NFL playoff picture: Final look at the AFC and NFC field and standings
The NFL playoff picture is starting to clear itself up. After the early games in Week 17, all but two teams in the AFC are locked into their current seed. The Patriots clinched home-field advantage throughout with their win over the Dolphins. Miami’s loss also locked it into the sixth seed. The Steelers will host the Dolphins next weekend.
Here’s what the playoff bracket would look like if the playoffs started now:
Although six of the eight divisions were decided in the first 16 weeks of the season, the NFC North and AFC West needed one final Sunday of games to crown a champion. But division titles were just one aspect of the drama surrounding the last day of this year’s playoff race, as the teams whose spots are already secured jockeyed for seeding and teams played for their lives on the NFC wild-card bubble.
The first AFC matchups are set: On wild-card weekend, the Raiders will play the Texans, and the Steelers will host the Dolphins. The Patriots and Chiefs will be waiting for the winners the following weekend. In the NFC, the winner of Packers-Lions will take on the Giants at home in the first round, while the Seahawks will host the loser.
Here’s the most up-to-date look at the 2017 playoff field below, as long as the remaining scenarios that would lock in the final seeds and standings.
1. NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS*
RECORD: 14–2 (AFC: 11–1)
AFC East champion. Week 17: Beat Dolphins, 35–14.
2. KANSAS CITY CHIEFS*
RECORD: 12–4 (AFC: 9–3)
AFC West champion. Week 17: Beat Chargers, 37–27.
3. PITTSBURGH STEELERS*
RECORD: 11–5 (AFC: 9–3)
AFC North champions. Week 17: Beat Browns, 27–24.
4. HOUSTON TEXANS*
RECORD: 9–7 (AFC: 7–5)
AFC South champions. Week 17: Lost to Titans, 24–17.
5. OAKLAND RAIDERS*
RECORD: 12–4 (AFC: 9–3)
First wild card. Week 17: Lost to Broncos, 24–6.
6. MIAMI DOLPHINS*
RECORD: 10–6 (AFC: 7–5)
Second wild card. Week 17: Lost to Patriots, 35–14.
RECORD: 13–3 (NFC: 9–3)
NFC East champions. Week 17: Lost to Eagles, 27–13.
2. ATLANTA FALCONS*
RECORD: 11–5 (NFC: 9–3)
NFC South champions. Week 17: Beat Saints, 38–32.
3. SEATTLE SEAHAWKS*
RECORD: 10-5-1 (NFC: 6-5-1)
NFC West champions. Week 17: Beat 49ers, 25–23.
4. GREEN BAY PACKERS*
RECORD: 9–6 (NFC: 7-4)
NFC North leader. Week 17: at Lions.
5. NEW YORK GIANTS*
RECORD: 11–5 (NFC: 8–4)
First wild card. Week 17: Beat Redskins, 19–10.
6. DETROIT LIONS*
RECORD: 9–6 (NFC: 7–4)
Second wild card. Week 17: vs. Packers.
A quick rundown of the seeds and titles that needed to be clinched in Week 17:
• The AFC's top two seeds: The Patriots clinched the AFC's No. 1 seed and home field advantage with their win over the Dolphins. The Raiders needed both a win and a Patriots loss to grab the top spot. The Chiefs leapfrogged the Raiders for the AFC West title and the No. 2 seed when they beat the Chargers and the Raiders lost to the Broncos.
• The AFC's wild cards: Miami’s loss to New England locked in the Dolphins at the No. 6 seed, leaving the fifth seed to whichever of the Chiefs and Raiders didn’t win the AFC West. The Dolphins will play the No. 3 seed Steelers in Pittsburgh on wild-card weekend, while Oakland will play the Texans in Houston.
• The NFC’s No. 2 seed: The Falcons clinched a first-round bye with their 38–32 win over the Saints, but a loss would have opened the door for the Seahawks to grab the 2-seed with their win over San Francisco. If both Atlanta and Seattle had lost, Detroit could have jumped to No. 2 with a win over Green Bay.
• The NFC's final wild-card spot: The winner of Packers-Lions wins the NFC North, but the Redskins’ loss to the Giants secured both teams’ spots in the playoffs before the game began. The Buccaneers were extreme long shots to sneak into the field at the start of the day, but they would have grabbed the No. 6 seed with a win over Carolina plus wins by all of the following teams: Kansas City, Dallas, Detroit, San Francisco, Tennessee, Indianapolis, and a Redskins-Giants tie. The Cowboys’ loss in the early window sealed Tampa Bay’s fate.
The NFL playoff picture is starting to clear itself up. After the early games in Week 17, all but two teams in the AFC are locked into their current seed. The Patriots clinched home-field advantage throughout with their win over the Dolphins. Miami’s loss also locked it into the sixth seed. The Steelers will host the Dolphins next weekend.
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| NFL playoff picture |
Here’s what the playoff bracket would look like if the playoffs started now:
Although six of the eight divisions were decided in the first 16 weeks of the season, the NFC North and AFC West needed one final Sunday of games to crown a champion. But division titles were just one aspect of the drama surrounding the last day of this year’s playoff race, as the teams whose spots are already secured jockeyed for seeding and teams played for their lives on the NFC wild-card bubble.
The first AFC matchups are set: On wild-card weekend, the Raiders will play the Texans, and the Steelers will host the Dolphins. The Patriots and Chiefs will be waiting for the winners the following weekend. In the NFC, the winner of Packers-Lions will take on the Giants at home in the first round, while the Seahawks will host the loser.
Here’s the most up-to-date look at the 2017 playoff field below, as long as the remaining scenarios that would lock in the final seeds and standings.
NFL playoff picture: Final look at the AFC and NFC field and standings
NFL playoff picture: AFC
1. NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS*
RECORD: 14–2 (AFC: 11–1)
AFC East champion. Week 17: Beat Dolphins, 35–14.
2. KANSAS CITY CHIEFS*
RECORD: 12–4 (AFC: 9–3)
AFC West champion. Week 17: Beat Chargers, 37–27.
3. PITTSBURGH STEELERS*
RECORD: 11–5 (AFC: 9–3)
AFC North champions. Week 17: Beat Browns, 27–24.
4. HOUSTON TEXANS*
RECORD: 9–7 (AFC: 7–5)
AFC South champions. Week 17: Lost to Titans, 24–17.
5. OAKLAND RAIDERS*
RECORD: 12–4 (AFC: 9–3)
First wild card. Week 17: Lost to Broncos, 24–6.
6. MIAMI DOLPHINS*
RECORD: 10–6 (AFC: 7–5)
Second wild card. Week 17: Lost to Patriots, 35–14.
NFL playoff picture: NFC
1. DALLAS COWBOYS*RECORD: 13–3 (NFC: 9–3)
NFC East champions. Week 17: Lost to Eagles, 27–13.
2. ATLANTA FALCONS*
RECORD: 11–5 (NFC: 9–3)
NFC South champions. Week 17: Beat Saints, 38–32.
3. SEATTLE SEAHAWKS*
RECORD: 10-5-1 (NFC: 6-5-1)
NFC West champions. Week 17: Beat 49ers, 25–23.
4. GREEN BAY PACKERS*
RECORD: 9–6 (NFC: 7-4)
NFC North leader. Week 17: at Lions.
5. NEW YORK GIANTS*
RECORD: 11–5 (NFC: 8–4)
First wild card. Week 17: Beat Redskins, 19–10.
6. DETROIT LIONS*
RECORD: 9–6 (NFC: 7–4)
Second wild card. Week 17: vs. Packers.
A quick rundown of the seeds and titles that needed to be clinched in Week 17:
• The AFC's top two seeds: The Patriots clinched the AFC's No. 1 seed and home field advantage with their win over the Dolphins. The Raiders needed both a win and a Patriots loss to grab the top spot. The Chiefs leapfrogged the Raiders for the AFC West title and the No. 2 seed when they beat the Chargers and the Raiders lost to the Broncos.
• The AFC's wild cards: Miami’s loss to New England locked in the Dolphins at the No. 6 seed, leaving the fifth seed to whichever of the Chiefs and Raiders didn’t win the AFC West. The Dolphins will play the No. 3 seed Steelers in Pittsburgh on wild-card weekend, while Oakland will play the Texans in Houston.
• The NFC’s No. 2 seed: The Falcons clinched a first-round bye with their 38–32 win over the Saints, but a loss would have opened the door for the Seahawks to grab the 2-seed with their win over San Francisco. If both Atlanta and Seattle had lost, Detroit could have jumped to No. 2 with a win over Green Bay.
• The NFC's final wild-card spot: The winner of Packers-Lions wins the NFC North, but the Redskins’ loss to the Giants secured both teams’ spots in the playoffs before the game began. The Buccaneers were extreme long shots to sneak into the field at the start of the day, but they would have grabbed the No. 6 seed with a win over Carolina plus wins by all of the following teams: Kansas City, Dallas, Detroit, San Francisco, Tennessee, Indianapolis, and a Redskins-Giants tie. The Cowboys’ loss in the early window sealed Tampa Bay’s fate.
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