NFL Playoff Scenarios 2018: Week 17 AFC, NFC Postseason Picture

The final NFL regular-season action of 2018 takes place Sunday. Fortunately for fans, most games carry playoff implications. Only one first-round bye has been clinched, and two divisional races still have to be decided.

The day's action caps off with a play-in game between the Indianapolis Colts and Tennessee Titans.

In all, 11 of the 16 Week 17 games could shake up the playoff race. Only a few will affect which teams get in and which teams don't, but there is still a lot of seeding to sort out. 

AFC

1. Kansas City Chiefs (11-4)

2. New England Patriots (10-5)

3. Houston Texans (10-5)

4. Baltimore Ravens (9-6)

Wild Card

5. Los Angeles Chargers (11-4)

6. Indianapolis Colts (9-6)

In the Hunt

7. Tennessee Titans (9-6)

8. Pittsburgh Steelers (8-6-1)

NFC

1. New Orleans Saints (13-2)

2. Los Angeles Rams (12-3)

3. Chicago Bears (11-4)

4. Dallas Cowboys (9-6)

Wild Card

5. Seattle Seahawks (9-6)

6. Minnesota Vikings (8-6-1)

In the Hunt

7. Philadelphia Eagles (8-7)

AFC Seeding

What's interesting about the AFC this year is that both first-round byes are still up for grabs. The No. 1 seed will belong to the Kansas City Chiefs as long as they win in Week 17. If they lose, though, both the Los Angeles Chargers and New England Patriots have the potential to steal it.

New England would also need the Chargers to lose and would need a win over the New York Jets. That's unlikely but still possible. The Patriots can take the No. 2 seed by beating the Jets. If the Patriots lose, the Houston Texans can regain the No. 2 slot with a victory.

Because the Chiefs and Chargers are both in the AFC West, the team that doesn't win the division will be relegated to the No. 5 seed.

Houston needs a win to clinch the AFC South, and the Baltimore Ravens need a win to take the AFC North. The Texans can still get in as a wild card with a loss, which might not be the case for the Ravens.

AFC Wild Card

Baltimore could be out of the playoffs with a loss to the Cleveland Browns because the Pittsburgh Steelers are nipping at their heels. The Ravens and Pittsburgh cannot both get into the postseason, so it's the AFC North crown or bust.

If the Ravens lose and the Steelers beat the Cincinnati Bengals, the division belongs to Pittsburgh.

The Titans and Colts are playing for a spot in the postseason. Whether that playoff berth is as a wild-card team or a division champion will depend on what the Texans do earlier in the day. Either way, the Week 17 finale is going to be a high-stakes matchup.

Colts quarterback Andrew Luck has never lost to Tennessee, but he will have his hands full against a resilient defense and probably quarterback Marcus Mariota. Though Mariota was injured in Week 16, he's confident that he will play in this make-or-break game.

"Of course I am optimistic," Mariota said, per Turron Davenport of ESPN.com. "This is what it's about. We're playing for everything. I am doing everything I can day and night to get ready."

NFC Seeding

The New Orleans Saints have already secured the No. 1 seed in the NFL. This means their game against the Carolina Panthers is meaningless, and we're not likely to see many or any of the Saints starters. New Orleans has already said that backup quarterback Teddy Bridgewater will see action.

"I'm excited for him," starter Drew Brees said, per Nick Underhill of the New Orleans Advocate. "I think there's no doubt he's going to get some playing time."

Like the Saints, the Dallas Cowboys have nothing to play for. They are locked into the fourth seed.

Things are a little more uncertain for the Los Angeles Rams and Chicago Bears, though. A win secures the No. 2 seed for L.A., but a loss gives Chicago an opportunity to earn the first-round bye.

NFC Wild Card

The fact that Chicago still has a shot at earning the second seed is bad news for the Minnesota Vikings. Minnesota needs a win to secure the No. 6 seed, and it would be nice if Chicago just rested its starters. The last time these two teams met, in Week 11, the Bears won 25-20.

The Bears' shot at earning the second seed is good news for the Philadelphia Eagles, however. If the Vikings lose, the Eagles can get in with a win over the Washington Redskins. Though he suffered a hard hit at the end of Week 16's win over the Texans, Nick Foles will again start for Philadelphia.

"I'm great—feel great," Foles said, per Tim McManus of ESPN.com.

Philadelphia is the only NFC team with a chance to slide into the postseason. However, the Vikings can still move up a spot in the seeding with a win and a Seattle Seahawks loss. That would be the difference between facing the Dallas Cowboys and either the Rams or Bears.