Playoff Berths on the Line in Final Week

The final week of the season is upon us and for some teams the playoff are in sight, while for others the chance to play spoilers and end on a winning note take precedent.

Nine of the 12 playoff spots have been decided with three up for grabs. By Sunday evening, we'll know who's in and who's preparing for the 2007 NFL Draft in April.

Here's the playoff rundown so far:

In the AFC, New England, Baltimore, Indianapolis and San Diego are division winners with the Ravens and Chargers receiving first-round byes. A win by San Diego would give them home-field advantage. A loss and a Baltimore victory would give the advantage to the Ravens.

In the wild card race, the New York Jets and Denver Broncos are the front runners. It's simple for both teams - win and your in. Cincinnati, Tennessee, Jacksonville and Kansas City are still alive but need help. If either the Jets or the Broncos falter, the Bengals can get in with a win over Pittsburgh.

In the NFC, Chicago, New Orleans and Seattle have clinched division titles, while Dallas and Philadelphia have earned playoff berths. A win by the Eagles on Sunday gives them the NFC East crown.

That leaves the New York Giants, Carolina, St. Louis, Atlanta and Green Bay still alive for the sixth and final playoff slot. The Giants control their own destiny and need no help - beat Washington on Saturday night and New York is in.

Here's the Corners predictions for week 17 in the NFL:

New York Giants at Washington (Saturday night)
Despite their uninspired play and continued collapse, the New York Giants are still in prime position to reach the playoffs. Various scenarios can get the Giants into the playoffs despite having lost six of seven since their 6-2 start, but winning on the road Saturday night against the Washington Redskins to end the regular season would provide the easiest route. The Giants will be without Michael Strahan and look for a faltering team to sink even further. Winner: Giants.

Cleveland at Houston
Houston will try to close the season by winning back-to-back games for the first time in two years when they meet the Cleveland Browns at Reliant Stadium on Sunday. Cleveland (4-11), wrapping up its second season under coach Romeo Crennel, has already been assured a worse record than its 6-10 mark in 2005. The Browns are 2-1 all-time against the Texans, losing 19-16 in the last meeting on Oct. 30, 2005. Winner: Texans.

Detroit at Dallas
Dallas can still win the division and the NFC's third seed if it beats Detroit and Philadelphia loses to Atlanta. That would mean a home playoff game for the first time since 1998. But if the Cowboys lose, they'll open the first week of the postseason on the road at Seattle. The Lions are a league-worst 23-72 since 2001 and haven't made the playoffs since 1999 and have six straight seasons with at least 10 losses. The Lions, who have lost seven straight overall, are 0-7 on the road this season and have lost 18 of their last 20 games away from Detroit. Winner: Cowboys.

New England at Tennessee
Tennessee is trying to become the first team ever to start 0-5 and make the postseason. The Titans have won six straight, but need a victory at New England along with losses by Cincinnati, Jacksonville and Denver to reach the playoffs. The Patriots clinched their fourth consecutive division title Dec. 24 with a 24-21 victory against the Jaguars. They are the fourth seed entering the final week, but could move up to No. 3 if they beat the Titans and the Colts lose to Miami. Winner: Patriots.

Seattle at Tampa Bay
The Seattle Seahawks earned their fourth straight trip to the postseason last week, but they haven't looked much like a playoff-caliber team lately. The Seahawks try to end a three-game losing streak and gain some momentum heading into the playoffs as they visit the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Seattle has beaten only one team with a winning record this season -- a 23-20 win over Denver on Dec. 3 -- and has allowed at least 20 points in each of its last seven games. The good news for Seattle - Tampa Bay doesn't have a winning record. Winner: Seahawks.

Pittsburgh at Cincinnati
Bill Cowher's long tenure as coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers may be coming to an end this weekend. Cowher could be coaching his last game when the Steelers visit a Cincinnati Bengals squad fighting for their playoff lives. The Bengals still have a shot at the postseason, but they will need some help. Thanks to losses at Indianapolis and Denver in its last two games, Cincinnati must beat Pittsburgh to remain alive in the playoff race. Winner: Bengals.

Oakland at New York Jets
The Jets can earn a playoff berth by beating the Raiders and complete and amazing turnaround under rookie head coach Eric Mangini. New York started the season at 2-3, but has gone 7-3 since. The Jets are 5-2 since their bye week, allowing an average of 14.1 points in those games, the third-fewest points in the league in that span. The Raiders, who have lost eight straight, are averaging a league-low 11.0 points and tied the franchise record for most losses in a season. Looks like Oakland will break that record this weekend. Winner: Jets.

Carolina at New Orleans
The Carolina Panthers will be looking to keep their slim postseason hopes alive when they visit a New Orleans Saints team that has already clinched a first-round bye.
The Panthers were expected by many preseason publications to contend for the Super Bowl this season. However, they enter the final week needing a win, along with a New York Giants loss at Washington on Saturday and a Green Bay loss at Chicago Sunday night, to earn a wild-card berth in the NFC playoffs. The Saints, on the other hand, have rebounded nicely from a 3-13 record last season, clinching their first playoff bye in franchise history. Carolina has won six of the last eight meetings between the teams. Winner: Panthers.

St. Louis at Minnesota
Back-to-back wins have kept the St. Louis Rams alive in the playoff picture, but it's going to take a lot more than a third straight victory for them to be playing in January. The Rams look for a win and a lot of help when they visit the Minnesota Vikings in their regular-season finale. St. Louis must win and have the New York Giants, Carolina and Atlanta all lose or tie to avoid missing the playoffs for the second consecutive season. The Rams began the season 4-1, but lost seven of their next eight before their recent rebound. The Rams are 3-4 away from home and have lost three straight trips to Minnesota, including a 27-13 defeat in their last meeting on Dec. 11, 2005. However, the Vikings are only 3-4 at the Metrodome this season and trying to avoid finishing below .500 at home for the first time since going 2-6 there in 1984. Winner: Rams.

Jacksonville at Kansas City
Although they need plenty of help, the Jacksonville Jaguars and Kansas City Chiefs can still make the playoffs. The Jaguars are 4-1 all-time against the Chiefs, including a 23-16 victory in 2002 in the only meeting at Kansas City. Fred Taylor had 114 yards rushing and a touchdown in that contest, and he needs 80 yards to reach 1,200 for the sixth time in his career. The Chiefs are an NFL-best 20-2 in December home games since 1995, having won 18 straight before losing 20-10 to the Ravens on Dec. 10. Jacksonville is 2-5 on the road after going 11-5 over the past two seasons. Winner: Chiefs.

Arizona at San Diego
The Chargers look to secure home-field advantage throughout the playoffs when they host the Arizona Cardinals in the regular season finale for both teams. San Diego can clinch the AFC's top seed with a victory over the Cardinals or if Baltimore loses to Buffalo at home earlier on Sunday. San Diego already has a first-round bye for the first time since 1994, when it advanced to its only Super Bowl, but hasn't had home-field advantage since 1980, when it lost 34-27 to Oakland in the AFC Championship Game. Arizona has lost six straight and 16 of its last 19 games against AFC teams. The Chargers lead the all-time series 7-3. Winner: Chargers.

San Francisco at Denver
The Broncos can advance to the postseason with a win or a tie against the San Francisco 49ers when the teams meet in the regular-season finale at Invesco Field. The Broncos can now make another trip to the postseason with a win or a tie, or a Kansas City loss or tie. A victory would also ensure their fourth straight 10-win season, tying the best run in franchise history. The 49ers have lost four of their last five games following a season-high three-game winning streak. Winner: Broncos.

Atlanta at Philadelphia
Jeff Garcia will try to lead the Philadelphia Eagles to a division title. Michael Vick can still take the Atlanta Falcons to the playoffs when the two teams meet in Philadelphia. Philadelphia can clinch the NFC East for the fifth time in six seasons with a win or a Dallas loss to Detroit. If both the Eagles and Cowboys finish with the same record, the Eagles would win the division. If the Eagles lose and the Cowboys win, Dallas would win the division. After starting 5-2, the Falcons have lost six of their last eight games. Winner: Eagles.

Miami at Indianapolis
The Indianapolis Colts have already clinched their fourth straight AFC South title, but little else is in their control. Indianapolis won nine straight games to start the season and were the league's last remaining undefeated team, but that strong start is becoming an increasingly distant memory. The Colts have dropped four of their last six games. Now, Indianapolis must win and hope Buffalo upsets Baltimore to ensure the No. 2 seed in the AFC and clinch a first-round bye. The Colts could slip all the way to the fourth seed if they lose and New England tops Tennessee. Despite the Colts' recent struggles, they are 7-0 at home and trying to finish the season undefeated there for the first time since the 1967 Baltimore Colts went 6-0-1. Winner: Colts.

Buffalo at Baltimmore
The Baltimore Ravens look to secure a coveted first-round bye and possibly the top seed for the AFC playoffs when they host the Buffalo Bills. The Ravens can wrap up the No. 2 seed in the AFC, which means a home playoff game after a first-round bye, by beating the Bills. Baltimore has been very tough to beat at M&T Bank Stadium, with a 6-1 record heading into this matchup. The Ravens have won four straight home games, outscoring opponents by an average of 14.3 points while holding the opposition to 217.3 yards per game. Winner: Ravens.

Green Bay at Chicago
The game is essentially meaningless for the Bears (13-2), who have already clinched home-field advantage throughout the NFC playoffs, but the Packers could still be in the hunt for the conference's final wild-card spot come kickoff. The game was moved from the afternoon to Sunday evening as part of the NFL's flexible schedule. Though the Packers are looking to win their fourth straight game, they've lost three in a row to the Bears, including a 26-0 defeat at Lambeau Field in the Sept. 10 season opener. Brett Favre, who could be playing in his final NFL game, is 21-8 lifetime against Chicago. Winner: Packers.

The Corner Lowdown
Last week: 10-5
Overall: 140-77


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