NFL Playoff Picture 2017: Week 17 Scenarios, Standings and Predictions

The NFL playoffs are still another week away, but the results of Week 17 will play a big role in what will happen over the next month.

Although only two postseason spots are still up for grabs across the NFL, there will be fierce battles for those across the last week of the regular season. Meanwhile, all but a few seeds can change, and teams aren't going to give up a home playoff game if they can help it.

While many teams are already focused on the draft, those still alive should create a drama-filled Week 17. Here is what you need to know heading into the final week of the year.

AFC

EAST	W	L	T
NORTH
SOUTH
WEST
New England Patriots	13	2	0
Miami Dolphins	10	5	0
Buffalo Bills	7	8	0
New York Jets	4	11	0
Pittsburgh Steelers	10	5	0
Baltimore Ravens	8	7	0
Cincinnati Bengals	5	9	1
Cleveland Browns	1	14	0
Houston Texans	9	6	0
Tennessee Titans	8	7	0
Indianapolis Colts	7	8	0
Jacksonville Jaguars	3	12	0
Oakland Raiders	12	3	0
Kansas City Chiefs	11	4	0
Denver Broncos	8	7	0
San Diego Chargers	5	10	0

Scenarios

All six spots are locked up, but there can be quite a few changes in the seeding order.

The biggest story is the AFC West, which is still up for grabs with the Oakland Raiders and Kansas City Chiefs trying to win the division title. The Raiders can clinch with a win, which could also earn them the No. 1 overall seed if the New England Patriots lose.

On the other hand, the Chiefs can win the division—and a first-round bye—if they win Sunday and the Raiders lose.

Lindsay Jones of USA Today noted why predicting the outcomes will be difficult:

As poorly as the Broncos have played during their recent three-game losing streak, the defense remains extremely intimidating. This could give Matt McGloin problems in his first start since 2013. Facing a team with elite cornerbacks and pass-rushers is not an ideal return to the field.

The Chiefs won't have those problems with Alex Smith performing well under center and a defense that is capable of shutting down a one-dimensional San Diego Chargers attack. After losing to the Cleveland Browns, it's hard to put too much faith in the Chargers to pull off a win.

While the Pittsburgh Steelers, Houston Texans and Patriots all have their divisions locked up, New England might try harder than others for a win Sunday to secure home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. The squad gave up a chance at the No. 1 seed in Week 17 a year ago and ended up losing to the Broncos on the road in the AFC Championship Game.

With the Miami Dolphins playing on Wild Card Weekend regardless of outcome, the Patriots should come out hungrier while looking for a victory.

Seed	Team	Record
1	New England Patriots	14-2
2	Kansas City Chiefs	12-4
3	Pittsburgh Steelers	11-5
4	Houston Texans	10-6
5	Oakland Raiders	12-4
6	Miami Dolphins	10-6

NFC

EAST	W	L	T
NORTH	W	L	T
SOUTH	W	L	T
WEST	W	L	T
Dallas Cowboys	13	2	0
New York Giants	10	5	0
Washington Redskins	8	6	1
Philadelphia Eagles	6	9	0
Green Bay Packers	9	6	0
Detroit Lions	9	6	0
Minnesota Vikings	7	8	0
Chicago Bears	3	12	0
Atlanta Falcons	10	5	0
Tampa Bay Buccaneers	8	7	0
New Orleans Saints	7	8	0
Carolina Panthers	6	9	0
Seattle Seahawks	9	5	1
Arizona Cardinals	6	8	1
Los Angeles Rams	4	11	0
San Francisco 49ers	2	13	0

Scenarios

Unlike the AFC, there are actual spots on the line in the NFC with four teams battling for the final two places in the playoffs.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are one of those teams, although they have long odds with a lot of help needed. Jeremy Mills of ESPN.com noted the seven results that have to take place exactly for Tampa Bay to sneak in with a wild-card spot, including a tie between the New York Giants and Washington Redskins.

Instead, most of the drama surrounds the Detroit Lions and Green Bay Packers with the two teams playing for the NFC North title.

Both teams enter Week 17 with a 9-6 record, meaning the winner of the Sunday night battle will be for the division. The Lions will get a chance to play at home, where they are 6-1 on the season with six straight wins, but the Packers are one of the hottest team in football with five straight wins overall. 

Peter Schrager of Fox Sports also provided another reason for Detroit to be worried:

The Washington Redskins are the only team the Lions have beaten this year that have a chance of finishing 2016 with a winning record.

Meanwhile, the NFC North battle will only get more intense if the Redskins win their game against the Giants. This would put them at 9-6-1, good enough to earn a playoff spot over whichever team loses between Green Bay and Detroit. Only a tie would put both squads in with this scenario.

The one silver lining for both the Packers and Lions is that the Giants will be playing hard for a win, even if it doesn't matter for seeding purposes. 

"This is pro football. We get paid to coach and paid to play," coach Ben McAdoo said, per Seth Walder of the New York Daily News. "That's what we do; it's what we do for a living. Another game on the schedule, it's a division game, it's an important game."

If the Redskins lose, Green Bay and Detroit will both make the playoffs with the loser earning the No. 6 seed.

Finally, the Atlanta Falcons can join the Dallas Cowboys with a first-round bye if they win their Week 16 battle against the New Orleans Saints. A loss opens up the door for the Seattle Seahawks to steal the No. 2 seed. 

Seed	Team	Record
1	Dallas Cowboys	14-2
2	Atlanta Falcons	11-5
3	Seattle Seahawks	10-5-1
4	Green Bay Packers	10-6
5	New York Giants	10-6
6	Washington Redskins	9-6-1

Follow Rob Goldberg on Twitter.