As the NFL season winds down, the playoff picture is starting to take shape. Division winners secure a spot in the postseason, and teams that don’t win their division earn wild-card entries based on conference records. But the wild-card process can get messy, as these teams often face higher-seeded opponents in the first round. For a team to stay in the hunt, it must perform consistently and hope that other variables fall in its favor. This week, we’ll take a look at the various playoff scenarios in play across the league.
With a home win against the Ravens, the Dolphins can clinch their first AFC East title since 2008. But even that isn’t a sure thing — New England will be out for blood in its final game of the year, and the Bills are still a win away from a 9-8 finish (which would only be good enough for fifth place in the conference).
The Saints are one of the few contenders who still control their fate. With a win against the Falcons and a Bucs loss to the Panthers, the Saints will clinch the NFC South and earn a first-round bye. Of course, that scenario is much more complicated than others, as the Vikings and Seahawks must lose for them to make it in.
It’s not easy to knock off a 6-2 team on the road, but the Steelers will have to do just that if they want to keep their slim playoff hopes alive. The Browns, meanwhile, are the last team in the AFC with a chance at a wild-card spot and are in danger of falling out of contention entirely if they don’t beat the Jets and Bengals and the Dolphins and Ravens both win.
The Steelers won’t be able to afford any slip-ups in the remaining weeks of the regular season if they want to nab a top-10 seed in the AFC. They need the Dolphins to lose at home to New England, and the Raiders must win their final three games and have Kansas City lose in Weeks 17 and 18. That’s an incredibly tall order, but it’s not impossible, especially for a team that hasn’t lost at home all year.
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