Rivals clash on last day of season with playoffs on the line.
Ahead of the final weekend of the NFL regular season, we go through all the playoff scenarios and post-season spots that are yet to be decided.
Last week, the Denver Broncos, New England Patriots and Cincinnati Bengals joined the Indianapolis Colts as division winners in the AFC, while the Kansas City Chiefs were already set as the top wild card.
However, the NFC still has much left to be determined, with the Green Bay Packers set to visit the Chicago Bears with the NFC North title on the line, while the Dallas Cowboys face the Philadelphia Eagles knowing that it is win or bust.
It is nothing new for the Cowboys who have had to win their final game to make the playoffs in 2008, 2011 and 2012, but worryingly for them have lost all three and will face the Eagles without quarterback Tony Romo.
Kyle Orton is considered one of the best back-ups in the league, but it could well be Dallas’ defensive problems which see them fall out of contention.
Meanwhile, Aaron Rodgers returns for Green Bay for their crunch clash with the Bears after missing the last seven games with a broken collarbone.
Much will depend on what condition he is in, while the Bears will be desperate to confirm top spot after missing out on the their chance to secure a playoff spot last weekend in what will undoubtedly be a tense affair at Soldier Field.
Elsewhere, the Baltimore Ravens will have to make it as a wildcard but must rely on other results going their way too. The defending Super Bowl champions may have to defeat the Cincinnati Bengals and hope for either the Miami Dolphins or San Diego Chargers to lose.
The San Francisco 49ers could still win the NFC West if they were to win and the Seattle Seahawks lose, in a division which has a 30-10 record against the rest of the league, while the Carolina Panthers will want to wrap up the NFC South.
AFC
CLINCHED:
Denver — AFC West and a first-round bye
New England — AFC East
Indianapolis — AFC South
Cincinnati — AFC North
Kansas City — playoff spot
Denver clinches home-field advantage throughout AFC playoffs with:
1) DEN win OR
2) NE loss
New England clinches a first-round bye with:
1) NE win OR
2) CIN loss + IND loss
New England clinches home-field advantage throughout AFC playoffs with:
1) NE win + DEN loss
Cincinnati clinches first-round bye with:
1) CIN win + NE loss
Indianapolis clinches first-round bye with:
1) IND win + NE loss + CIN loss
Baltimore clinches a playoff spot with:
1) BAL win + SD loss OR
2) BAL win + MIA loss OR
3) PIT loss + SD loss + MIA loss
Miami clinches a playoff spot with:
1) MIA win + BAL loss OR
2) MIA win + SD win
Pittsburgh clinches a playoff spot with:
1) PIT win + BAL loss + MIA loss + SD loss
San Diego clinches a playoff spot with:
1) SD win + BAL loss + MIA loss
NFC
CLINCHED:
Seattle — playoff spot
Carolina — playoff spot
San Francisco — playoff spot
Seattle clinches NFC West and home-field advantage throughout NFC playoffs with:
1) SEA win OR
2) SF loss
New Orleans clinches a playoff spot with:
1) NO win OR
2) ARI loss
New Orleans clinches NFC South and a first-round bye with:
1) NO win + CAR loss
Carolina clinches NFC South and first-round bye with:
1) CAR win OR
2) NO loss
Carolina clinches NFC South and home-field advantage with:
1) CAR win + SEA loss + SF win
San Francisco clinches NFC West and first-round bye with:
1) SF win + SEA loss
San Francisco clinches NFC West and home-field advantage with:
1) SF win + SEA loss + CAR loss
Arizona clinches a playoff spot with:
1) ARI win + NO loss
Philadelphia clinches NFC East with:
1) PHI win/tie
Dallas clinches NFC East with:
1) DAL win
Chicago clinches NFC North with:
1) CHI win/tie
Green Bay clinches NFC North with:
1) GB win
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