NFL Playoff Picture Week 17: AFC, NFC 2015 Postseason Scenarios and Predictions

As the NFL playoff picture bleeds into Week 17, the Seattle Seahawks look ready to repeat, the Cincinnati Bengals look like contenders and Peyton Manning is already struggling to get things done. 

Indeed, it is a strange time of year.

The final weekend promises a bit of intrigue. Three teams are still in the hunt on the AFC side of things, while one NFC South team is all that remains on that side. Seed drama highlights the rest of the action.

All of the above means the playoffs are set to be one unpredictable ride with a strong offering of intriguing matchups, some rematches and some fresh showdowns. The full playoff picture and a few predictions rest below.

NFL Playoff Picture and Conference Scenarios

All playoff scenarios courtesy of CBSSports.com and ESPN.com and current as of December 23 at 12 a.m. ET.

Postseason Predictions

Denver Clinches Bye 

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The Broncos are just fine, folks.

Overreactions define this time of year, so it makes sense that the globe is now abuzz concerning Denver's 37-28 loss in Cincinnati Monday night. NFL Network's Andrew Siciliano puts it best:

To be fair, 311 yards with two touchdowns to four interceptions is not the best stat line in the world, but what essentially amounts to a playoff game against a top team in sloppy weather is not some reason to smack the panic button.

Besides, all the Broncos need to do in order to clinch a first-round bye is overcome the 3-12 Oakland Raiders.

It will not be as easy as it sounds, sure. The Raiders are a dangerous team that wants to play the spoiler and has with wins over Kansas City, San Francisco and Buffalo.

Recall that all of those wins came at home, not to mention the fact the Broncos and Raiders already played to a 41-17 result in Oakland. There, Manning threw for five touchdowns, and Oakland rookie quarterback Derek Carr threw a pair of scores and picks in an attempt to keep up.

Now the Raiders will need to hit the road to pull off the unthinkable.

What has hurt the Broncos most as of late is run defense. Cincinnati ran for 207 yards and a score this past Monday on a 5.6 per-carry average. Oakland is not the team to exploit this weakness—the Raiders rank dead last in the NFL with an average of just 78.2 yards per game on the ground. The team found room for just 30 yards in the lopsided loss earlier this year.

Things are not as bad as they seem for the Broncos. The bye seems like a forgone conclusion, Monday loss or not. From there, it is hard to doubt Manning at home.

Cincinnati Tastes Postseason Triumph

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Things are changing fast in Cincinnati. 

In the span of one night, the Bengals have gone from a team that does nothing short of disappoint when it matters most to a team to trust. 

Think about it. The Bengals are winless in their last three trips to the postseason. A Sunday night game in New England earlier this season was a 43-17 knee-slapper. A Thursday night game against Cleveland was a 24-3 loss.

This past Monday, though? Cincinnati flipped everything on its head by taking advantage of Manning. Not only that, the team rushed for the aforementioned gaudy total despite the fact that the Broncos entered the game as the second-ranked rush defense in the league. 

Much of the reason things are on a major upswing for the Bengals is the presence of rookie back Jeremy Hill, who rushed for 147 yards and a score on his own.

"I know a lot of guys are never fortunate enough to make the playoffs," Hill said, per The Associated Press, via ESPN.com. "In college, I wanted to play for a national championship but never got the chance."

Andy Lyons/Getty Images

It is hard to dislike what the Bengals can do once they hit the playoffs, regardless of seed. The talent continues to make up for Andy Dalton's struggles (he threw for 146 yards with two scores and a pick Monday night), which means the roster can hang with most.

As things stand right now, a showdown with the San Diego Chargers is on the menu, which favors the Bengals at home in a big way. The Chargers tout a bottom-10 rush defense and offense, meaning Dalton would do little as Hill and Giovani Bernard handle the load.

Regardless of opponent, it seems the fourth time will be the charm for the Bengals. The defense has actually improved as the season went on, while the offense's change in tone away from the arm under center—not to mention the shift to Hill as starter—has the Bengals in the playoffs and beyond prime-time narratives.

As strange as it sounds, bank on the Bengals in the postseason.