NFL Playoffs 2016: Predictions for AFC, NFC Seeds and Matchups Before Week 17

After weeks of countless hypotheticals, the NFL postseason field will finally come into focus with the conclusion of Sunday's Week 17 games.

The six playoff openings in the NFC are filled, while only two remain in the AFC. Only the Washington Redskins and the NFC South champion are assured of their seeding at this point, though. The standings may look a bit different come Monday.

Here's a look at the NFL playoff picture with one more week remaining:

Playoff Seed Predictions

Seed	AFC	NFC
1	New England Patriots (AFC East)	Carolina Panthers (NFC South)
2	Denver Broncos (AFC South)	Arizona Cardinals (NFC West)
3	Cincinnati Bengals (AFC North)	Minnesota Vikings (NFC North
4	Houston Texans (NFC South)	Washington Redskins (NFC East)
5	Kansas City Chiefs (WC)	Green Bay Packers (WC)
6	Pittsburgh Steelers (WC)	Seattle Seahawks (WC)

Analysis

Both the New England Patriots and Carolina Panthers are in somewhat tricky positions. Ideally, they would be able to rest a few of their starters in Week 17 ahead of the postseason, but they still have work to do in order to secure the top seeds in their respective conferences.

For New England, health concerns are particularly pressing because the team has lost wide receiver after wide receiver, with a number of defensive players banged up as well.

While head coach Bill Belichick will believe in his team's chances of winning in just about any situation, the idea of possibly playing the AFC championship has to worry him a little bit.

The same goes for Panthers head coach Ron Rivera. Losing the last two games of the regular season and falling to the No. 2 seed would erase much of the positive feeling in Carolina after the team's 14-0 start.

Rivera recalled a situation when he was an assistant with the Chicago Bears when the team rested players in Week 17 and then lost its first playoff game.

"At the time it seemed like a great idea. We all agreed and thought it would be good," he said in December, per ESPN's David Newton. "But after the game—guys talking about, 'Gah, a little rusty. I wish we had played a little more because we had the bye week, too'—just listening to that it really just reminded me."

Bill Barnwell of ESPN argued that, at the very least, results near the end of the regular season have little effect on playoff teams:

"

It's never good to use one team as your anecdotal argument to pursue or not pursue a strategy, and when you look at the bigger picture, there's scant evidence that teams who get hot in December actually do better than teams with similar records that step off the accelerator around Christmas. I studied the idea of "peaking at the right time" in 2012 and found that teams who got hot just before the playoffs weren't able to carry that success over to the postseason.

"

Belichick and Rivera will likely lean on their starters for as long as is absolutely necessary to secure a victory. If the Panthers or Patriots own comfortable leads in the third or fourth quarters, then some of their starters could slowly start exiting the game.

As long as Carolina and New England are committed to securing the top seed, they should do just that Sunday.

Part of what will make Belichick's decision is the fact the Patriots and Denver Broncos don't play at the same time. Rivera can at least be updated as to the result of the Arizona Cardinals' matchup with the Seattle Seahawks and adjust his strategy accordingly.

The other interesting story to follow on Sunday will be the result of the Green Bay Packers and Minnesota Vikings' NFC North title-decider. Minnesota lost 30-13 at home to Green Bay in Week 11, but the Packers have regressed in recent weeks.

They looked dreadful in their 38-8 defeat to the Cardinals in Week 16. Aaron Rodgers threw for 151 yards and was sacked eight times. Arizona also turned two Rodgers fumbles into touchdowns.

ESPN Stats & Info expects Green Bay to make a strong recovery, though:

Mike McCarn/Associated Press

The Vikings and Packers arguably have a stronger incentive to lose and cede the title to the other team.

They're both assured of a playoff spot, so defeat wouldn't prove costly in that regard. Instead, a loss could ensure Green Bay or Minnesota plays the Washington Redskins rather than the Seahawks in the Wild Card Round.

Seattle will finish in the sixth seed with a loss to the Cardinals or a win by the Vikings. If the Seahawks and Packers both win, Seattle moves up to fifth.

At this point in the year, the Seahawks look like a much trickier matchup than the Redskins, who are locked into the No. 4 seed in the NFC.

Given the Packers' inconsistent performances from week to week, the Vikings are more than capable of pulling off the upset, and in doing so, they might bring out their own playoff demise.