NFL Playoff Race 2009-AFC

Wednesday, December 30, 2009

AFC Teams to clinch playoff spots

New England Patriots: clinched AFC East in Week 15

Cincinnati Bengals: clinched AFC North in Week 16

Indianapolis Colts: clinched the AFC South in Week 12 and a first-round bye and home-field advantage throughout the AFC playoffs in Week 14.

San Diego Chargers: clinched the AFC West Division in Week 15 and a first-round bye in Week 16.

Playoff Scenarios: AFC East

New York Jets: can clinch a playoff spot with a win (vs. Cincinnati).

Miami Dolphins: can clinch a playoff spot with a win (vs. Pittsburgh) and a N.Y. Jets loss (vs. Cincinnati) and a Baltimore loss (vs. Oakland) and a Houston loss (vs. New England) and a Jacksonville loss or tie (vs. Cleveland.

AFC North

Baltimore Ravens: can clinch a playoff spot with a win (vs. Oakland.

Pittsburgh Steelers: can clinch a playoff spot with a win (vs. Miami) and a Houston loss or tie (vs. New England) and a N.Y. Jets loss or tie (vs. Cincinnati) OR a win and a Houston loss or tie and a Baltimore loss or tie (vs. Oakland) OR a win and a N.Y. Jets loss or tie and a Baltimore loss or tie and a Denver loss or tie (vs. Kansas City.

AFC South

Houston Texans: can clinch a playoff spot with a win (vs. New England) and a N.Y. Jets loss or tie (vs. Cincinnati) and a Baltimore loss or tie (vs. Oakland) OR a win and a N.Y. Jets loss or tie and a Denver loss or tie (vs. Kansas City) OR a win and a Baltimore loss or tie and a Denver loss or tie

Jacksonville Jaguars: can clinch a playoff spot with a win (vs. Cleveland) and a Pittsburgh loss (vs. Miami) and a Baltimore loss (vs. Oakland) and a Denver loss (vs. Kansas City) and a Houston loss (vs. New England) OR a win and a Pittsburgh loss and a Baltimore loss and a Denver loss and a N.Y. Jets loss (vs. Cincinnati) OR a win and a Pittsburgh loss and a Baltimore loss and a Houston loss and a N.Y. Jets loss OR a win and a Pittsburgh loss and a Denver loss and a Houston loss and a N.Y. Jets loss OR a win and a N.Y. Jets loss and a Denver loss and a Houston loss and a Baltimore loss.

AFC West

Denver Broncos: can clinch a playoff spot with a win (vs. Kansas City) and a N.Y. Jets loss loss or tie (vs. Cincinnati) and a Baltimore loss or tie (vs. Oakland) OR

a win and a N.Y. Jets loss or tie and a Pittsburgh loss or tie (vs. Miami) OR a win and a N.Y. Jets loss or tie and a Houston win (vs. New England) OR a win and a Baltimore loss or tie and a Pittsburgh loss or tie OR a win and a Baltimore loss or tie and a Houston win OR a Pittsburgh loss and a Baltimore loss and a Houston loss and a Jacksonville loss (vs. Cleveland) OR a Pittsburgh loss and a Baltimore loss and a Houston loss and a N.Y. Jets loss OR

Pittsburgh loss and a Baltimore loss and a Jacksonville loss and a N.Y. Jets loss OR Pittsburgh loss and a Houston loss and a Jacksonville loss and a N.Y. Jets loss OR

Miami loss or tie (vs. Pittsburgh) and a N.Y. Jets loss and a Baltimore loss and a Houston loss and a Jacksonville loss or tie.

AFC Playoff tiebreakers

* New England earns the No. 3 seed over Cincinnati based on strength of victory (.433 to Bengals' .403).

* Denver earns the No. 5 seed over N.Y. Jets and Baltimore based on strength of victory (.513 to Jets' .492 and Ravens' .387) and conference record over Houston (6-5 to Texans' 5-6).

* N.Y. Jets earn the No. 6 seed over Baltimore based on strength of victory (.492 to Ravens' .387) and conference record over Houston (6-5 to Texans' 5-6).

* Baltimore finishes ahead of Houston based on conference record (6-5 over Texans' 5-6).

* Houston finishes ahead of Pittsburgh based on common games (3-1 over Steelers' 1-3).

Divisional tiebreakers

* Baltimore finishes ahead of Pittsburgh based on divisional record (3-3 over Steelers' 2-4).

AFC non-Playoff tiebreakers

* Miami finishes ahead of Jacksonville based on head-to-head (1-0).

* Oakland finishes ahead of Buffalo based on conference record (4-7 over Bills' 3-8).

* Jacksonville finishes ahead of Tennessee based on division record (3-3 to Titans' 2-4).

AFC eliminations

* Cleveland (Week 12), Kansas City (Week 13), Oakland (Week 14), Buffalo (Week 15), Tennessee (Week 16).

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