NFL Playoff Picture 2016: Clinching Scenarios for Week 16

Taking a look at the NFL Playoff picture and the clinching scenarios at play for Week 16 of the 2016 season.

We can wax about contenders to win Super Bowl LI all we want entering Week 16 of the 2016 season. However, that doesn’t mean the NFL Playoff picture is clear in any regard. Division winners, Wild Card spots, byes, seeding, and so on are all still up in the air.

That said, there are a few things that we do know about the NFL Playoff picture coming into Week 16. The Oakland Raiders clinched their first berth since 2002 last week with a win and now have their sights on clinching the AFC West title. Oakland joins the Dallas Cowboys, Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots as teams who have secured a spot in the postseason.

But that’s not why we’re here. Instead, we’re going to look at what’s on the line in Week 16. Some of those teams who have already clinched berths still have work to do for seeding and in their division, such as the aforementioned Raiders in the AFC West.

With that in mind, let’s take a look at the clinching scenarios on the line in Week 16 to get a better idea of how the 2016 NFL Playoff picture might end up:

AFC

For those Raiders, their scenarios are pretty simple in Week 16. If they win and the Kansas City Chiefs lose or tie, Oakland wins the division and earns a first-round bye. They also earn the same with a tie and a loss by the Chiefs.

Tom Brady and the Patriots also have simple scenarios on the line this week. If New England wins and the Raiders lose or tie, the Pats clinch home-field throughout the AFC Playoffs. If the Pats were to tie and Oakland were to lose, the former also nabs home-field advantage.

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Despite how simple those scenarios are, the Pittsburgh Steelers have an even simpler method of getting into the postseason and clinching a berth. With a win over the Baltimore Ravens, they win the AFC North—cut and dry.

Then you have the Chiefs, who have the chance to clinch a playoff berth with a win or a tie over the Denver Broncos. Even if they lose, they can still clinch a berth as well if the Ravens lose to the Steelers.

Even with Brock Osweiler’s benching, the Texans can clinch the AFC South title if they top the Cincinnati Bengals while the Tennessee Titans also lose to the Jacksonville Jaguars. If there’s any other combo of results, the division will come down to the clash between the Texans and Titans in Week 17.

Lastly in the AFC, the Dolphins have a few clinching scenarios at hand. With a win over the Buffalo Bills and Broncos loss or tie, the Fins are in. If the Dolphins were to tie, they can still clinch a postseason berth. That would require a loss by the Broncos and Ravens and a loss or tie from either the Texans or Titans.

NFC

We’ll start in the NFC with the New York Giants as they play on Thursday night. With a win or tie over the Philadelphia Eagles (on the road), the Giants clinch a playoff berth. Even with a loss, though, the G-Men clinch a berth if the Detroit Lions, Green Bay Packers, or Tampa Bay Buccaneers lose or tie. This is also the case if the Atlanta Falcons lose.

Staying in the NFC East, the 12-2 Cowboys can clinch the division and home-field advantage throughout the postseason if they win or tie the Lions on Monday Night Football. Moreover, they can also clinch the same if the Giants lose or tie on Thursday night.

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For the Seattle Seahawks, they have a simple scenario as they clinch a first-round bye with a win over the Arizona Cardinals, a Lions loss, and a loss or tie by the Falcons.

Now things start to get a bit more complicated and in-depth, starting with Detroit. The Lions clinch the NFC North if they win and the Packer lose or tie. If Green Bay loses outright, the Lions can also tie and clinch the division. However, they can also simply clinch a playoff berth in a number of ways. If Detroit wins while the Bucs lose or tie, the Lions are in. Moreover, if the Lions tie and Tampa loses, Detroit has a spot in the postseason. Then you have a scenario where the Lions tie, the Bucs tie, and the Falcons win that also gets Detroit in. Lastly, the Lions can lose and still clinch a berth if the Washington Redskins lose or tie, the Buccaneers lose, and Atlanta wins or ties.

Looking at those same Falcons, they too have a chance to clinch the division. With a win over the Panthers and a loss or tie by Tampa Bay, the NFC South is theirs. The same is true if Atlanta ties and the Buccaneers lose. Much like the Lions, they can also simply clinch a berth in the playoffs, With a win that also clinches the strength of victory tiebreak over the Lions, they’re in. Atlanta also gets in with a win or tie and a Packers or Lions loss or tie. What’s more, a Falcons tie and Detroit tie gets Atlanta in. Lastly, they can grab a postseason berth with a loss if the Redskins also lose or tie and either Green Bay loses or Green Bay ties and the Lions lose.

Back to simplicity, we have the Packers, who could come up with a playoff berth with a lot of help. With a win over the Minnesota Vikings, a Washington loss or tie, a Buccaneers loss, a Falcons win or tie, and securing the strength of victory tiebreak, the Packers get in.

Also need a bunch of help is Tampa Bay, who has the chance to clinch a playoff berth. With a win, a Green Bay loss, a Lions loss, and a Redskins loss, the Bucs are in. If those first three results happen and Washington ties, the Buccaneers can still get in if they clinch the strength of victory tiebreak over Detroit.

Next: NFL Picks, Predictions for Week 16

There you have it. As you can see, Week 16 is that time of the season when the NFL Playoff picture is anything but clear. But with huge matchups on the Christmas weekend and in Week 17, things could get wild down the stretch. In the end, that’s going to make for a great time for fans down the home stretch of the regular season.

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