NFL Playoff Schedule 2016: AFC, NFC Bracket Details and Latest Picks

The final weekend of the NFL season will provide the answers to the playoff conundrum.

The 2015 season does not have the variables that many of the past years have had because the NFC playoff participants are set. The only thing that needs to be decided is the positioning of the top six teams and the determination of the matchups for the Wild Card Weekend.

It's a bit more complicated in the AFC, where two spots remain technically in play.

The Houston Texans are on top in that division right now and are likely to win it, but the Indianapolis Colts have a slight chance of getting to the top spot. However, they would need to beat the Tennessee Titans and the Texans would have to lose to the Jacksonville Jaguars, and then seven other games would need to break the Colts' way for that to happen.

One wild-card spot is still to be determined in the AFC. The New York Jets own a one-game lead over the Pittsburgh Steelers, and if the Jets win at Buffalo or the Steelers lose at Cleveland, the Jets will be playing postseason football. If the opposite results happen, Mike Tomlin and the Steelers will earn a playoff spot.

While the Carolina Panthers and Arizona Cardinals will have a bye in the first round and will host postseason games in the divisional round of the playoffs, the top seed in the NFC playoffs has not been determined.

The Panthers have the edge, and if they beat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers or the Cardinals lose at home to the Seattle Seahawks, the road to the NFC title goes through Carolina. However, if the Panthers lose and the Cardinals will win, Arizona will have home-field advantage in the NFC.

The Panthers remain atop Elliot Harrison's NFL.com power rankings going into the final week of the season:

"

.@HarrisonNFL's Power Rankings: Week 17 1. @Panthers 2. @AZCardinals 3. @Patriots 4-32. https://t.co/x947ikCOxW pic.twitter.com/mXwLGDpypB

— NFL (@NFL) December 29, 2015"

The Minnesota Vikings and Green Bay Packers will meet at Lambeau Field to determine the NFC North titlist Sunday night. The winner of that game will earn the No. 3 seed in the NFC playoffs, while the loser will be a wild-card team. If the Packers lose, they will end up as the No. 5 seed, while the Vikings could end up as the fifth or sixth seed in the NFC playoffs. 

Current Position	Team	Week 17 opponent	Predicted playoff position
1	Carolina Panthers	vs. Tampa Bay	No. 1 seed, bye in first round
2	Arizona Cardinals	vs. Seattle	No. 2 seed, bye in first round
3	Green Bay Packers	vs. Minnesota	No. 5 seed, at Washington
4	Washington Redskins	at Dallas	No. 4 seed, vs. Green Bay
5	Minnesota Vikings	at Green Bay	No. 3 seed, vs. Seattle
6	Seattle Seahawks	at Arizona	No. 6 seed, at Minnesota

The Washington Redskins are the surprising NFC champions, and they are locked in as the No. 4 seed in the NFC playoffs. Their game at Dallas this Sunday is meaningless to the standings and seedings, so head coach Jay Gruden could end up resting some of his top players.

The Seahawks are the final NFC participant. If they lose at Arizona Sunday, the Seahawks will remain the sixth seed and will play a wild-card game at the home of the NFC North champion. If they beat the Cardinals, they have a chance to move up to the fifth seed if the Packers beat the Vikings. Under that circumstance, the Seahawks would play their first playoff game at Washington.

The New England Patriots have clinched a bye in the first round of the playoffs, and if they beat the Miami Dolphins or the Denver Broncos lose at home to the San Diego Chargers, New England will earn the No. 1 seed.

If the Broncos beat the Chargers and the Patriots lose in South Florida, the Broncos will earn the top seed and the Pats will end up as the second seed.

Current Position	Team	Week 17 opponent	Predicted playoff position
1	New England Patriots	at Miami	No. 1 seed, bye in first round
2	Denver Broncos	vs. San Diego	No. 2 seed, bye in first round
3	Cincinnati Bengals	vs. Baltimore	No. 3 seed, vs. N.Y. Jets
4	Houston Texans	vs. Jacksonville	No. 4 seed, vs. Kansas City
5	Kansas City Chiefs	vs. Oakland	No. 5 seed, at Houston
6	New York Jets	at Buffalo	No. 6 seed, at Cincinnati
7	Pittsburgh Steelers	at Cleveland	Out of playoffs
8	Indianapolis Colts	vs. Tennessee	Out of playoffs

The Cincinnati Bengals are the likely No. 3 seed as the AFC North champions, but they still have an outside chance of gaining the No. 2 seed and a bye week. If the Bengals defeat the Baltimore Ravens and the Broncos lose to San Diego, the Bengals can slip into the No. 2 spot. It that doesn't happen, the Bengals are locked in at No. 3, just as the AFC South winner—almost certainly the Houston Texans—is locked in at No. 4.

Tony Avelar/Associated Press

Don't look for injured Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton to return to the lineup for a wild-card game. NFL insider Ian Rapoport says that his injured wrist will not allow that to happen:

"

From last night... Andy Dalton still a few weeks away https://t.co/4fIDKjZCuS

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) December 29, 2015"

The streaking Kansas City Chiefs have won nine games in a row and have clinched a wild-card spot. If the Chiefs beat the Oakland Raiders at home and the Broncos lose to San Diego, the Chiefs would win the AFC West and become the No. 3 seed. 

If the Jets beat the Bills and the Chiefs lose, the Jets would move into the No. 5 seed and face the AFC South winner in the Wild Card Round. If the Chiefs beat Oakland, they can be no worse than the No. 5 seed, and that would leave the Jets or Steelers as the No. 6 seed.