There is officially only one spot left to be clinched in the AFC playoffs. Going into Week 17, there were two spots up for grabs, but the Los Angeles Chargers grabbed one of those with their 40-7 win over the New England Patriots on Saturday.
With the Chargers now in, that means there are now three teams vying for the AFC’s final playoff spot: The Denver Broncos, Miami Dolphins and Cincinnati Bengals.
The Colts were in play to possibly get in the playoffs when the week started, but they’re now officially eliminated after a stunning 45-33 loss to the New York Giants.
The Broncos had a chance to clinch the final spot on Saturday, but they came up empty in a wild loss to the Bengals. Joe Burrow threw a 3-yard touchdown pass to Tee Higgins to clinch a 30-24 win in overtime.
Despite the loss, the Broncos are still in the driver’s seat for the final spot: To clinch the final playoff berth in the AFC, all they have to do is win in Week 18 against a Kansas City team that will likely be benching its starters. (The Chiefs already clinched the No. 1 overall seed in the AFC, so they have nothing to play for.)
As for the other Bengals and Dolphins, they’re still both a long shot to make the playoffs, but one of them could get in if the Broncos lose in Week 18.
Let’s check out what needs to happen for each team to get in.
What Bengals need to get to the playoffs:
- Bengals win in Week 18 (at Steelers)
- Broncos lose in Week 18 (vs. Chiefs)
- Dolphins lose in Week 18 (at Jets)
Verdict: Thanks to their win over the Broncos, the Bengals kept their playoff hopes alive heading into the final week of the season. That being said, the Bengals are in a tough spot because they need the Broncos to lose to Kansas City: The Chiefs will likely be benching their starters in Week 18, which will make it much easier for Denver to win.
What Dolphins need to get to the playoffs:
- Dolphins win in Week 18 (at Jets)
- Broncos lose in Week 18 (vs. Chiefs)
Verdict: In a head-to-head situation with the Broncos, the Dolphins would get in over Denver based on having a better conference record. The Dolphins would also get in if they end up in a three-way tie with the Bengals and Broncos at 9-8. The problem for the Dolphins is that it’s not clear if they’re going to have Tua Tagovailoa in Week 18. Tagovailoa, who has been battling a hip injury, didn’t play in Miami’s Week 17 win over the Browns.
If the Broncos beat the Chiefs in Week 18, then you can throw the other scenarios out the window because a win over Kansas City would clinch the AFC’s final playoff spot for Denver.
