NFC Playoff Picture and Week 17 Scenarios
Wild Card weekend is now over. Follow the link for the Divisional Round Playoff Matchups, Announcer Pairings, and Point Spreads.
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On Sunday night, I posted the AFC Playoff Picture and Scenarios as we head into Week 17, the final week of the regular season.
Now that the Monday Night game is over, we can take a look at how the NFC Playoff Picture and Scenarios line up with all of the Week 16 action in the books.
First off, here are the NFC teams that have clinched playoff spots as of today:
- The New York Giants have clinched the NFC East title and a first-round bye, along with home-field advantage throughout the playoffs.
- The Arizona Cardinals have clinched the NFC West and a first round home game.
- The Carolina Panthers and Atlanta Falcons have both clinched playoff berths.
If the season ended today, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at the Minnesota Vikings would be in the playoffs, but their spots are not guaranteed. The Dallas Cowboys, Chicago Bears, and Philadelphia Eagles all still have a chance.
In my AFC post, I tried to break down each of the potential Week 17 scenarios and what it would mean for the playoff picture. Because I failed to read through the tie-breaker procedures properly before posting, my projections were full of errors (that were later corrected in the comments section — thanks to those to who pointed them out.)
The NFC is much more up in the air than the AFC, so instead of trying to break down every scenario, let’s just go team-by-team and figure out what needs to happen for them to get in:
Playoff Scenarios for NFC East Teams Still Alive:
New York Giants: In with home-field advantage, as mentioned above.
Dallas Cowboys: The Cowboys are in the playoffs if they win. It’s that simple. Should the Cowboys lose to the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday, they are out. However, should the game result in a tie, the Cowboys could still sneak in if Tampa Bay, Minnesota, and Chicago all choke in Week 17.
Philadelphia Eagles: The Eagles need to beat the Cowboys and have Tampa Bay lose to Oakland. Additionally, one of the following must happen: Chicago or Minnesota must lose.
Playoff Scenarios for NFC North Teams Still Alive:
Chicago Bears: The Bears win the NFC North if they win and Minnesota loses or ties. If the Bears tie Houston, they need Minnesota to lose. Additionally, the Bears can clinch a wild-card spot with a win if both Dallas and Tampa Bay lose or tie. If the Bears tie Houston, they can still clinch a wild-card spot if both Dallas and Tampa Bay lose.
Minnesota Vikings: The Vikings win the NFC North if they beat the Giants. If they tie the Giants, and the Bears lose or tie, the Vikings still win the NFC North. If the Vikings tie the Giants, they could still claim a wild-card spot if both Dallas and Tampa Bay lose.
Playoff Scenarios for NFC South Teams Still Alive:
Carolina Panthers: They have already clinched a playoff spot, and can clinch the NFC South title and a first round bye if they beat New Orleans in Week 17. If they lose in Week 17, Carolina still wins the NFC South and a gets a bye if Atlanta loses to or ties St. Louis.
Atlanta Falcons: The Falcons have also clinched a playoff spot already, and can still win the NFC South and get a bye if they beat St. Louis and Carolina loses to New Orleans.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: If Tampa Bay beats Oakland in Week 17, they need Dallas to lose to Philadelphia. If so, they’re in. If Tampa Bay ties Oakland in Week 17, then a bunch of different iterations of the Cowboys, Vikings, and Bears losing or tying will still get the Bucs in. The chances of them tying Oakland are pretty slim, so I’m not wasting any more time writing about it. Tampa Bay needs to beat Oakland. If they don’t, they don’t deserve a spot.
