The Conference Royal Rumble Continues (AFC Week 17)

For the first time since 1993, Week 17 will not serve as the final week of the season. It is now the penultimate week with the NFL season now being 18 weeks long--on a permanent basis. Prior to this season, Week 17 ended the season, and it was fitting, as Week 17 has often fallen either on the final weekend of the year or the first weekend of the New Year, which is what I loved about Week 17. In this case, Week 17 opens on the 2nd day of 2022 with 15 games, with a 16th taking place on the following day. Even with the permanent shift in the schedule, Week 17 remains pivotal in the NFL season, as a lot can be settled during the season's penultimate week.

In the case of this year, seven playoff spots can be clinched this week, with five of them in the NFL Royal Rumble known as the American Football Conference. Here's how tight the logjam is. The Kansas City Chiefs are #1 at 11-4, and they enter Week 17 as the only AFC team to clinch a playoff spot, as they won the AFC West this past Sunday. The Tennessee Titans hold the #2 spot at 10-5, while the Cincinnati Bengals and the Buffalo Bills are tied at 9-6. The Bengals' 7-3 conference record puts them at the #3 spot, and the Bills return to first place in the AFC East with their win over the New England Patriots.

The Patriots and Indianapolis Colts are also 9-4, but because of Buffalo's 4-1 division record, and Indy's head-to-head win, the Pats are in the #6 slot--behind the Bills in the division and behind the Colts in the Wild Card standings. In the #7 spot, which is the last playoff spot in the conference: the Miami Dolphins. Yes, the Dolphins went from 1-7 and left for dead, to 8-7 and above the playoff line, with Monday's win over the New Orleans Saints being their seventh straight. They are also one of four 8-7 teams in the AFC, but a number of tiebreakers place them ahead of the Baltimore Ravens, the Los Angeles Chargers, and the Las Vegas Raiders. The Ravens and Chargers suffered losses in Week 16, allowing the Raiders to move closer to the playoff line with their win. The Pittsburgh Steelers are still behind the teams at 7-7-1, but time is running out for them. Same can be said for the Cleveland Browns and the Denver Broncos, who are both 7-8 after bad losses.

To further elaborate, five playoff spots, two divisions, and homefield can be wrapped up in the AFC during Week 17, and the scenarios are as follows:

The Chiefs are champions of the AFC West for the sixth straight season, which is the longest current division championship streak in the NFL. They've won eight straight games since starting 3-4, and they can now cement their position as the top team in the entire conference. A win and a Titans loss or tie will give home field in the AFC to the Chiefs for the second straight season. If the Chiefs tie, Tennessee has to lose. The Chiefs will be in Cincinnati to face the Bengals in a battle of first place teams.

The Tennessee Titans are still trying to win the AFC South, but the red hot Indianapolis Colts just keep winning games. The Titans made it a bit easier when they won this season's Thursday Night Football finale over the San Francisco 49ers, and because of that, all they have to do is win to clinch the South. A tie and a Colts tie will also get it done, and even if they lose, a Colts loss will give them the division. The Titans are at home against the Miami Dolphins, who have won seven straight games. A win will also force the race to home field to need the final week of the season, and in that regard, the Titans can get home field if they win out and the Chiefs lose either of their final two games. This would put the teams in a tie in the standings, and the Titans would have the tiebreaker, as they handed the Chiefs their most recent loss to date this season.

The Cincinnati Bengals are definitely in the driver's seat as far as locking in the AFC North. They are 4-1 in division play, with the four wins coming against the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Baltimore Ravens. Now, the Bengals have the simplest scenario to clinch their first division title since 2015: all they have to do is beat the Chiefs. If they tie, a Ravens loss or tie will get it done, and they can even clinch the North if the Ravens lose and the Browns/Steelers game ends tied. Joe Burrow's coming off a monster performance: 525 passing yards and four touchdowns. He is one win away from his first taste of the playoffs, and we could see that terrible playoff wins drought come to an end.

While the Buffalo Bills moved back in the AFC East lead with their win in Foxboro over the New England Patriots, they cannot clinch their second straight division crown in Week 17, but they can definitely move one step closer. The Bills are in with a win or a Ravens loss or tie, or a win and losses or ties from the Los Angeles Chargers and the Las Vegas Raiders. There are seven other ways they can get in that involve the Bills tying, and five of them also include losses from the Chargers. The Bills host the Atlanta Falcons this week.

The Indianapolis Colts' win over the Arizona Cardinals on Christmas earned them the right to clinch a playoff spot in Week 17; all they have to do is defeat the Las Vegas Raiders at home. The New England Patriots also have a more simpler scenario: a win and a loss or tie from either the Dolphins or Raiders will do it. The Patriots host the Jacksonville Jaguars this week, which means that we could see the Colts actually get themselves and the Pats into the playoffs should they defeat the Raiders.

As for the rest of the AFC playoff field, while the Miami Dolphins cannot clinch a spot this week, they can be eliminated, with ten different ways that could happen. All of them involve a loss, but other things have to happen as well. A Dolphins win, however, could mean possible doom for the Las Vegas Raiders and the Los Angeles Chargers, as that is part of elimination scenarios for both teams. The Chargers were put in this situation due to their shocking loss to the Houston Texans, who were one of three teams who were eliminated entering Week 16 (the Jaguars and Jets are the other two).

The only AFC team facing a "loss and out" scenario is the Denver Broncos. The Broncos are 7-8, but they have a terrible conference record, and their loss to the Raiders places them on life support. Their next loss will mean the end of their season, and the Broncos will head on the road to face the Chargers this week. The Dolphins and Ravens play before they do, and if either of them win, the Broncos will be eliminated before they take the field. Even if they do win, a Steelers win on Monday Night Football will also end Denver's season.

The rest of the AFC North remains alive for the division, but they'll need help. The Baltimore Ravens will need to win out and get one loss from the Bengals--however, the Ravens host the Los Angeles Rams this week, not an easy task. The Pittsburgh Steelers and Cleveland Browns will face each other on Monday Night Football's season finale, and depending on how things go elsewhere, this could be a pure elimination game: whoever loses is out. In spite of this. both teams are alive for the AFC North, but they will need to win out and get a lot of help elsewhere.

In all regards, Week 17 will definitely be chaotic in the American Football Conference, and all I can say is: fasten your seatbelts!

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