It’s the final weekend of the NFL regular season, and the final few playoff spots will be locked. On Saturday, the Houston Texans clinched a spot while the Pittsburgh Steelers kept their slim playoff hopes alive. On Sunday, the Dolphins, Bills, Jaguars, Cowboys, Eagles, Rams, Packers, Buccaneers, Saints, Falcons and Vikings will all find out if their seasons continue or come to an end. Let’s take a look at the NFL playoff spotlight.
AFC Playoff Spotlight
The Ravens, Dolphins, Chiefs, Browns and Texans are all assured playoff spots. Baltimore ended its season with a loss to Pittsburgh, but the Ravens had already clinched homefield advantage throughout the playoffs. The game meant more to the Steelers while Baltimore rested its players. The Kansas City Chiefs have already clinched the number three seed and will host either the Dolphins, Texans or Steelers in the Wild Card round. Meanwhile, the Cleveland Browns have secured the top Wild Card spot and will play the AFC South champion in the first round of the playoffs. It’s just unclear who their opponent will be.
Saturday’s Results
On Saturday, Houston defeated Indianapolis securing a playoff spot for the Texans while eliminating the Colts. The question for Houston now is who will they play? The Texans are rooting for a Titans win over the Jaguars to secure the number four seed and the right to host Cleveland next week. If Jacksonville wins, Houston’s fate comes down to the Dolphins-Bills game on Sunday night. A Miami win means Houston will be the six seed and face Kansas City. A Buffalo win means the Texans will be the seven seed and face the Bills.
Pittsburgh ended its regular season with a win over Baltimore Saturday keeping the team’s slim playoff hopes alive. The Steelers will be rooting for either the Titans or Dolphins Sunday. A loss by either Jacksonville or Buffalo puts Pittsburgh in the playoffs and eliminates one of those two teams depending on who loses or if both lose.
Looking Ahead to Sunday
Pittsburgh’s win made Jacksonville’s path to the playoffs incredibly simple. If the Jags beat the Titans, Jacksonville wins the division and will host the Browns. If the Jags lose, they are eliminated.
Finally in the AFC, the Miami and Buffalo game gets the Sunday Night Football spot due to the outstanding scenarios that surround this game. If Miami wins, they are the second seed and will host either the Texans, Steelers or possibly the Bills. A Miami loss and Buffalo win means the Dolphins will be the sixth seed and head to Kansas City, while the Bills would slide into the two seed and host either the Texans or Steelers. If Buffalo loses, their fate depends on the Jacksonville game earlier in the day. The Bills could be the seven seed and head to Miami or could be eliminated with the loss.
NFC Playoff Spotlight
Things are a little easier to determine in the NFC. The 49ers have clinched the top seed and homefield advantage. The Dallas Cowboys clinch the number two seed with a win over Washington. Meanwhile, the Philadelphia Eagles can clinch the two seed with a win over the Giants and a Washington win over Dallas. Whoever loses finishes second in the division will be the five seed in the playoffs.
The Detroit Lions have clinched the NFC North and will be, at worst, the number three seed. Detroit can clinch the two seed with a win and losses by Dallas and Philadelphia. That scenario would end with Dallas as NFC East champions.
NFC South: Still Weird
Three teams are vying for the number four seed and the NFC South titles. Tampa clinches the division with a win over Carolina. New Orleans and Atlanta play each other. The winner of that game will clinch the division if Carolina upsets Tampa. However, Tampa and New Orleans still have outside chances at Wild Card spots.
Wicked Wild Card Scenarios
The Rams have clinched a playoff spot and will either be the sixth or seventh seed depending on their game with San Francisco and Green Bay’s game with Chicago. The Rams clinch the sixth seed with a win or a Packers loss. Los Angeles falls to the seventh seed with a loss and a Packers win.
Green Bay clinches a playoff spot with a win over Chicago. However, that final seed falls into chaos, should the Packers lose. Should Green Bay lose, Seattle is next in line for the final playoff spot with a win over Arizona. Tampa could clinch the spot with a loss to Carolina if Arizona beats Seattle. New Orleans could clinch the spot with a win over Atlanta, a Tampa win over Carolina and losses by Green Bay and Seattle. And Minnesota could sneak into the final spot with a win over Detroit, a Tampa win over Carolina and losses by Green Bay, Seattle and New Orleans.
AFC Playoff Spotlight Predictions
- Baltimore Ravens (Bye)
- Buffalo Bills vs. 7. Houston Texans
- Kansas City Chiefs vs. 6. Miami Dolphins
- Jacksonville Jaguars vs. 5. Cleveland Browns
NFC Playoff Spotlight Predictions
- San Francisco 49ers (Bye)
- Dallas Cowboys vs. 7. Green Bay Packers
- Detroit Lions vs. 6. Los Angeles Rams
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. 5. Philadelphia Eagles
Let’s see how this final Sunday of the NFL season shakes out.
Click here for more NFL content.
Follow Fantom Sports on Twitter.
Invest in your favorite athletes with Prediction Stike! Use code FANTOM when you sign up.