NFL Playoff Scenarios 2015-16: AFC, NFC Week 16 Picture, Postseason Predictions

Just when it looked like clarity had been brought to the NFL playoff picture, think again.

Thanks to the Denver Broncos' loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday, the AFC playoff picture is a jumbled mess. The AFC West is far from decided, and there's plenty of time for drastic changes to happen in the AFC North.

Even the AFC South is far from over.

Meanwhile, in the NFC, three things are certain in life: Death, taxes and Cam Newton winning the MVP.

Here's your updated playoff picture, along with some predictions as we near the end of the regular season.

Top Six Teams	Record	Clinch Scenario
In The Hunt	Record	Clinch Scenario
1) New England Patriots	12-2	Clinched first-round bye. Can clinch home-field adv. with win.
2) Cincinnati Bengals	11-3	Can clinch AFC North and first-round bye with win, OR, can clinch AFC North with PIT loss.
3) Denver Broncos	10-4	Can clinch AFC West with win and KC loss
4) Houston Texans	7-7	Can clinch AFC South with win and IND loss
5) Kansas City Chiefs	9-5	Can clinch AFC West with two wins and one DEN loss, can clinch playoff berth with win and NYJ loss.
6) Pittsburgh Steelers	9-5	Can clinch AFC North if win out & two CIN losses, can clinch playoff berth with win and NYJ loss.
7) New York Jets	9-5	Can clinch playoff berth with two wins & one loss by either KC or PIT.
8) Indianapolis Colts	6-8	Can only clinch AFC South: Need to win out, or have HOU lose out and beat TEN in Week 17 to clinch at 7-9.
9) Jacksonville Jaguars	5-9	Can only clinch AFC South: Need to win out, plus IND loses out or just lose to TEN, and HOU loses out.

So, You're Saying the Jaguars Have a Chance?

Yes. Yes they do.

Mountains would need to be moved and rivers would have to be parted, but the Jacksonville Jaguars are still alive in the AFC South race.

Stephen B. Morton/Associated Press

Here's how it would have to work: Jacksonville, of course, would need to win out against the New Orleans Saints and the Houston Texans (who would need to lose their final two games). The Indianapolis Colts would also need to lose either both of their games against the Miami Dolphins and Tennessee Titans, or just lose to the Titans in Week 17.

Should that play out, all three teams would finish with a 7-9 record. Also, all three of those teams would finish with a 3-3 division record. But then the three teams would be tied in won-loss percentage in common games.

In that case, the AFC South would come down to the fourth available tiebreaker: Best won-lost percentage in games within the conference. If all teams finished at 7-9, the Jaguars would finish with a 6-6 record within the conference, with the Texans and Colts both at 5-7.

And you thought the NFC East was a mess.

If the Texans beat the Titans next week, the Jaguars would be mathematically eliminated. Should the Colts lose to the Dolphins with Houston winning, the Texans would clinch the division.

The Colts can afford to lose to the Dolphins next week and still clinch the division at 7-9, if Houston loses out and Indy beats Tennessee in Week 17. Indianapolis would have a 4-2 division record, which would be the tiebreaker, regardless if Jacksonville finishes 7-9.

With Houston's quarterback dilemma now down to Brandon Weeden, nothing is certain for the Texans. Meanwhile, Matt Hasselbeck hurt his back on Sunday against Houston, and Indy still has no idea if Andrew Luck is healthy enough to play. Should the quarterback dominoes fall how they may, this seriously could be Jacksonville's for the taking.

This is the question that needs to be asked: Would you trust Blake Bortles, or whomever the Colts and Texans put under center? It's a long shot, but Jacksonville can win this division.

The level of absurdity is through the roof.

Other AFC Predictions

The Denver Broncos are only a game in front of the Kansas City Chiefs in the race for the AFC West, but no matter how bad the last two weeks have gone for Denver, it's tough to see the Broncos folding down the stretch.

Denver has matchups against the Andy Dalton-less Cincinnati Bengals and the lowly San Diego Chargers to close the year. If Dalton were playing, the Bengals would have a better chance to go into Denver and win. Although Kansas City has a friendly end to its schedule (at home against Oakland and Cleveland), the Chiefs can at least clinch a playoff spot with a win and New York Jets loss. That's what is expected right now.

The Bengals, meanwhile, need only one win to clinch the AFC North. The best bet is that it will come in Week 17 against the Baltimore Ravens. The Pittsburgh Steelers need to win out and hope Cincinnati loses its final two games against the Broncos and Ravens. Without Joe Flacco, the Ravens are not good. Simple as that. Cincy should clinch the division, but it'll be Denver sneaking in with the No. 2 seed after beating the Bengals this Monday night.

Top Six Teams	Record	Clinching Scenario
In The Hunt	Record	Clinching Scenario
1) Carolina Panthers	14-0	Clinched NFC South. Can clinch home-field advantage with win vs. ATL
2) Arizona Cardinals	12-2	Clinched NFC West. Can clinch first-round bye with win vs. GB
3) Green Bay Packers	10-4	Clinched playoff berth. Can clinch NFC North with win and MIN loss.
4) Washington Redskins	7-7	Can clinch NFC East with win at PHI
5) Seattle Seahawks	9-5	Clinched playoff spot.
6) Minnesota Vikings	9-5	Can clinch playoff spot with win, can clinch NFC North if win out.
7) Atlanta Falcons	7-7	Can clinch playoff spot if win out, and SEA & MIN both lose final two games.
8) Philadelphia Eagles	6-8	Can clinch NFC East if win out.
9) New York Giants	6-8	Can clinch NFC East if win out, and WAS loss to PHI.

The NFC North Will Be Decided in Week 17

In order for this to happen, the Minnesota Vikings need to end the New York Giants' season and set up a winner-take-all matchup with the Green Bay Packers, in Lambeau Field.

The Vikings are at home against the Giants, and a win over New York would guarantee the Vikings at least a playoff berth. But beating the Giants, whether Green Bay wins or loses against the Arizona Cardinals next week, would put the Vikings in an interesting position.

Ann Heisenfelt/Associated Press

Should the Packers beat the Cardinals and Vikings to close the year, and if the Cardinals lose to the Seattle Seahawks in Week 17, Green Bay will clinch a first-round bye. If they lose to the Vikings, the Packers will drop to the fifth seed and would face the NFC East winner in the Wild Card Round, with the Seahawks playing the Vikings at TCF Bank Stadium.

The Vikings should be commended for what they've accomplished this season, but to ask a young team like that to go into Green Bay and win a division is too much. Besides, should the Vikings lose and Seattle wins out, a rematch would be set between the Vikings and Packers in Lambeau again in the Wild Card Round.

Talk about drama.

Other NFC Predictions

The Giants-Vikings game is important, especially if the Philadelphia Eagles beat the Washington Redskins. If the Redskins lose out and the Giants beat the Eagles in Week 17, then the Giants clinch the NFC East.

But that won't be the case. The Redskins will close the door by defeating the Eagles on Saturday and clinch the dreaded division that has been the laughingstock of the football world all year.

Former NFL receiver Donte Stallworth thinks the Redskins could be a dangerous bunch should they keep up this level of play:

"

If *this* Washington Redskins team shows up the rest of the season + playoffs.... LOOK OUT!!

— Donté Stallworth (@DonteStallworth) December 20, 2015"

Washington hasn't been the prettiest team to watch, but kudos are to be given to Kirk Cousins and Jay Gruden for putting the Redskins closer to the division title. All that's left is to do is take care of business, which the Redskins have done more of than the Giants and Eagles.