We are down to the last week of regular season games in the 2011 NFL season and there are still 3 playoff spots left up for grabs along with several other week 17 playoff scenarios. Their is also a lot left to be determined as far as some seeding goes as only the Green Bay Packers have locked up home-field advantage through-out the playoffs.
The Pittsburgh Steelers situation I have covered before, but I will recap quickly. If the Steelers beat the Cleveland Browns on Sunday and the Baltimore Ravens lose or tie against the Cincinnati Bengals, the Steelers are AFC North champions and will get a first round bye. If the Steelers tie the Browns on Sunday, they will need the Ravens to lose outright for them to win the division.
The AFC West is still up in the air as is the final AFC wild card spot. Should the Bengals win or tie against the Ravens, they will be the 6th and final AFC playoff team.
The one remaining playoff spot in the NFC will go to the winner of the NFC East and that will come down to the winner of the Sunday night game between the Dallas Cowboys and the New York Giants. The Giants also win the division if they tie the Cowboys Sunday night.
Below are the numerous playoff scenarios that will take place in week 17 as there are 5 teams still alive for two spots in the AFC and two teams still alive for one spot in the NFC.
AFC
CLINCHED:
New England – AFC East and a first-round bye
Houston – AFC South
Baltimore – playoff spot
Pittsburgh – playoff spot
NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS
New England clinches home-field advantage throughout AFC playoffs with:
1) NE win or tie OR
2) BAL loss or tie + PIT loss or tie
BALTIMORE RAVENS
Baltimore clinches AFC North division and a first-round bye with:
1) BAL win OR
2) BAL tie + PIT loss or tie OR
3) PIT loss
Baltimore clinches home-field advantage throughout AFC playoffs with:
1) BAL win + NE loss
PITTSBURGH STEELERS
Pittsburgh clinches AFC North division and a first-round bye with:
1) PIT win + BAL loss or tie OR
2) PIT tie + BAL loss
Pittsburgh clinches home-field advantage throughout AFC playoffs with:
1) PIT win + BAL loss or tie + NE loss
DENVER BRONCOS
Denver clinches AFC West division with:
1) DEN win OR
2) DEN tie + OAK loss or tie OR
3) OAK loss
OAKLAND RAIDERS
Oakland clinches AFC West division with:
1) OAK win + DEN loss or tie OR
2) OAK tie + DEN loss
Oakland clinches a playoff spot with:
1) OAK win + CIN loss + TEN loss or tie OR
2) OAK win + CIN loss + NYJ win
CINCINNATI BENGALS
Cincinnati clinches a playoff spot with:
1) CIN win or tie OR
2) NYJ loss or tie + OAK loss or tie OR
3) NYJ loss or tie + DEN loss or tie
NEW YORK JETS
New York clinches a playoff spot with:
1) NYJ win + CIN loss + TEN loss or tie + OAK loss or tie OR
2) NYJ win + CIN loss + TEN loss or tie + DEN loss or tie
TENNESSEE TITANS
Tennessee clinches a playoff spot with:
1) TEN win + CIN loss + NYJ win + OAK loss or tie OR
2) TEN win + CIN loss + NYJ win + DEN loss or tie OR
3) TEN win + CIN loss + NYJ loss or tie + OAK win + DEN win
NFC
CLINCHED:
Green Bay – NFC North and home-field advantage
San Francisco – NFC West
New Orleans – NFC South
Detroit – playoff spot
Atlanta – playoff spot
SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS
San Francisco clinches a first-round bye with:
1) SF win OR
2) SF tie + NO loss or tie OR
3) NO loss
NEW ORLEANS SAINTS
New Orleans clinches a first-round bye with:
1) NO win + SF loss or tie OR
2) NO tie + SF loss
NEW YORK GIANTS
New York clinches NFC East division with:
1) NYG win or tie
DALLAS COWBOYS
Dallas clinches NFC East division with:
1) DAL win
