Just one team from each conference will earn first-round byes in 2020 as part of the restructured playoff format. The reigning Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs have clinched the top seed and first-round bye for the AFC.
The Chiefs also are heavy favorites to repeat as champions.
Most sports betting websites also list the Green Bay Packers, New Orleans Saints, Buffalo Bills, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Seattle Seahawks, Baltimore Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers as top contenders to win Super Bowl LV.
All 16 NFL games for Week 17 take place Sunday. The NFL playoffs start Jan. 9, and the Super Bowl is scheduled for Feb. 7 in Tampa, Fla.
Fourteen teams have been eliminated from playoff contention and don’t have much to play for in Week 17, other than draft position.
Here is what the other 16 teams must do in the final week of the regular season to make the playoffs or clinch a top seed:
NFL playoff scenarios
Note: Ties, which are very rare in the NFL, have been eliminated from these scenarios to simplify playoff berths requirements.
AFC
Clinched playoff berth
No. 1 Chiefs — Clinched top seed, first-round bye
No. 2 Bills — Beat Dolphins or Steelers loss for No. 2 seed
No. 3 Steelers — Beat Browns and Bills loss for No. 2 seed
Haven’t clinched
No. 4 Titans — Beat Texans or Colts loss for AFC South title, playoff berth; Ravens loss or Dolphins loss to clinch berth
No. 5 Dolphins — Beat Bills or Ravens loss or Browns loss or Colts loss to clinch berth
No. 6 Ravens — Beat Bengals or Browns loss or Colts loss to clinch berth
No. 7 Browns — Beat Steelers or Colts loss or Titans loss + Dolphins win + Ravens win
No. 8 Colts — Beat Jaguars and Titans loss for AFC South title, playoff berth; Beat Jaguars + Ravens loss or beat Jaguars + Browns loss or beat Jaguars + Dolphins loss to clinch berth
NFC
Clinched playoff berth
No. 1 Packers — Beat Bears or Seahawks loss for No. 1 seed and first-round bye
No. 2 Saints — Beat Panthers + Packers loss + 49ers win for No. 1 seed and first-round bye
No. 3 Seahawks — Beat 49ers + Packers loss + Saints loss for No. 1 seed and first-round bye
No. 5 Buccaneers — Beat Falcons or Rams loss to clinch No. 5 seed
Haven’t clinched
No. 4 Washington — Beat Eagles for NFC East title, playoff berth
No. 6 Rams — Beat Cardinals or Bears loss to clinch berth
No. 7 Bears — Beat Packers or Cardinals loss to clinch berth
No. 8 Cardinals — Beat Rams to clinch berth
No. 9 Cowboys — Beat Giants and Washington for NFC East title, playoff berth
No. 10 Giants — Beat Cowboys + Washington loss for NFC East title, playoff berth
Week 17 schedule
Sunday
Falcons (4-11) at Buccaneers (10-5) at 1 p.m. EST on Fox
Cowboys (6-9) at Giants (5-10) at 1 p.m. EST on Fox
Jets (2-13) at Patriots (6-9) at 1 p.m. EST on CBS
Vikings (6-9) at Lions (5-10) at 1 p.m. EST on Fox
Steelers (12-3) at Browns (10-5) at 1 p.m. EST on CBS
Ravens (10-5) at Bengals (4-10-1) at 1 p.m. EST on CBS
Dolphins (10-5) at Bills (12-3) at 1 p.m. EST on CBS
Seahawks (11-4) at 49ers (6-9) at 4:25 p.m. EST on Fox
Cardinals (8-7) at Rams (9-6) at 4:25 p.m. EST on CBS
Jaguars (1-14) at Colts (10-5) at 4:25 p.m. EST on CBS
Titans (10-5) at Texans (4-11) at 4:25 p.m. EST on CBS
Raiders (7-8) at Broncos (5-10) at 4:25 p.m. EST on CBS
Chargers (6-9) at Chiefs (14-1) at 4:25 p.m. EST on Fox
Packers (12-3) at Bears (8-7) at 4:25 p.m. EST on Fox
Saints (11-4) at Panthers (5-10) at 4:25 p.m. EST on Fox
Washington (6-9) at Eagles (4-10-1) at 8:20 p.m. EST on NBC
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