NFL Playoff Picture Week 17: Scenarios and Bracket Predictions for AFC, NFC

Here's what you need to do on Sunday: clear your schedule, order a bunch of food, grab a few beers (or your drink of choice) and plop down on your couch for about 10 hours. 

Why? Because there are so many brilliant NFL games to watch, you won't want to miss a single minute of action.

With a slew of playoff spots to be had and division titles on the line, Sunday's going to be fun. Below, you'll find my predictions and the NFL's playoff scenarios heading into Sunday. Enjoy the show.

Predictions

Sunday, December 28	Time (ET)	TV	Prediction
Philadelphia at NY Giants	1 p.m.	Fox	Eagles
Carolina at Atlanta	1 p.m.	CBS	Falcons
Cleveland at Baltimore	1 p.m.	CBS	Ravens
Dallas at Washington	1 p.m.	Fox	Cowboys
Indianapolis at Tennessee	1 p.m.	CBS	Colts
Jacksonville at Houston	1 p.m.	CBS	Texans
San Diego at Kansas City	1 p.m.	CBS	Chargers
NY Jets at Miami	1 p.m.	CBS	Dolphins
Chicago at Minnesota	1 p.m.	Fox	Vikings
Buffalo at New England	1 p.m.	CBS	Patriots
New Orleans at Tampa Bay	1 p.m.	Fox	Saints
Detroit at Green Bay	4:25 p.m.	Fox	Packers
Oakland at Denver	4:25 p.m.	CBS	Broncos
Arizona at San Francisco	4:25 p.m.	Fox	49ers
St. Louis at Seattle	4:25 p.m.	Fox	Seahawks
Cincinnati at Pittsburgh	8:30 p.m.	NBC	Steelers

Playoff Scenarios

Below are the playoff scenarios for the remaining contenders, per the NFL's official press release.

Week 17 AFC Scenarios

Broncos Clinch First-Round Bye with:

1. Denver win vs. Oakland OR
2. Denver tie vs. Oakland and Cincinnati loss or tie vs. Pittsburgh OR
3. Cincinnati loss OR
4. Cincinnati tie and Indianapolis win vs. Tennessee

Bengals Clinch AFC North with:

1. Cincinnati win vs. Pittsburgh

Bengals Clinch First-Round Bye with:

1. Cincinnati win and Denver loss or tie OR
2. Cincinnati tie and losses by both Denver and Indianapolis

Steelers Clinch AFC North with:

1. Pittsburgh win vs. Cincinnati

Chargers Clinch Playoff Spot with:

1. San Diego win vs. Kansas City OR
2. San Diego tie and Baltimore loss or tie vs. Cleveland

Ravens Clinch Playoff Spot with:

1. Baltimore win and San Diego loss or tie OR
2. Baltimore tie and San Diego loss

Chiefs Clinch Playoff Spot with:

1. Kansas City win and loss by Baltimore and loss or tie by Houston

Texans Clinch Playoff Spot with:

1. Houston win and losses by both Baltimore and San Diego

Week 17 NFC Scenarios

Cowboys Clinch Home-Field Advantage Throughout NFC with:

1. Dallas win and loss or tie by Arizona vs. San Francisco and Detroit vs. Green Bay tie OR
2. Dallas win and win by Seattle vs. St. Louis and Detroit vs. Green Bay tie

Cowboys Clinch First-Round Bye with:

1. Dallas win and loss or tie by both Seattle and Arizona OR
2. Dallas win and Detroit vs. Green Bay tie OR
3. Seattle and Arizona both lose OR
4. Dallas and Seattle both tie and Arizona loses or ties and Detroit vs. Green Bay does not end in a tie

Lions Clinch NFC North with:

1. Lions win or tie

Lions Clinch Home-Field Advantage Throughout NFC Playoffs with:

1. Lions win and Seattle loss or tie and Arizona loss or tie OR
2. Detroit tie and losses by both Seattle and Arizona and Dallas loses or ties

Lions Clinch First-Round Bye with:

1. Detroit win OR
2. Detroit tie and Dallas loss or tie OR
3. Detroit tie and both Arizona and Seattle lose

Packers Clinch NFC North and First-Round Bye with:

1. Green Bay win

Packers Clinch Home-Field Advantage Throughout NFC Playoffs with:

1. Green Bay win and loss or tie by Seattle

Seahawks Clinch NFC West with:

1. Seattle win OR
2. Seattle tie and loss or tie by Arizona OR
3. Arizona loss

Seahawks Clinch Home-Field Advantage Throughout NFC Playoffs with:

1. Seattle win and Detroit vs. Green Bay does not end in tie OR
2. Seattle win and Dallas loss or tie OR
3. Seattle tie and losses or ties by both Arizona and Dallas and Detroit vs. Green Bay tie

Seahawks Clinch First-Round Bye with:

1. Seattle win OR
2. Seattle tie and Arizona loss or tie and Dallas loss OR
3. Seattle tie and Arizona loss or tie and Detroit vs. Green Bay tie

Cardinals Clinch NFC West with:

1. Arizona win and Seattle loss or tie OR
2. Arizona tie and Seattle loss

Cardinals Clinch Home-Field Advantage Throughout NFC Playoffs with:

1. Arizona win and Seattle and Green Bay both lose or tie OR
2. Arizona tie and Seattle loss and Dallas loss or tie and Detroit vs. Green Bay tie

Cardinals Clinch First-Round Bye with:

1. Arizona win and Seattle loss or tie OR
2. Arizona tie and Seattle loss and Dallas loss or tie OR
3. Arizona tie and Seattle loss and Detroit vs. Green Bay tie

Panthers Clinch NFC South with:

1. Carolina win or tie vs. Atlanta

Falcons Clinch NFC South with:

1. Atlanta win

Top Matchups 

Three games feature divisional showdowns in which the winner takes the crown—the Pittsburgh Steelers hosting the Cincinnati Bengals, the Green Bay Packers hosting the Detroit Lions and the Atlanta Falcons hosting the Carolina Panthers.

I'm inclined to predict the home team will win in each contest. 

For starters, Pittsburgh recently wiped the floor with the Bengals and Ben Roethlisberger has been excellent at home this season, with 21 touchdown passes and just three interceptions in seven games in Pittsburgh (in contrast, he's thrown nine touchdown passes and five picks in eight road games). 

Le'Veon Bell has the ability to exploit Cincinnati's suspect rush defense (23rd in the NFL) and Antonio Brown has been the league's best wide receiver this season. If this game ends up being a shootout—and it might—I'll take Big Ben and the Steelers offense over Andy Dalton any day.

Atlanta's combination of Matt Ryan and Julio Jones has been red hot down the stretch. Ryan has thrown for 300 or more yards in four straight games, while Jones has gone for over 100 receiving yards in his last three contests.

Atlanta also won the last matchup between these teams, a 19-17 game in Carolina. This game could truly go either way, given how hot Cam Newton has been in his last two games and the fact that Steven Jackson is likely out of action, but I'll take the red-hot Ryan in this contest.

Rogelio Solis/Associated Press

Finally, the highlight of Sunday is between the Lions and the Packers. 

I'm not betting against the Packers at home. Green Bay is a perfect 7-0 at Lambeau Field this season and led by likely MVP winner Aaron Rodgers, who has thrown for 4,155 yards, 36 touchdowns and just five interceptions on the year.

Jordy Nelson and Randall Cobb have been the league's best duo at wide receiver, while Eddie Lacy has gone for over 100 yards from scrimmage in eight straight games and has 13 touchdowns on the season.

It also helps that Green Bay's defense has been dramatically improved this season, especially against the pass, holding opponents to just 228.1 passing yards per game, 10th in the NFL.

Of course, the Lions are no joke. Detroit's defensive line has been superb this season, and their defense has been excellent in general. Joique Bell has played well down the stretch, while the Matt Stafford and Calvin Johnson duo is always capable of tipping a game in Detroit's favor.

But honestly, are you really going to bet against the Packers in Lambeau Field with a division title on the line after the season that Rodgers and the offense has had?

I'm not.