NFL Playoffs 2017-18: Predicting Post-Week 16 AFC, NFC Standings

The weather was the prominent theme at the start of Week 16 of the NFL season on Saturday.

In Baltimore, the host Ravens and visiting Indianapolis Colts battled a downpour and heavy winds. Eventually, the Ravens held off the pesky Colts, 23-16.

In Green Bay, the temperature was close to zero degrees Fahrenheit as the Minnesota Vikings shut out the Packers 16-0.

The rest of the slate should prove entertaining in part because of the massive playoff implications that some games bring this week.

Here's a look at the predicted NFL standings following the games on Sunday in addition to some AFC and NFC notes.

Post-Week 16 Standings, Predictions

AFC

Division Leaders

1. New England Patriots: 12-3

2. Pittsburgh Steelers: 12-3

3. Jacksonville Jaguars: 11-4

4. Kansas City Chiefs: 9-6

Wild Card

5. Baltimore Ravens: 9-6

6. Tennessee Titans: 8-7

In the Hunt

7. Buffalo Bills: 8-7

8. Los Angeles Chargers: 8-7

Eliminated

9. Oakland Raiders: 6-9

10. Miami Dolphins: 6-9

11. New York Jets: 5-10

12. Cincinnati Bengals: 5-10

13. Denver Broncos: 5-10

14. Houston Texans: 4-11

15. Indianapolis Colts: 3-12

16. Cleveland Browns: 0-15

AFC Notes

The Tennessee Titans, who are facing the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 17, would not be happy to see the above scenario play out.

If the Jags still have a shot at claiming a wild-card bye heading into New Year's Eve (which is predicted above), then they'll certainly go all out to try to beat the Titans in Nashville.

However, if the Jags lost on Sunday while the New England Patriots and Pittsburgh Steelers held serve and won, then they'd be locked into hosting a wild-card game regardless of what happens in Week 17.

If that is the case, then it's unlikely the Jags would play their starters for the entirety of the game, meaning a much better chance for the Titans to win.

That being said, it will be hard for Jacksonville to leapfrog Pittsburgh or New England.

The Steelers close the year against the 4-10 Houston Texans and 0-15 Cleveland Browns. Losing either game would be a massive upset.

Meanwhile, the Patriots are heavy favorites, per OddsShark, against the Buffalo Bills on Sunday before they finish the year by hosting the five-win New York Jets.

Chances are both teams win out, which means the Pats will be the No. 1 seed in the AFC playoffs thanks to a 27-24 win over the Steelers last Sunday.

It will be interesting to see how the rest of the playoff field shakes out, however.

The Los Angeles Chargers are a game behind the Bills and Titans but have a far easier schedule (at the Jets and home versus the six-win Oakland Raiders). Meanwhile, the Bills and Titans have aforementioned tough matchups against the Pats and Jags, respectively.

If the Bolts can manage to win their final two games, the guess here is that they find their way into the postseason by jumping over the Bills and Titans into the No. 6 seed.

NFC

Division Leaders

1. Philadelphia Eagles: 13-2

2. Minnesota Vikings: 12-3

3. Los Angeles Rams: 11-4

4. New Orleans Saints: 11-4

Wild Card

5. Carolina Panthers: 11-4

6. Atlanta Falcons: 9-6

In the Hunt

7. Detroit Lions: 9-6

8. Dallas Cowboys: 9-6

Eliminated

9. Seattle Seahawks: 8-7

10. Green Bay Packers: 7-8

11. Washington Redskins: 7-8

12. Arizona Cardinals: 7-8

13. Chicago Bears: 5-10

14. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 4-11

15. San Francisco 49ers: 4-11

16. New York Giants: 2-13

NFC Notes

Much of the drama in the NFC is around the wild-card race, so the focus of this section will be on the teams battling for a playoff spot as the season draws to a close.

The Carolina Panthers will get in with a win on Sunday against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. They are 10-point favorites, per OddsShark.

If the Panthers lose, it wouldn't be the first time that a double-digit favorite lost outright (see the most infamous case here), but chances are that Carolina gets the job done and earns a playoff berth.

Much of the intrigue then lies in the fight for the sixth seed.

The Seattle Seahawks and Dallas Cowboys will play a de-facto elimination game on Sunday, with the loser being eliminated from playoff contention. The winner would stay alive for a wild card.

If the Atlanta Falcons lose and the Detroit Lions win on Sunday, then we will see a scenario in which three teams are tied for the final NFC wild-card spot with one week remaining.

The Falcons have a big edge in the tiebreaker department. They beat the Lions and Seattle Seahawks 30-26 and 34-31, respectively, so they have the head-to-head tiebreakers in hand against them.

Furthermore, Atlanta has an 8-2 conference record (the second tiebreaker) compared to 7-4 for the Lions and 6-4 for Dallas.

Therefore, the Falcons need to win just one of two games to make the playoffs. That's easier said than done, however, as they face the New Orleans Saints and Carolina Panthers to close the regular season.

Detroit closes with five-win Cincinnati and a Green Bay Packers team sans star quarterback Aaron Rodgers. Dallas will face a Philadelphia Eagles team in Week 17 that will almost certainly rest its starters if it sews up home-field advantage throughout the NFC playoffs with a win on Monday. Seattle closes with a home date against six-win Arizona.

While Atlanta has the one-game edge at the moment, any of the three teams behind them could conceivably steal its spot.