NFL Playoff Scenarios 2018: Week 17 Picture and Latest Bracket Predictions

The 2010 Green Bay Packers were 8-6 heading into the season's final two games. In Week 16, they crushed the New York Giants 45-17 to move ahead of Big Blue and into the conference's final playoff spot.

However, the Packers and Giants had matching 9-6 records going into Week 17, so Green Bay still needed a win (or a Giants loss) to make the postseason and grab the NFC's sixth seed. The Giants won their game with Washington, but Green Bay beat the Chicago Bears 10-3 to make the playoffs.

The rest is history, as the Pack rolled off three straight road wins before winning the Super Bowl against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

The moral of the story is that there's precedent for a team who didn't clinch a playoff berth until Week 17 to go out and win the Super Bowl. Of course, the Packers had superstar quarterback Aaron Rodgers, but you never know in the NFL.

Here's a look at the latest playoff picture, alongside some team-by-team scenarios and picks for the eventual playoff brackets.

AFC Standings

Division Leaders

1. New England Patriots: 12-3

2. Pittsburgh Steelers: 12-3

3. Jacksonville Jaguars: 10-5

4. Kansas City Chiefs: 9-6

Wild Card

5. Baltimore Ravens: 9-6

6. Tennessee Titans: 8-7

In the Hunt

7. Los Angeles Chargers: 8-7

8. Buffalo Bills: 8-7

AFC Seeding Predictions

Division Winners

1. New England Patriots: 13-3

2. Pittsburgh Steelers: 13-3

3. Jacksonville Jaguars: 11-5

4. Kansas City Chiefs: 10-6

Wild Card

5. Baltimore Ravens: 10-6

6. Los Angeles Chargers: 9-7

AFC Team-by-Team Breakdown

1. New England Patriots

The Patriots will earn the No. 1 seed with a win over the New York Jets or a Pittsburgh Steelers loss to the Cleveland Browns. They'll fall to No. 2 with a loss to the Jets and a Steelers win. Either way, they are locked into a wild-card bye.

2. Pittsburgh Steelers

The Steelers will get the No. 1 seed with a win over the Browns and a Patriots loss to the Jets. If neither of those things happens, Pittsburgh will be the No. 2 seed. Regardless of the Week 17 results, the Steelers will skip the wild-card round and be at home for the divisional round.

3. Jacksonville Jaguars

The Jaguars are locked into the No. 3 seed, which means their game with the Tennessee Titans has no impact on their standing. Jacksonville will host a wild-card game on either Saturday, January 6 or Sunday, January 7.

4. Kansas City Chiefs

Like the Jaguars, the Kansas City Chiefs can't move up or down either. They will be the AFC's No. 4 seed and play at home for the wild-card round.

5. Baltimore Ravens

The Ravens will make the playoffs with a win over the Cincinnati Bengals. If they lose, they can still make the playoffs but would need some help. Baltimore will miss the postseason if they lose, Buffalo and Tennessee win and the Los Angeles Chargers lose.

In that scenario, the Ravens would lose on the conference record tiebreaker to the Titans and the strength of victory tiebreaker to the Bills, per Kevin Skiver of CBS Sports.

6. Tennessee Titans

A win over the Jacksonville Jaguars would mean the Tennessee Titans make the playoffs. They would make the postseason with a defeat in addition to losses by the Los Angeles Chargers and Buffalo Bills against the Oakland Raiders and Miami Dolphins, respectively.

A loss, a Ravens win and a victory by either the Bolts or Bills would knock Tennessee out.

7. Los Angeles Chargers

The hope for Los Angeles Chargers fans is that they find themselves in a two-way tie with the Buffalo Bills for the No. 6 spot in the AFC playoffs. In that scenario, the Bolts would advance to the postseason by virtue of their 54-24 win over the Bills earlier this year.

That tie will occur if the Ravens, Chargers and Bills win and the Titans lose. The Bolts can't finish higher than No. 6.

8. Buffalo Bills

Per Tyler Lauletta of Business Insider, there are two ways in which the Bills can make the playoffs with a victory: First, a Bills win and a Ravens loss would get them there. Otherwise, they can make it with a victory and losses by the Titans and Chargers.

Either way, the Bills must win and get some help to make the postseason.

NFC Standings

Division Leaders

1. Philadelphia Eagles: 13-2

2. Minnesota Vikings: 12-3

3. Los Angeles Rams: 11-4

4. New Orleans Saints: 11-4

Wild Card

5. Carolina Panthers: 11-4

6. Atlanta Falcons: 9-6

In the Hunt

7. Seattle Seahawks: 9-6

NFC Seeding Predictions

Division Leaders

1. Philadelphia Eagles: 13-3

2. Minnesota Vikings: 13-3

3. New Orleans Saints: 12-4

4. Los Angeles Rams: 11-5

Wild Card

5. Carolina Panthers: 11-5

6. Atlanta Falcons: 10-6

NFC Team-by-Team Breakdown and Predictions

1. Philadelphia Eagles

The Eagles have already clinched the No. 1 seed and home-field advantage throughout the NFC playoffs. Their game with the Dallas Cowboys has no effect on their playoff standing.

2. Minnesota Vikings

The Vikings will be the No. 2 seed if they beat the Chicago Bears. There is a scenario in which Minnesota can fall to No. 3: a Vikings loss, a New Orleans Saints loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, a Los Angeles Rams defeat to the San Francisco 49ers and a Carolina Panthers win over the Atlanta Falcons.

In that (admittedly unlikely) scenario, Carolina would be the No. 2 seed thanks to having the head-to-head tiebreaker over Minnesota due to a 31-24 win earlier this year.

3. Los Angeles Rams

The Rams will be the third seed with a win over the San Francisco 49ers and the fourth seed if they lose and the Saints beat the Buccaneers. Either way, they are locked into a home game for the wild-card round and will be resting their starters for Sunday.

4. New Orleans Saints

The Saints will win the NFC South with a victory over the Buccaneers, which means a home playoff game in the wild-card round. They can't obtain a bye due to a loss to the current No. 2 seed (the Minnesota Vikings), who are one game ahead of the Saints in the standings.

A loss to the Bucs and a Panthers win over the Falcons would drop New Orleans to the No. 5 spot, which means they would be on the road to start the playoffs.

5. Carolina Panthers

The Panthers can't finish worse than fifth. If the Saints beat the Buccaneers, they are locked into No. 5. If the Saints lose and the Panthers beat the Falcons, however, then Carolina would be the NFC South champion and be the No. 2, No. 3 or No. 4 seed depending on other results. 

6. Atlanta Falcons

Atlanta will make the playoffs with a win over the Panthers or a Seattle Seahawks loss to the Arizona Cardinals. If the inverse happens in both situations, then the Falcons will be home for the playoffs.

If Seattle and Atlanta finish tied in the standings, the Falcons would move on thanks to a 34-31 victory versus the Seahawks earlier this season.

Atlanta can't finish higher than No. 6.

7. Seattle Seahawks

The Seahawks need a win over the Cardinals and a Falcons loss to the Panthers to get the No. 6 seed. Like the Falcons, Seattle can't move higher than sixth in the NFC standings.