NFL Teams on Upset Alert in Week 17

As we begin the final Sunday of the 2011 regular season, much of the playoff picture is set, with many teams knowing that they will be advancing to the league's second season while for others the final gun will end a disappointing year.

However, there are still a couple playoff spots up for grabs and quite a few seeds that are yet to be determined, leaving plenty of storylines this week.

So, the following teams that have qualified for the postseason better bring their "A" game, lest an also-ran throw a fly into their proverbial ointments with an upset that could make the difference between a week off, a division title or a tough matchup in the first week of the playoffs.

1. Atlanta Falcons (vs. TB)

It's entirely possible that by the time the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Atlanta Falcons square off on Sunday afternoon, the Falcons will already be locked into the sixth seed in the NFC.

However, if by some chance the Green Bay Packers' second-string defeats the Detroit Lions Sunday, an Atlanta victory would mean the difference between a trip to either New Orleans or San Francisco or a date with whichever erratic team emerges from the NFC East.

Should that prove to be the case, the Falcons will need to take care of business against a free-falling Tampa Bay squad, which sounds easy enough, but it's worth noting that the Buccaneers beat the Falcons 16-13 in Week 3.

2. San Francisco 49ers (at STL)

If the San Francisco 49ers defeat the St. Louis Rams this week, they will secure the NFC's second seed, meaning a week off to rest their players and home-field advantage over every team not in Wisconsin.

The Niners blanked the Rams 26-0 in Week 13 and should be able to make relatively easy work of a St. Louis squad still in the running for the National Football League's worst record.

However, inter-divisional games can be tricky, and nothing would make Steve Spagnuolo happier than ruining San Francisco's vacation plans in what is likely his last game as head coach of the Rams.

3. New Orleans Saints (vs. CAR)

The New Orleans Saints need the Rams to pull off an improbable upset of the 49ers, but should that occur, the door will be opened for the Saints to procure the second seed in the NFC and the much-coveted bye week.

To walk through that door, Drew Brees and company will need to take care of the Carolina Panthers at the Superdome, and the Panthers have shown to be quite able of hanging with the prolific New Orleans offense, losing to the Saints by only a field goal in Week 5.

4. Pittsburgh Steelers (at CLE)

Depending on what happens this week, the Pittsburgh Steelers could wind up as the AFC's top seed—if both New England and Baltimore lose—or AFC North Champions (and the conference's No. 2 seed).

All that postulating will be for naught, though, should the Steelers fall to the Cleveland Browns Sunday. While the Browns are a woeful 4-11 squad that haven't beaten Pittsburgh since 2009, the iffy ankle of Steelers' quarterback Ben Roethlisberger and bitterness of this rivalry raises the possibility of a seed-shaking upset on the shores of Lake Erie.

5. New England Patriots (vs. BUF)

The story is a fairly simple one for the New England Patriots.

Defeat the Buffalo Bills Sunday, and the Patriots secure the top seed in the AFC, meaning that the road to Indianapolis in the conference will run straight through Beantown.

However, nothing is guaranteed with the Patriots and their league-worst defense, and the Bills have already shown to be capable of giving New England all they can handle, beating the Pats 34-31 in Week 3 in a game in which New England quarterback Tom Brady threw four of his 11 interceptions of the season.