NEW YORK (AP) – The Patriots, Broncos and Colts can clinch their division titles this week.
New England (10-3) hosts Miami (7-6) and will own the NFC East with a victory. The Patriots can earn an AFC first-round playoff bye if they win while Indianapolis, Pittsburgh and Cincinnati lose, or win and the Colts, Steelers and Broncos lose.
Denver (10-3) gets the AFC West crown by beating San Diego. Indy (9-4) owns the AFC South by beating Houston this Sunday.
New England can lose and get in as long as Buffalo, Cincinnati, Pittsburgh, Baltimore and Houston all lose, or Buffalo, Cincinnati, Pittsburgh, Kansas City and San Diego lose, or Buffalo, Houston, Kansas City, San Diego and Baltimore lose.
The Broncos get a first-round playoff bye with a win and losses by the Colts and Steelers, or by the Colts and Bengals – provided Denver has a strength-of-victory tiebreaker over Pittsburgh.
Denver also can get at least a wild card with a loss and defeats by Miami, Houston, Cincinnati and Pittsburgh, or Miami, Houston, Baltimore and Cleveland, or Miami, Houston and Baltimore, plus a Pittsburgh win.
A Green Bay victory at Buffalo coupled with a loss by Dallas and the Packers (10-3) clinching strength-of-victory tiebreakers over the Cowboys earns the Pack a playoff spot.
Finally, Arizona (10-3) can’t clinch the NFC West, but it can get at least a wild card by winning and having Dallas-Philadelphia not end in a tie, or with a win and a Detroit loss plus the Cardinals earning the strength-of-victory tiebreaker, or a win, a Detroit loss and a Green Bay win.
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AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and www.twitter.com/AP_NFL
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