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NFL Playoff Standings 2017: Records, Postseason Scenarios and Wild-Card Review
- Updated: January 2, 2017
As it should, the NFL waited until the final game of the regular season to set the playoff bracket in stone.
Aaron Rodgers made his case for the MVP award by downing the Detroit Lions, throwing four touchdowns in the 31-24 victory and claiming the NFC North.
It helps make the opening-round bracket look downright incredible on the NFC side. Meanwhile, the AFC side has the allure of hosting one or two underdogs capable of making a run at just the right time.
With the march to the playoffs underway, let’s take a look at the final standings and examine the first round.
NFL Standings
The Playoff Picture is official.#NFLPlayoffs pic.twitter.com/xnmwYZ10Zu
— NFL (@NFL) January 2, 2017
Breaking Down Opening Round AFC
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This isn’t the normal AFC. Mainstays such as the Denver Broncos and Indianapolis Colts aren’t anywhere to be found—and that’s not such a bad thing.
Arguably the best matchup pits the Miami Dolphins against the Pittsburgh Steelers in a contest that is sure to fall into the “smashmouth” category. It’s a rematch of a Week 6 affair in which the Dolphins escaped with a 30-15 win while Jay Ajayi exploded for 204 yards and a pair of scores on the ground.
To call the victory a launching pad for the Dolphins would be a gross understatement.
“It’s definitely a glimpse of what we can do,” quarterback Ryan Tannehill said after the Oct. 16 win, according to the Associated Press (via ESPN.com). “Now we just have to show up every week like this.”
He wasn’t wrong—Miami surged to 10 wins by winning nine of its last 11 and looks like one of the few playoff teams capable of running the ball and beating Pittsburgh at its own game. The Steelers, of …
