Week 17 Playoff Scenarios

11 teams are still alive in the AFC, with only four being assured of a spot in the playoffs.  The other seven are basically already in a playoff-of sorts, where if they lose, they're out and if they win, they may still be.  The NFC is more organized.  Barely.  We know which six teams will be playing, but only one of them has their seed wrapped up.  It should be quite a day on Sunday!

The first tie-breaker in any sceanrio is always head-to-head matchups.  Next up is record against conference opponents.  Things are usually settled by that time, but with seven teams within one game of one another and two spots on the line, the AFC tie-breakers could end up going pretty deep.  I've left the possibility of a tie game out of the scenarios because let's face it, there isn't going to be a tie game.  Here's how things shake out through Week 16:

AFC
1 Indianapolis Colts 14-1 (AFC South Champs, clinched 1 seed)
2 San Diego Chargers 12-3 (AFC West Champs, clinched 2 seed)
3 Cincinnati Bengals 10-5 (AFC North Champs, clinched hosting first round game)
4 New England Patriots 10-5 (AFC East Champs, clinched hosting first round game)
5 New York Jets 8-7
6 Baltimore Ravens 8-7
7 Denver Broncos 8-7
8 Houston Texans 8-7
9 Pittsburgh Steelers 8-7
10 Miami Dolphins 7-8
11 Jacksonville Jaguars 7-8

Possible Scenarios:
Cincinnati - 3 seed: Bengals win
Cincinnati - 4 seed: Bengals lose + Patriots win
New England - 3 seed: Patriots win + Bengals lose
New England - 4 seed: Patriots and Bengals both win or both lose
New York - 5 seed: Jets win
Baltimore - 5 seed: Ravens win + Jets lose
Baltimore - 6 seed: Ravens and Jets both win
Denver - 5 seed: Broncos win + Jets lose + Ravens lose + Texans lose
Denver - 6 seed: Brocnos win + Jets or Ravens lose + Steelers and/or Texans lose, OR Steelers lose + any two losses by the Jets, Ravens and Texans
Houston - 5 seed: Texans win + Jets lose + Ravens lose + Broncos lose
Houston - 6 seed: Texans win + and two losses by the Jets, Ravens and Broncos
Pittsburgh - 5 seed: Steelers win + Jets lose + Ravens lose + Texans lose
Pittsburgh - 6 seed: Steelers win + Jets lose + Ravens lose + Broncos lose + Texans win, OR Steelers win + Texans lose + Jets lose, OR Steelers win + Texans lose + Ravens lose
Miami - 6 seed: Dolphins win +Jets lose + Ravens lose + Broncos lose + Texans lose + Jaguars lose
Jacksonville - 5 seed: Jaguars win + Jets lose + Ravens lose + Broncos lose + Texans lose + Steelers lose
Jacksonville - 6 seed: Jaguars win + Jets lose + Ravens lose + Broncos lose + Texans lose + Steelers win, OR Jaguars win + Dolphins win + 3 or more losses by the Jets, Ravens, Broncos and Texans

Matchups:
Indianapolis Colts play at Buffalo
San Diego Chargers host Washington
Cincinnati Bengals play at New York Jets
New England Patriots play at Houston
New York Jets host Cincinnati
Baltimore Ravens host Oakland
Denver Broncos play at Kansas City
Houston Texans play at New England
Pittsburgh Steelers host Miami
Miami Dolphins play at Pittsburgh
Jacksonville Jaguars play at Cleveland

NFC
1 New Orleans Saints 13-2 (NFC South Champs, clinched 1 seed)
2 Philadelphia Eagles 11-4*
3 Minnesota Vikings 11-4 (NFC North Champs)
4 Arizona Cardinals 10-5 (NFC West Champs)
5 Green Bay Packers 10-5
6 Dallas Cowboys 10-5*
*-Dallas hosts Philadelphia in Week 17 and the winner is the NFC East champ

Possible Scenarios
Philadelphia - 2 seed: Eagles win
Philadelphia - 5 seed: Eagles lose + Packers lose
Philadelphia - 6 seed: Eagles lose + Packers win
Minnesota - 2 seed: Vikings win + Eagles lose
Minnesota - 3 seed: Vikings win + Eagles win, OR Vikings lose + Eagles win + Cardinals lose
Minnesota - 4 seed: Vikings lose + Eagles win + Cardinals win
Arizona - 2 seed: Cardinals win + Eagles lose + Vikings lose
Arizona - 3 seed: Cardinals win + Eagles win + Vikings lose, OR Cardinals win + Eagles lose + Vikings win
Arizona - 4 seed: Cardinals lose, OR both Eagles and Vikings win
Green Bay - 5 seed: Packers win
Green Bay - 6 seed: Packers lose + Cowboys win
Dallas - 2 seed: Cowboys win + Vikings lose + Cardinals lose
Dallas - 3 seed: Cowboys win + Vikings win + Cardinals lose, OR Cowboys win + Vikings lose + Cardinals win
Dallas - 4 seed: Cowboys win + Vikings win + Cardinals win
Dallas - 6 seed: Cowboys lose

Matchups
New Orleans Saints play at Carolina
Philadelphia Eagles play at Dallas
Minnesota Vikings host New York Giants
Arizona Cardinals host Green Bay
Green Bay Packers play at Arizona
Dallas Cowboys host Philadelphia

Under most likely scenarios, both the Eagles-Cowboys and Cardinals-Packers games will be rematched in the first round of the playoffs, though the home sites are up for grabs.