NFL Playoff Scenarios Enter Week 17 as Top Seeds Remain Unsettled

When the Lions limped out of the playoff picture at Minnesota on Christmas Day, it brought some clarity to the postseason snapshot for several other teams.

The Packers are in, but there's still a chance Green Bay will be the NFC North champion at the end of Week 18. They could wind up as the No. 2, No, 3 or 5-7 based on outcomes the final two weeks.

Whether Green Bay buys into the path to a division title — and home game wild-card weekend — has implications in the AFC. If the Packers hit the brakes on Saturday and Baltimore leaves Lambeau Field with a win, the pressure point shifts to Cleveland. That's where the Steelers must win for the first time since 2021 to end the AFC North fight. A loss means PIttsburgh and Baltimore play for the AFC North title Jan. 4 in the Week 18 finale.

The final NFC playoff spot hasn't been claimed, but It will go to either the Buccaneers or current South division leader Carolina.

The top seed and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs is still up for grabs in both conferences.

Denver's 20-13 win at Kansas City on Thursday night was the Broncos' 12th in the past 13 games. The Broncos hold the tiebreaker over the New England Patriots (12-3), who visit the New York Jets on Sunday.

Denver will clinch the AFC West if the Los Angeles Chargers (11-4) lose to the Houston Texans on Saturday. But if the Chargers win to stay in the division title equation, the chance remains Denver could go from No. 1 seed to traveling for a wild-card game. Denver hosts the Chargers in Week 18.

“At the end of the day, none of it really matters. We have to play the final game, and we have to take care of it," Nix said Thursday night. "They (Los Angeles Charges) are going to be a good football team. Some other team could help us along the way, but at the end of the day, it is going to come down to us versus them. We are excited to have them at home. It is going to be a really good environment and atmosphere. It is honestly playoff atmosphere. It is going to be tough. I have not beaten them, but it is going to be a good nine days of preparation. On the tenth day, it will be all you have got for four quarters or however long it takes. We are excited about it."

There's a similar scenario for the Chicago Bears (11-4) — and most of the NFC West.

The Bears are currently second in the conference standings behind the Seahawks (12-3) and headed to San Francisco on Sunday night. The 49ers (11-4) sit fifth for now in the NFC bracket. With wins over the Bears and Seahawks (Week 18), the 49ers would be the No. 1 seed in the NFC.

Chicago could lose twice — but wraps the season against the Lions, who have nothing tangible to play for in the finale -- and switch places with the Packers (9-5-1) if Green Bay wins out.

"Our step No. 1 was to get to 11 [wins]," Bears coach Ben Johnson said. "There's never been an 11-win team to not make it, and so we felt pretty good about that being the number going into the season. That was step one. Step two is we want to win this division. We want to have at least one home playoff game. And then step three would be clinch a No. 1 seed. So there are a lot of things still out there to play for. Our guys know that."