NFL Week 17 Playoff Scenarios: Titans, Bengals, Bills, Colts, Patriots Can Clinch Spots In Bracket

Only one AFC team has clinched a spot in the NFL playoffs, but that is expected to change in Week 17. Five teams have a chance to join the Kansas City Chiefs in the final postseason bracket with two games left in the 2021 regular season.

Kansas City has already won the AFC West. The Tennessee Titans are on the verge of winning the AFC South. The Cincinnati Bengals can clinch the AFC North title in Week 17 without any help. The Buffalo Bills can’t clinch the AFC East in Week 17, but several scenarios exist for the team to make the playoffs.

The Indianapolis Colts and New England Patriots can also clinch spots in the final playoff picture Sunday.

A Titans win or a Colts loss gives Tennessee the AFC South title. The Titans host the Miami Dolphins in Week 17. Indianapolis hosts the Las Vegas Raiders. Miami has the final spot in the latest playoff picture, while Las Vegas is a tiebreaker away from being the No. 7 seed.

There are multiple scenarios for Tennessee to clinch a playoff spot without winning the division in Week 17. If the Los Angeles Chargers and Baltimore Ravens both lose, the Titans are guaranteed a wild-card spot, at worst.

Cincinnati is also one victory away from clinching the division title. Doing so won’t be easy, considering the Bengals are underdogs against the red-hot Chiefs. Kansas City clinches the No. 1 seed in the AFC if it beats Cincinnati and Tennessee fails to beat Miami.

The Bengals can also win the AFC North if they lose in the unlikely scenario that Baltimore loses and Monday’s game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Cleveland Browns ends in a tie. Baltimore hosts the Los Angeles Rams in Week 17.

Buffalo is the only first-place AFC team that can’t clinch a division championship in Week 17. The Bills have the same record as the Patriots and the final tiebreaker won’t be decided until Week 18.

The Bills will clinch a playoff spot if they beat the Atlanta Falcons and the Ravens don’t defeat the Rams. A win for Buffalo along with losses for both the Chargers and Raiders would also secure a wild-card spot, at worst, for the Bills.

New England is the biggest Week 17 favorite in their matchup with the Jacksonville Jaguars. The Patriots would clinch a playoff spot if they beat the Jaguars and the Dolphins lose to the Titans. A New England win coupled with a Las Vegas loss also gets the Patriots in the final playoff picture.

Indianapolis is the only wild-card team that controls its own playoff destiny in Week 17. The Colts are in the playoffs with a win. If Indianapolis somehow ties Las Vegas, it can still clinch a postseason berth with a Baltimore loss and a loss by either New England or Miami.

Twelve AFC teams are still fighting for the final six playoff spots.