Playoff Picture Scenarios
Week 16 Scenarios: Joe Ferreira's Scenarios blog By Joe Ferreira, NFL playoffs expert. Follow Joe on Twitter:
@JoeNFL.
| NFC Scenarios:
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NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS
New England can clinch home-field advantage throughout AFC playoffs with:
1) NE win
2) NE tie + CIN loss or tie
CINCINNATI BENGALS
Cincinnati can clinch the AFC North division title with:
1) CIN win or tie
2) PIT loss or tie
Cincinnati can clinch a first-round bye with:
1) CIN win or tie
DENVER BRONCOS
Denver can clinch the AFC West division title with:
1) DEN win + KC loss or tie
2) DEN tie + KC loss
Denver clinches a playoff berth:
1) DEN win + NYJ loss or tie
2) DEN win + PIT loss or tie
3) DEN tie + NYJ loss
4) DEN tie + PIT loss
HOUSTON TEXANS
Houston can clinch the AFC South division title with:
1) HOU win + HOU clinches strength of victory tiebreaker over IND
2) HOU win + IND loss or tie
3) HOU tie + IND loss
(Note: HOU clinches strength of victory tiebreaker over IND if CIN wins and one of the following occurs: NO win, NYJ win, ATL loss OR if all of the following occurs: NO win, NYJ win, ATL loss)
KANSAS CITY CHIEFS
Kansas City can clinch a playoff berth with:
1) KC win + NYJ loss
2) KC win + PIT loss
PITTSBURGH STEELERS
Pittsburgh can clnch a playoff berth with:
1) PIT win + NYJ loss
| | CAROLINA PANTHERS
Carolina can clinch home-field advantage throughout the NFC playoffs with:
1) CAR win or tie
2) ARI loss or tie
ARIZONA CARDINALS
Arizona can clinch a first-round bye with:
1) ARI win or tie
GREEN BAY PACKERS
Green Bay can clinch the NFC North division title with:
1) GB win + MIN loss or tie
2) GB tie + MIN loss
MINNESOTA VIKINGS
Minnesota can clinch a playoff berth with:
1) MIN win or tie
2) ATL loss or tie
3) SEA win or tie
WASHINGTON REDSKINS
Washington can clinch the NFC East division title with:
1) WAS win
2) WAS tie + NYG loss
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| NFC clinches:
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NEW ENGLAND clinched the AFC East division title (Week 14), first-round bye (Week 15)
CINCINNATI clinched a playoff berth (Week 15)
| | CAROLINA clinched the NFC South division title (Week 13), first-round bye (Week 14)
ARIZONA clinched a playoff berth (Week 14), NFC West division title (Week 15)
GREEN BAY clinched a playoff berth (Week 15)
SEATTLE clinched a playoff berth (Week 15)
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During the regular season, the seeds reflect how the playoffs would stand if the season ended up to that point. The NFL playoffs are not based on a pure bracket system. In the divisional playoffs, the No. 1 seed is assured of playing the lowest-seeded Wild Card survivor. There are no restrictions on intra-division games and the higher seed of any matchup will have home-field advantage.
Arizona 
