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NFL playoff clinching scenarios: High stakes in Week 17 games

USA TODAY Sports
·4 min read

In the penultimate week of the NFL regular season, plenty of teams have significant stakes for the postseason.

Five teams have already clinched playoff spots in the NFC, and the remaining two berths could be spoken for by the time Sunday's action wraps up. The top seed – and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs – is also within reach for the Green Bay Packers.

Meanwhile, in the AFC, only one team – the Kansas City Chiefs – has sewn up a spot in the postseason field. But the two-time defending conference champions should have company by the end of the day.

Here are all of the playoff clinching scenarios for Week 17:

Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins (85) celebrates with running back Joe Mixon (28) after scoring a touchdown against the Baltimore Ravens during the fourth quarter at Paul Brown Stadium.
Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins (85) celebrates with running back Joe Mixon (28) after scoring a touchdown against the Baltimore Ravens during the fourth quarter at Paul Brown Stadium.

AFC

Clinched: Kansas City Chiefs – AFC West division title

Buffalo Bills (9-6) [vs. Falcons (7-8), Sunday, 1 p.m. ET]

Bills clinch playoff berth with:

1. Bills win + Ravens loss or tie OR

2. Bills win + Chargers loss or tie + Raiders loss or tie OR

3. Bills tie + Dolphins loss or tie + Chargers loss + Raiders loss OR

4. Bills tie + Dolphins loss or tie + Chargers loss or tie + Ravens loss + Steelers loss or tie OR

5. Bills tie + Dolphins loss or tie + Raiders loss or tie + Ravens loss + Steelers loss or tie OR

6. Bills tie + Patriots loss or tie + Chargers Loss + Raiders loss OR

7. Bills tie + Patriots loss or tie + Chargers loss or tie + Ravens loss + Steelers loss or tie OR

8. Bills tie + Patriots loss or tie + Raiders loss or tie + Ravens loss + Steelers loss or tie OR

9. Bills tie + Chargers loss + Raiders loss + Ravens loss + Steelers loss or tie

Cincinnati Bengals (9-6) [vs. Chiefs (11-4), Sunday, 1 p.m. ET]

Bengals clinch AFC North division title with:

1. Bengals win OR

2. Bengals tie + Ravens loss or tie OR

3. Ravens loss + Browns-Steelers tie

Bengals clinch playoff berth with:

1. Bengals tie + Chargers loss + Raiders loss + Dolphins loss or tie OR

2. Bengals tie + Chargers loss + Raiders loss + Patriots loss OR

3. Bengals tie + Chargers loss + Raiders tie + Dolphins loss or tie + Patriots win OR

4. Bengals tie + Chargers loss + Raiders tie + Patriots tie + Dolphins tie + Bills win or tie OR

5. Bengals tie + Chargers loss + Raiders tie + Patriots loss + Dolphins win + Bills win or tie

Indianapolis Colts (9-6) [vs. Raiders (8-7), Sunday, 1 p.m. ET]

Colts clinch playoff berth with:

1. Colts win OR

2. Colts tie + Ravens loss + Patriots loss or tie OR

3. Colts tie + Ravens loss + Dolphins loss or tie

Kansas City Chiefs (11-4) [at Bengals (9-6), Sunday, 1 p.m. ET]

Chiefs clinch AFC's No. 1 seed with:

1. Chiefs win + Titans loss or tie OR

2. Chiefs tie + Titans loss

New England Patriots (9-6) [vs. Jaguars (2-13), Sunday, 1 p.m. ET, CBS]

Patriots clinch playoff berth with:

1. Patriots win + Dolphins loss or tie OR

2. Patriots win + Raiders loss or tie OR

3. Patriots tie + Dolphins loss + Raiders loss + Chargers loss or tie OR

4. Patriots tie + Dolphins loss + Ravens loss or tie OR

5. Patriots tie + Raiders loss + Chargers loss + Ravens loss + Steelers loss or tie OR

6. Patriots tie + Raiders loss + Chargers loss or tie + Ravens loss or tie + Dolphins win + Bills win

Tennessee Titans (10-5) [vs. Dolphins (8-7), Sunday, 1 p.m. ET]

Titans clinch AFC South division title with:

1. Titans win OR

2. Colts loss OR

3. Titans tie + Colts tie

Tennessee clinches playoff berth with:

1. Titans tie OR

2. Chargers loss or tie + Ravens loss or tie OR

3. Chargers loss or tie + Patriots loss or tie OR

4. Ravens loss or tie + Patriots loss or tie

NFC

Clinched: Dallas Cowboys - NFC East division title, Green Bay Packers - NFC North division title, Tampa Bay Buccaneers - NFC South division title, Arizona Cardinals - playoff berth, Los Angeles Rams - playoff berth

Green Bay Packers (12-3) [vs. Vikings (7-8), Sunday night, 8:20 p.m. ET]

Packers clinch NFC's No. 1 seed with:

1. Packers win + Cowboys loss or tie OR

2. Packers tie + Cowboys loss + Rams loss + Buccaneers loss or tie OR

3. Packers tie + Cowboys loss + Rams tie + Buccaneers loss

Los Angeles Rams (11-4) [at Ravens (8-7), Sunday, 1 p.m. ET]

Rams clinch NFC West division title with:

1. Rams win + Cardinals loss or tie OR

2. Rams tie + Cardinals loss

Philadelphia Eagles (8-7) [at Washington (6-9), Sunday, 1 p.m. ET]

Eagles clinch playoff berth with:

1. Eagles win + Vikings loss or tie + Saints loss or tie OR

2. Eagles win + Vikings loss or tie + 49ers win or tie OR

3. Eagles tie + Vikings loss + Saints loss + Falcons loss or tie OR

4. Eagles tie + Vikings loss + Saints tie + Falcons loss or tie + 49ers win or tie

San Francisco 49ers (8-7) [vs. Texans (4-11), Sunday, 4:05 p.m. ET]

49ers clinch playoff berth with:

1. 49ers win + Saints loss or tie OR

2. 49ers tie + Vikings loss or tie + Saints loss + Falcons loss or tie

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: NFL playoff clinching scenarios: What's at stake in Week 17