Week 17 N.F.L. Playoff Picture: A Team-by-Team Guide

The Dolphins have clinched a playoff berth. Their remaining games — against the N.F.L.-leading Ravens (12-3) and the surging Bills (9-6) — will determine whether they are as high as the No. 1 seed or as low as the No. 6 seed.

Two wins guarantees the No. 1 seed, with a bye week and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs.

One win — in either game — would clinch the A.F.C. East, and probably the No. 2 seed.

Two losses would probably mean a wild-card berth, depending on the Bills’ result in their game on Sunday against the Patriots.

The Bills have won three games in a row and now represent the No. 6 seed in the A.F.C. playoff picture. Just one win in their next two games would almost certainly be enough to make the playoffs, but they also have a path to the division title — hosting an outdoor playoff game at Buffalo in January — if they win both games.

If the Bills win against the Patriots (4-11) on Sunday and the Dolphins (11-4) fall to the Ravens (12-3), the Bills-Dolphins matchup in Week 18 will be for the division.

That said, the Bills could still miss the playoffs with a pair of losses.

The Ravens, fresh off a convincing victory over the 49ers (11-4), appear to be the best team in the N.F.L. They have clinched a playoff berth.

They face the Dolphins (11-4) on Sunday. If they win, they’ll clinch the No. 1 seed and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs.

Any Ravens win or a Browns loss in Week 18 would clinch the A.F.C. North.

The Browns have won four straight, each of them led by their fourth starting quarterback of the season: Joe Flacco.

They have clinched a playoff berth. Realistically, the Browns are headed for the postseason with a wild-card berth, most likely as the No. 5 seed, visiting the No. 4 seed (probably the Jaguars, Texans or Colts) in the first round.

The Browns can technically still win the division, but they’d need to win their remaining game and hope the Ravens lose both of theirs.

The Bengals are on the fringe. After last Saturday’s loss to the Steelers, they will most likely need to win their remaining games, both against tough opponents: the Chiefs and the Browns.

But if they do manage to win those, the Bengals will probably make the playoffs as the No. 6 or No. 7 seed.

Like the Bengals, the Steelers have a narrow path to the playoffs. Winning their remaining games would very likely be enough to get in. But their season concludes with a game against the A.F.C.-best Ravens (12-3).

The Jaguars are on top of the A.F.C. South but share their record (8-7) with two other members of their division, the Colts and the Texans.

They’re in good position to make the playoffs, either as division champion or as a wild-card team. Their most important game is their last, in Week 18, against the Titans (5-10).

They host the team with the worst record in the N.F.L. — the Panthers (2-13) — on Sunday.

The Colts’ loss to the Falcons complicates their playoff path; they now probably need to win their remaining games.

Their matchup with the Texans, in Week 18, is the more important of the two for the Colts. But their Week 17 opponents, the Raiders (7-8), are fresh off a surprising win over the Chiefs, and they too will be playing to keep their (much dimmer) playoff hopes alive.

The Texans share the same record — and face the same path, more or less — as two other teams in the A.F.C. South: the Jaguars and the Colts. But they are third in the division (thanks to tiebreakers) and have the slimmest chance at a playoff berth of the three.

Two wins would secure a playoff berth and possibly the division title. One win would probably not be enough.

The Raiders’ unlikely win over the Chiefs in Week 16 has brightened their playoff picture. A loss still eliminates them, but two wins would probably put them in the playoffs.

They visit the Colts (8-7) next.

The Eagles’ win (and the Cowboys’ loss) in Week 16 has put the Eagles firmly in control of the N.F.C. East, with matchups against two losing teams to conclude the season. They have already clinched a playoff berth.

Two wins would clinch the division title, but realistically, one may be enough. If the Eagles beat the Cardinals (3-12) and the Cowboys lose to the Lions (11-4), they’ll clinch the division this week.

The Eagles can still get the No. 1 seed. They’d almost certainly need to win their remaining games and have the 49ers (11-4) and Lions (11-4) both drop at least one.

The Cowboys have clinched a playoff berth, but their loss to Miami in Week 16 means they’ll most likely be the No. 5 seed, visiting the winner of the N.F.C. South: the Bucs, Saints or Falcons.

Winning the division remains possible, but unlikely. They face the Lions (11-4) next.

The Lions have won the division for the first time in 30 years. At this point, they are most likely to be the No. 3 seed, hosting the No. 6 seed in the first round of the playoffs.

But with the 49ers’ loss to the Ravens in Week 16, the Lions still have a narrow path to the No. 1 seed. They’d almost certainly need a 13-4 record.

That would start with a win in Dallas (10-5) on Saturday night.

The Packers, despite their losing record, have a clear path to the playoffs. They simply need to beat two divisional opponents with losing records: the Vikings and the Bears. If they do that, they’ll probably be the No. 6 or No. 7 seed, visiting the No. 2 or No. 3 seed in the first round.

The Vikings’ path to the playoffs looks a lot like the Packers’: They probably need to win both their remaining games.

Unfortunately, they face a much more challenging schedule than the Packers, as they finish up at Detroit (11-4).

A loss eliminates the Bears.

Even with two wins, they would need a slew of other outcomes to go their way, but the playoffs remain a mathematical possibility.

The Bucs are on top of the N.F.C. South. A win in either of their next two games clinches the division. If they lose both, they are probably out.

The Saints are in trouble. Even two wins would not make a playoff berth particularly likely. A loss eliminates them.

The Falcons are in the same straits as the Saints, who share their record. They face the Bears (6-9) next.

They could still win the division with an 8-9 record as long as they beat the Saints (7-8) in Week 18, though they’d need the Bucs to lose their remaining games.

The 49ers have clinched the N.F.C. West and can do no worse than the No. 3 seed.

They will clinch the No. 1 seed if they win their remaining games. But if they lose even one, they are likely to finish with the No. 2 or No. 3 seed.

The Rams have won five of their last six games and sit as the No. 6 seed, which is probably where they’ll end up.

They probably need to win one of their remaining games to be in the playoffs; two losses would most likely eliminate them. They face the Giants (5-10) next.

The Seahawks occupy the last spot in the N.F.C. playoffs, with a path very similar to the one for the Rams. Even one win in their next two games would probably be enough to secure a berth; two would guarantee it.

Their best-case scenario in Week 17 is a win and a Rams loss.