INDIANAPOLIS – Win…and get help.
The Week 17 playoff scenario for the Colts is that exactly, with 4 possible avenues for help.
Beat the 1-win Jaguars at home (4:25 PM kick) is the first order of business for the Colts.
If the Colts do that, they then need 1 of the following 4 things to happen to make the postseason:
-Browns lose/tie at the Steelers (1:00 PM) OR
-Ravens lose/tie at the Bengals (1:00 PM) OR
-Dolphins lose/tie at the Bills (1:00 PM) OR
-Titans lose/tie at the Texans (4:25 PM)
If we want to get into crazy tie scenarios, if the Colts tie the Jaguars in Week 17, they can get in if any of these three teams lose their Week 17 games: Ravens, Dolphins, Browns.
Good news for the Colts is that the Steelers and Bills are playing for the 2 seed, thus getting two home playoff games, so they shouldn’t be resting starters in Week 17.
And, with the Titans losing to the Packers in Week 16, the Colts actually could still win the AFC South with a win in the season finale and Tennessee losing in Houston. The Colts would also win the division with a tie in Week 17 and a loss by the Titans.
If the playoffs started right now, the Colts would be the first team out.
The Chiefs (14-1) would get the 1st round bye, and these would be the matchups on Wild Card weekend:
No. 2 Steelers (12-3) vs. No. 7. Browns (10-5)
No. 3 Bills (11-3) vs. No. 6. Ravens (10-5)
No. 4 Titans (10-5) vs. No. 5. Dolphins (10-5)
If the Titans lost their final two games and the Colts beat the Jaguars, then Indianapolis would actually win the AFC South, and not need a Wild Card berth.
Here’s the current AFC playoff standings:
Division Leaders
1. Chiefs (14-1): Chargers (5-9)
2. Steelers (12-3): at Browns (10-5)
3. Bills (11-3): Dolphins (10-5)
4. Titans (10-5): at Texans (4-11)
Wild Card Teams
5. Dolphins (10-5): at Bills (11-3)
6. Ravens (10-5): at Bengals (4-10-1)
7. Browns (10-5): Steelers (12-3)
Outside Looking In
8. Colts (10-5): Jaguars (1-14)
From the NFL, Colts playoff scenarios for Week 17:
Indianapolis clinches AFC South division title with:
-
- IND win + TEN loss or tie OR
- IND tie + TEN loss
Indianapolis clinches playoff berth with:
-
- IND win + BAL loss or tie OR
- IND win + CLE loss or tie OR
- IND win + MIA loss or tie OR
- IND tie + BAL loss OR
- IND tie + CLE loss OR
- IND tie + MIA loss
