Official NFL playoff scenarios
NEW YORK ( Dec. 23, 2002) -- The following are the official playoff scenarios in each conference and division as determined by the NFL.
AFC EAST
Miami Dolphins -- Can clinch AFC East division with win or tie
Miami clinches home-field advantage:
1) Win AND Oakland loss AND Tennessee loss AND Pittsburgh loss AND Miami wins strength of victory tiebreaker over Oakland and Tennessee
NOTE: “Strength of victory” is the season-ending winning percentage of all the opponents a team has defeated.
Miami clinches a first-round bye:
1) Win AND Pittsburgh loss AND Oakland loss
2) Win AND Pittsburgh loss AND Tennessee loss
3) Win AND Tennessee loss AND Oakland loss AND Miami wins strength of victory tiebreaker over Oakland and Tennessee
Miami clinches a playoff spot:
1) N.Y. Jets loss or tie AND Denver win
2) N.Y. Jets loss or tie AND Kansas City loss or tie
Note: There are other scenarios in which Miami can clinch a playoff berth if it is determined that after this week’s games they will own the strength of victory tiebreaker over the teams they are tied with.
New England Patriots -- Can clinch AFC East division:
1) Win AND N.Y. Jets loss or tie
New England clinches playoff spot:
1) Win AND Cleveland loss or tie AND Denver loss or tie AND Kansas City win
2) Win AND Cleveland loss or tie AND Denver loss or tie AND San Diego loss or tie
3) Tie AND N.Y. Jets loss AND Cleveland loss AND Denver loss AND San Diego loss AND Kansas City loss or tie
New York Jets -- Can clinch AFC East division:
1) Win AND Miami loss
N.Y. Jets clinch playoff spot:
1) Win AND Cleveland loss or tie AND Denver win
2) Win AND Cleveland loss or tie AND Kansas City loss or tie
3) Tie AND New England loss or tie AND Cleveland loss AND Denver loss or tie AND Kansas City loss AND San Diego loss or tie
AFC NORTH
Pittsburgh Steelers -- Has clinched the AFC North title.
Pittsburgh clinches home-field advantage:
1) Win AND Tennessee loss AND Oakland loss
Pittsburgh clinches a first-round bye:
1) Win AND Tennessee loss
2) Win AND Oakland loss
Cleveland Browns -- Can clinch playoff spot:
1) Win AND Denver win AND N.Y. Jets win
2) Win AND Kansas City loss or tie AND N.Y. Jets win
3) Win AND Denver win AND Miami win or tie
4) Win AND Kansas City loss or tie AND Miami win or tie
5) Tie AND N.Y. Jets loss or tie AND New England loss or tie AND Denver loss or tie AND San Diego loss or tie AND Kansas City loss
6) New England loss AND N.Y. Jets loss AND Baltimore loss or tie AND Denver loss AND San Diego loss AND Kansas City loss
Note: There are other scenarios in which Cleveland can clinch a playoff berth if it is determined that after this week’s games they will own the strength of victory tiebreaker over the teams they are tied with.
Baltimore Ravens -- Can clinch playoff spot:
1) Win AND New England loss AND N.Y. Jets loss AND Cleveland loss AND Denver loss AND San Diego loss AND Kansas City loss
AFC SOUTH
Tennessee Titans -- Has clinched AFC South title.
Tennessee clinches home-field advantage:
1) Win AND Oakland loss or tie
2) Tie AND Oakland loss
3) Pittsburgh loss AND Miami win AND Oakland loss AND Tennessee wins strength of victory tiebreaker over Miami and Oakland
Tennessee clinches a first-round bye:
1) Win or tie
2) Miami loss AND Pittsburgh loss
3) Oakland loss AND Miami win AND Tennessee wins strength of victory tiebreaker over Oakland and Miami
Indianapolis Colts -- Can clinch playoff spot:
1) Win or tie
2) New England loss or tie
3) N.Y. Jets win
4) Cleveland loss or tie AND Kansas City loss or tie
5) Cleveland loss or tie AND Denver win
Note: There are other scenarios in which Indianapolis can clinch a playoff berth if it is determined that after this week’s games they will own the strength of victory tiebreaker over the teams they are tied with.
AFC WEST
Oakland Raiders -- Has clinched AFC West title
Oakland clinches home-field advantage:
1) Win
2) Tie AND Tennessee loss or tie
3) Pittsburgh loss AND Tennessee loss AND Miami loss
4) Pittsburgh loss AND Tennessee loss AND Oakland wins strength of victory tiebreaker over Tennessee and Miami
Oakland clinches a first-round bye:
1) Tie
2) Miami loss or tie AND Pittsburgh loss
3) Miami loss or tie AND Tennessee loss
4) Tennessee loss AND Oakland wins strength of victory tiebreaker over Tennessee and Miami
Denver Broncos -- Can clinch playoff spot:
1) Win AND Cleveland loss or tie AND New England loss or tie AND N.Y. Jets loss or tie
2) Win AND Cleveland loss or tie AND Miami loss AND N.Y. Jets win
3) Tie AND New England loss or tie AND N.Y. Jets loss AND Cleveland loss AND Kansas City loss or tie AND San Diego loss or tie
Kansas City Chiefs -- Can clinch playoff spot:
1) Win AND Denver loss or tie AND New England loss or tie
2) Win AND Denver loss or tie AND Indianapolis win or tie AND N.Y. Jets loss or tie
3) Win AND Denver loss or tie AND Indianapolis loss AND N.Y. Jets win AND Cleveland win
4) Tie AND New England loss AND N.Y. Jets loss or tie AND Cleveland loss or tie AND Denver loss AND San Diego loss or tie
Note: There are other scenarios in which Kansas City can clinch a playoff berth this week if it is determined that after this week’s games they will own the strength of victory tiebreaker over the teams they are tied with.
San Diego Chargers -- Can clinch playoff spot:
1) Win AND Denver loss or tie AND Kansas City loss or tie AND New England loss or tie AND N.Y. Jets loss or tie AND Cleveland loss or tie
2) Win AND Denver loss or tie AND Kansas City loss or tie AND Miami loss AND N.Y. Jets win AND Cleveland loss or tie
3) Tie AND Denver loss AND Kansas City loss AND New England loss AND N.Y. Jets loss AND Cleveland loss
NFC EAST
Philadelphia Eagles -- Has clinched NFC East title.
Philadelphia clinches home-field advantage:
1) Win
2) Tie AND Green Bay loss or tie
3) Green Bay loss
Philadelphia clinches a first-round bye:
1) Tie AND Green Bay loss or tie
2) Green Bay loss
New York Giants -- Can clinch playoff spot:
1) Win
2) Tie AND New Orleans loss or tie
3) New Orleans loss
NFC NORTH
Green Bay Packers -- Has clinched NFC North title
Green Bay clinches home-field advantage:
1) Win AND Philadelphia loss or tie
2) Green Bay tie AND Philadelphia loss
Green Bay clinches a first-round bye:
1) Win AND Philadelphia loss or tie
2) Tie AND Philadelphia loss
3) Tampa Bay loses once
NFC SOUTH
Tampa Bay Buccaneers -- Has clinched NFC South title
Tampa Bay clinches a first-round bye:
1) Win AND Green Bay loss
Atlanta Falcons -- Can clinch playoff spot:
1) Win or tie
2) N.Y. Giants loss or tie
3) New Orlean loss or tie
New Orleans Saints -- Can clinch playoff spot:
1) Win AND N.Y. Giants loss or tie
2) Win AND Atlanta loss
3) Tie AND N.Y. Giants loss
DEBROUILLEZ VOUS AVEC çA LES GARS ! !
NFC WEST
San Francisco 49ers -- Has clinched NFC West title
The following teams have been officially eliminated from playoff contention:
Arizona, Buffalo, Carolina, Chicago, Cincinnati, Dallas, Detroit, Houston, Jacksonville, Minnesota, St. Louis, Seattle and Washington
