For what it's worth, here are the official NFL Playoff scenarios with two weeks left to play:
NFC:
CLINCHED: Green Bay – NFC North and first-round bye
San Francisco – NFC West
New Orleans – playoff spot
GREEN BAY PACKERS
Green Bay clinches home-field advantage throughout NFC playoffs with:
1) GB win or tie OR
2) SF loss or tie
SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS
San Francisco clinches a first-round bye with:
1) SF win + NO loss
NEW ORLEANS SAINTS
New Orleans clinches NFC South division with:
1) NO win or tie
DALLAS COWBOYS
Dallas clinches NFC East division with:
1) DAL win + NYG loss or tie OR
2) DAL tie + NYG loss
ATLANTA FALCONS
Atlanta clinches a playoff spot with:
1) ATL win or tie OR
2) DAL loss or tie + CHI loss or tie + ARI loss or tie OR
3) NYG loss or tie + CHI loss or tie + ARI loss or tie
DETROIT LIONS
Detroit clinches a playoff spot with:
1) DET win or tie OR
2) CHI loss or tie + ARI loss or tie + SEA loss or tie + DAL loss or tie OR
3) CHI loss or tie + ARI loss or tie + SEA loss or tie + NYG loss or tie OR
4) CHI loss or tie + ARI loss or tie + SEA loss or tie + ATL win or tie
AFC:
CLINCHED: Houston – AFC South
New England – AFC East
Baltimore – playoff spot
Pittsburgh – playoff spot
NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS
New England clinches a first-round bye with:
1) NE win + HOU loss or tie OR
2) NE win + PIT loss or tie + BAL loss or tie OR
3) NE tie + HOU loss OR
4) NE tie + PIT loss + BAL loss
New England clinches home-field advantage throughout AFC playoffs with:
1) NE win + HOU loss or tie + PIT loss or tie + BAL loss or tie
BALTIMORE RAVENS
Baltimore clinches AFC North division with:
1) BAL win + PIT loss
Baltimore clinches a first-round bye with:
1) BAL win + PIT loss + HOU loss
DENVER BRONCOS
Denver clinches AFC West division with:
1) DEN win + OAK loss or tie OR
2) DEN tie + OAK loss + SD loss or tie
Denver clinches a playoff spot with:
1) DEN win + NYJ loss + CIN loss + TEN loss or tie
Doug Russell has been covering Milwaukee and Wisconsin sports for over 20 years on radio, television, magazines, and now at OnMilwaukee.com.
Over the course of his career, the Edward R. Murrow Award winner and Emmy nominee has covered the Packers in Super Bowls XXXI, XXXII and XLV, traveled to Pasadena with the Badgers for Rose Bowls, been to the Final Four with Marquette, and saw first-hand the entire Brewers playoff runs in 2008 and 2011. Doug has also covered The Masters, several PGA Championships, MLB All-Star Games, and Kentucky Derbys; the Davis Cup, the U.S. Open, and the Sugar Bowl, along with NCAA football and basketball conference championships, and for that matter just about anything else that involves a field (or court, or rink) of play.
Doug was a sports reporter and host at WTMJ-AM radio from 1996-2000, before taking his radio skills to national syndication at Sporting News Radio from 2000-2007. From 2007-2011, he hosted his own morning radio sports show back here in Milwaukee, before returning to the national scene at Yahoo! Sports Radio last July. Doug's written work has also been featured in The Sporting News, Milwaukee Magazine, Inside Wisconsin Sports, and Brewers GameDay.
Doug and his wife, Erika, split their time between their residences in Pewaukee and Houston, TX.
