NFL playoff picture for Week 16: Broncos beat Bengals to clinch playoff berth

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Show Caption Hide Caption NFL Monday Hot Reads: What we learned in Week 16 USA TODAY Sports' Tom Pelissero looks at what we learned in Week 16 of the NFL season, and what it means moving forward.

Here's how the NFL playoff picture stands with Week 16's schedule complete:

(x = playoff berth clinched, y = first-round bye clinched, z = division clinched)

NFC

1. yz — Carolina Panthers (14-1): They still need a win or an Arizona loss or tie to secure home-field advantage throughout the playoffs.

2. yz — Arizona Cardinals (13-2): With the NFC West and a first-round bye now in hand, the Cards set their sights on the conference's home field, which would require one more win plus a Carolina loss.

3. x — Green Bay Packers (10-5): They must beat the Vikings in Week 17 to claim the NFC North crown and a home playoff game at Lambeau Field.

4. z — Washington Redskins (8-7): The Redskins locked up the NFC East by beating the Philadelphia Eagles on Saturday night, ensuring they'll host the No. 5 seed.

5.x — Minnesota Vikings (10-5): They're assured at least a wild card but can take the NFC North title by winning on the road at Green Bay in the regular-season finale.

6.x — Seattle Seahawks (9-6): They're a wild-card team, and that's the best they can do. And Sunday's loss may have cost them a matchup with the Redskins, though Seattle's seed could be determined by the outcome of the Pack-Vikes contest if the Seahawks beat Arizona in Week 17.

Eliminated: Atlanta Falcons (8-7), New York Giants (6-8), Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6-9), St. Louis Rams (7-8), Philadelphia Eagles (6-9), New Orleans Saints (6-9), Chicago Bears (6-9), Detroit Lions (6-9), San Francisco 49ers (4-11), Dallas Cowboys (4-11)

NFL Inside Slant: The AFC is wide open USA TODAY Sports' Tom Pelissero explains why the AFC has no clear frontrunner.

AFC

1. yz — New England Patriots (12-3): Despite Sunday's loss, the AFC East champs had already secured a first-round bye. But they still need one more win to nail down the top seed.

2. x — Denver Broncos (11-4): They're now seeded second but much can happen. One more win would give Denver the AFC West crown and a bye. Throw in a loss by the Patriots, and the Broncos earn the home field. However a loss in Week 17 to the San Diego Chargers and win by Kansas City would knock the Broncos down to a wild card.

3. z — Cincinnati Bengals (11-4): If they want to give injured QB Andy Dalton an extra week to heal with a bye, they'll need to beat the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday and hope for a Denver loss.

4. Houston Texans (8-7): Beat the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 17, and the AFC South and No. 4 seed belong to Houston. A loss by the Indianapolis Colts — and a slew of other outcomes working in Texans' favor — would also get the job done

5. x — Kansas City Chiefs (10-5): They can still win the division with a Week 17 victory over the Oakland Raiders coupled with a loss by the Broncos.

6. New York Jets (10-5): They control their own destiny. A win against the Bills — and former coach Rex Ryan — next Sunday clinches a berth. If they lose to Buffalo, they need the Steelers to also lose in Week 17.

Still alive: Pittsburgh Steelers (9-6), Indianapolis Colts (7-8)

Eliminated: Oakland Raiders (7-8), Buffalo Bills (7-8), Miami Dolphins (5-10), Baltimore Ravens (5-10), San Diego Chargers (4-11), Cleveland Browns (3-12), Tennessee Titans (3-12), Jacksonville Jaguars (5-10).

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