The Steelers had little trouble with the Browns in Week 17, clinching the AFC North and a first-round bye in the playoffs with a 41-9 win in Cleveland.

That was pretty much expected, and the win by the Steelers also helped clear up much of the AFC playoff picture.

With the No. 1 (Patriots) and No. 2 (Steelers) seeds decided, the Ravens are now locked in at the No. 5 seed, with the Jets as the No. 6 seed.

What’s left to be decided is the AFC South champion, which has some bearing on who will host the wild-card round games.

If the Colts defeat the Titans, they will enter the playoffs as the No. 3 seed by virtue of the Chiefs’ home loss to the Raiders and would host the Jets. That would eliminate the Jaguars. If the Colts lose and Jaguars win, the Chiefs would be the No. 3 seed and the Jaguars  would be set at No. 4. If both the Colts and Jaguars lose, the Chiefs would claim the No. 3 seed and the Colts No. 4.

So, as you can see, there are still several scenarios that can play out for the No. 3 and 4 seeds in the AFC.

Here’s a look at the Week 17 clinching scenarios as well as the current playoff picture, which will be updated as the day unfolds.

Posted in: News  | comments  |