFL is headed into the penultimate week of the season. Week 17 gets underway on Sunday with Thursday Night Football officially a wrap for the season. The lack of TNF makes for a busy Sunday. We get nine games in the 1 p.m. ET hour and then five in the 4:05/4:25 slot. The weekend wraps with Vikings-Packers on Sunday Night Football, Browns-Steelers in the final Monday Night Football game of the 2021-22 regular season.

It’s going to be a busy weekend for the NFL playoff picture. Six teams have clinched a berth, with four divisions locked up. The NFL announced the full list of Week 17 playoff scenarios on Wednesday afternoon and we should see several berths locked up on Sunday. Three teams will not require any help to secure a playoff berth. The Bengals and Titans can clinch their divisions while the Colts can clinch a wild card berth.

Here’s the full list of scenarios for Week 17.

Teams that have clinched

Division: Green Bay Packers, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Dallas Cowboys, Kansas City Chiefs

Wild card: Los Angeles Rams, Arizona Cardinals

AFC clinching scenarios

Buffalo Bills (9-6) — vs. Atlanta Falcons (7-8), Sunday, 1 p.m. ET

Buffalo clinches playoff berth with:

  1. BUF win + BAL loss or tie OR
  2. BUF win + LAC loss or tie + LV loss or tie OR
  3. BUF tie + MIA loss or tie + LAC loss + LV loss OR
  4. BUF tie + MIA loss or tie + LAC loss or tie + BAL loss + PIT loss or tie OR
  5. BUF tie + MIA loss or tie + LV loss or tie + BAL loss + PIT loss or tie OR
  6. BUF tie + NE loss or tie + LAC Loss + LV loss OR
  7. BUF tie + NE loss or tie + LAC loss or tie + BAL loss + PIT loss or tie OR
  8. BUF tie + NE loss or tie + LV loss or tie + BAL loss + PIT loss or tie OR
  9. BUF tie + LAC loss + LV loss + BAL loss + PIT loss or tie

Cincinnati Bengals (9-6) — vs. Kansas City Chiefs (11-4), Sunday, 1 p.m. ET

Cincinnati clinches AFC North division title with:

  1. CIN win OR
  2. CIN tie + BAL loss or tie OR
  3. BAL loss + CLE-PIT tie

Cincinnati clinches playoff berth with:

  1. CIN tie + LAC loss + LV loss + MIA loss or tie OR
  2. CIN tie + LAC loss + LV loss + NE loss OR
  3. CIN tie + LAC loss + LV tie + MIA loss or tie + NE win OR
  4. CIN tie + LAC loss + LV tie + NE tie + MIA tie + BUF win or tie OR
  5. CIN tie + LAC loss + LV tie + NE loss + MIA win + BUF win or tie

Indianapolis Colts (9-6) — vs. Las Vegas Raiders (8-7), Sunday, 1 p.m. ET

Indianapolis clinches playoff berth with:

  1. IND win OR
  2. IND tie + BAL loss + NE loss or tie OR
  3. IND tie + BAL loss + MIA loss or tie

Kansas City Chiefs (11-4) — at Cincinnati Bengals (9-6), Sunday, 1 p.m. ET

Kansas City clinches AFC’s No. 1 seed, only first-round bye, and homefield advantage with:

  1. KC win + TEN loss or tie OR
  2. KC tie + TEN loss

New England Patriots (9-6) — vs. Jacksonville Jaguars (2-13), Sunday, 1 p.m. ET

New England clinches playoff berth with:

  1. NE win + MIA loss or tie OR
  2. NE win + LV loss or tie OR
  3. NE tie + MIA loss + LV loss + LAC loss or tie OR
  4. NE tie + MIA loss + BAL loss or tie OR
  5. NE tie + LV loss + LAC loss + BAL loss + PIT loss or tie OR
  6. NE tie + LV loss + LAC loss or tie + BAL loss or tie + MIA win + BUF win

Tennessee Titans (10-5) — vs. Miami Dolphins (8-7), Sunday, 1 p.m. ET

Tennessee clinches AFC South division title with:

  1. TEN win OR
  2. IND loss OR
  3. TEN tie + IND tie

Tennessee clinches playoff berth with:

  1. TEN tie OR
  2. LAC loss or tie + BAL loss or tie OR
  3. LAC loss or tie + NE loss or tie OR
  4. BAL loss or tie + NE loss or tie

NFC clinching scenarios

Green Bay Packers (12-3) — vs. Minnesota Vikings (7-8), Sunday, 8:20 p.m. ET

Green Bay clinches NFC’s No. 1 seed, only first-round bye and homefield advantage with:

  1. GB win + DAL loss or tie OR
  2. GB tie + DAL loss + LAR loss + TB loss or tie OR
  3. GB tie + DAL loss + LAR tie + TB loss

Los Angeles Rams (11-4) — at Baltimore Ravens (8-7), Sunday, 1 p.m. ET

Los Angeles Rams clinch NFC West division title with:

  1. LAR win + ARI loss or tie OR
  2. LAR tie + ARI loss

Philadelphia Eagles (8-7) — at Washington Football Team (6-9), Sunday, 1 p.m. ET

Philadelphia clinches playoff berth with:

  1. PHI win + MIN loss or tie + NO loss or tie OR
  2. PHI win + MIN loss or tie + SF win or tie OR
  3. PHI tie + MIN loss + NO loss + ATL loss or tie OR
  4. PHI tie + MIN loss + NO tie + ATL loss or tie + SF win or tie

San Francisco 49ers (8-7) — vs. Houston Texans (4-11), Sunday, 4:05 p.m. ET

San Francisco clinches playoff berth with:

  1. SF win + NO loss or tie OR
  2. SF tie + MIN loss or tie + NO loss + ATL loss or tie

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