As has been the case over the last couple weeks, six teams again have NFL playoff clinching scenarios in play for Week 16, which begins with three games on Saturday and runs through a Monday night game in Minnesota that’s crucial for the playoff picture.
Eight teams already have clinched NFL playoff berths, leaving four spots to be claimed over the final two weeks of the season. The seedings in both the AFC and NFC brackets remain undetermined, but that could change in Week 16. The Ravens are the first team with a chance to lock themselves into a No. 1 seed, which would give them home-field advantage throughout the AFC playoffs.
MORE: Current NFL playoff picture
Three divisions already have been clinched, and four more could be settled by the time Week 16 ends. If the Packers, Cowboys, Patriots and Texans win their games, they will be champions of the NFC North, NFC East, AFC East and AFC South, respectively.
In addition, two teams that have not yet clinched a playoff berth, the Vikings and Texans, have chances to do so in Week 16.
Below are all the NFL playoff clinching scenarios for the six teams that have chances to stamp their postseason statuses in Week 16, followed by a complete playoff picture.
NFL playoff clinching scenarios for Week 16
Green Bay Packers (11-3)
(at Vikings)
Packers clinch NFC North title with:
Packers win or tie
Dallas Cowboys (7-7)
(at Eagles)
Cowboys clinch NFC East title with:
Cowboys win
Minnesota Vikings (10-4)
(vs. Packers)
Vikings clinch playoff berth with:
Vikings win or tie ORRams loss or tie
MORE: How Vikings can win NFC North over Packers
Baltimore Ravens (12-2)
(at Browns)
Ravens clinch a first-round bye with:
Ravens win or tie ORChiefs loss or tie ORPatriots loss
Ravens clinch home-field advantage throughout AFC playoffs with:
Ravens win ORRavens tie AND Patriots loss or tie ORChiefs loss or tie AND Patriots loss
New England Patriots (11-3)
(vs. Bills)
Patriots clinch AFC East with:
Patriots win or tie
Patriots clinch a first-round bye with:
Patriots win AND Chiefs loss or tie ORPatriots tie AND Chiefs loss
Houston Texans (9-5)
(at Buccaneers)
Texans clinch AFC South title with:
Texans win ORTexans tie AND Titans tie ORTitans loss
Texans clinch playoff berth with:
Texans tie AND Steelers tie ORSteelers loss
MORE: How Steelers can earn AFC wild card
NFL playoff picture
AFC
| Seed | Team | Record | Clinched |
| 1. | Baltimore Ravens | 12-2 | Division; playoff berth |
| 2. | New England Patriots | 11-3 | Playoff berth |
| 3. | Kansas City Chiefs | 10-4 | Division; playoff berth |
| 4. | Houston Texans | 9-5 | – |
| 5. | Buffalo Bills | 10-4 | Playoff berth |
| 6. | Pittsburgh Steelers | 8-6 | – |
In the hunt: Titans (8-6), Browns (6-8), Raiders (6-8)
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| Seed | Team | Record | Clinched |
| 1. | Seattle Seahawks | 11-3 | Playoff berth |
| 2. | Green Bay Packers | 11-3 | Playoff berth |
| 3. | New Orleans Saints | 11-3 | Division; playoff berth |
| 4. | Dallas Cowboys | 7-7 | – |
| 5. | San Francisco 49ers | 11-3 | Playoff berth |
| 6. | Minnesota Vikings | 10-4 | – |
In the hunt: Rams (8-6), Eagles (7-7)