NFL Playoff Schedule 2017: Dates, TV Info and Latest Wild-Card Scenarios

After a Christmas weekend of NFL action, there is just one week left in the regular season before the playoff madness begins.  

There are only two playoff spots remaining, both in the NFC, but the entire landscape of the postseason changed in the AFC on Saturday. Oakland Raiders quarterback Derek Carr’s season ended prematurely due to a broken fibula suffered in a win over the Indianapolis Colts. 

With Carr out, the door has been opened for the Kansas City Chiefs to grab the AFC West title and a first-round bye with a win against the San Diego Chargers, who became the first team to lose to the Cleveland Browns in 2016 on Saturday.  

Here is a look at what we know so far, teams that have locked down playoff spots and a look at wild-card scenarios heading into Week 17. 

    Playoff Teams

    Playoff Schedule

    Playoff Scenarios All Eyes on the NFC North

It’s been a strange year in the NFC North, though the Green Bay Packers and Detroit Lions have at least kept things interesting. 

The Packers fought off questions in November about being out of the race after a four-game losing streak dropped their record to 4-6. They have proceeded to win five straight, setting up a showdown for the division title at Detroit next week.  

Coming into Week 16, Aaron Rodgers has been unbelievably great to bring the Packers back from the dead. ESPN Stats & Info highlighted Rodgers’ recent brilliance on third down:

Since Week 12, Aaron Rodgers is averaging 13.0 yards/att & completing 77% of his passes on 3rd down, both best in the NFL in that span. pic.twitter.com/TgmcVV7cx3

— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) December 23, 2016

Rodgers may not be playing at his absolute peak when he won two MVP awards, but he’s still thrown for 4,128 yards and leads the NFL with 36 touchdown passes to carry the Packers when they had no running game to speak of. 

The Lions were supposed to struggle this season after Calvin Johnson retired. Instead, quarterback Matthew Stafford has been pulling a Houdini routine all year with an NFL single-season record eight game-winning drives in the fourth quarter and overtime so far.

The Packers beat the Lions in Week 3 at Lambeau earlier this season. One more win will secure a division title for Green Bay, but the Lions have gone 6-1 at home with their only loss coming in Week 2. 

The last time the Packers played a winner-take-all road game in Week 17 for the NFC North title, Rodgers broke the hearts of Chicago Bears fans with a 48-yard touchdown pass to Randall Cobb with 38 seconds remaining to secure a 33-28 win in 2013.

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