NFL Playoff Scenarios 2016: Week 17 AFC, NFC Postseason Picture

The 2016 NFL playoff race looks rather tidy heading into Week 17 with only two spots up for grabs—both of them in the AFC. All six teams in the NFC postseason picture have clinched spots, leaving little to the imagination and plenty of fans frustrated with their no-hope also-rans.

As far as seeding is concerned, there is plenty left to decide in the final week of action, as a few division crowns are still up in the air and recent results have shaken things up at the very top of both conferences.

Carolina could slip to the No. 2 seed after a 14-0 start, while New England must do its due diligence and beat Miami, lest results conspire to let Denver supplant them at the top of the AFC. Those two teams and the rest of the postseason contenders will make or break their fortunes on a jam-packed Sunday featuring all of the final 16 games.

Below is a look at the postseason picture heading into Week 17, followed by a rundown of the scenarios. If you're a tinkerer looking to tinker with each and every possible permutation, run the numbers at the New York Times' playoff simulator. A full listing of every playoff scenario, including if teams tie, can be found at ESPN.com.

Seed	AFC	NFC
1	New England Patriots (12-3)	Carolina Panthers (14-1)
2	Denver Broncos (11-4)	Arizona Cardinals (13-2)
3	Cincinnati Bengals (11-4)	Green Bay Packers (10-5)
4	Houston Texans (8-7)	Washington Redskins (8-7)
5	Kansas City Chiefs (10-5)	Minnesota Vikings (10-5)
6	New York Jets (10-5)	Seattle Seahawks (9-6)
In the Hunt	Pittsburgh Steelers (9-6)
In the Hunt	Indianapolis Colts (7-8)

AFC Scenarios

Let's start at the top and work our way down.

New England simply needs to beat Miami to keep the AFC's No. 1 seed. A loss and a Denver win over San Diego, and the two teams swap spots at the top. 

The Broncos could, of course, fall to the No. 3 seed by losing to San Diego but only if it comes after Cincinnati takes care of Baltimore earlier on Sunday. The Bengals ruined a golden opportunity to earn a first-round bye in Week 16, losing to the Broncos 20-17 in overtime. Now they need to win or tie and see Denver lose to earn that bye that was so tantalizingly close heading into Week 16.

The team's shaky playoff record and the thumb injury to Andy Dalton likely have the Greater Cincinnati area sweating these Week 17 results even more so than usual.

Tony Avelar/Associated Press

Playing in the wild-card round could mean counting on quarterback AJ McCarron to see the team through to the next week. He's not bad (four touchdowns, two picks in last three games), but it's not the scenario Bengals fans prefer after a successful season.

Another quick playoff exit, and head coach Marvin Lewis could be gone, much in the same way a highly successful but postseason-accursed Marty Schottenheimer was with San Diego in the mid-to-late 2000s.

Houston is essentially locked into the fourth seed in the AFC, a game ahead of Indianapolis. According to DirecTV's Andrew Siciliano, this long list of results is what the Colts need to edge Houston for the AFC South title:

It's really just an improbable cascading series of events needed to get the Colts into the playoffs. Rube Goldberg himself would break into a nervous sweat just thinking about it. 

Kansas City currently occupies the No. 5 seed but could still win the AFC West by beating a middling (but promising) Oakland team and having Denver lose to San Diego.

The Chiefs are on a nine-game win streak, so another victory seems likely. The Chargers have played better football as the season has come to a close, but it's unlikely they'll topple a highly motivated Denver squad in its home stadium.

The New York Jets control their own destiny heading into the final weekend of the regular season. A win or tie against Buffalo does the trick, as would a Pittsburgh loss or tie. After a dumbfounding 20-17 defeat to Baltimore in Week 16, the Steelers need to win and see the Jets lose to make the playoffs. 

NFC Scenarios

Here's one more reason why Carolina really needs a win over Tampa Bay or an Arizona loss to Seattle in Week 17 to clinch the NFC's No. 1 seed, per ESPN.com's Dan Graziano:

"Crazy stat of the week: The Cardinals have more touchdowns (57) than punts (55). The next-closest teams in that realm are Carolina and Pittsburgh, each of whom has 14 more punts than touchdowns. Give them home field in the NFC at your own peril."

It's a straight-up showdown for the NFC North title and No. 3 seed in Week 17, as Minnesota hits the road to play rival Green Bay. Both teams are 10-5, so the winner gets the division. 

Seems straightforward enough, although the results from the other playoff-bound teams could make for quite a quirky aftermath of this game. There is the distinct possibility the Vikings end up taking a trip to Lambeau Field two weeks in a row, among other scenarios  per NFL.com's Gregg Rosenthal:

"

The Green Bay Packers and Minnesota Vikings play for the NFC North title on Sunday night, with the winner getting a home game against the NFC's No. 6 seed. The only problem with that scenario: The Seahawks are currently the No. 6 seed. Would you rather have a road game in Washington or a home game against the Seahawks?

While the chances for a win look better against the Redskins, it's not like NFL teams would ever think that way. The Packers and the Vikings are both trying to play quality football heading into the playoffs. Minnesota is succeeding lately; Green Bay is not. The NFC North crown also has meaning, especially to the Vikings. It's even more important to ownership, financially, to add a home playoff date that brings in huge added revenue.

The Packers and Vikings will know their potential opponents before they suit up. If the Packers lose to Minnesota, they will be the No. 5 seed and head to Washington regardless. Things are more complicated for the Vikings. If Seattle wins in Arizona on Sunday afternoon, the Vikings could fall to the No. 6 seed with a loss on Sunday night. That could mean trips to Lambeau in back-to-back weeks for Minnesota.

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Washington is locked into the fourth seed, having clinched the NFC East. Seattle plays Arizona in Week 17, so as mentioned, the Seahawks could really do Carolina a favor by getting the win. The Seahawks will end up with either the fifth or sixth seed, pending their own result and the winner of Vikings-Packers. 

John Froschauer/Associated Press

The Seahawks looked ready to steamroll into the playoffs with Russell Wilson and Doug Baldwin at the top of their respective games, but a 23-17 loss to St. Louis in Week 16 has them looking to regroup somewhat. The Cardinals aren't taking the Seahawks lightly and will give their rivals everything they can handle in this game.

"I don't think you get anything out of resting guys, especially playing a team that's in our division and we haven't beaten them at home in a couple of years," Cardinals head coach Bruce Arians said Monday, per Jose M. Romero of the Associated Press (via FoxSports.com). "We don't want to start a precedent now."

Seattle would be loathe to come away with a loss in this game, even though it's confined to a wild-card spot. These two teams could very well be meeting in the later rounds of the NFC playoffs. It would be a tough psychological blow if Seattle had two losses to its division rival heading into that potential contest.