The NFL playoff picture got a little clearer during Week 15.  Four teams joined the Chicago Bears and the San Diego Chargers in the playoff party as a result of game action this past weekend:

• The Baltimore Ravens clinched the AFC North after a win against division-rival Cleveland on Sunday and the Cincinnati Bengals’ loss to Indianapolis on Monday night.  (Turns out that the pesky Strength of Victory tiebreaker against the New York Jets didn’t come into play, after all.)

• The Indianapolis Colts clinched the AFC South, thanks to division-rival Tennessee .  The Titans knocked off the Jacksonville Jaguars in Nashville on Sunday, but the Colts made a statement not to be taken lightly with that Monday-night win at home against Cincy.

• The Dallas Cowboys clinched a playoff berth thanks to their win last Saturday night at Atlanta and home losses by both Carolina and Minnesota .

• The New Orleans Saints clinched the NFC South, despite being shocked at home by Washington , thanks to losses by both Atlanta and Carolina .

The Chicago Bears, by virtue of their overtime win against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, have secured home-field advantage throughout the playoffs.  After playing Detroit on Christmas Eve, they will return home to play the Green Bay Packers, in what could very well be Brett Favre’s last game, on New Year’s Eve.  They don’t have to leave home again unless they make it to Super Bowl XLI.

The Miami Dolphins, by virtue of their shutout loss at Buffalo , have been eliminated from playoff contention, joining Arizona , Cleveland , Detroit , Houston , Oakland , Tampa Bay and Washington on the outside looking in.

And although they are still mathematically alive, the Carolina Panthers look like a team ready to go fishing.  An embarrassing 37-3 loss at home to the Pittsburgh Steelers has all but guaranteed that the defending NFC runner-up and one of the popular picks to win Super Bowl XLI will be watching the game from the fishing hole.  Not that the Steelers are in much better shape—they need a miracle on the order of the parting of the Red Sea to get to the postseason—but at least they played like they wanted to win. 

Going into Week 16, six playoff spots are up for grabs.  Some teams control their own fates; others need to win and get some help.  Here’s what to watch for:

The New England Patriots clinch the AFC East with a win or tie at Jacksonville on Christmas Eve OR a New York Jets loss or tie at Miami on Christmas Night.  The Patriots clinch a playoff berth if Cincinnati and Denver end their game on Christmas Eve in a tie.

The Cincinnati Bengals, despite their loss on Monday night at Indy, are still in the hunt.  They clinch a playoff berth in two scenarios.  Both scenarios require a win on the road against Denver AND a Buffalo loss or tie at home against Tennessee .  Then, either the Jaguars have to lose to New England OR the Jets have to lose to Miami .

The Indianapolis Colts, the AFC South champs, can clinch a first-round by with a win at Houston AND a Baltimore loss on the road at Pittsburgh .

The San Diego Chargers, the AFC West champs, clinch home-field advantage throughout the playoffs under two different scenarios—a win on the road at Seattle and a Baltimore loss or tie against Pittsburgh, OR a tie and a Baltimore loss and an Indianapolis loss or tie.  The Chargers clinch a first-round bye and at least one home playoff game under four additional scenarios, the easiest of which are winning at Seattle OR Indianapolis losing at Houston .

The Denver Broncos clinch a playoff berth in two scenarios.  Both scenarios require a win against Cincinnati AND a Kansas City loss or tie at Oakland on Saturday night.  Then, either the Jets OR the Jaguars have to lose.

The Dallas Cowboys clinch the NFC East with a win at home against division-rival Philadelphia on Christmas Day.  The Eagles, meanwhile, can clinch a playoff berth by beating Dallas .  If the Cowboys and the Eagles tie, Philadelphia can also clinch a playoff berth if the New York Giants lose or tie against the New Orleans Saints on Christmas Eve OR the Atlanta Falcons lose to the Carolina Panthers.

The New York Giants have a fairly complicated scenario that would get them in the playoffs.  They must beat New Orleans on Christmas Eve, Minnesota must lose or tie against Green Bay on Thursday night, Atlanta must lose or tie against Carolina AND Philadelphia must win or tie.  Then, either the Seahawks must win or tie against the Chargers OR the San Francisco 49ers must lose or tie Arizona at home.    

The New Orleans Saints, the NFC South champs, clinch the number-two seed in the NFC and the other first-round bye with a win against the Giants AND a Dallas loss.  (Anyone willing to bet the Giants will NOT want to move this home game to the Louisiana Superdome?)

The Seattle Seahawks clinch the NFC West with a win or tie against San Diego OR a San Francisco loss or tie against Arizona .

For all the latest news on the playoff picture and the teams involved, go to: www.nfl.com

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About the author: Claxton Graham has written over 100 articles for Useless Knowledge. He has also written the unpublished novels The Writer's Nightmare and Santa's Sleigh Is Missing. He works as a business analyst.

Email: scifiwriter8502@email.com

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