NFL could be playoff nightmare in Week 17 due to drama in final week of season - CBS Sports

Of course, the NFL doesn't want that to happen

The NFL faces a nightmare playoff scenario in Week 17 that could spoil the drama of the final week of the season.

The NFL really doesn't want this to happen.

The 2025 NFL season has been full of drama, but that drama may not carry over into the final week of the season.With four playoff spots still up for grabs in Week 17 and seven divisional races still to be decided, it looks like a recipe for a dramatic finish to the final two weeks.

The problem for the NFL is that there's a nightmare scenario where nearly every division title game ends and every playoff spot is up for grabs in Week 17. It's a scenario that's understandably not that far-fetched.Since the AFL-NFL merger in 1970, there has not been a season in which every playoff spot and every division has been won before the final week of the season.So this is definitely an undesirable situation for the NFL.

Let's break down the NFL's nightmare scenario:

There are two notable games with playoff implications in the AFC West this weekend:

How the division race could end this week: A Denver win on Christmas Day and a Chargers loss at Houston would clinch the AFC West for the Broncos.

There are two games in the AFC North that could end the division race:

How the division race could end this week: A win for Green Bay would clinch a spot for the Packers and clinch the AFC North for the Steelers.This seems like a potentially disastrous outcome for the NFL, let's just assume it happens.

There are two big games in the AFC South in Week 17:

Breakdown: In our NFL nightmare, we have the Texans beat the Chargers, so there's no way the Jaguars clinch the division in Week 17.

The Patriots can win the AFC East this week.Let's look at two games that will have an impact on the division race:

How this week's division race could end: If the Jets beat the Patriots and the Bills lose to Philadelphia, New England will win the division title, and that's exactly what would happen in a nightmare scenario.

Now, let's move on to NFC.There are only three division races in this conference because the Eagles have already won the NFC East.

Although the Bears are the only team clinching a playoff spot in the NFC North, that could change this week:

- Bears at 49ers

- Ravens is Packers

Here's how the division race could end this week: The Bears win the division with a win over the 49ers, and the Packers can make the playoffs with a win over the Ravens.In our worst case scenario, let's say the Bears beat the 49ers and the Packers beat the Ravens.if Green Bay beats Baltimore).

There are two big games scheduled in the NFC South this week:

With the division race potentially ending this week, the Panthers would win the compartment with a win over the Seahawks and the Del Pens with a win over the Buccaneers, but for the sake of a nightmare scenario, let's assume that happens.

The NFC West has three players, to three groups to catch the 1-digit number.Here's a look at great games in this section in the week 17:

Conclusion: While the Rams win, for our worst-case scenario, we say the Seahawks and 49ers both lose.

If all that happens, six of the eight divisions will be decided and all 14 playoff spots up for grabs in what is sure to be a nightmare scenario in Week 18.

Here's what the playoff standings look like if our nightmare scenario ends in Week 17.

1. Broncos -- AFC West winner

2. Patriots - AFC East winner

3. Jaguars – AFC South leader

4. Steelers -- AFC Nord winner

5. Texans - Playoff spot clinched

6. Chargers – Overtime ended with titik

7. Bulls -- clinch a playoff spot

1. Bears win NFC North

2. The Rams are the NFC West leaders

3. Eagles -- NFC East winners

4. Panters -- The winner of the NFC South

5. Seahawks - crowded playing field

6. 49ers - Clinched chaw playoff

7. Packers: playoff spot secured

The NFL doesn't announce a Week 18 schedule until after Week 17 is over and with that scenario, it would be nearly impossible to come up with an interesting schedule for the final week of the season.The league requires a doubleheader for Saturday and a quick-time game for Sunday, but there will be no games with a "one-and-in" scenario.

Sunday night's Bulls-Broncos spot would put Denver as the No. 1 seed going into play, but if the Patriots and Jaguars had both lost earlier in the day, the game would have meant nothing to Denver.

You could put Seahawks-49ers on Sunday night, but if the Rams beat the Cardinals early in the day, LA will clinch the NFC West and the Seattle-San Francisco game will be wild card seeding only.

You can bet Lions-Bears on Sunday night.Assuming our worst case scenario plays out in Week 17, the Bears could be playing for the No. 1 seed.The NFL doesn't like to put the elimination team in the Saturday night slot, but it's not uncommon.The Lions had nothing to play for, but still managed a stunning 20-16 victory that eliminated Green Bay from the postseason.

Of course, one problem with putting Lions-Bears on Sunday night is that if the Rams lose in Arizona, then the Bears already have the top seed in the game and have nothing to play for.

Last year, the final game was between the Lions and Vikings, with the winner earning first place in the NFC and the loser being stuck in the wild-card round.In the end, the Lions beat Minnesota 31-9 to earn the NFC's only bye.A similar scenario could play out this year if the Seahawks (at Panthers) and the 49ers (at Bears) win on Sunday.If that happens, the NFC will be tied in the West and the No.1 seed will be on the line when the two teams meet in Week 18. You can bet the NFL wants to see this scenario and not the nightmare I've put together here.