Ravens Playoff Picture 2017: Chances Baltimore Makes Postseason, Wild-Card Tiebreaker Scenarios

With four teams fighting for the two AFC wild-card spots in Week 17, the Baltimore Ravens have the best chance of finding themselves in the 2017 NFL playoff picture. They are a game ahead of the Tennessee Titans, Los Angeles Chargers and Buffalo Bills in the standings, and they control their own destiny in Sunday’s regular-season finale.

It’s pretty simple for the Ravens. Baltimore can clinch the AFC’s No.5 seed with a victory over the Cincinnati Bengals. If the Ravens lose Sunday afternoon, tiebreaker scenarios allow them to make the postseason in a couple of different ways.

What the Chargers do has no bearing on the Ravens’ fate. Baltimore owns the tiebreaker over Los Angeles because of their conference record.

The Ravens need to avoid a three-way tie with the Tennessee Titans and Buffalo Bills. In that case, Tennessee would have a better conference record than Baltimore and Buffalo. The Ravens and Bills would have the same conference record, and Buffalo would get into the playoffs because of the strength of victory tiebreaker.

A Baltimore loss would require either a Tennessee loss or tie or a Buffalo loss or tie to get the Ravens into the postseason. Tennessee hosts the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 17 and Buffalo visits the Miami Dolphins. Both the Titans and Bills are favored.

If the Ravens win and earn the No.5 seed, they’ll visit the Kansas City Chiefs on wild-card weekend. Dropping to the No.6 seed would get them a matchup with Jacksonville in the first round of the playoffs. The Ravens lost to the Jaguars 44-7 in London earlier this season.

Out of all the potential wild-card teams, Baltimore might have the best shot of making a Super Bowl run. The Ravens are playing their best football of the season, having won five of their last six games. Baltimore’s only loss during that time came on a last-second field goal in Pittsburgh.

Joe Flacco hasn’t had a very good season, though he’s played better of late. The quarterback was terrific in the 2012 playoffs when he led the Ravens to their second championship in franchise history.

The Ravens are heavy favorites over the Bengals in Week 17. Baltimore won 20-0 in Cincinnati in the season opener.