NFL Playoff Scenarios 2016-17: Wild-Card Race, Postseason Bracket After Week 16

We haven't quite reached the end of Week 16, but we are beginning to get a better idea of what the pending playoff picture is going to look like.

The Miami Dolphins won their 10th game of the season in an overtime contest against the Buffalo Bills. If the Denver Broncos lose on Sunday, Miami will be in the postseason. The Green Bay Packers won their fifth game in a row, which sets up a battle with the Detroit Lions for the NFC North title in Week 17.

The Lions, who play the Dallas Cowboys on Monday night, currently sit at 9-5 but have a head-to-head loss to the Packers on their resume.

The Houston Texans were able to lock up the AFC South with a narrow 12-10 win over the Cincinnati Bengals on Saturday night.

There are a handful of games remaining in the week, but let's take a look at what the playoff picture currently looks like. We'll examine the teams currently at the top of each conference and some of the top playoff-related storylines of the week.

Teams at the Top

Seed	Team	Record
AFC
NFC
1	New England Patriots	13-2
2	Oakland Raiders	12-3
3	Pittsburgh Steelers	9-5
4	Houston Texans	9-6
5	Kansas City Chiefs	10-4
6	Miami Dolphins	10-5
7	Baltimore Ravens	8-6
8	Denver Broncos	8-6
1	Dallas Cowboys	12-2
2	Atlanta Falcons	10-5
3	Seattle Seahawks	9-5-1
4	Detroit Lions	9-5
5	New York Giants	10-5
6	Green Bay Packers	9-6
7	Washington Redskins	8-6-1
8	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	8-7

In case you're new to the nuances of the NFL postseason, things work like this. The No. 1 and No. 2 seeds in each conference receive a bye for the opening week. Right now, the New England Patriots, Dallas Cowboys, Atlanta Falcons and Oakland Raiders would be those teams.

The No. 4 seed in each conference then hosts the No. 6 seed in the Wild Card Round. No. 5 then plays No. 6.

Notable Storylines

Titans Lose Game, Mariota

The Tennessee Titans had been one of the more surprising teams over the back half of the season. Coming into Week 16, they had compiled eight wins and were tied with the Houston Texans atop the AFC South.

Unfortunately, the Titans couldn't take care of business against the Jacksonville Jaguars Saturday afternoon, ultimately losing 38-17. Had the Titans won, they could have forced a Week 17 game with the Texans that would have decided the division.

Instead, the Texans were able to clinch the AFC South with their win over the Bengals on Saturday night.

Even worse than losing the game, though, is the fact the Titans also lost starting quarterback Marcus Mariota to what appears to be a serious injury.

Mariota won't be back this season, and the beginning of his 2017 campaign could be affected. A lot will likely depend on what kind of rehab the Oregon product faces in the offseason.

Texans Clinch

Saturday night's game between the Texans and the Bengals ended up being a tight one. The Bengals actually had a chance to take the lead at the end of regulation, but kicker Randy Bullock missed a 43-yard field-goal attempt.

Since the Titans failed to take care of business against the Jaguars, Houston's win handed the Texans the NFC South crown.

This makes the Tennessee-Houston tilt in Week 17 essentially meaningless, at least as it pertains to the division race.

If the season ended today, the Texans would host the Chiefs in the opening round of the postseason.

Falcons Looking Dangerous, Versatile on Offense

The Atlanta Falcons have won three games in a row and have won all three by at least 17 points. The team, which boasts an offense Pro Football Focus rated first overall, is starting to look like a tough out for even the NFC's top teams.

What makes the Falcons offense even scarier right now is the fact the passing attack hasn't relied solely on star wideout Julio Jones. In fact, the Falcons scored 83 combined points during Jones' two-week absence with a foot injury.

Jones had four receptions for 60 yards against the Carolina Panthers Saturday.

The Falcons also have to be happy with their improving defense, which has allowed an average of just 14.3 points per game over the past three weeks. That defense has produced six interceptions over the past three weeks as well.

With the Tampa Bay Buccaneers losing to the New Orleans Saints later Saturday afternoon, the Falcons have clinched the NFC South title. With the Seattle Seahawks losing to the Arizona Cardinals, the Falcons also take over the No. 2 seed in the NFC.

Seahawks Blow Positioning for First-Round Bye

Seattle cam into the weekend in control of the NFC's No. 2 seed. They had an opportunity to stay in control of it, but they needed to beat the Arizona Cardinals at home to do it. They failed.

The Seahawks battled back from a 13-point fourth-quarter deficit to tie the game at 31. However, kicker Steven Hauschka missed the potential go-ahead extra point with just over a minute left. As it turned out, Hauschka's miss didn't really matter. Carson Palmer and Co. drove into field-goal range, and the Cardinals kicker pushed a 43-yarder through as time expired.

The Cardinals couldn't play spoiler in the division, as the Seahawks have already clinched the NFC West. However, they did play spoiler for the week. If the Falcons can knock off the Saints next week, they'll get the NFC's second first-round bye.

Redskins Keep Hope Alive

David Banks/Getty Images

Because the Washington Redskins failed to either win or lose against the Cincinnati Bengals earlier this season, they find themselves in an odd position. If the Redskins win out, they won't reach the postseason over a 10-win team, but they'll be ahead of a nine-win team.

Fortunately for Washington, the team was able to get its eighth win of the season on Saturday by beating the listless Chicago Bears 41-21.

That win, coupled with Tampa Bay's loss, means the Redskins are still very much alive for the NFC's final wild-card spot. If the Cowboys knock off the Lions on Monday night, Washington will only need to win its season finale to reach the postseason.

Washington will host the New York Giants in that season finale.

Raiders Pick up Win, May Have Lost Quarterback

Mariota wasn't the only playoff-caliber quarterback to suffer an injury on Saturday. The Oakland Raiders lost quarterback Derek Carr to a leg injury—and it's also one that is serious.

According to CBS Sports' Jason La Canfora, Carr suffered a broken leg and will undergo surgery on Sunday:

This means the Raiders, who have already clinched a postseason berth, will likely be without their star signal-caller for the playoffs.

The good news is, the Raiders did manage to hold off the Indianapolis Colts and improve to 12-3. This keeps Oakland alive in the race for the AFC's No. 1 seed and a game ahead of the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC West.

We're pretty sure the Raiders would rather have Carr than a division title right now, though. Matt McGloin finished the game for Oakland and will likely be the team's starter to open the postseason as well.

If there's a positive with McGloin, it's that he does have six career starts under his belt.