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AFC Playoff Scenarios Give Rex Ryan’s Team Slim Hopes As Jets Need Help to Get In

The AFC playoff picture is far from settled, and thus Sunday will be a wild, wild day for a handful of teams in the American Football Conference.

There are two playoff spots to be filled, a division title to be settled and plenty of jockeying for position to be done in terms of seeding for the postseason.

For some teams, like the Patriots and Bengals, things are pretty simple — just win. For others, like the Jets, it comes down to not only winning but get some help as well.

Check out the AFC playoff scenarios below.

Here’s what we already know:
New England has clinched the AFC East and has a first-round bye.
Houston has clinched the AFC South.
Baltimore and Pittsburgh have both clinched playoff spots.

Here’s what we’ll find out Sunday:

AFC EAST

New England
Clinches AFC No. 1 seed and homefield advantage throughout playoffs with:

• Win over Buffalo OR
• Pittsburgh loss or tie against Cleveland and Baltimore loss or tie against Cincinnati 

New York Jets
Clinches playoff berth with:

• Win over Miami and a Cincinnati loss to Baltimore, Tennessee loss or tie against Houston and an Oakland loss to San Diego OR
• Win over Miami and a Cincinnati loss to Baltimore, Tennessee loss or tie against Houston and a Denver loss or tie against Kansas City

AFC NORTH

Baltimore 
Clinches AFC North and first-round bye with:

• Win over Cincinnati OR
• Tie against Cincinnati and a Pittsburgh loss or tie against Cleveland OR
• Pittsburgh loss to Cleveland

Cincinnati
Clinches playoff berth with:

• Win or tie against Baltimore OR
• New York Jets loss or tie against Miami and an Oakland loss or tie against San Diego OR
• New York Jets loss or tie against Miami and a Denver loss or tie against Kansas City

Pittsburgh
Clinches AFC North and a first-round bye with:

• Win over Cleveland and a Baltimore loss or tie against Cincinnati OR
• Tie against Cleveland and a Baltimore loss to Cincinnati

Clinches No. 1 seed and homefield advantage throughout playoffs with:

• Win over Cleveland and a Baltimore loss or tie against Cincinnati and a New England loss to Buffalo

AFC SOUTH

Tennessee
Clinches playoff spot with:

• Win over Houston and a Cincinnati loss to Baltimore, a New York Jets win over Miami and an Oakland loss to San Diego OR
• Win over Houston and a Cincinnati loss to Baltimore, a New York Jets win over Miami and a Denver loss to Kansas City
• Win over Houston, a Cincinnati loss to Baltimore, a New York Jets loss or tie against Miami, an Oakland win and a Denver win 

AFC WEST

Denver
Clinches AFC West with:

• Win over Kansas City OR
• Tie against Kansas City and an Oakland loss or tie against San Diego OR
• Oakland loss to San Diego 

Oakland
Clinches AFC West with: 

• Win over San Diego and a Denver loss or tie against Kansas City OR
• Win over San Diego and a Denver loss to Kansas City

Clinches playoff berth with:

• Win over San Diego and a Cincinnati loss to Baltimore and a Tennessee loss to Houston OR 
• Win over San Diego and a Cincinnati loss to Baltimore and a New York Jets win over Miami

Click here to see the NFC playoff scenarios >>