NFL Playoff Picture Week 16: Latest AFC, NFC Standings and Bracket Scenarios

There may only be two weeks left in the NFL season, but the playoff race is far from over.

On the AFC side, the New England Patriots, Denver Broncos and Indianapolis Colts have clinched their respective divisions, but they are all still fighting for first-round byes and home-field advantage. In the NFC, the Arizona Cardinals are the only team to have clinched a playoff spot to this point, but they haven't secured anything else.

With four teams that have already punched their tickets to the postseason, eight other playoff spots remain up for grabs—three in the AFC and five in the NFC. Competing for those spots are nine teams from the AFC and eight from the NFC, some of which will clinch playoff berths in Week 16.

So, which teams are most likely to clinch? Which ones are long shots? Before we answer those important questions by breaking down the forthcoming bracket scenarios, let's take a look at the current standings of playoff contenders.

Playoff Picture for Week 16

AFC Seed	Team	NFC Seed	Team
1	(x) New England Patriots (11-3)	1	(x) Arizona Cardinals (11-3)
2	(x) Denver Broncos (11-3)	2	Detroit Lions (10-4)
3	(x) Indianapolis Colts (10-4)	3	Dallas Cowboys (10-4)
4	Cincinnati Bengals (9-4-1)	4	New Orleans Saints (6-8)
5	Pittsburgh Steelers (9-5)	5	Seattle Seahawks (10-4)
6	Baltimore Ravens (9-5)	6	Green Bay Packers (10-4)

AFC in the hunt: Kansas City Chiefs (8-6), San Diego Chargers (8-6), Buffalo Bills (8-6), Houston Texans (7-7), Miami Dolphins (7-7), Cleveland Browns (7-7)

NFC in the hunt: Philadelphia Eagles (9-5), Carolina Panthers (5-8-1), Atlanta Falcons (5-9)

Bracket Scenarios

Likeliest Teams to Earn Playoff Berths in Week 16

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In the AFC, the Cincinnati Bengals have the best chance to clinch in Week 16. Of course, they don't exactly have an easy opponent, as the Denver Broncos come to town for a Monday Night Football showdown, but if they win, they're in. Although, there are other ways they can clinch.

If Cincinnati can force its second tie of the season (yes, that is very unlikely), it can earn a trip to the playoffs with either a Baltimore Ravens loss or losses by the Kansas City Chiefs and San Diego Chargers. If the Bengals lose to Denver, all is not lost—they may actually get a spot in the postseason before they actually play. That will be the case if Kansas City, San Diego and the Buffalo Bills all lose Sunday.

Keeping this AFC North trend going, the Pittsburgh Steelers have just one chance to clinch in Week 16: They must defeat Kansas City. That should make for an interesting contest considering the Chiefs have been very good against the pass this season, and Pittsburgh has been prolific through the air in recent weeks.

The team with the best chance to clinch resides in the NFC. That would be the Seattle Seahawks. This team has a multitude of ways it can earn a playoff berth in Week 16, but the funny thing is this: It needs some kind of help in every scenario.

If the Seahawks win, they would punch their ticket with losses by the Philadelphia Eagles, Detroit Lions or Green Bay Packers. If Seattle happens to tie the Arizona Cardinals, it can still get in with a loss by the Eagles or losses by both Detroit and Green Bay. In the final scenario, the Seahawks don't even need to play. They can simply get in if Philadelphia loses and Dallas wins.

The Lions also fall into this category. They can earn a trip to the playoffs with a victory over the Chicago Bears this week (a very likely scenario). If they tie or lose to the Bears, however, they can still get in if the Eagles lose as well.

Green Bay is the final team to round out the squads likely to clinch this week. The Packers need help in every scenario, but they have plenty of options. If they defeat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (again, a likely scenario), they get in with either an Eagles loss or a Cowboys win. If they tie, they can still get in with an Eagles loss. Finally, Green Bay can simply clinch if Philadelphia loses and Dallas wins.

Long Shots to Earn Playoff Berths in Week 16

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This list is a little shorter, but it starts with the Ravens. While Baltimore is in great shape to win out this year, and possibly overtake the Bengals and Steelers in the AFC North, it's highly unlikely the Ravens clinch in Week 16.

The Ravens need plenty of help if they defeat the Houston Texans (and they should). In the first scenario, they need both Pittsburgh and Cincinnati to lose. If that doesn't happen, they can still get in with losses by both Kansas City and San Diego. Finally, if the Ravens tie, they would need all of Kansas City, San Diego and Buffalo to lose.

Yes, a couple of these scenarios could happen, but when a team has to rely on several others in each of its clinching scenarios, it must be considered a long shot.

Another long shot this week is Dallas. While the Cowboys sit atop the NFC East, they probably won't be earning a playoff berth in Week 16. For Dallas to clinch, it needs a victory and an Eagles loss. Sure, that doesn't sound too tough, but considering the respective opponents, it is.

The Cowboys have a very difficult matchup against the Colts, while the Eagles have a relatively easy contest against the Washington Redskins. Yes, this scenario could come to fruition, but it's easy to see why Dallas is a long shot. The team can also clinch with a win and losses by both Green Bay and Detroit, but considering their opponents, that scenario is extremely far-fetched.

Rounding out the list are the New Orleans Saints in that tricky NFC South. The Saints lead the division with a 6-8 record entering Week 16, and they can clinch with a victory over the Atlanta Falcons and a Carolina Panthers loss to the Cleveland Browns.

The last time New Orleans met Atlanta, the Falcons earned an overtime win. Expect the rematch to be just as highly contested. As for the Panthers, they're likely to defeat the Browns if Johnny Manziel doesn't show any kind of improvement from his disastrous Week 15 debut.

Again, the Saints have a fair shot to clinch this week, but chances are they'll still be playing for a postseason spot in Week 17.

All playoff scenarios courtesy of CBSSports.com and current as of December 17.