Final Look at the NFL Playoff Picture

Photo: Imagn Images

The end of the season is an interesting time. As teams clich playoff spotsor get eliminated entirelystarters' playing time can be affected. We'll take a look at which teams are playing meaningful games. These teams should player their starters as they normally would. Teams not playing for playoff seeding, however, might rest their starters for the playoffs. For teams already eliminated, they might put some young guys on the field as they look to the 2017 season.

Teams in the Playoffs or in the Playoff Hunt

Atlanta

• Has clinched division title
• Can clinch first-round bye with:
• A win OR
• A tie and a Seattle loss or tie OR
• A Seattle loss AND a Detroit loss or tie OR
• A Seattle tie AND a Detroit loss

Dallas

• Has clinched division title, first-round bye, and home-field through NFC playoffs
• Nothing to play for

Detroit

• Can clinch first-round bye with:
• A win AND a Seattle loss or tie AND an Atlanta loss
• Can clinch division with:
• A Detroit win
• Can clinch playoff spot with:
• A Detroit tie OR a Washington loss or tie

Green Bay

• Can clinch division with:
• A win or tie
• Can clinch playoff spot with:
• A Washington loss OR
• A Washington tie AND Tampa Bay AND Green Bay having at least a tie in strength of victory tiebreaker over Tampa Bay, which happens if one of the following teams win or tie: Seattle, Houston, Jacksonville, or Philadelphia

Houston

• Has clinched division and 4-seed
• Nothing to play for

Kansas City

• Has clinched playoff spot
• Can clinch 5-seed with:
• A loss and a Miami loss
• Can clinch division and first-round bye with:
• A win and an Oakland loss

Miami

• Has clinched playoff spot
• Can clinch 5-seed with:
• A win and a Kansas City loss

New England

• Has clinched division title and first-round bye
• Can clinch home-field through AFC playoffs with:
• A win or tie OR
• An Oakland loss or tie

NY Giants

• Has clinched playoff spot and 5-seed
• Nothing to play for

Oakland

• Has clinched playoff spot
• Can clinch division and first-round bye with:
• A win or tie OR a Kansas City loss or tie
• Can clinch home-field through AFC playoffs with:
• A win AND a a New England loss

Pittburgh

• Has clinched division and 3-seed
• Nothing to play for

Seattle

• Has clinched division
• Can clinch a first-round bye with:
• A win AND an Atlanta loss or tie OR
• A tie AND an Atlanta loss AND a Detroit tie

Tampa Bay

• Can clinch a playoff spot with:
• A win AND an Indianapolis win AND a Dallas win AND a Tennessee AND a San Francisco win AND a Detroit win AND a Washington tie

Washington

• Can clinch a playoff spot with:
• A win AND a Detroit win or Green Bay win
• A tie AND a Green Bay loss AND a Tampa Bay loss or tie

Teams Out of the Playoffs

Arizona
Baltimore
Buffalo
Carolina
Chicago
Cincinnati
Cleveland
Denver
Indianapolis
Jacksonville
Los Angeles
Minnesota
New Orleans
NY Jets
Philadelphia
San Diego
San Francisco
Tennessee