Week 17 NFL playoff scenarios and how they may affect who Chiefs face in postseason

There is one week remaining in the NFL season and while the Chiefs will have a bye during the playoffs, we know they will face one of five teams in their first postseason game.

It’ll be the Tennessee Titans, Miami Dolphins, Baltimore Ravens, Cleveland Browns or Indianapolis Colts at Arrowhead Stadium in a few weeks. Those are the five teams vying for the final four spots in the AFC playoff field heading into Week 17.

Either the Titans or Colts will win the AFC South and be the fourth seed. The second-place team in the South could make the playoffs at a wild-card team, but it’s not a lock. Tennessee holds the tiebreaker, so Indianapolis will need help to make the postseason even if it wins on Sunday.

When the AFC playoffs begin on Jan. 9 and 10, the Chiefs will watch the No. 2 seed (Bills or Steelers) play the No. 7 seed; the No. 3 seed (Bills or Steelers) will face the No. 6 seed; and the No. 4 seed (Colts or Titans) will play the No. 5 seed.

The Browns, Ravens, Dolphins, Titans and Colts will fill in seeds four through seven. And one of those five will go home despite potentially winning 11 games.

After the Wild Card weekend, the Chiefs will face the worst-seeded team that remains, and it can’t be the Bills or Steelers. Both will be seeded no worse than third.

Here are the scenarios, via the NFL, for clinching a wild-card berth for the five teams, one of which ultimately will face the Chiefs:

Colts (10-5)

vs. Jaguars on Sunday at noon

A win and Titans loss or tie gets Indianapolis the AFC South title. Here is how they could be the wild card:

1. Colts win and Ravens loss or tie OR
2. Colts win and Browns loss or tie OR
3. Colts win and Dolphins loss or tie OR
4. Colts tie and Ravens loss OR
5. Colts tie and Browns loss OR
6. Colts tie and Dolphins loss

Titans (10-5)

at Texans on Sunday at noon

A win or ties by the Titans and Colts clinches AFC South title for Tennessee. Here’s how they could make the wild card if the Titans lose on Sunday:

1. Ravens loss OR
2. Dolphins loss OR
3. Titans tie and Browns loss OR
4. Titans tie and Dolphins tie OR
5. Titan tie and Ravens tie

Ravens (10-5)

at Bengals on Sunday at noon

1. Ravens win OR
2. Browns loss OR
3. Colts loss OR
4. Ravens tie and Dolphin loss OR
5. Ravens tie and Titans loss OR
6. Raven tie and Browns tie OR
7. Ravens tie and Colts tie

Browns (10-5)

vs. Steelers on Sunday at noon

1. Browns win OR
2. Colts loss OR
3. Titans loss and Dolphins win or tie and Ravens win or tie OR
4. Browns tie and Ravens loss OR
5. Browns tie and Dolphins loss OR
6. Browns tie and Titans loss OR
7. Browns tie and Colts tie OR
8. Browns tie and Titans tie and Ravens win and Dolphins win

Dolphins (10-5)

at Buffalo on Sunday at noon

1. Dolphins win OR
2. Ravens loss OR
3. Browns loss OR
4. Colts loss OR
5. Dolphins tie and Ravens tie OR
6. Dolphins tie and Browns tie OR
7. Dolphins tie and Colts tie OR
8. Dolphins tie and Titans loss

One thing is for certain: there is going to be a lot of scoreboard watching on Sunday.

Pete Grathoff

The Kansas City Star

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From covering the World Series to the World Cup, Pete Grathoff has done a little bit of everything since joining The Kansas City Star in 1997.