Week 17, in the NFL, does not have all the drama for clinching a playoff berth. However, there are a handful of important games that mean division titles and home playoff games. 10 of the 12 playoff spots have been clinched. The New York Jets and Pittsburgh Steelers are both alive heading into their Sunday matchups. The scenario is simple. A win by the New York Jets and they are in. The Steelers need to beat the Cleveland Browns and hope for a Jets loss, to make the playoffs. The Houston Texans or Indianapolis Colts will secure the fourth seed, in the AFC. If the Texans take care of business and win, they will clinch the AFC South and make the playoffs. Should the Texans lose and the Colts win, a tiebreaker on strength of schedule will determine the AFC South champion.
The biggest game of the weekend has been flexed to Sunday night. The Green Bay Packers and Minnesota Vikings will battle for the NFC North title. The Packers have won the last four division titles, and the Vikings last division title was 2009. The AFC West is also up for grabs. The Kansas City Chiefs who had been written off early in the season can win the division if they win and the Denver Broncos lose. Denver will also clinch a first round bye with a win or Cincinnati Bengals loss. The Carolina Panthers and Arizona Panthers have clinched first round byes but home field advantage has yet to be determined. The Panthers will clinch home field throughout the NFC playoffs with a win or Arizona loss. The same scenario is true for the Cardinals. They need a win and a Panthers loss to claim the number one seed.
After week 17, black monday is the day that coaches are sent packing. The Philadelphia Eagles didn't wait until the season was over to release Chip Kelly. Kelly made some head scratching moves in the off-season, and they didn't pan out. The Eagles were eliminated from the playoffs after week 16, and now Kelly is searching for a new job.
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