NFL Week 17 playoff scenarios: Broncos, Chargers, Commanders and Falcons can clinch berths


The NFL schedule has reached Week 17 and several teams have already secured their playoff spots.

In the AFC, the Buffalo Bills, Houston Texans, Kansas City Chiefs, Baltimore Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers are all postseason bound. And in the NFC, the Detroit Lions, Green Bay Packers, Minnesota Vikings and the Philadelphia Eagles have clinched berths.

First-round byes and seeds are still up for grabs and several teams can still earn a spot in the playoffs this weekend.

Here’s a look at which teams could earn a ticket to the postseason and which games, this weekend, have playoff implications.

Chiefs (14-1) at Steelers (10-5)
Wednesday, 1 p.m. ET, Netflix

The Chiefs can clinch the AFC’s No. 1 seed, lone first-round bye and home-field advantage with:

  • A win or tie
  • A Bills loss or tie

Denver Broncos (9-6) at Cincinnati Bengals (7-8)
Saturday, 4:30 p.m. ET, NFL Network

Denver clinches a playoff berth with:

Los Angeles Chargers (9-6) at New England Patriots (3-12)
Saturday, 1 p.m. ET, NFL Network

The Chargers clinch a playoff berth with:

  • A win or tie
  • A Miami Dolphins loss or tie and Indianapolis Colts loss or tie

Lions (13-2) at San Francisco 49ers (6-9)
Monday, 8:15 p.m. ET, ESPN/ABC

The Lions can clinch the NFC North division title, the NFC’s No. 1 seed, lone first-round bye and home-field advantage with:

Eagles (12-3) vs. Dallas Cowboys (7-8)
Sunday, 1 p.m. ET, FOX

Philadelphia clinches the NFC East division title with:

  • A win or tie
  • A Washington Commanders loss or tie

Atlanta Falcons (8-7) at Commanders (10-5)
Sunday, 8:20 p.m. ET, NBC

The Falcons can clinch the NFC South division title with:

  • A win and a Tampa Bay Buccaneers loss

Los Angeles Rams (9-6) vs. Arizona Cardinals (7-8)
Saturday, 8 p.m. ET, NFL Network

The Rams can clinch the NFC West division title with:

  • A win and a Seattle Seahawks loss or tie
  • A win and the Rams’ strength of victory tiebreaker over the Seahawks*
  • A tie and Seahawks loss

*(Note: The Rams clinch the strength of victory over the Seahawks with 3.5 or more wins from the following teams: Vikings, Bills, 49ers, Commanders, Bengals and Browns)

Washington Commanders (10-5) vs. Falcons (8-7)
Sunday, 8:20 p.m. ET, NBC

The Commanders can clinch a playoff berth with:

  • A win or tie
  • A Buccaneers loss or tie

Required reading

(Photo: Scott Taetsch / Getty Images)



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