The Indianapolis Colts got a bit of help from an AFC contender on Saturday, and they remain in the NFL playoff picture entering Sunday’s game against the New York Giants.
Though the Los Angeles Chargers locked up a wild-card spot with their win over the New England Patriots — leaving just one spot remaining in the AFC — the Cincinnati Bengals’ win over the Denver Broncos kept the Colts alive.
Had the Broncos beaten the Bengals, which nearly happened in a game that went to overtime, the Colts would have been eliminated.
Here’s an updated look at the AFC playoff picture ahead of the Week 17 games on Sunday
NFL playoff picture
AFC playoffs (* denotes clinched playoff berth)
1. Kansas City Chiefs (15-1, AFC West Champions, first-round bye)*
2. Buffalo Bills (12-3, AFC East Champions)*
3. Baltimore Ravens (11-5)*
4. Houston Texans (9-7, AFC South Champions)*
5. Pittsburgh Steelers (10-6)*
6. Los Angeles Chargers (10-6)*
7. Denver Broncos (9-7)
In the Hunt
8. Cincinnati Bengals (8-8)
9. Indianapolis Colts (7-8)
10. Miami Dolphins (7-8)
The Colts’ chances of making the playoffs certainly hinge on the assumption that they defeat the New York Giants and Jacksonville Jaguars over the final two games of the regular season.
If that happens, the Colts still need the Broncos to lose their game against the Kansas City Chiefs. However, things may get a bit complicated given that the Chiefs don’t have anything to play for. If the Broncos win that game, none this will matter.
In the event the Broncos lose and the Colts and Bengals both win, the Colts would hold the tiebreaker with their superior conference record.
This should make for an interesting final two weeks of the season as the Colts are hoping to end their three-year streak of missing the playoffs.
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