NFL 2018 - Week 17 NFL Preview

It's all on the line in week 17 as 13 of the 16 games of the final week of the regular season feature at least one team in contention for a trip to Super Bowl LIII.

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It's the final push for NFL teams as the regular season ends on Sunday, December 30. All 16 games are division contests and with one week to go, there are still 15 teams in contention for a trip to Super Bowl LIII. Nine of the 12 playoff teams have been determined. Five of the eight divisions have been clinched. And there's still plenty to play for in Week 17. For the full Week 17 playoff scenarios, click here.

In the AFC, four teams have already punched their ticket to the postseason: New England (10-5, AFC East), Houston (10-5, playoff berth), Kansas City (11-4, playoff berth) and the Los Angeles Chargers (11-4, playoff berth).

Baltimore (9-6) and Pittsburgh (8-6-1) are vying for the AFC North title. Indianapolis (9-6) and Tennessee (9-6) face off on NBC's Sunday Night Football at 8:20 PM ET in a win-and-you're-in battle. Houston can clinch the AFC South title with a win this week, but the winner of the Indianapolis-Tennessee game would take the division crown with a Houston loss.

In the NFC, five teams have locked up playoff spots, including all four division winners: Dallas (9-6, NFC East), Chicago (11-4, NFC North), New Orleans (13-2, NFC South), the Los Angeles Rams (12-3, NFC West) and Seattle (9-6, playoff berth).

Minnesota (8-6-1) and Philadelphia (8-7) are in contention for the final Wild Card spot in the NFC. The Vikings are in position to clinch a playoff berth with a win, while the Eagles need a win and a Minnesota loss to secure their postseason entry.

The Bears, who have clinched the NFC North division title for the first time since 2010, have completed a "worst-to-first" turnaround and at least one team has won its division the season after finishing in or tied for last place in 15 of the past 16 seasons. If Houston clinches the AFC South on Sunday, it would mark the second consecutive season that two teams go from worst to first (Jacksonville and Philadelphia in 2017) -- something that has never happened before in any other major US sport.

Since the 12-team playoff format was adopted in 1990 -- a streak of 29 consecutive seasons -- at least four teams have qualified for the playoffs in every season that were not in the postseason the year before.

With one week remaining, five teams have already qualified for the playoffs after missing the postseason in 2017 -- the Chicago Bears, Dallas Cowboys, Houston Texans, Los Angeles Chargers and Seattle Seahawks. That number could swell to as many as seven if both the Baltimore Ravens and Indianapolis Colts qualify for the postseason on Sunday.

A look at some of the key games during the final week of the regular season:

CAROLINA PANTHERS (6-9) at NEW ORLEANS SAINTS (13-2) (Sunday, FOX, 1:00 PM ET)

The Saints have clinched the NFC South, a first-round bye and home-field advantage throughout the NFC playoffs.

DALLAS COWBOYS (9-6) at NEW YORK GIANTS (5-10) (Sunday, FOX, 1:00 PM ET)

The Cowboys have clinched the NFC East and will enter the NFC playoffs as the No. 4 seed.

JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS (5-10) at HOUSTON TEXANS (10-5) (Sunday, CBS, 1:00 PM ET)

The Texans, who have clinched a playoff berth, can claim the AFC South with a win. They can also clinch a first-round bye with a win and a New England loss, and can clinch home-field advantage throughout the AFC playoffs with a win combined with losses by New England, Kansas City and the Los Angeles Chargers.

NEW YORK JETS (4-11) at NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS (10-5) (Sunday, CBS, 1:00 PM ET)

The Patriots, who have won the AFC East, can earn a first-round bye with a win or if Baltimore, Houston and Tennessee all lose.

ARIZONA CARDINALS (3-12) at SEATTLE SEAHAWKS (9-6) (Sunday, FOX, 4:25 PM ET)

The Seahawks have clinched a playoff berth and will enter the NFC playoffs as the No. 5 or 6 seed.

CHICAGO BEARS (11-4) at MINNESOTA VIKINGS (8-6-1) (Sunday, FOX, 4:25 PM ET)

The Bears, who have clinched the NFC North, can secure a first-round bye with a win and a Los Angeles Rams loss.

The Vikings can clinch a playoff berth with a win or a Philadelphia loss. CINCINNATI BENGALS (6-9) at PITTSBURGH STEELERS (8-6-1) (Sunday, CBS, 4:25 PM ET)

The Steelers can claim the AFC North with a win and a Baltimore loss.

CLEVELAND BROWNS (7-7-1) at BALTIMORE RAVENS (9-6) (Sunday, CBS, 4:25 PM ET)

The Ravens can win the AFC North with a win or a Pittsburgh loss.

LOS ANGELES CHARGERS (11-4) at DENVER BRONCOS (7-8) (Sunday, CBS, 4:25 PM ET)

The Chargers, who have clinched a playoff berth, can claim the AFC West division title, a first-round bye and home-field advantage throughout the AFC playoffs with a win combined with a Kansas City loss.

OAKLAND RAIDERS (4-11) at KANSAS CITY CHIEFS (11-4) (Sunday, CBS, 4:25 PM ET)

The Chiefs, who have clinched a playoff berth, can claim the AFC West division title, a first-round bye and home-field advantage throughout the AFC playoffs with a win. A Los Angeles Chargers loss would also give the Chiefs the AFC West crown.

PHILADELPHIA EAGLES (8-7) at WASHINGTON REDSKINS (7-8) (Sunday, FOX, 4:25 PM ET)

​The Eagles can secure a playoff berth with a win combined with a Minnesota loss.

SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS (4-11) at LOS ANGELES RAMS (12-3) (Sunday, FOX, 4:25 PM ET)

The Rams have won the NFC West and can clinch a first-round bye with a win or a Chicago loss.

INDIANAPOLIS COLTS (9-6) at TENNESSEE TITANS (9-6) (Sunday, NBC, 8:20 PM ET)

​The winner of this game goes to the playoffs.

The Colts can clinch the AFC South division title with a win combined with a Houston loss.

The Titans can clinch the AFC South division title with a win combined with a Houston loss. With a win and losses by Houston, New England and Baltimore, the Titans would secure a first-round bye. ​

What to Look For

Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes leads the NFL with 48 touchdown passes this season.

With two touchdown passes on Sunday against Oakland (4:25 PM ET, CBS), Mahomes can join PEYTON MANNING (55 TD passes in 2013) and TOM BRADY (50 in 2007) as the only quarterbacks with at least 50 touchdown passes in a single season in NFL history.​​

New York Giants rookie running back Saquon Barkley ranks third in the NFL with 1,886 scrimmage yards this season.

With 114 scrimmage yards against Dallas, Saquon Barkley would join Pro Football Hall of Famer ERIC DICKERSON (2,212 scrimmage yards in 1983) and EDGERRIN JAMES (2,139 in 1999) as the only rookies with at least 2,000 scrimmage yards in NFL history.

Saquon Barkley has 87 receptions this season and needs two catches against the Cowboys to surpass REGGIE BUSH (88 receptions in 2006) for the most catches by a rookie running back in league annals.

Carolina running back Christian McCaffrey ranks second in the league with 1,925 scrimmage yards (1,080 rushing, 845 receiving) this season. McCaffrey has 106 catches in 2018 and surpassed MATT FORTÉ (102 receptions in 2014) for the most receptions by a running back in a single season in league annals.

With 55 receiving yards at New Orleans (1:00 PM ET, FOX), McCaffrey would join Pro Football Hall of Famer MARSHALL FAULK (1998 & 1999) and ROGER CRAIG (1985) as the only players in NFL history with at least 1,000 rushing yards and 900 receiving yards in a single season.

Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown has 104 receptions for 1,297 yards and leads the NFL with a franchise-record 15 touchdown catches this season.

With three receiving yards against Cincinnati (4:25 PM ET, CBS), Antonio Brown would become the first player in NFL history with five seasons of at least 100 receptions and 1,300 receiving yards.

Antonio Brown and teammate JUJU SMITH-SCHUSTER, who has 106 receptions and became the youngest player in NFL history with at least 100 receptions in a single season, can become the first pair of teammates in league annals to each record at least 110 receptions in the same season.

Los Angeles Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald leads the NFL with a career-high 19.5 sacks this season.

With three sacks against San Francisco (4:25 PM ET, FOX), Donald would tie Pro Football Hall of Famer MICHAEL STRAHAN (22.5 sacks in 2001) for the most sacks in a single season since 1982 when the individual sack became an official statistic.

Aaron Donald, who has recorded at least two sacks in seven games this season, can become the second player since 1982 to record at least eight games with two-or-more sacks in a single season, joining Pro Football Hall of Famers REGGIE WHITE (eight games in 1987).​

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