If the season ended now:
AFC first-round byes: (1) Patriots; (2) Bengals
AFC wild card: (6) Jets at (3) Broncos; (5) Chiefs at (4) Texans
NFC first-round byes: (1) Panthers; (2) Cardinals
NFC wild card: (6) Seahawks at (3) Packers; (5) Vikings at (4) Redskins
The last Monday night game of the year will have a huge impact on the AFC playoff picture.
The Cincinnati Bengals clinched the North when the Pittsburgh Steelers lost at the Baltimore Ravens, but the Bengals can stay in contention for the No. 1 seed with a win at the Denver Broncos. A loss would drop Cincinnati to No. 3.
The game means even more to the Broncos, who can clinch a playoff berth with a win but would fall behind the Kansas City Chiefs and New York Jets to No. 6 with a loss. Denver could finish anywhere from the top seed at 12-4 to out of the playoffs if the Steelers also finish 10-6.
The game means something to the AFC South, too. A Bengals win or tie would clinch the division for the Houston Texans because of better strength of victory than the Indianapolis Colts, who need a Broncos win plus nine results in their favor to win the tiebreaker next week.
In the NFC, we now know all six postseason teams after the Minnesota Vikings clinched a playoff berth with a win Sunday night. The North title will be decided by the Vikings' trip to Green Bay in next Sunday night's game.
Both the Carolina Panthers and New England Patriots failed to clinch No. 1 seeds but still can with wins next week or losses by the Cardinals and Bengals-Broncos winner, respectively.
(x=clinched playoff berth, y=clinched division, z=clinched first-round bye; all times Eastern)
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z-1. New England Patriots (12-3, East champion; L 20-26 at Jets; @Mia, 1)
• Clinched a first-round playoff bye because of a better record (4-1) than the Bengals (2-2) in common games (against the Bills, Broncos, Steelers and Texans) and a better conference record (9-3) than the Broncos (8-4; the head-to-head loss wouldn't matter in a three-way tie) if the teams finish tied.
• Would clinch the No. 1 seed and home-field advantage through the AFC playoffs with a win at the Dolphins or a Bengals loss plus a Broncos loss.
y-2. Cincinnati Bengals (11-3, North leader; at Broncos, Mon 8:30; Bal, 1)
• Clinched the North on Sunday when the Steelers lost at the Ravens.
• Would clinch a first-round playoff bye with a win/tie at the Broncos.
• Would clinch the No. 1 seed and home-field advantage through the AFC playoffs with two wins anda Patriots loss at the Dolphins.
3. Denver Broncos (10-4, West leader; vs. Bengals, Mon 8:30; SD, 4:25)
• Would clinch a playoff berth with a win because the Steelers lost at the Ravens.
• Would clinch the West with two wins or a win plus a Chiefs loss/tie to the Raiders.
• Would clinch a first-round playoff bye with two wins or a win against the Bengals plus a Bengals loss to the Ravens plus a Chiefs loss/tie.
• Would clinch the No. 1 seed and home-field advantage through the AFC playoffs with two wins anda Patriots loss to the Dolphins.
4. Houston Texans (8-7, South leader; W 34-6 at Titans; Jax, 1)
• Would clinch the South and No. 4 seed Monday by clinching the strength of victory tiebreaker with a Bengals win/tie at the Broncos (the Bengals, Jets and Saints have 27 wins to the Broncos, Dolphins and Falcons' 23).
• Also would clinch the South and No. 4 seed with a win/tie against the Jaguars or Colts loss/tie to the Titans or Bengals win against the Ravens or Jets win at the Bills or Saints win at the Falcons orBroncos loss to the Chargers or Dolphins loss to the Patriots, or a Chiefs win against the Raiders plus Steelers loss at the Browns (to clinch a better strength of schedule), or one of the preceding plus a better combined ranking among conference teams in points scored and allowed than the Colts (which is likely because they have scored 6 more and allowed 77 fewer points than the Colts).
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x-5. Kansas City Chiefs (10-5, top wild card; W 17-13 vs. Browns; Oak, 4:25)
• Clinched a playoff berth with a win against the Browns and Steelers loss at the Ravens because of a head-to-head win in Week 7.
• Lead the Jets for the No. 5 seed because of conference record (9-2 to 7-4).
• Would clinch the West and No. 3 seed with a win against the Raiders plus a Broncos loss or two Broncos losses because of division record (5-1/4-2 to 4-2/3-3).
• Cannot clinch a first-round playoff bye because of a head-to-head loss to the Bengals in Week 4.
6. New York Jets (10-5, bottom wild card; W 26-20 vs. Patriots; @Buf, 1)
• Would clinch a playoff berth with a win/tie at the Bills or Steelers loss/tie at the Brownsor two Broncos losses.
• Would win a tie with the Broncos because of conference record (8-4/7-5 to 7-5/6-6) but lose a tie to the Steelers because of a worse record (3-2) in common games (against the Browns, Colts, Patriots and Raiders) than the Steelers (4-1) if the teams finish 10-6.
• Would be eliminated with a loss at the Bills and Steelers win at the Browns and Broncos win/tie.
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Pittsburgh Steelers (9-6; L 17-20 at Ravens; @Cle, 1)
• Would clinch a playoff berth with a win at the Browns and both/either a Jets loss at the Bills and/or two Broncos losses.
• Would win a tie with the Jets because of a better record (4-1) in common games (against the Browns, Colts, Patriots and Raiders) than the Jets (3-2) if the teams finish 10-6.
• Would win a tie with the Broncos because of a head-to-head win in Week 15.
• Would be eliminated with a loss/tie at the Browns or Jets win/tie at the Bills plus Broncos win/tie.
Indianapolis Colts (7-8; W 18-12 at Dolphins; Ten, 1)
• Would clinch the South and No. 4 seed with a win against the Titans and Texans loss to the Jaguars and Bengals loss at the Broncos and Bengals loss to the Ravens and Jets loss at the Bills and Saints loss at the Falcons and Broncos win against the Chargers and Dolphins win against the Patriots and Chiefs loss to the Raiders and Steelers win at the Browns.
• Would be eliminated Monday with a Bengals win/tie at the Broncos.
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z-1. Carolina Panthers (14-1, South champion; L 13-20 at Falcons; TB, 4:25)
• Would clinch the No. 1 seed and home-field advantage through the NFC playoffs with a win/tie against the Buccaneers or Cardinals loss/tie to the Seahawks.
• Would lose a tie with the Cardinals because of conference record (11-1 to 10-2).
z-2. Arizona Cardinals (13-2, West champion; W 38-8 vs. Packers; Sea, 4:25)
• Clinched a first-round playoff bye Sunday with a win against the Packers.
• Would clinch the No. 1 seed and home-field advantage through the NFC playoffs with a win against the Seahawks and a Panthers loss to the Buccaneers because of conference record (11-1 to 10-2).
x-3. Green Bay Packers (10-5, North leader; L 8-38 at Cardinals; Min, 8:30 NBC)
• Would clinch the North and No. 3 seed with a win/tie against the Vikings.
• Would be the No. 5 seed with a loss to the Vikings because of a worse division record (5-1 to 3-3) and a head-to-head win against the Seahawks in Week 2.
y-4. Washington Redskins (8-7, East champion; W 38-24 at Eagles; @Dal, 1)
• Clinched the East and No. 4 seed with a win Saturday at the Eagles because of a better conference record (7-5) than the Giants (6-6) if both finish 8-8.
• Will play host to the top wild card.
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x-5. Minnesota Vikings (10-5, top wild card; W 49-17 vs. Giants; @GB, 8:30 NBC)
• Clinched a playoff berth with a win against the Giants.
• Would clinch the North and No. 3 seed with a win at the Packers because of division record (5-1 to 3-3).
x-6. Seattle Seahawks (9-6, bottom wild card; L 17-23 vs. Rams; @Ari, 4:25)
• Clinched a playoff berth because of a better record (4-1) than the Falcons (2-3) in common games (against the Cowboys, 49ers, Panthers and Vikings).
• Would clinch the No. 5 seed and a wild-card game at the Redskins with a win at the Cardinals andVikings loss at the Packers because of a head-to-head win against the Vikings in Week 13.
• Would clinch the No. 6 seed and a wild-card game at the Vikings with a Packers loss to the Vikings because of a head-to-head loss to the Packers in Week 2.
• Would clinch the No. 6 seed and a wild-card game at the Packers with a loss/tie and Vikings loss/tie.
AFC eliminated teams: Oakland Raiders (7-8), Buffalo Bills (7-8), Jacksonville Jaguars (5-10), Miami Dolphins (5-10), Baltimore Ravens (5-10), San Diego Chargers (4-11), Cleveland Browns (3-12), Tennessee Titans (3-12)
NFC eliminated teams: Atlanta Falcons (8-7), St. Louis Rams (7-8), Detroit Lions (6-9), Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6-9), New Orleans Saints (6-9), Chicago Bears (6-9), Philadelphia Eagles (6-9), New York Giants (6-9), San Francisco 49ers (4-11), Dallas Cowboys (4-11)
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