by Demarus Dye|Fox Sports 1340am

 

As we inch closer & closer to the 2017 NFL Postseason, Fox Sports 1340am Presents the 2016 NFL Playoff Picture, this week as we head into week 16. If the playoffs started today here are a few of the scenarios. (In parentheses is the wins, losses & in italic games still to play vs. teams in the playoff hunt). This Week we have each team that is in Top Secondary Player via picture

AFC:

1 New England Patriots 12-2; 9-1 Conference Record (Wins: @ Cardinals, vs. Dolphins, vs. Texans, @ Steelers, @ Bills, vs. Ravens, @ Broncos. Losses: vs. Bills, vs. Seahawks. Still to Play: @ Dolphins)

 

• New England has clinched the AFC East and a first-round bye. The Patriots will clinch home-field advantage throughout the AFC playoffs with a win over the Jets on Saturday combined with a Raiders loss to the Colts.

2 Oakland Raiders 11-3; 8-2 Conference Record (Wins: @ Titans, @ Ravens, @ Buccaneers, vs. Broncos, vs. Texans, vs. Bills.  Losses: vs. Falcons, vs. Chiefs & @ Chiefs. Still to Play: vs. Colts, @ Broncos)

• Oakland has clinched its first playoff berth since 2002. The Raiders will clinch the AFC West and a first-round bye with a win over the Colts plus a Chiefs loss or tie to the Broncos, or with a tie and a Chiefs loss.

 

3 Pittsburgh Steelers 9-5; 7-3 Conference Record (Wins: @ Redskins, vs. Chiefs, @ Colts, vs. Giants, @ Bills. Losses:  @ Dolphins, vs. Patriots, @ Ravens, vs. Cowboys. Still to Play: vs. Ravens)

• Pittsburgh will clinch the AFC North with a win over the Ravens on Christmas.

4 Houston Texans 8-6; 6-4 Conference Record (Wins: vs. Chiefs, vs. Titans, vs. Colts & @ Colts, vs. Lions. Losses: @ Patriots, @ Vikings, @ Broncos, @ Raiders, @ Packers.  Still to Play: @ Titans)

• Houston will clinch the AFC South with a win over the Bengals on Christmas Eve night combined with a Titans loss at Jacksonville earlier in the day. The Texans and Titans meet in Week 17.

5 Kansas City Chiefs 10-4; 7-3 Conference Record (Wins: @ Raiders & vs. Raiders, @Colts, @ Broncos, at Falcons.  Losses: @Texans, @ Steelers, vs. Buccaneers, vs. Titans.  Still to Play:  vs. Broncos,)

• Kansas City will clinch a playoff berth with a win or tie against the Broncos on Christmas night plus a Ravens loss or tie to the Steelers earlier in the day.

 

6 Miami Dolphins 9-5; 6-4 Conference Record(Wins: vs. Steelers, vs. Dolphins, vs. Cardinals.  Losses: @ Seahawks, @ Patriots, vs. Titans, @ Ravens. Still to Play: vs. @ Bills, vs. Patriots)

• Miami will clinch a playoff berth with a win over the Bills on Christmas Eve plus a Broncos loss or tie to the Chiefs the next night. The Dolphins also can clinch a berth in Week 16 with a tie, losses by the Broncos and Ravens, and either a Titans loss or tie or a Texans loss or tie. They also will clinch a playoff berth by winning out. Miami closes with the Patriots at home in Week 17, and New England might have secured the No. 1 seed by then.

 

In the Hunt: None of these teams can clinch a playoff berth in Week 16.

Baltimore Ravens 8-6; 7-3 Conference Record (Wins: vs. Bills, vs. Steelers, vs. Dolphins. Losses: vs. Raiders, vs. Redskins, @ Giants, @ Cowboys, @ Patriots. Still to Play: @ Steelers)

• will be eliminated from playoff contention with a loss to the Steelers combined with a Dolphins win or tie against the Bills.

Tennessee Titans 8-6; 5-5 Conference Record(Wins: @ Lions, @ Dolphins, vs. Packers, vs. Broncos, @ Chiefs. Losses: vs. Vikings, vs. Raiders, @ Texans, @ Colts & vs. Colts.  Still to Play: vs. Texans)

• will be eliminated from playoff contention with a loss to the Jaguars, plus a Dolphins win or tie against the Bills, plus a Texans win over the Bengals; or with a loss to the Jaguars, plus a Texans win over the Bengals, plus a Ravens win over the Steelers.

Denver Broncos 8-6; 5-5 Conference Record (Wins: vs. Colts, @Buccaneers, vs. Texans. Losses: vs. Falcons, @ Raiders, vs. Chiefs, @ Titans, vs. Patriots. Still to Play: @ Chiefs, vs. Raiders)

• will be eliminated from playoff contention with a loss to the Chiefs plus a Dolphins win or tie against the Bills, or a tie against the Chiefs plus a Dolphins win over the Bills; or a loss to the Chiefs plus a Ravens win over the Steelers.

Indianapolis Colts 7-7; 4-6 Conference Record (Wins: @ Titans & vs. Titans, @ Packers, @ Vikings. Losses: vs. Lions, @ Broncos, @ Texans & vs. Texans, vs. Chiefs, vs. Steelers.  Still to Play: @Raiders)

• will be eliminated from playoff contention with a loss or tie against the Raiders. The Colts also will be eliminated if a number of other things happen involving other teams below:

Case 1
Raiders beats or ties the Colts

Case 2
Dolphins beats or ties the Bills, and
Titans beats the Jaguars

Case 3
Dolphins beats or ties the Bills, and
Texans beats the Bengals

Case 4
Titans beats the Jaguars, and
Ravens beats the Steelers

Case 5
Texans beats the Bengals, and
Ravens beats the Steelers

Case 6
Dolphins beats or ties the Bills, and
Jaguars ties the Titans, and
Texans ties the Bengals

Case 7
Jaguars ties the Titans, Texans ties the Bengals, and
Ravens beats the Steelers

 

Buffalo Bills 7-7; 4-6 Conference Record (Wins: vs. Cardinals, @ Patriots. Losses: @ Ravens, @ Dolphins, @ Patriots, @ Seahawks, @ Raiders, vs. Steelers.  Still to Play: vs. Dolphins)

 

• will be eliminated from playoff contention with a loss or tie against the Dolphins, or a Ravens win over the Steelers; or with a Titans win over the Jaguars plus a Texans win over the Bengals.

 

Eliminated: Bengals, Chargers, Jets, Jaguars, Browns.

Wild Cards Match-ups (if the Playoffs started today)

6 Miami Dolphins vs. 3 Pittsburgh Steelers

5 Kansas City Chiefs vs. 4 Houston Texans

1 New England & 2 Denver has 1st Round Bye

NFC:

1 Dallas Cowboys 12-2; 8-2 Conference Record(Wins: @ Redskins & vs. Redskins, @ Packers, @Steelers, vs. Ravens, @ Vikings, vs. Buccaneers.  Losses: vs. Giants & @ Giants. Still to Play: vs. Lions)

• Dallas has clinched a playoff berth but not the NFC East title just yet. They will clinch the division, a first-round bye and home-field advantage throughout the NFC playoffs with one more win or tie or one more Giants loss or tie. Whoever wins the NFC East is guaranteed to be the No. 1 seed in the NFC.

 

2 Seattle Seahawks 9-4-1; 5-4-1 Conference Record(Wins: vs. Dolphins, vs. Falcons, vs. Bills, @ Patriots. Losses: @ Buccaneers, @ Packers.)

• Seattle clinched the NFC West. Can clinch the No. 2 seed and a first-round bye with a win over the Cardinals on Christmas Eve, plus a Falcons loss or tie against the Panthers, plus a Lions loss to the Cowboys.

 

3 Atlanta Falcons 9-5; 7-3 Conference Record(Wins: @ Raiders, @ Broncos,  vs. Packers, @ Buccaneers.  Losses: @ Buccaneers, @ Seahawks, vs. Chiefs.)

• Atlanta will clinch the NFC South with a win over the Panthers on Christmas Eve plus a Bucs loss or tie against the Saints, or with a tie and a Bucs loss. There are numerous scenarios in which Atlanta can clinch a playoff berth in Week 16, most involving a Falcons win or tie against Carolina.

 

Case 1
Falcons beats or ties the Panthers, and
Vikings beats or ties the Packers

Case 2
Falcons beats the Panthers, and
Cardinals beats the Seahawks

Case 3
Falcons beats or ties the Panthers, and
Cowboys ties the Lions

Case 4
Falcons beats the Panthers, and
Cowboys beats the Lions

Case 5
Vikings beats the Packers, and
Bears beats or ties the Redskins

Case 6
Falcons beats the Panthers, and
Giants beats the Eagles, and
Seahawks ties the Cardinals

Case 7
Packers ties the Vikings, and
Bears beats or ties the Redskins, and
Cowboys beats the Lions

 

4 Detroit Lions 9-5; 7-3 Conference Record(Wins: @ Colts, vs. Eagles, vs. Redskins, @ Vikings & vs. Vikings. Losses: vs. Titans, @ Packers, @ Texans, @ Giants.  Still to Play: @ Cowboys, vs. Packers)

• Detroit will clinch the NFC North with a win over the Cowboys plus a Packers loss or tie to the Vikings, or with a tie and a Packers loss. There are numerous scenarios in which the Lions can clinch a playoff berth in Week 16: Win or tie vs. Cowboys plus Bucs loss to Saints; win plus Saints-Bucs tie; tie vs. Cowboys plus Falcons win over Panthers plus Saints-Bucs tie; Bears win or tie vs. Redskins plus Falcons win or tie vs. Panthers plus Saints win over Bucs.

 

5 New York Giants 9-4; 6-3 Conference Record(Wins: @ Cowboys & vs. Cowboys, vs. Saints, vs. Ravens, vs. Lions. Losses: vs. Redskins, @ Vikings, @ Packers, @ Steelers. Still to Play: @ Redskins)

• New York still hasn’t clinched a playoff spot despite having the second-most wins in the NFC. The Giants will clinch a playoff berth with a win or tie against the Eagles on Thursday night; or a loss by either the Packers, Falcons or Lions; or a Bucs loss or tie plus a loss or tie by either the Packers or Lions. The Giants will clinch the NFC East and the No. 1 seed if they win out and the Cowboys lose out.

 

6 Green Bay Packers 8-6; 6-4 Conference Record(Wins: vs. Lions, vs. Giants, vs. Texans, vs. Seahawks. Losses: @ Vikings, vs. Cowboys, @ Falcons, vs. Colts, @ Titans, vs. Redskins. Still to Play: vs. Vikings, @ Lions)

• Green Bay moved into the No. 6 spot after the Panthers’ win over the Redskins on Monday night. The Packers and Bucs are tied in conference record, record vs. common opponents and strength of victory, but Green Bay has the slightest of edges over Tampa Bay in strength of schedule. The Packers can neither clinch a playoff spot nor be eliminated from playoff contention in Week 16.

 

In the Hunt:

Tampa Bay Buccaneers 8-6; 6-4 Conference Record(Wins: @ Falcons, @ Chiefs, vs. Seahawks. Losses: vs. Broncos, vs. Raiders, vs. Falcons, @ Cowboys.)

• Can clinch a playoff spot in Week 16 with a win over the Saints, plus a Vikings win over the Packers, plus a Bears win over the Redskins, plus a Cowboys win over the Lions. The Bucs cannot be eliminated from playoff contention in Week 16.

 

Washington Redskins 7-6-1; 5-5 Conference Record(Wins: @ Giants, @ Ravens, vs. Vikings, vs. Packers. Losses: vs. Steelers, vs. Cowboys & @ Cowboys, @ Lions. Still to Play: vs. Giants)

• Cannot clinch a playoff berth in Week 16 after its loss to the Panthers. The Redskins will be eliminated with a loss or tie against the Bears plus a Packers win over the Vikings; or a loss to the Bears plus a Bucs win or tie against the Saints; or a tie against the Bears plus a Bucs win over the Saints.

Minnesota Vikings 7-7; 4-6 Conference Record(Wins: @ Titans, vs. Packers, vs. Giants, vs. Texans, Losses: vs. Lions & @ Lions, @ Redskins, vs. Cowboys, vs. Colts. Still to Play: @ Packers)

• Cannot clinch a playoff spot in Week 16. The Vikings will be eliminated from playoff contention with a loss to the Packers, or a Bucs win over the Saints; or a tie against the Packers plus a Saints-Bucs tie; or a tie against the Packers plus a Redskins win over the Bears.

 

Near Impossible:

New Orleans Saints (6-8) will be eliminated in Week 16 with a loss or tie against the Bucs, or a Packers win or tie against the Vikings or a Redskins win over the Bears.

Carolina Panthers (6-8) has a nearly impossible path to the postseason: It will need to win out, have Tampa Bay lose its remaining two games, have the Vikings beat the Packers and both finish 8-8, have the Redskins finish the season 0-1-1 and have the Saints lose to the Falcons in Week 17.

 

Eliminated: Cardinals, Eagles, Rams, Bears, 49ers.

Wild Cards Match-ups (if the Playoffs started today)

6 Green Bay Packers vs. 3 Atlanta Falcons

5 New York Giants vs. 4 Detroit Lions

1 Dallas & 2 Seattle has 1st Round Bye

 

Check out Demarus Dye(aka D) on the Flex Zone Wednesday Nights at 7 pm EST on Fox Sports 1340am 

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