Since it’s the day before Thanksgiving, it’s that time again to get in the spirit of that holiday, and to look at the paths each team can follow to fulfill their hopes of making the playoffs. Because there are now 17 games in a season, and thus 7 games to go, there is even more hope: all but one team (the Lions) is capable of securing a #1 seed.
And as always, to make this especially sunny for each team, each scenario linked will contain a combination of the highest seed possible for the team in question and/or also inflicting maximum misery upon each team’s division rivals.
- Bills: #1 seed, rest of AFC East at 7-10 or worse
- Dolphins: #1 seed, rest of AFC East misses playoffs
- Patriots: #1 seed, rest of AFC East at 6-11 or worse
- Jets: #1 seed…but this requires multiple ties: Chiefs vs. Steelers, and one of the Broncos vs. Chargers games
- Ravens: #1 seed, rest of AFC North with 10 losses
- Bengals: #1 seed, rest of AFC North misses playoffs
- Browns: #1 seed, rest of AFC North misses playoffs
- Steelers: #1 seed, rest of AFC North misses playoffs
- Texans: #1 seed, rest of AFC South misses playoffs
- Colts: #1 seed, rest of AFC South misses playoffs
- Jaguars: #1 seed, rest of AFC South misses playoffs
- Titans: #1 seed, rest of AFC South at 6-11 or worse
- Broncos: #1 seed, rest of AFC West at 7-10
- Chiefs: #1 seed, rest of AFC West at 7-10 or worse
- Chargers: #1 seed, rest of AFC West at 7-10
- Raiders: #1 seed, rest of AFC West misses playoffs
- Cowboys: #1 seed, rest of NFC East at 6-11
- Giants: #1 seed, rest of NFC East at 7-10
- Eagles: #1 seed, rest of NFC East at 7-10 or worse
- Washington: #1 seed, rest of NFC East at 7-10 or worse
- Bears: #1 seed, rest of NFC North misses playoffs
- Lions: #5 seed, Bears and Vikings miss playoffs, Packers fall to #4 seed to set up rematch
- Packers: #1 seed, rest of NFC North at 5-12 or worse
- Vikings: #1 seed, rest of NFC North misses playoffs
- Falcons: #1 seed, rest of NFC South at 7-10
- Panthers: #1 seed, rest of NFC South at 7-10 or worse
- Saints: #1 seed, rest of NFC South at 7-10 or worse
- Bucs: #1 seed, rest of NFC South at 6-11 or worse
- Cardinals: #1 seed, rest of NFC West at 7-10 or worse
- Rams: #1 seed, rest of NFC West misses playoffs
- 49ers: #1 seed, rest of NFC West misses playoffs
- Seahawks: #1 seed, rest of NFC West misses playoffs