Let’s go over what advance night did to shake up the PML playoff scene by each game that had playoff implications:
GAME 1 – Chargers (9-7) defeat Broncos (8-8):
- Eliminates DEN from playoff contention
- LAC now needs W18 win + W18 IND loss OR one LV loss to make playoffs
GAME 2 – Titans (6-10) defeat Jaguars (12-4):
- Clinches AFC 1 seed for CIN (CIN won W17 anyways)
- Sets up AFC South division showdown of JAX vs HOU next week, winner is 2 seed in AFC
- JAX is 2 seed with a W18 win, 5 seed with a W18 loss if Ravens lose out or win 1 of 2, 6 seed with a loss if Ravens win out
GAME 3 – Colts (10-6) defeat Texans (11-5):
- HOU loss + JAX loss now means BAL controls own path to 5 seed if they win out
- HOU will not be the 5 seed in the AFC. HOU will be 2, 6 or 7 seed.
- IND owns H2H tiebreaker over HOU
- IND W18 win clinches wild card spot
- IND can be as high as the 5 or as low as the 7 seed depending on if BAL loses out and/or HOU loses W18
GAME 4 – Seahawks (13-3) defeat 49ers (6-10)
- SEA now will either be the 1, 2, or 5 seed depending on LAR and NYG results
GAME 5 – Bears (10-6) defeat Jets (8-8):
- NYJ loss means MIA now controls their path to win the AFC East if MIA wins out
- MIA W17 loss does not eliminate MIA from playoffs, they would then need a NYJ week 18 loss + MIA week 18 win
- AFC East division winner will now be the 4 seed (and AFC West division winner the 3 seed) UNLESS MIA Wins out + LV loses out + LAC loses week 18
- CHI win CLINCHES playoff spot for WAS. WAS owns H2H tiebreak over GB and conference tiebreak over DAL if needed to take the final Wild Card spot if WAS loses out.
- Only way CHI now misses playoffs is a CHI week 18 loss + GB wins out + DAL wins out. CHI owns H2H tiebreak over DAL if they tie at 10-7 and GB wins out
