NFL News: Every Playoff-Clinching Scenario For Week 16 – Five More Teams Can Secure A Spot

Only two weeks remain in the 2018 NFL regular season, but the playoff field is far from set. Before Week 16 begins, only five teams have secured playoff berths which leaves seven open spots remaining. After this weekend, five more teams can lock up a spot and that means the final week will have a lot on the line. For now, it’s time to check out every single playoff-clinching scenario for both the AFC and NFC.

In the NFC, three teams have locked up playoff berths, but the seeds are still undetermined as of now. The New Orleans Saints are sitting on top of the conference, but the Los Angeles Rams and Chicago Bears are hot on their heels for home-field advantage and the first-round byes.

Things are a bit more open in the AFC as the Kansas City Chiefs and Los Angeles Chargers have secured playoff berths, but both teams are in the AFC West. What happens in the final two weeks of the season will be the difference between the No. 1 one seed or No. 4 seed for both of those teams.

As shown by the Week 16 schedule on ESPN, there are two games on Saturday, a whole crop of them on Sunday, and the Monday nighter. Monday night’s game won’t have an effect on the postseason, but let’s check out the playoff-clinching scenarios that could come true in the other games.

Two of football's greatest improvisors take the stage with a ton on the line. @Chiefs vs. @Seahawks – Sunday Night at 7pm ET pic.twitter.com/fzwXTEpMAr

— Sunday Night Football on NBC (@SNFonNBC) December 20, 2018

AFC

Kansas City Chiefs

Kansas City can clinch the AFC West and a first-round bye with:

1.) Chiefs win and Chargers loss

Kansas City can clinch home-field advantage with:

1.) Chiefs win and Chargers loss and Texans loss or tie, OR
2.) Chiefs win and Chargers loss and Chiefs clinches strength of victory tiebreaker over Texans

Houston Texans

Houston can clinch the AFC South with:

1.) Texans win or tie, OR
2.) Colts tie and Patriots loss

Houston can clinch a first-round bye with:

1.) Texans win and Patriots loss or tie, OR
2.) Texans tie and Patriots loss

Houston can clinch a playoff berth with:

1.) Ravens loss or tie, OR
2.) Steelers loss
3.) Titans loss or tie and Texans clinch strength of victory tiebreaker over Ravens

New England Patriots

New England can clinch the AFC East with:

1.) Patriots win or tie, OR
2.) Dolphins loss or tie

Pittsburgh Steelers

Pittsburgh can clinch the AFC North with:

1.) Steelers win and Ravens loss or tie, OR
2.) Steelers tie and Ravens loss

Pittsburgh can clinch a playoff berth with:

1.) Steelers win and Colts loss and Titans loss

WHO: Dallas Cowboys vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers
DATE: Sunday, December 23rd, 2018
KICKOFF: 12:00pm CT
CHANNEL: FOX 4

Things to Watch For: https://t.co/WhLrUjx9xo pic.twitter.com/MbDyhEBWOE

— Ben Abbott Car Wreck Lawyer (@BenAbbottTX) December 20, 2018

NFC

Dallas Cowboys

Dallas can clinch the NFC East with:

1.) Cowboys win, OR
2.) Cowboys tie and Redskins loss and Eagles loss or tie, OR
3.) Redskins loss and Eagles loss

Dallas can clinch a playoff berth with:

1.) Cowboys tie and Vikings loss

Minnesota Vikings

Minnesota can clinch a playoff berth with:

1.) Vikings win and Redskins loss and Eagles loss or tie

New Orleans Saints

New Orleans can clinch home-field advantage with:

1.) Saints win, OR
2.) Saints tie and Rams loss or tie, OR
3.) Rams loss and Bears loss or tie

New Orleans can clinch a first-round bye with:

1.) Saints tie, OR
2.) Rams loss, OR
3.) Bears loss or tie

Los Angeles Rams

Los Angeles can clinch a first-round bye with:

1.) Rams win and Bears loss or tie, OR
2.) Rams tie and Bears loss

Seattle Seahawks

Seattle can clinch a playoff berth with:

1.) Seahawks win and Redskins loss or tie, OR
2.) Seahawks win or tie and Vikings loss, OR
3.) Seahawks tie and Redskins loss and Eagles loss or tie, OR
4.) Seahawks win and Seahawks clinch strength of victory tiebreaker over Redskins
5.) Seahawks win and Vikings tie and Seahawks clinch strength of victory tiebreaker over Vikings

There is so much at stake in Week 16 of the 2018 NFL regular season, but not everything will be decided. No matter what, some postseason spots will still be open in the final week of the season, but depending on what happens, it could be even more. These playoff-clinching scenarios are possible to come true, but a lot would need to happen in the right way.