In the spirit of Thanksgiving week, here are the paths each team (except for the Jets, who have already been eliminated at 0-10) can follow to fulfill their hopes of making the playoffs. And to make this especially sunny for each team, each scenario linked will contain a combination of the highest seed possible for the team in question and/or also inflicting maximum misery upon each team’s division rivals.
- Bills: #1 seed, rest of AFC East 6-10 or worse, Jets denied 1st overall pick despite going 2-14
- Dolphins: #1 seed, rest of AFC East misses playoffs, Jets denied 1st overall pick despite going 2-14
- Patriots: #1 seed, rest of AFC East misses playoffs
- Ravens: #1 seed, rest of AFC North misses playoffs
- Bengals: #5 seed, Ravens and Browns miss playoffs, Steelers #4 seed, thus setting up a revenge match in the wild card round.
- Browns: #1 seed, rest of AFC North misses playoffs
- Steelers: #1 seed at 16-0, rest of AFC North with a losing record, rest of AFC 9-7 or worse
- Texans: #2 seed, rest of AFC South with a losing record via a Titans/Colts tie
- Colts: #1 seed, rest of AFC South with a losing record
- Jaguars: #7 seed, Titans & Texans miss playoffs (alternately, #6 seed is possible but it would require the Titans to make the playoffs)
- Titans: #1 seed, rest of AFC South with a losing record
- Broncos: #1 seed, rest of AFC West misses playoffs
- Chiefs: #1 seed, rest of AFC West with a losing record
- Chargers: #4 seed, rest of AFC West misses playoffs (alternatively, #2 seed is possible but it would require the Chiefs to make the playoffs–perhaps against the Chargers in the wild card round)
- Raiders: #1 seed, rest of AFC West misses playoffs
- Cowboys: #1 seed, rest of NFC East with a losing record
- Giants: #1 seed, rest of NFC East with a losing record
- Eagles: #1 seed, rest of NFC East at 4-12
- Washington: #1 seed, rest of NFC East with a losing record
- Bears: #1 seed, rest of NFC North with a losing record
- Lions: #1 seed, rest of NFC North with a losing record
- Packers: #1 seed, rest of NFC North with a losing record
- Vikings: #1 seed, rest of NFC North with a losing record
- Falcons: #1 seed, rest of NFC South misses playoffs
- Panthers: #1 seed, rest of NFC South misses playoffs
- Saints: #1 seed, rest of NFC South with a losing record, rest of NFC at 8-8 or worse
- Bucs: #1 seed, rest of NFC South misses playoffs
- Cardinals: #1 seed, rest of NFC West with a losing record
- Rams: #1 seed, rest of NFC West with a losing record
- 49ers: #1 seed, rest of NFC West misses playoffs
- Seahawks: #1 seed, rest of NFC West with a losing record