NFL Playoff Scenarios For Week 17
The final week of the regular season is upon us.
Here’s the official rundown of NFL playoff scenarios as we get set for Week 17:
AFC
Clinched:
Ravens – AFC North division & home-field advantage throughout AFC playoffs
Texans – AFC South division
Chiefs – AFC West division
Patriots – AFC East division
Bills – playoff berth
Chiefs clinch a first-round bye with:
Chiefs win + Patriots loss
New England clinches a first-round bye with:
Patriots win or tie OR
Chiefs loss or tie
Raiders clinch a playoff berth with:
Raiders win + Steelers loss + Titans loss + Colts win + Raiders clinch strength-of-victory tiebreaker over Steelers*
*Raiders clinch strength-of-victory tiebreaker over Steelers if ONE of the following teams win or tie:
Bears, Lions, Chargers, or Patriots
Steelers clinch a playoff berth with:
Steelers win + Titans loss or tie OR
Steelers tie + Titans loss OR
Titans loss + Colts win + Raiders loss or tie OR
Titans loss + Colts win + Steelers tie Raiders in strength-of-victory tiebreaker*
*Steelers ties Raiders in strength-of-victory tiebreaker if ALL of the following teams win:
Vikings, Packers, Chiefs, and Dolphins
Titans clinch a playoff berth with:
Titans win OR
Titans tie + Steelers loss or tie OR
Steelers loss + Colts loss or tie
NFC
Clinched:
Packers – NFC North division
Saints – NFC South division
Vikings — playoff berth
49ers — playoff berth
Seahawks — playoff berth
Cowboys clinch NFC East division with:
Cowboys win + Eagles loss
Packers clinch a first-round bye with:
Packers win OR
Saints loss OR
Packers tie + San Francisco loss OR
Packers tie + Saints tie
Packers clinch home-field advantage throughout NFC playoffs with:
Packers win + San Francisco loss or tie OR
Packers tie +San Francisco loss + Saints loss or tie
NEW ORLEANS SAINTS (12-3) (at Carolina (5-10); 1:00 PM ET, FOX)
Saints clinch a first-round bye with:
Saints win + Packers loss or tie OR
Saints win + 49ers loss or tie OR
Saints tie +Packers loss OR
Saints tie + 49ers loss OR
49ers loss +Packers win or tie
Saints clinch homefield advantage throughout NFC playoffs with:
Saints win + Packers loss or tie + 49ers loss or tie OR
Saints tie + Packers loss + 49ers loss
Eagles clinch NFC East division with:
Eagles win or tie OR
Cowboys loss or tie
49ers clinch NFC West division title with:
49ers win or tie
49ers clinch a first-round bye with:
49ers win OR
49ers tie + Packers loss or tie OR
49ers tie + Saints loss or tie
49ers clinch home-field advantage throughout NFC playoffs with:
49ers win OR
49ers tie + Packers loss or tie + Saints loss or tie
Seahawks clinch NFC West division with:
Seahawks win
Seahawks clinch a first-round bye with:
Seahawks win + Packers loss
Seahawks clinch home-field advantage throughout NFC playoffs with:
Seahawks win + Packers loss + Saints loss
Cowboys Make Four Roster Moves
As Dallas’ disappointing season winds down, they made a few roster moves Tuesday. The team has placed linebacker Leighton Vander Esch and guard Xavier Su’a-Filo on injured reserve, while signing linebacker Ray-Ray Armstrong and offensive tackle Wyatt Miller to the active roster to take their places.
We heard yesterday that Vander Esch would undergo season-ending neck surgery, so this move was just a formality for him. Su’a-Filo had been starting at guard for the past month, meaning the Cowboys will be making an offensive line change for their Week 17 date with the Redskins. Dallas can still sneak into the playoffs as the NFC East champ, but they’ll need the Eagles to lose to the Giants for that to happen. Su’a-Filo was the 33rd overall pick of the 2014 draft by the Texans. He started for a while in Houston, but was mostly a disappointment.
He came to the Cowboys early on last season on a two-year deal, and ended up starting eight games. He’ll be an unrestricted free agent this spring. Armstrong is a journeyman who has bounced around the league a lot over the past handful of years, appearing in five games for the Saints earlier this season. Miller is a rookie UDFA from UCF who had been on the Bengals’ practice squad.
Leighton Vander Esch To Undergo Surgery
The Cowboys still have a chance to book a playoff berth, but they will go the rest of the way without one of their top defenders. Leighton Vander Esch‘s lengthy absence will continue into the offseason. He will miss Week 17 and be shut down for the season’s remainder, Jason Garrett confirmed Monday.
Vander Esch, however, will not need major surgery before returning in the offseason. The second-year linebacker underwent testing recently, and Jane Slater of NFL.com reports (via Twitter) the results indicated a need for a minimally invasive surgery. Vander Esch is expected to recover from his neck injury long before training camp, Slater adds.
This season obviously did not go as well for the first-round pick, who was one of the top rookies from a strong 2018 class. Nerve damage sidelined Vander Esch for the Cowboys’ past five games. He missed two other Dallas games this season due to injury as well. After a 140-tackle rookie slate that produced a Pro Bowl invite, Vander Esch will close his sophomore campaign with 72. But the Boise State alum remains an essential piece for the Cowboys going forward.
The Cowboys have used veteran Sean Lee more in Vander Esch’s absence, moving Joe Thomas into their starting lineup as well. Lee, Thomas and Jaylon Smith are expected to start in Dallas’ regular-season finale against the Redskins, a game the Cowboys must win while hoping the Giants can upset the Eagles.
Latest On Jason Garrett, Cowboys
If Jason Garrett wants to keep his job, he’ll have to lead the Cowboys to the NFC Championship Game. NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport tweets that Dallas will have to make the conference championship to prevent his firing.
Specifically, Jerry Jones wants the Cowboys to win the division and then make it further in the playoffs than they did last year. That means Dallas has to continue winning, especially against the Eagles tomorrow. That also means Dallas has to get past the divisional round, as the Cowboys lost to the Rams in that round during last year’s playoffs.
There were rumblings earlier this year that Garrett could be on the hot seat, but the organization made it clear that they wouldn’t make a coaching change this season. The Cowboys currently sit at an underwhelming 7-7, but that’s good enough for them to sit tied for first (with Philly) for the top spot in the NFC East. Garrett took over the head coach position midway through the 2010 season, and he’s led Dallas to an 84-66 record. The Cowboys only have three playoff appearances during the coach’s stint.
We heard earlier this month that the Cowboys would have interest in Oklahoma head coach Lincoln Riley if they elect to move on from Garrett. Owner Jerry Jones and his family already have a relationship with Riley stemming from Riley’s recruitment of Jones’ grandson, John Stephen Jones, who ultimately elected to play his collegiate ball at Arkansas.
Latest On Dak Prescott's Week 16 Status
After a week of limited practices, two of which involving no throwing, Dak Prescott is no longer on the Cowboys‘ Week 16 injury report. Prescott will make his 63rd straight regular-season start Sunday. He participated in light throwing drills Friday, according to Todd Archer of ESPN.com. While Prescott’s status never seemed to be in doubt, his practice routine this week was notable. The former offensive rookie of the year had never previously been designated as limited during his four-year career.
- Said upset will be a bit more difficult without Lane Johnson, who will miss a second straight game because of the high ankle sprain he suffered in Week 14. The Eagles declared their All-Pro right tackle out against the Cowboys. Johnson has missed two games this season, the first due to a concussion. Halapoulivaati Vaitai will draw the start.
Rams Work Out K Brett Maher
With Greg Zuerlein dealing with a quad injury, the Rams worked out former Cowboys kicker Brett Maher, Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets.
This Maher audition comes after he traveled to Tennessee for a workout with the Titans, who ended up signing Greg Joseph off the Panthers’ practice squad. Zuerlein has not missed a game this season but missed five in 2018. Sean McVay said earlier this week the Rams would explore kicking options.
Maher had been Dallas’ kicker from the start of last season to earlier this month, but his 10-for-20 connect rate — which included two 60-plus-yarders — prompted the Cowboys to move on. Maher, who also made a 62-yard field goal as a rookie in 2018, made 29 of 36 field goals last season. He was 36-for-36 on PATs in 13 Cowboy games this year.
Last season, the Rams used Cairo Santos and Sam Ficken in Zuerlein’s five-game absence. The All-Pro specialist returned late in the season and made both the game-tying and game-winning field goals to send Los Angeles to the Super Bowl.
This season marks the final year of the 32-year-old kicker’s second NFL contract, with Zuerlein joining Dante Fowler, Michael Brockers, Cory Littleton and Austin Blythe among Rams impending free agents.
Dak Prescott Undergoes MRI
Dak Prescott went through an MRI on his injury shoulder Wednesday, Todd Archer of ESPN.com notes. The Cowboys quarterback did not throw in the team’s opening practice this week due to what Ezekiel Elliott said was an AC join sprain. Jason Garrett did not confirm that prognosis but said it was “hard for (Prescott) to function right now.” The fourth-year passer suffered the injury on a scramble against the Rams. Prescott, who has not missed a game in his NFL career, is also dealing with a sprained right wrist and sprained right index finger. The Cowboys have former UDFA Cooper Rush (three NFL pass attempts) as Prescott’s backup, though it would be surprising if the starter missed any time.
NFL Workout Updates: 12/17/19
Here are Tuesday’s notable workout updates:
Chicago Bears
- TE Darion Clark, G Joshua Garnett, WR Geno Lewis*, TE Alize Mack, RB William Stanback*
Dallas Cowboys
Detroit Lions
- DT Jamie Meder, LB Derrick Moncrief*, DE Mike Moore*, DT David Parry, DT Adolphus Washington
Green Bay Packers
- RB Alex Collins, WR Emanuel Hall, QB Tanner Lee
Los Angeles Chargers
- LB Cameron Judge*, LB Nick Usher*
Washington Redskins
- CB Briean Boddy-Calhoun, CB Chris Campbell, CB Dee Delaney, CB KeiVarae Russell
* = CFL player
Cowboys To Sign Malcolm Smith
The Cowboys have signed Super Bowl XLVIII MVP Malcolm Smith, according to ESPN.com’s Todd Archer (Twitter link). Smith will give the Cowboys some much needed reinforcement at linebacker as they make their playoff push in the final two games of the season. 
Smith, who has ties to passing game coordinator Kris Richard, figures to see reps as Joe Thomas (knee), Sean Lee (pec, thigh) and Leighton Vander Esch (neck) work through injuries. He no longer profiles as an elite defender, but he offers experience and familiarity with Richard’s schemes.
Smith has not played since Week 9, when he was dropped by the Jaguars after a two-game stint. Over the years, he’s appeared in 102 games with 51 starts with totals of 393 tackles, six sacks, four interceptions, and nine forced fumbles.
If the Cowboys beat the Eagles on Sunday, they’ll clinch the NFC East and punch their ticket to the playoffs. If they lose, they’ll need a win over the Redskins and a Giants victory over the Eagles in Week 17 to reach the postseason.
Cowboys Interested In Malcolm Smith
The Cowboys have interest in signing Malcolm Smith, Jane Slater of NFL.com (on Twitter) hears. Smith could give the Cowboys depth at the linebacker position in the wake of Luke Gifford‘s season-ending arm injury and Leighton Vander Esch‘s neck stinger, which has kept him out of action since Week 11. 
[RELATED: Latest On Cowboys’ Tyrone Crawford]
The last couple of years have been rough for Smith, who memorably took home the Super Bowl XLVIII MVP award as a member of the Seahawks. He signed a two-year, $7.5MM pact with the Raiders in March 2015, and though he was a full-time starter for the Silver-and-Black and compiled over 100 tackles in both of his seasons in Oakland, advanced metrics were not terribly fond of his play.
Nevertheless, he was able to parlay his strong raw statistics with the Raiders into a five-year, $26.5MM deal with the 49ers in March 2017. But he missed the entire 2017 campaign due to a torn pectoral muscle, and he was cut by the 49ers before the start of the 2019 campaign. The 30-year-old went on to have a cup of coffee with the Jaguars in 2019, but he was dropped after just two games.
Smith’s familiarity with Cowboys defensive coordinator Kris Richard could help him catch on quickly. If he’s signed, Smith could help the Cowboys in their pivotal Week 16 matchup against the Eagles.