The playoff picture is great fodder, and after some checking with the good folks at NFL Headquarters, the scenarios where the 49ers overtake the Rams and the Seahawks for an improbable division title shouldn’t be ignored.

With only one team (New England) having clinched a playoff spot thus far and 22 teams still alive, there’s a lot that can happen this weekend that will affect the postseason seedings. Here’s a breakdown:

The Green Bay Packers and Dallas Cowboys clinched playoff berths with wins in Week 16, setting the field of six teams for the NFC playoffs.

It’s time to make sense of the AFC wild-card picture. As the seedings currently stand, the Denver Broncos are the No. 5 seed and New York Jets the No. 6 seed. But that will change in Week 17 due to an updated tie-breaking scenario put into effect.

As Week 16 continues to unfold, we’ll update you on the latest playoff-race positioning.

The undefeated Colts can clinch the AFC’s top playoff seed and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs with one more win. But the opportunity to maintain their momentum down the stretch and atttain a perfect 16-0 season might not deter the Colts from resting key players, says Bill Polian.