NFL Week 16 playoff-clinching scenarios: How each team can punch ticket to postseason

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By , Audacy

Week 16 is an important point in the NFL season as the playoff picture will begin to take shape.

Six teams have clinched berths so far – the Bills, Chiefs and Steelers in the AFC and Packers, Saints and Seahawks in the NFC – but there is still plenty left to be decided in the expanded 14-team field, including byes and seeding for the teams who have already clinched.

Here is the playoff picture as it stands:

AFC: 1. Chiefs** (13-1) 2. Bills** (11-3) 3. Steelers* (11-3) 4. Titans (10-4) 5. Browns (10-4) 6. Colts (10-4) 7. Dolphins (9-5)
In the hunt: Ravens (9-5), Raiders (7-7)

NFC: 1. Packers** (11-3) 2. Saints* (10-4) 3. Seahawks* (10-4) 4. Washington (6-8) 5. Rams (9-5) 6. Bucs (9-5) 7. Cardinals (8-6)
In the hunt: Bears (7-7), Vikings (6-8), Cowboys (5-9), Giants (5-9), Eagles (4-9-1)

**Clinched division
*Clinched playoff berth

Here are the playoff-clinching scenarios:

Cleveland Browns (10-4) at New York Jets (1-13)

Cleveland can clinch a playoff berth with a win + BAL loss or tie OR
Win + MIA loss or tie OR
Win + IND loss OR
Tie + BAL loss OR
Tie + MIA loss

Indianapolis Colts (10-4) at Pittsburgh Steelers (11-3)

Indianapolis can clinch a playoff berth with a win + BAL loss or tie OR
Win + MIA loss or tie OR
Tie + BAL loss OR
Tie + MIA loss

Pittsburgh can clinch AFC North with a win or CLE loss OR
Tie + CLE tie

Kansas City Chiefs (13-1) vs. Atlanta Falcons (4-10)

Kansas City can clinch the AFC No. 1 seed + first-round bye with a win or tie OR
PIT loss or tie OR
BUF loss or tie

Tennessee Titans (10-4) at Green Bay Packers (11-3)

Tennessee can clinch AFC South with a win and IND loss.
Tennessee can clinch a playoff berth with a win OR
MIA loss OR
BAL loss OR
Tie + BAL tie

Green Bay can clinch the NFC No. 1 seed and first-round bye with a win + SEA loss or tie OR
Tie + NO loss or tie AND Sea loss or tie (as long as both SEA and NO don’t tie)

Arizona Cardinals (8-6) vs. San Francisco 49ers (5-9)

Arizona can clinch playoff berth with a win + CHI loss or tie OR
Tie + CHI loss

Los Angeles Rams (9-5) at Seattle Seahawks (10-4)

Los Angeles can clinch playoff berth with a win or tie OR
CHI loss or tie OR
ARI win or tie

Seattle can clinch the NFC West with a win.

New Orleans Saints (10-4) vs. Minnesota Vikings (6-8)

New Orleans can clinch the NFC South with a win OR
TB loss OR
Tie + TB tie

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (9-5) at Detroit Lions (5-9)

Tampa Bay can clinch playoff berth with a win or tie OR
CHI loss or tie

Washington Football Team (6-8) vs. Carolina Panthers (4-10)

Washington can clinch the NFC East with a win + NYG loss or tie OR
Tie + NYG loss or tie AND PHI-DAL tie

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