NFL Playoffs 2017: Updated AFC, NFC Scenarios Before Monday Night Football

NFL teams have been battling for four grueling months, but in many cases, the entire season will come down to one game.

Even with several spots locked up, the final few postseason positions will be decided in Week 17. Those that are already in the playoffs are looking for better seeds, either hoping for a bye or home-field advantage for a game or two. As we have seen plenty of times in the past, this could be the difference between a Super Bowl title and going home early.

Week 17 is filled exclusively with divisional battles, ensuring just about every game has some purpose. Here is a look at the most important playoff scenarios heading into the final week of the season. 

NFC

Seed	Team	Record
1	Dallas Cowboys	12-2
2	Atlanta Falcons	10-5
3	Detroit Lions	9-5
4	Seattle Seahawks	9-5-1
5	New York Giants	10-5
6	Green Bay Packers	9-6
	In The Hunt
	Washington Redskins	8-6-1
	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	8-7

The NFC doesn't have a lot of room for movement, even with an important game still to play in Week 16.

Even before playing Monday night, the Dallas Cowboys have already clinched the No. 1 seed and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. The Detroit Lions need to win to clinch a playoff berth, but the Week 17 matchup against the Green Bay Packers will still be for the division title regardless.

This is a scary thought for the Lions, especially considering how well the Packers have played as of late. Bleacher Report's Zach Kruse provided some of the impressive numbers during the recent streak:

A Green Bay win would give Aaron Rodgers and company the NFC North title and make the squad extremely dangerous in the playoffs.

On the other hand, both the Packers and Lions are still in danger of missing the postseason entirely. If Detroit loses to Dallas, one of those squads will be 9-7 at the end of the year, which allows the 8-6-1 Washington Redskins to play themselves in with a Week 17 win.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have a chance as well, although ESPN Stats & Info highlighted a tough road for the young team.

Meanwhile, the New York Giants are already safely in a wild-card spot while the Atlanta Falcons and Seattle Seahawks have clinched their divisions. Falcons head coach Dan Quinn discussed the team's accomplishment and goals:

The Falcons are in position for the No. 2 seed and a first-round bye and will clinch the spot with a win in Week 17. However, a loss opens things up for any of the division winners to steal that valuable spot.

AFC

Seed	Team	Record
1	New England Patriots	13-2
2	Oakland Raiders	12-3
3	Pittsburgh Steelers	10-5
4	Houston Texans	9-6
5	Kansas City Chiefs	11-4
6	Miami Dolphins	10-5

While there are some teams on the outside that can sneak into the playoffs in the NFC, that is not the case in the AFC, where all six spots are accounted for heading into Week 17.

The Baltimore Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers were effectively playing for the AFC North division title on Sunday, and unsurprisingly it lived up to expectations.

After the Ravens took the lead with 1:18 left, Ben Roethlisberger drove down the field and found Antonio Brown for the game-winning score in the final seconds:

Marc Sessler of NFL.com summed up the action:

This was enough to clinch the division title for the Steelers and eliminate the Ravens, making them the third team to secure a division title in the AFC after the New England Patriots (East) and Houston Texans (South).

There is more drama in the AFC West, which is still up for grabs heading into the final week of the season.

The Kansas City Chiefs earned an impressive win over the Denver Broncos, knocking the defending Super Bowl champions out of the playoffs while handing the Miami Dolphins the final wild-card spot.

Just as importantly, the division title remains undecided with a lot on the line. The Oakland Raiders can finish anywhere from the No. 1 overall seed in the conference to the No. 5 seed depending on the results in their final game against Denver.

A Chiefs win and a Raiders loss hands the division to Kansas City, but any other result will allow Oakland to win the West for the first time since 2002.

As far as the remaining seeds go, the Patriots have already secured a first-round bye and will gain home-field advantage with another win or a Raiders loss. The AFC West champion will get the other bye, regardless of who takes the title.

The rest of the squads will battle for positioning, although they will likely be more concerned about simply being in the postseason and staying as healthy as possible.

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