- Mar 19, 2006
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Playoff picture: Majority of teams still dreamin?
By Yahoo! Sports Staff Dec 20, 3:16 am EST
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With just two weeks remaining in the regular season, 22 teams are still mathematically alive to reach the postseason. Here?s a look at the playoff picture going into Saturday?s action.
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1. Green Bay Packers (13-1)
Have clinched the North and a first-round bye. Would clinch the No. 1 seed and home-field advantage through the playoffs with a win or a 49ers loss.
Next: vs. Bears (Dec. 25), vs. Lions (Jan. 1)
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2. San Francisco 49ers (11-3)
Have clinched the NFC West. Would clinch the No. 2 seed with a win and a Saints loss due to a better conference record (9-2 vs. 7-4).
Next: at Seahawks (Dec. 24), at Rams (Jan. 1)
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3. New Orleans Saints (11-3)
Have clinched a playoff berth. Would clinch the NFC South with a win or tie vs. the Falcons.
Next: vs. Falcons (Dec. 26), vs. Panthers (Jan. 1)
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4. Dallas Cowboys (8-6)
Have a one-game lead over the Giants in the East, but the Giants would clinch the division with two wins. Would clinch the division with a win and a Giants loss.
Next: vs. Eagles (Dec. 24), at Giants (Jan. 1)
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1. New England Patriots (11-3)
Have clinched the East. Would clinch the No. 1 seed with a win and a Ravens loss and a Steelers loss. Would clinch a first-round bye with a win and either a Ravens loss or both a Ravens loss and a Steelers loss.
Next: vs. Dolphins (Dec. 24), vs. Bills (Jan. 1)
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2. Baltimore Ravens (10-4)
Have clinched no worse than the No. 5 seed. Have a half-game lead over the Texans for the No. 2 seed and own the head-to-head tiebreaker. Would clinch the North with a win and a Steelers loss.
Next: vs. Browns (Dec. 24), at Bengals (Jan. 1)
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3. Houston Texans (10-5)
Have clinched the South. Would lose the conference record tiebreaker with the Ravens and lose the common games tiebreaker with the Broncos.
Next: vs. Titans (Jan. 1)
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4. Denver Broncos (8-6)
Have a one-game lead over the Raiders and Chargers in the AFC West. Would clinch the division with a win and a Raiders loss/tie, or a win vs. the Chiefs in Week 17.
Next: at Bills (Dec. 24), vs. Chiefs (Jan. 1)
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5. Atlanta Falcons (9-5)
Lead the Lions for the No. 5 seed due to a head-to-head win.
Next: At Saints (Dec. 26)
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6. Detroit Lions (9-5)
Have a two-game lead for the No. 6 spot but do not win every tiebreaker.
Next: Home vs. Chargers (Dec. 24)
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5. Pittsburgh Steelers (10-4)
Clinched a playoff berth with the Titans? loss.
Next: Home vs. Rams (Dec. 24)
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6. New York Jets (8-6)
Lead the Bengals for the No. 6 seed due to a better record in common games (3-2 vs. 2-2); the Bengals play host to the Ravens on Jan. 1).
Next: Home vs. Giants (Dec. 24)
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7. Seattle Seahawks (7-7)
Hold the tiebreaker with the Cardinals due to division record (3-1 vs. 3-2). Lead the Bears and Giants for the No. 7 seed due to head-to-head wins.
Next: Home vs. 49ers (Dec. 24)
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8. Chicago Bears (7-7)
Lead the Cardinals and Giants for the No. 8 seed because of a better conference record (6-4 vs. 6-5 vs. 4-7).
Next: At Packers (Dec. 25)
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9. New York Giants (7-7)
Lead the Cardinals for the No. 9 seed due to a head-to-head victory.
Next: At Jets (Dec. 24)
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10. Arizona Cardinals (7-7)
Would clinch a playoff berth with two wins and either/both two Falcons losses and/or two Lions losses.
Next: At Bengals (Dec. 24)
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11. Philadelphia Eagles (6-8)
Would clinch the NFC East due to division record (5-1 vs. Giants? 3-3 vs. Cowboys? 2-4) with two wins and a Giants loss at the Jets and a Cowboys loss at the Giants.
Next: at Cowboys (Dec. 24)
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7. Cincinnati Bengals (8-6)
Would clinch a berth with two wins and a loss by the Jets.
Next: Home vs. Cardinals (Dec. 24)
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8. Tennessee Titans (7-7)
Lead the Raiders for the No. 8 seed due to a better record in common games (3-1 vs. 3-2); the Titans play at the Texans on Jan. 1).
Next: Home vs. Jaguars (Dec. 24)
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9. Oakland Raiders (7-7)
Lead the Chargers for the No. 9 seed due to a head-to-head win. Would win most strength of victory tiebreakers.
Next: At Chiefs (Dec. 24)
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10. San Diego Chargers (7-7)
Would clinch the AFC West with two wins and two Broncos losses. Lose a tiebreaker to the Broncos based on record in common games.
Next: At Lions (Dec. 24)
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11. Kansas City Chiefs (6-8)
Would clinch the AFC West due to division record (4-2 vs. 3-3 and possibly 2-4) with two wins and a Broncos loss at the Bills and a Chargers loss.
Next: Home vs. Raiders (Dec. 24)
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<STYLE>.playoffLeaders { font-family:Verdana;font-size:10px;line-height:122%; }</STYLE>
With just two weeks remaining in the regular season, 22 teams are still mathematically alive to reach the postseason. Here?s a look at the playoff picture going into Saturday?s action.
<!-- {NFC LOGO} -->
<!-- {AFC LOGO} -->
<!-- {DIVISION LEADERS BAR} -->
<!-- {NO. 1 SEED} -->
Have clinched the North and a first-round bye. Would clinch the No. 1 seed and home-field advantage through the playoffs with a win or a 49ers loss.
Next: vs. Bears (Dec. 25), vs. Lions (Jan. 1)
<!-- {NO. 2 SEED} -->
Have clinched the NFC West. Would clinch the No. 2 seed with a win and a Saints loss due to a better conference record (9-2 vs. 7-4).
Next: at Seahawks (Dec. 24), at Rams (Jan. 1)
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Have clinched a playoff berth. Would clinch the NFC South with a win or tie vs. the Falcons.
Next: vs. Falcons (Dec. 26), vs. Panthers (Jan. 1)
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Have a one-game lead over the Giants in the East, but the Giants would clinch the division with two wins. Would clinch the division with a win and a Giants loss.
Next: vs. Eagles (Dec. 24), at Giants (Jan. 1)
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Have clinched the East. Would clinch the No. 1 seed with a win and a Ravens loss and a Steelers loss. Would clinch a first-round bye with a win and either a Ravens loss or both a Ravens loss and a Steelers loss.
Next: vs. Dolphins (Dec. 24), vs. Bills (Jan. 1)
<!-- {NO. 2 SEED} -->
Have clinched no worse than the No. 5 seed. Have a half-game lead over the Texans for the No. 2 seed and own the head-to-head tiebreaker. Would clinch the North with a win and a Steelers loss.
Next: vs. Browns (Dec. 24), at Bengals (Jan. 1)
<!-- {NO. 3 SEED} -->
Have clinched the South. Would lose the conference record tiebreaker with the Ravens and lose the common games tiebreaker with the Broncos.
Next: vs. Titans (Jan. 1)
<!-- {NO. 4 SEED} -->
Have a one-game lead over the Raiders and Chargers in the AFC West. Would clinch the division with a win and a Raiders loss/tie, or a win vs. the Chiefs in Week 17.
Next: at Bills (Dec. 24), vs. Chiefs (Jan. 1)
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<!-- {NO. 5 SEED} -->
Lead the Lions for the No. 5 seed due to a head-to-head win.
Next: At Saints (Dec. 26)
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Have a two-game lead for the No. 6 spot but do not win every tiebreaker.
Next: Home vs. Chargers (Dec. 24)
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Clinched a playoff berth with the Titans? loss.
Next: Home vs. Rams (Dec. 24)
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Lead the Bengals for the No. 6 seed due to a better record in common games (3-2 vs. 2-2); the Bengals play host to the Ravens on Jan. 1).
Next: Home vs. Giants (Dec. 24)
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Hold the tiebreaker with the Cardinals due to division record (3-1 vs. 3-2). Lead the Bears and Giants for the No. 7 seed due to head-to-head wins.
Next: Home vs. 49ers (Dec. 24)
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Lead the Cardinals and Giants for the No. 8 seed because of a better conference record (6-4 vs. 6-5 vs. 4-7).
Next: At Packers (Dec. 25)
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Lead the Cardinals for the No. 9 seed due to a head-to-head victory.
Next: At Jets (Dec. 24)
<!-- {NO. 10 SEED} -->
Would clinch a playoff berth with two wins and either/both two Falcons losses and/or two Lions losses.
Next: At Bengals (Dec. 24)
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Would clinch the NFC East due to division record (5-1 vs. Giants? 3-3 vs. Cowboys? 2-4) with two wins and a Giants loss at the Jets and a Cowboys loss at the Giants.
Next: at Cowboys (Dec. 24)
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Would clinch a berth with two wins and a loss by the Jets.
Next: Home vs. Cardinals (Dec. 24)
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Lead the Raiders for the No. 8 seed due to a better record in common games (3-1 vs. 3-2); the Titans play at the Texans on Jan. 1).
Next: Home vs. Jaguars (Dec. 24)
<!-- {NO. 9 SEED} -->
Lead the Chargers for the No. 9 seed due to a head-to-head win. Would win most strength of victory tiebreakers.
Next: At Chiefs (Dec. 24)
<!-- {NO. 10 SEED} -->
Would clinch the AFC West with two wins and two Broncos losses. Lose a tiebreaker to the Broncos based on record in common games.
Next: At Lions (Dec. 24)
<!-- {NO. 11 SEED} -->
Would clinch the AFC West due to division record (4-2 vs. 3-3 and possibly 2-4) with two wins and a Broncos loss at the Bills and a Chargers loss.
Next: Home vs. Raiders (Dec. 24)
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