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NFL Playoff Scenarios Week 16

Plenty can happen this Sunday in terms of the NFL Playoff Picture. As it stands, four teams - New England, Pittsburgh, Atlanta and Chicago - are officially in. Who and where they will play still needs to be determined. To make it easy for you, here is a team-by-team breakdown of what needs to happen, and what the results could be:

AFC

CLINCHED: New England - playoff spot

Pittsburgh - playoff spot

NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS

New England clinches AFC East division and homefield advantage with:

1) NE win or tie OR

2) NYJ loss or tie

PITTSBURGH STEELERS

Pittsburgh clinches AFC North division and a first-round bye with:

1) PIT win + BAL loss

KANSAS CITY CHIEFS

Kansas City clinches AFC West division with:

1) KC win + SD loss or tie OR

2) KC tie + SD loss

BALTIMORE RAVENS

Baltimore clinches a playoff spot with:

1) BAL win or tie OR

2) KC loss + JAX loss or tie OR

3) KC loss + IND loss or tie OR

4) SD loss or tie + JAX loss or tie OR

5) SD loss or tie + IND loss or tie

NEW YORK JETS

New York Jets clinch a playoff spot with:

1) NYJ win or tie OR

2) JAX loss or tie OR

3) IND loss or tie

ROUNDUP: To put it in plain English, the Patriots can clinch home-field all the way to the Super Bowl with a win this Sunday. Pittsburgh, while in the playoffs, is still trying to wrap up the AFC North and a first-round BYE. They can do so with a win and a Baltimore loss. The Ravens play the Browns on Sunday.

The Ravens have a 'win and they're in' scenario on Sunday as well, and still have a shot at winning the North, though it will belong to Pittsburgh if they win out. Kansas City can win the AFC West with a win coupled with a loss by the Chargers, though like Pittsburgh, the Chiefs will win the West if they keep winning.

The New York Jets, like the Ravens are in the Playoffs with a win on Sunday.

NFC

CLINCHED: Chicago - NFC North

Atlanta - playoff spot

ATLANTA FALCONS

Atlanta clinches NFC South division and homefield advantage with:

1) ATL win or tie

PHILADELPHIA EAGLES

Philadelphia clinches NFC East division with:

1) PHI win OR

2) PHI tie + NYG loss or tie OR

3) NYG loss

Philadelphia clinches a playoff spot with:

1) PHI tie OR

2) TB loss or tie

CHICAGO BEARS

Chicago clinches a first-round bye with:

1) CHI win + PHI loss + NYG loss or tie

NEW ORLEANS SAINTS

New Orleans clinches a playoff spot with:

1) NO win or tie OR

2) TB loss or tie

NEW YORK GIANTS

New York Giants clinch a playoff spot with:

1) NYG win

ROUNDUP: The Falcons can clinch the NFC South and home-field advantage with a win over the Saints on Sunday. The Saints, however, can keep their divisional hopes alive, and clinch a playoff spot themselves, with a win in the Georgia Dome.

If the Eagles win, they are the NFC East champs, though seeding will still need to be determined.

Chicago is already in, though they can clinch a first-round BYE with a win and losses by the Eagles and Giants.

Finally, the Giants, despite their collapse at home against the Eagles last Sunday are in with a win over the Green Bay Packers.

Photographs by spatulated, Triple Tri, and chrischappelear used in background montage under Creative Commons. Thank you.