By: Adamo Marinelli
December 30, 2020
Entering week 17, only seven of the 14 playoff spots have been locked up. The week 17 slate of games has a lot of playoff implications. Several teams are still fighting for a chance to lock up their division and others are simply trying to secure a postseason berth.
I will go over every single game and discuss the scenarios for each team to get into the playoffs and/or win their division. I will also predict who will win their division, which teams will clinch playoff spots and the seeding in both conferences.
Vikings at Lions: No playoff implications, both teams have been eliminated from the playoffs.
Falcons at Buccaneers: The Falcons have been eliminated. The Buccaneers have already clinched a playoff spot but cannot win the division: the Saints have the tiebreaker over the Bucs.
Jets at Patriots: No playoff implications, both teams have been eliminated from the playoffs. With the Jets’ second win this season over the Browns, the Jaguars have clinched the first overall pick.
Dolphins at Bills: The Bills have already won the AFC East, and the Dolphins control their own destiny for the playoffs: win and they’re in.
Steelers at Browns: The Steelers have already clinched the AFC North. Ben Roethlisberger has been given the week off. If the Browns win, they will clinch a playoff spot.
Cowboys at Giants: No-one has won the NFC East yet. If the Cowboys win and the Washington Football Team loses to the Eagles, the Cowboys will win the division. The Giants have beat Washington both times, so if they win and the Football Team loses to the Eagles, the Giants win the division.
Ravens at Bengals: The Bengals have been eliminated from the playoffs. The Ravens simply need a win over the Bengals or a Browns loss to the Steelers to get a wildcard spot.
Jaguars at Colts: The Jaguars have clinched the first overall pick and have been eliminated from the playoffs for a while now. The AFC South is still up for grabs with the Colts and Titans both falling to 10-5 in week 16. The Titans have the tiebreaker over the Colts so the Colts need to win and the Titans to lose to win the division or they need to win and have either the Dolphins, Browns, or Ravens to lose to clinch a wild card spot.
Titans at Texans: The Texans have been eliminated for a few weeks now. The Titans just have to win in week 17 to clinch the AFC South and a playoff spot as they have the tiebreaker over the Colts.
Cardinals at Rams: The Rams simply have to win to clinch a playoff berth. However, that task is considerably harder with Jared Goff missing the game with a broken thumb. The Bears hold the seventh seed with their week seven win over the Cardinals. The Cardinals need to win and have the Bears lose to the Packers to get in. If the Bears win, Arizona is out.
Saints at Panthers: The Panthers are eliminated from the playoffs. The Saints have already won the NFC South. If the Saints win, and the Packers and Seahawks lose, the Saints can clinch the number one seed.
Packers at Bears: The Packers have won the NFC North and can clinch the number one seed if they beat Chicago or if Seattle loses to San Fransisco. The Bears can clinch a playoff berth with a win or a Cardinals loss.
Chiefs at Chargers: No playoff implications here. The Chargers have been eliminated from the playoffs already. The Chiefs have won another AFC West title and locked up the AFC’s first seed with an ugly win over the Falcons.
Seahawks at 49ers: The 49ers have already been eliminated from the playoffs. The Seahawks have won the NFC West with a week 16 win over the Rams and can clinch the number one seed in the NFC with a win and a loss from the Packers and Saints.
Raiders at Broncos: No playoff implications, both teams have been eliminated from the playoffs.
Football Team at Eagles: The Eagles were eliminated with a blowout loss to the Cowboys. The Football team has the tiebreaker over the Cowboys so with a win and a Cowboys loss, they will win the lackluster NFC East and earn a playoff berth.
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My AFC Standings Predictions
Chiefs, 14-2
Bills, 12-4 (loss to Dolphins, tiebreaker over Steelers)
Steelers, 12-4
Titans, 11-5 (both teams win in week 17, but Titans have the tiebreaker over Colts)
Colts, 11-5
Dolphins, 11-5 (win over Bills)
Browns, 11-5 (win over Steelers)
Notable eliminations: Ravens (Browns beat Steelers, so Ravens do not get in)
My NFC Standings Predictions
Packers, 12-4 (despite loss to Bears, Packers have the tiebreaker over Saints)
Saints, 12-4
Seahawks, 12-4 (they win, and Packers lose, but Saints win, they don’t get #1 seed)
Washington, 7-9 (beat Eagles, Cowboys lose Giants)
Buccaneers, 11-5
Rams, 10-6 (they beat Arizona, got in)
Bears, 9-7 (a win against the Packers and an Arizona loss clinched a playoff spot)
Notable eliminations: Cardinals (they lost to Rams, Bears won final two games and have the tiebreaker over the Cardinals)
In a wild year, we can only expect a wild end to the season and a wild but entertaining postseason.
Here are my playoff predictions:
My Super Bowl Winner: Packers
Super Bowl Matchup: Packers vs Bills
AFC Finalsist: Chiefs
NFC Finalist: Buccaneers
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