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          NFL playoff picture: What's at stake in Week 17

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          Playoff hopes on the line in Week 17 (1:01)

          The playoff hopes of six NFL teams hang in the balance this week -- some will need a win and a little luck to keep the season alive. (1:01)

          • Kevin Seifert, ESPN Staff WriterDec 29, 2017, 12:25 PM
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              Kevin Seifert is a staff writer who covers the Minnesota Vikings and the NFL at ESPN. Kevin has covered the NFL for over 20 years, joining ESPN in 2008. He was previously a beat reporter for the Minneapolis Star Tribune and Washington Times. He is a graduate of the University of Virginia. You can follow him via Twitter @SeifertESPN.
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          I'll be straight with you: Week 17 won't be as interesting as Week 16.

          Only three of the NFL's 12 playoff spots remain unclaimed. Seven of the eight division titles are decided, as are three of the four first-round byes. Still, here is everything you need to know about the lingering drama, which will all be played out in two relatively equal time slots Sunday afternoon.

          AFC home-field advantage will be decided early

          The AFC path to Super Bowl LII will go through New England if the Patriots beat the New York Jets in Foxborough. But if they lose, the Pittsburgh Steelers can leapfrog them for the No. 1 seed with a win at home over the 0-15 Cleveland Browns. Both games kick off at 1 p.m. ET. The distinction between the No. 1 and No. 2 seed has been significant in the four most recent postseasons. According to ESPN Stats & Information, seven of the eight No. 1 seeds since 2013 reached the Super Bowl. The Philadelphia Eagles already have clinched the NFC's home-field advantage.

          The Minnesota Vikings will (likely) lock up a first-round bye, win or lose

          The Vikings have a 99.6 percent chance of grabbing the final first-round bye, according to ESPN's Football Power Index (FPI). They can clinch it with a home victory over the Chicago Bears (5-10), or with help from one of three teams in the following scenarios: 1) If the Atlanta Falcons defeat the Carolina Panthers; 2) the New Orleans Saints beat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers; or 3) the Los Angeles Rams defeat the San Francisco 49ers. (The Rams announced they will rest key players, but the other two games should be competitive.)

          The NFC South will be decided late

          The Saints have the cleanest path to the last remaining division title. They can clinch it with a victory over the Buccaneers. But if they lose, the Panthers can win it by defeating the Falcons. The advantage, of course, is getting a home playoff game in the wild-card round. Both games kick off at 4:25 p.m. ET. If New Orleans and Carolina lose, the Saints are the division champions.

          The Panthers have a slim chance for the No. 2 seed

          As noted above, there are all kinds of reasonable scenarios that put the Vikings at No. 2. But the Panthers could sneak up there with a victory over the Falcons -- as long as the Saints, Vikings and Rams all lose. Then, the Panthers would win a head-to-head tiebreaker with Minnesota at 12-4 thanks to their Week 14 victory over the Vikings. (The Saints can't win a similar tiebreaker because they lost to the Vikings in Week 1. The same goes for the Rams, who lost to the Vikings in Week 11.)

          The NFC's second wild card will be ...

          The Falcons, if they defeat the Panthers at home, or if the Seahawks lose to the Cardinals at home (or both). But if the Falcons lose, the Seahawks can jump into the No. 6 spot with a win over the Cardinals. To be clear: If the Falcons and the Seahawks lose, Atlanta would be the wild-card team.

          The AFC's wild-card picture is larger

          Four teams are fighting for the two remaining spots, with two holding a decisive advantage. The Baltimore Ravens and Tennessee Titans are both in if they win their respective games. But if the Ravens lose at home to the Cincinnati Bengals or the Titans fall at home to the Jacksonville Jaguars, then the door opens for the Los Angeles Chargers or the Buffalo Bills. Rather than try to spell out the multiple outcomes necessary for either of those outside teams to clinch, I'll pass along this awesome graphic the NFL published to explain it. The entire block of relevant games kicks off at 4:25 p.m. ET, so make sure to get your bathroom breaks in early.