NFL Playoffs 2017: Wild-Card Format, Updated Bracket and Known Schedule

There are a handful of knowns heading into Week 17, the last of the 2016 NFL regular season.

The AFC North champion Pittsburgh Steelers are locked into the No. 3 seed. The Houston Texans, AFC South champs, are the No. 4 seed. The New England Patriots will finish with a bye, but they’re playing for home-field advantage.

The Dallas Cowboys, on the other hand, have clinched a first-round bye with the top record in the NFC. The road to the Super Bowl runs through AT&T Stadium.

The only other team concrete in its playoff position is the only one to beat the ‘Boys this season: the New York Giants. Big Blue is the No. 5 seed regardless of its matchup with the fellow NFC East foe Washington Redskins.

Now, let’s talk unknowns.

Current Bracket

Note: This is going into Week 17. This bracket is likely to change after the conclusion of the regular season.

AFC

Who needs what to happen?

The playoff teams in the AFC are set. There’s much room for shuffling, though.

The Raiders, sans Derek Carr, are fighting for a first-round bye against the Denver Broncos. Having an extra week to prepare backup Matt McGloin is invaluable, though as Elias Trejo of Raider Nation Times pointed out, the career second-stringer is unlikely to get out-classed by rookie Paxton Lynch or hot-and-cold Trevor Siemian:

Maybe I’m alone with this, but I think McGloin is likely as good or …

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