NFL playoff picture 2021: Week 16 standings, bracket, clinching scenarios, division races and pos...

Here's something that doesn't happen every season in the NFL playoff picture. With 32 games remaining in the season, six teams have clinched playoff spots. The eight other teams currently among the top 14 are guaranteed to make the playoffs if they win their final two games, according to scenarios researched by ESPN Stats & Information.

The Chiefs, Buccaneers, Rams and Cardinals have joined the Packers and Cowboys in the 14-team field. Monday night, the Dolphins moved into the No. 7 spot in the AFC, despite starting 1-7 this season. The Seahawks, Giants and Panthers, on the other hand, joined a relatively short list of teams that have been eliminated. All told, 24 teams are still mathematically alive to go to the playoffs and potentially win Super Bowl LVI, the second-highest total with two weeks left in a season in the past 31 years.

Suffice it to say, a ton of drama remains to play out between now and Jan. 9. What follows is a preview of our weekly snapshot of the NFL's playoff picture, incorporating ESPN's Football Power Index (FPI) and a bit of our own instincts to give you a sense of the stakes. We've threaded playoff- and/or division-clinching scenarios for a handful of teams that will have them in Week 17.

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AFC

1. Kansas City Chiefs (11-4)

The Chiefs became the first AFC team to officially make the playoffs -- as well as win their division -- after Week 16's dominating victory over the Steelers. A few months ago, some were questioning whether the league had figured out the Chiefs. Eight consecutive wins later, they're not only in the playoffs and the AFC West champion for the sixth consecutive season but also in a pretty strong position to clinch home-field advantage for the third consecutive season. They can clinch it in Week 17 with a win at Cincinnati and a Titans loss to the Dolphins. ESPN's FPI is giving them a 63% chance to lock it up.

Remaining schedule:at Bengals, at Broncos

2. Tennessee Titans (10-5)

The Titans had lost three of their past four games before their comeback victory over the 49ers. The win moved them up one spot in the AFC standings, and they remained there after the Bills beat the Patriots. The Titans missed a chance to clinch the AFC South on Saturday, when the Colts beat the Cardinals, but they can clinch in Week 17 with a win over the Dolphins or a Colts loss to the Raiders. Even if they lose to the Dolphins, the Titans can clinch a playoff spot with losses by the Ravens and Chargers, or losses by the Ravens and Patriots, or losses by the Chargers and Patriots. And Tennessee remains a threat to catch the Chiefs for the top seed in the conference -- ESPN's FPI says it has a 32% chance.

Remaining schedule:vs. Dolphins, at Texans

3. Cincinnati Bengals (9-6)

The Bengals' two-game winning streak has lifted them into the top spot in the division at a time when the Ravens have lost four consecutive games, the Browns have lost twice in a row and the Steelers have dropped four of their past six games. Although it will be a tough task, the Bengals can actually clinch the AFC North in Week 17 if they beat the Chiefs at home and the Steelers lose to the Browns. At the moment, they're ahead of the Bills in the AFC standings based on a better conference record.

Remaining schedule:vs. Chiefs, at Browns

4. Buffalo Bills (9-6)

The Bills thumped the Patriots to take a measure of control in the AFC East. They're ahead of the Patriots for now based on a one-game advantage in division record (4-1 vs. 3-2). No one can clinch the division title in Week 17, which means the AFC East will go down to the final week of the season. But the Bills are now in the best spot to clinch. If they win their remaining games -- and they are both very winnable -- they will take the AFC East title. ESPN's FPI loves their chances.They can also clinch a playoff spot in Week 17 with a win and a Ravens loss, or with a win and losses by the Raiders and Chargers.

Remaining schedule:vs. Falcons, vs. Jets

5. Indianapolis Colts (9-6)

The Colts produced a pretty amazing victory Saturday night in Arizona, playing without most of their starting offensive line as well as star linebacker Darius Leonard, who tested positive for COVID-19 earlier in the day. The win allowed the Colts to stay alive in the AFC South race -- they would have been eliminated with a loss -- and strengthened their bid for a wild-card spot. ESPN's FPI considers a playoff spot a near-lock at this point.In fact, the Colts can clinch a playoff spot with a Week 17 win over the Raiders. Indianapolis has won six of its past seven games, and with two more very winnable games on the schedule, it could enter the playoffs on quite a run.

Remaining schedule:vs. Raiders, at Jaguars

6. New England Patriots (9-6)

The Patriots have lost two consecutive games after a seven-game winning streak. And while they don't trail the Bills by much -- Buffalo has a one-game advantage in the division-record tiebreaker -- the Pats no longer control their own fate in the division race. No one is going to clinch in Week 17, but the Bills can clinch in Week 18 if they win their final two games. Both teams have very manageable schedules the rest of the way, and ESPN's FPI has dropped the Patriots' chances to win the division to 11%.The Patriots can clinch a playoff spot, though, with a win over the Jaguars and a Raiders loss in Week 17, or a loss by the Dolphins.

Remaining schedule:vs. Jaguars, at Dolphins

7. Miami Dolphins (8-7)

The Dolphins have pulled off one of the most stark turnarounds in NFL history. Their victory Monday night in New Orleans made them the first team ever to put together a seven-game winning streak and a seven-game losing streak in the same season. Regardless, they have pulled themselves squarely into the AFC playoff race. The good news is that they are guaranteed a playoff spot if they win their final two games. The bad news? They have two really tough opponents in those games.

Remaining schedule: at Titans, vs. Patriots

In the AFC hunt

Baltimore Ravens (8-7)

The Ravens came back to reality on Monday and were bounced back out of the AFC's top seven. They had temporarily moved up on Sunday, despite losing their fourth consecutive game, thanks to a series of tiebreakers. But with remaining games against the Rams and Steelers, they'll now need help to make the playoffs this season. Their playoff odds per ESPN's FPI are 31%.

Los Angeles Chargers(8-7)

The Chargers suffered a terrible loss in Houston and tumbled all the way out of the playoff picture. Their remaining schedule includes games against AFC West foes Denver and Las Vegas, and their playoff chances have dropped to 35%, per ESPN's FPI.

Las Vegas Raiders (8-7)

Two consecutive wins, by a total of six points, have kept the Raiders on the outskirts of the playoff picture. With remaining games against the Colts and Chargers, the Raiders have a 18% chance of getting to the postseason, according to ESPN's FPI.

Pittsburgh Steelers (7-7-1)

As bad as the Steelers have been lately -- they've lost four of their past six games -- they still have a fairly direct path to the AFC North title. They'll need to win their remaining games against the Browns and Ravens, and then have the Bengals lose their final two games. ESPN's FPI gives that scenario a 5% chance of happening. And Pittsburgh's overall playoff odds lie at 12%.

Cleveland Browns (7-8)

Saturday night's loss to the Packers didn't eliminate the Browns from the playoffs, and the truth is that they can still make it if they win their final two games against Pittsburgh and Cincinnati. ESPN's FPI estimates a 12% chance of that happening -- and a 13% chance of getting into the playoffs some other way.

Denver Broncos (7-8)

The Broncos weren't mathematically eliminated after losing to the Raiders, but ESPN's FPI is giving them less than a 1% chance.

NFC

1. Green Bay Packers (12-3)

The Packers faced a pretty wild and divergent set of circumstances on Saturday night. Had the Browns completed their comeback and left Lambeau Field with a win, the Packers would have faced the strong possibility of falling out of the top seed in the NFC. All it would have taken was the Cowboys winning a home game against Washington, an outcome that would have elevated the Cowboys to No. 1. Instead, the Packers held off the Browns and kept themselves in strong position to ensure home-field advantage in the playoffs (80% likely, per ESPN's FPI). They are now 7-0 at Lambeau Field this season and 20-3 since coach Matt LaFleur was hired in 2019. And now Green Baycan clinch the the No. 1 overall seed in Week 17 with a win over the Vikings and a Cowboys loss to the Cardinals.

Remaining schedule:vs. Vikings, at Lions

2. Dallas Cowboys (11-4)

The Cowboys clinched the NFC East even before stepping on the field in Week 16, thanks to an unusual strength-of-victory tiebreaker over the Eagles that was triggered by the Raiders' victory over the Broncos. The only thing left for the Cowboys is determining their final seed. Do they have a legitimate chance to leapfrog the Packers for home-field advantage throughout the playoffs? ESPN's FPI is giving them a 15% chance. The easiest path is winning their remaining two games and having the Packers lose to either the Vikings or Lions.

Remaining schedule:vs. Cardinals, at Eagles

3. Los Angeles Rams (11-4)