Week 16: NFL Surprises And Shutouts

With two weeks remaining in the NFL regular season, just a handful of playoff spots remain up for grabs in the suddenly crowded middle of the American Football Conference.

On a Monday night, when all the Texans’ needed to clinch the 2015 AFC South title was a win by the Bengals over the Broncos (if you want to know why that is, here you go), the Bengals waited until about 11:00 at night to break our hearts this time around, losing in positively Bengal-like fashion – blown 14-0 lead, game ending on a botched snap – 20-17 in overtime. Chris Chase wrote about this earlier, but the Broncos (10-4) still have the No. 1 seed in play, if they win out and the Dolphins beat the Patriots.

If the Steelers win and the Jets and the Chiefs both lose, the Jets are eliminated and the Steelers get the 6th seed.

Rams (6-8) at Seahawks (9-5), 2:25 p.m.

A loss against Minnesota drops Vikings to either 5th or 6th seed, depending on outcome of Seattle’s Week 17 game. Ten of the slots in the postseason have officially been claimed with Denver’s overtime win over Cincinnati last night, another is a virtual lock (Houston), and the Jets and Steelers will determine the final one.

For New England, it means, basically, the same thing it meant before Monday night’s kickoff: The Pats will clinch the No. 1 overall seed in the AFC playoffs with a victory Sunday in Miami.

Can clinch wild card spot with a Week 17 win against Buffalo; or with a Pittsburgh loss to Cleveland in Week 17; or if the Broncos lose final two games.

Green Bay clinches the NFC North division with a win or tie against Minnesota. The Texans will also clinch the AFC South if the Bengals win tonight, so Jaguars-Texans would become meaningless.

Can only make the playoffs by winning the AFC South, and in order to win the AFC South the Colts would need a Week 17 win and nine other scenarios to all play out concurrently.

The Redskins have clinched a playoff berth and are locked in as the NFC’s No. 4 team. It can clinch home field throughout the playoffs with a win and a Carolina loss.

Kansas City clinches the AFC West with a win over Oakland plus a Denver loss. This would happen if the Broncos split their remaining two games and the Chiefs beat Oakland next week and the Jets lose next week at Buffalo.

Out West, the rolling Chiefs find themselves just one game behind the sputtering Denver Broncos. It’s unlikely, but the Broncos have to win one of their final two games to secure a place in the postseason. However, if they lose and the Denver Broncos beat the San Diego Chargers, then this spot will belong to Denver. If the Broncos lose and the Chiefs win, Denver will be a wild-card team. The Packers haven’t looked right all season, but they’re in the driver’s seat for the NFC North title. Kansas City plays the Browns this week, a likely win, while Denver has to host the Cincinnati Bengals.