NFL Playoffs 2016: Predictions for AFC, NFC Bracket and Seeds

Ten of the NFL's 12 playoff spots have been locked up entering Week 17, but there's still so much that remains unsettled with a full 16-game slate on the horizon. 

From first-round byes to playoff seedings and home-field advantage throughout the postseason on the line, teams across the NFL are set to play meaningful games on Sunday as the chase for spots in Super Bowl 50 heats up.

As the hours tick down to kickoff, here's a look at how the playoff picture looks through 16 weeks, courtesy of B/R Insights:

AFC Predictions

Seed	Team
1	New England Patriots
2	Denver Broncos
3	Cincinnati Bengals
4	Houston Texans
5	Kansas City Chiefs
6	New York Jets

With one more weekend remaining of the regular season, here's a look at everything we know for sure in the AFC:

• The New England Patriots has clinched a first-round bye and the AFC East.
• The Cincinnati Bengals has clinched the AFC North.
• The Denver Broncos and Kansas City Chiefs have clinched playoff berths.

Based on that outline, it's not hard to envision a scenario in which things play out in a relatively calm fashion. For instance, if the New England Patriots and Denver Broncos simply dispatch the Miami Dolphins and San Diego Chargers in their respective matchups, the top two seeds will be locked up. 

And considering the Patriots and Broncos are both double-digit favorites, per Odds Shark, a deviation from that scenario would be a shock.

A Broncos win would also clarify two other seeding designations: The Cincinnati Bengals would nestle into the No. 3 seed and the Kansas City Chiefs would sit pretty in the No. 5 seed, occupying a wild-card spot after failing to nab the AFC West in come-from-behind fashion. 

The same logic holds for the Houston Texans and the No. 4 seed. If the Texans can simply pull out a win against the Jacksonville Jaguars and move to 9-7, the AFC South crown will be theirs.

"We have to play to win," Texans head coach Bill O'Brien said, according to the Houston Chronicle's John McClain. "The Houston Texans, any time they take the field, need to play to win. I don't think there's any substitute for winning."

Should the Texans scratch out one final regular-season win, the only seed left up for grabs will be the final AFC wild-card spot, which can be clinched with little fuss if the New York Jets go on the road and grab a win over the Buffalo Bills. 

And considering the Jets have won five straight games since dropping back-to-back contests against the Bills and Texans in November, the odds seem to tilt in New York's favor. After all, the Jets are three-point road favorites for Sunday's matchup, per Odds Shark.

However, a New York loss and Pittsburgh Steelers victory would send the Jets to the golf course while the Black and Yellow would enter the postseason with arguably the league's most dynamic passing attack. 

NFC Predictions

Seed	Team
1	Carolina Panthers
2	Arizona Cardinals
3	Green Bay Packers
4	Washington Redskins
5	Minnesota Vikings
6	Seattle Seahawks

In the NFC, all six spots have been locked up. All that's left is to determine where the postseason entrants will be seeded. Here's a look at what we know for certain entering Week 17:

• The Carolina Panthers have clinched a first-round bye and the NFC South.
• The Arizona Cardinals have clinched a first-round bye and the NFC West.
• The Green Bay Packers and Minnesota Vikings have clinched playoff spots.
• The Washington Redskins have clinched the NFC East and is locked into the No. 4 seed.
• The Seattle Seahawks have clinched a playoff spot.

Like the AFC, I'm taking the conservative approach. A Carolina Panthers win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers will end debate over whether the Cardinals can sneak into the top spot with a win over the Seattle Seahawks and solidify the No. 1 and No. 2 seeds in the process. 

Despite Carolina's Week 16 slip-up against the Atlanta Falcons, the 14-1 Panthers appear motivated to bounce back following a showing that proved they aren't infallible. 

"Hopefully it is something that motivates us and drives us [knowing] that we have a lot to prove," head coach Ron Rivera said, according to the Associated Press (via Yahoo Sports). "Our goal is to win the Super Bowl. That's the vision. That's the destination. But we still have to take the journey. This is a bump in that journey."

Should the Panthers' game play out in expected fashion, attention will shift to Sunday evening's NFC North title game between the Green Bay Packers and Minnesota Vikings. 

But as USA Today's Tom Pelissero explained, the Vikings' sixth-ranked scoring defense will need to corral Green Bay's offense and bring out the bad Aaron Rodgers in order to have a shot at pulling the road upset: 

"

That starts with getting a handle on Rodgers, who couldn’t get anything going Sunday in Arizona and has struggled to match his MVP campaign from 2014. Since a 6-0 start, the Packers have lost five out of nine games. But Rodgers made several critical plays after breaking the pocket here last month—game-changing throws few quarterbacks can pull off.

"

The Packers have been poor for stretches this season, but they're still 5-2 at Lambeau Field. With a shot to gain a head of steam entering the playoffs following an embarrassing effort against the Arizona Cardinals, the Packers should be highly motivated to get their offense moving and exhaust Minnesota's defense.

And if things play out as predicted, a 2014 NFC Championship Game rematch in the Wild Card Round between the Packers and Seahawks would be awfully appetizing. Keep your fingers crossed.