NFL Playoffs 2021: Updated AFC, NFC Scenarios Before Monday Night Football

The Buffalo Bills come into the final Monday night game of the 2020 NFL season facing the same scenario that has been in front of them for two weeks. 

Sean McDermott's team needs a win to stay ahead of the Pittsburgh Steelers through its head-to-head tiebreaker from Week 14.

Pittsburgh turned around its putrid form by defeating the Indianapolis Colts and clinching the AFC North title, but it does not have direct control of landing the No. 2 seed unless the Bills lose.

The Steelers' win reverberated through the AFC wild-card race, as the Colts dropped to eighth place on tiebreakers with the Miami Dolphins, Baltimore Ravens and Cleveland Browns. 

With so much still up for grabs in the AFC, the conference will likely have much more attention on it in Week 17 than the NFC. 

AFC Playoff Picture

Adam Hunger/Associated Press

Division Leaders

1. Kansas City (14-1)

2. Pittsburgh (12-3)

3. Buffalo (11-3)

4. Tennessee (10-5)

Buffalo could only be in third place on a temporary basis.

If the AFC East champion downs the New England Patriots, it will bounce back into second place ahead of the final day of the regular season. 

If the Bills win that game and their Week 17 clash with Miami, they will be on the opposite side of the bracket to the Kansas City Chiefs, who secured the first-round bye and home-field advantage on Sunday. 

The Tennessee Titans are still in the driver's seat to capture the AFC South crown through their better divisional record over the Colts. 

If the Titans defeat the Houston Texans in Week 17, they will be the fourth seed and face the best wild-card team. 

Wild-Card Race

5. Miami (10-5)

6. Baltimore (10-5)

7. Cleveland (10-5)

8. Indianapolis (10-5)

The wins by Miami and the Baltimore Ravens combined with the defeats suffered by the Browns and Colts altered the complexion of the wild-card race. 

The Dolphins moved up to the fifth seed through their last-second win over the Las Vegas Raiders that also eliminated the AFC West squad. 

Brian Flores' side holds a superior conference record in comparison to the other wild-card contenders, but it could be left on the outside looking in if it loses to the Buffalo in Week 17 and the other three squads are victorious. 

Cleveland also faces a tough Week 17 opponent fighting for the No. 2 seed. If all four wild-card contenders win on Sunday, the Browns would get in courtesy of their head-to-head victory over the Colts. 

That is the only tiebreaker the Browns have an advantage in. Miami has a better AFC record and Baltimore is one game ahead in AFC North record. 

Baltimore has the easiest scenario in front of it since it needs to beat the four-win Cincinnati Bengals to get in.

The Colts need to defeat the Jacksonville Jaguars at home and then hope for help in the divisional and wild-card races. 

A win combined with a Tennessee loss to Houston would give the Colts the divisional title. If not, one of the three squads in front of them must lose. 

NFC Playoff Picture

Mike Roemer/Associated Press

Division Leaders

1. Green Bay (12-3)

2. New Orleans (11-4)

3. Seattle (11-4)

4. Washington (6-9)

The NFC playoffs will go through Lambeau Field if the Green Bay Packers defeat the Chicago Bears in Week 17. 

The situation atop the NFC becomes trickier to figure out if the Bears take down their NFC North rival at Soldier Field.

The New Orleans Saints visit the Carolina Panthers, while the Seattle Seahawks go on the road to face the San Francisco 49ers. Seattle can take hold of the No. 1 seed if it wins and both Green Bay and New Orleans lose, while the Saints would take the No. 1 seed if they all finish on 12-4.

Washington needs a victory in Game 256 on Sunday night to secure the NFC East title with a record below .500. 

If the Football Team stumbles in Philadelphia, the winner of the New York Giants-Dallas Cowboys matchup will advance to the playoffs as the NFC East champion.

Wild-Card Race

5. Tampa Bay (10-5)

6. Los Angeles Rams (9-6)

7. Chicago (8-7)

8. Arizona (8-7)

Chicago's Week 16 triumph over Jacksonville combined with Arizona's defeat to San Francisco flipped the two teams in the standings. 

The Bears are ahead because of a better win percentage in common games tiebreaker, but they are not in the clear yet with the Packers coming to town in Week 17. 

Arizona and the Los Angeles Rams will face off on Sunday in a game that could favor the Cardinals if Jared Goff is not healthy.

According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, Goff suffered a dislocated thumb in Sunday's loss to the Seahawks. 

Los Angeles' easiest scenario is to beat Arizona, which would also make the Bears feel safe even if they lose. 

The Rams could miss out on the postseason entirely if they fall to the Cardinals and the Bears beat the Packers. 

Dallas and New York have not been eliminated from playoff contention yet, but neither team has a path to a wild-card berth.