NFL Playoff Scenarios: Paths to the Postseason Heading into Week 17 Sunday

Ten of the NFL's 12 playoff spots are locked up heading into the final week of the regular season, but there are still plenty of questions to be answered in Week 17 regarding not only which teams take the final two spots but seeding and home-field advantages as well. 

In fact, four of the league's eight division titles are still undecided heading into Sunday, which means a majority of the games on Sunday's slate have major playoff implications. According to NFL.com, seven of eight AFC games impact the playoff picture, as do five of the eight NFC tilts.

Here is a quick rundown of the postseason permutations heading into Sunday.

AFC Playoff Picture

Ben Margot/Associated Press

Let's take care of what we know about the AFC playoff picture. The New England Patriots will take the first seed and home-field advantage this year, while the Indianapolis Colts can do nothing to improve upon their fourth-seed finish. Beyond that, the AFC playoff picture is still very much up in the air.

The San Diego Chargers have perhaps the simplest playoff edict this Sunday: Win and you're in. The Bolts will capture the sixth seed in the AFC should they defeat the division rival Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium on Sunday.

The Chiefs aren't just in this to play spoiler; Andy Reid's squad has it's own path to the playoffs, although the chances are slim. A win over the Chargers combined with losses from both Baltimore and Houston would see this team sneak in at 9-7.

Unfortunately, the Chiefs will have to battle without starting quarterback Alex Smith, who will miss the game with a lacerated spleen, per ESPN.com's Adam Teicher. Chase Daniel will take over under center.

Bolts supporters will, of course, remember it was Daniel who nearly vaporized their playoff hopes in Week 17 last season. The Missouri product led the backup brigade by completing 21 of 30 passes for 200 yards and one touchdown while putting up another 59 yards on the ground.

The Chargers would sneak into the playoffs and prevail in overtime, 27-24, but don't expect them to take Daniel lightly. His scrambling ability could cause problems for a defense ranked 26th against the run.

The Houston Texans can take the sixth seed and boost J.J. Watt's MVP chances with a win over lowly Jacksonville and losses from both the Ravens and the Bolts. Baltimore simply needs a Chargers loss and a win over the reeling Cleveland Browns in Week 17.

The Cincinnati Bengals and Pittsburgh Steelers are duking it out for the AFC North title and the right to play at home in Week 18. USA Today's Jim Corbett believes the Steelers have a distinct quarterback advantage in this one:

"

Big Ben owns two Super Bowl rings while Andy Dalton has proven erratic in prime time games. With Bell typically drawing an extra defender into the box, Roethlisberger can go downfield to tight end Heath Miller or receivers Antonio Brown, Markus Wheaton and Martavis Bryant off play action. The Steelers can also go into no-huddle, up-tempo mode to keep Cincinnati from disguising coverages that helped trick Peyton Manning into throwing four interceptions Monday night.

"

The Bengals could actually steal the second seed from the Denver Broncos if they beat the Steelers and Denver botches a very winnable game against the Oakland Raiders. The Steelers take the third seed with a win and the fifth seed if they lose.

NFC Playoff Picture

Streeter Lecka/Getty Images

This may sound like an injustice to some, but the only playoff spot up for grabs in the NFC is the fourth seed, which will go to a team with a losing record. The Carolina Panthers and Atlanta Falcons square off in the Georgia Dome for the NFC South division title. Both teams are coming into this game with just six wins.

There is a certain level of ignominy that will come with winning this game, but Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan—who passed for 322 yards and a touchdown in a crucial Week 16 win over the New Orleans Saints—isn't concerned with the bumpy path the Falcons have taken thus far.

"Regardless of what the record is, we don't worry about it," Ryan said, via Charles Odum of The Associated Press (h/t Charlotte Observer). "We don't worry about what happened the last 15 games. All that matters is going forward, and I think guys have had that mindset and bought into that mindset."

The NFC South isn't the only division title up for grabs on Sunday. The Detroit Lions will take a trip to Lambeau Field for an NFC North-deciding tilt against Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers.

Meanwhile, the NFC West race will finally reach a conclusion on Sunday. The Arizona Cardinals have struggled to compete as of late with injuries to quarterbacks Carson Palmer and Drew Stanton, but they can still take the division should they beat the San Francisco 49ers and get some help from the St. Louis Rams, who take on the Seattle Seahawks in Week 17.

The Packers and Lions game has perhaps the widest-ranging implications, as either of those two teams can finish as high as the first seed and as low as sixth depending on the Week 17 outcomes. The Seahawks have a very good chance at taking the No. 1 seed considering their recent form—33 points allowed over the past five games—and inside track on a top finish.

The Dallas Cowboys are currently projected to take the third seed in the NFC, but they could move up to the second should the Cardinals and Seahawks both lose in Week 17.

Arizona could be the most desperate for a bye in the Wild Card Round of the playoffs, as Stanton reportedly has had swelling in his right knee and there is no timetable for a return to action, per ESPN.com's news services. Neither Ryan Lindley nor rookie signal-caller Logan Thomas is capable of navigating this team through the NFC playoffs.