Who can clinch a playoff spot in Week 17?

As the regular season wanes, each week brings with it a fresh opportunity for some teams to clinch playoff spots. Check out every possible scenario for each conference below, and predict the playoffs here:

CLINCHED: Arizona Cardinals, Detroit Lions, Green Bay Packers, Dallas Cowboys, Seattle Seahawks

ELIMINATED: New York Giants, Washington Redskins, Chicago Bears, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Minnesota Vikings, St. Louis Rams, San Francisco 49ers, New Orleans Saints, Philadelphia Eagles

The Cowboys clinch home-field advantage throughout NFC playoffs with: a win plus a Cardinals loss or tie and a Lions-Packers tie.

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Who can clinch a playoff spot in Week 17?

Watch Saturday's games on NFL Network and NFL Mobile

For the first time this season we’ll have a slate of Saturday games. Fortunately, both will be televised nationally on NFL Network. But if you’re not by your TV, you can still catch the games.

Verizon customers on The MORE Everything plan or with a Premium Subscription have access to both games via the NFL Mobile app.

The Philadelphia Eagles takes on the Washington Redskins at 4:30 p.m. ET and the San Diego Chargers faces the San Francisco 49ers at 8:25 p.m. ET in a game that carries playoff implications. 

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Watch Saturday"s games on NFL Network and NFL Mobile

Road win over Eagles puts Cowboys into NFC East driver"s seat

This is the backstory to one of the great moments of Week 15, the Dallas Cowboys‘ refusal to crumble on the road in a pivotal NFC East showdown against the Philadelphia Eagles. The Cowboys‘ rebound after blowing a 21-point lead, as well as the Arizona Cardinals clinching a playoff spot with a win over the St. Louis Rams despite numerous key injuries and the Buffalo Bills‘ upset of the Green Bay Packers are nominees for the GMC Never Say Never Moment of the week. Cast your vote for the GMC Never Say Never Moments of Week 15.

Tony Romo

Just two weeks ago, the Cowboys suffered a humiliating 33-10 defeat at the hands of the Philadelphia Eagles in front of a turkey-stuffed national-television audience on Thanksgiving Day. Facing the daunting task of collecting an essential road win against the Eagles, the Cowboys stormed out to a 21-0 lead, allowed 24 unaswered points, managed to recapture momentum for a 38-27 win. That was huge, pushing the Cowboys from "In the hunt" status in the NFC playoff picture to in the driver’s seat for the NFC East title and a potential candidate to attain home-field advantage in the playoffs.

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Road win over Eagles puts Cowboys into NFC East driver"s seat

Redskins" relevancy in November isn"t completely out of reach

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Here Is the backstory to among the significant minutes of Week 8, the Washington Redskins’ thrilling overtime triumph over the Dallas Cowboys on "Monday Night Football". The Redskins’ shocking road win behind a third-string quarterback, along with the Detroit Lions’ recovery from 21 down to defeat the Atlanta Falcons at Wembley Stadium in London as well as the Arizona Cardinals’ victory in the "Conflict of the fowl" having a late touchdown and last-second defensive stand are nominees for the GMC Never Say Never Minute of the week. Cast your vote for the GMC Never Say Never Minutes of Week 8.

Colt McCoy

A longtime division competition. A third-string quarterback returning to his home state to play the team he rooted for. An injury into a star quarterback. A team owner springing into action, removing himself from his luxury box perch to head to the sidelines. All the subplots as well as the spectacular on-the-field theatrics helped make for among the very memorable Monday night games in recent memory.

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Redskins" relevancy in November isn"t completely out of reach

Buccaneers rebound from horrific defeat to post epic win

This is the backstory to one of the great moments of Week 4, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers‘ shocking last-minute win over the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Buccaneers’ epic win, as well as Baltimore Ravens veteran wide receiver Steve Smith‘s performance against the team that released him this offseason and the San Francisco 49ers‘ edge-of-your-seat win over the Philadelphia Eagles are nominees for the GMC Never Say Never Moment of the week. Cast your vote for the GMC Never Say Never Moments of Week 4.

Mike Glennon

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers took a massive thumping in a Thursday night primetime game against the Atlanta Falcons in front of a national television audience. The team spent the next nine days as a laughingstock for an entire nation of football fans. Few gave the Buccaneers much of a chance at sweet redemption when they traveled to Western Pennsylvania to take on the mighty Pittsburgh Steelers.

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Buccaneers rebound from horrific defeat to post epic win

Inquire 5: Who does Marcus Mariota of Oregon remind you of?

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I do not consider there is an Andrew Luck-quality quarterback now playing college football, and we will not see a gift like the Indianapolis Colts quarterback for a long time. However, Oregon QB Marcus Mariota is among the more intriguing quarterbacks we have found in several years.

Mariota features a double-risk skill set similar to Johnny Manziel, the Heisman Trophy winner from Texas A&M who now plays for the Cleveland Browns. The 2014 NFL Draft first-round pick quite almost went to Oregon, and then-Oregon trainer and present Philadelphia Eagles trainer Chip Kelly said losing out on Manziel, "busted my heart." Rather, Kelly could get a commitment from Mariota in the exact same recruiting group.

Occasionally it is rough to find comparisons for players who run the wideopen Oregon offense, but I reached out to five NFL staff executives to determine which present NFL quarterback does Mariota remind them of as a player.

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Inquire 5: Who does Marcus Mariota of Oregon remind you of?

DeSean Jackson shoves Eagles safety in Philly return

DeSean Jackson did not waste much time making an impact against his former team in Philadelphia. Or getting under their skin.

Jackson caught two passes on the Washington Redskins’ opening touchdown drive, and he drew an unnecessary roughness call against Eagles safety Nate Allen. Jackson should have been penalized; he shoved Malcolm Jenkins in the neck region promptly after taking a late hit on a grab.

DJax lated added a pretty 81-yard touchdown catch to tie the match, then continued to taunt the Philly crowd by flapping his arms like an Eagle.

It Is safe to say this Redskins-Eagles competition is getting a pleasant increase from Jackson’s change of teams:

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DeSean Jackson shoves Eagles safety in Philly return

Joining the dots: Where NFL scouts were Saturday

Which NFL teams are scouting which school matches this weekend? From College Football 24/7’s press box operatives around the country directly to you, here is a glance at the teams that were credentialed to attend some of the largest matches in college football Saturday:

Clemson at FSU: Chicago Bears, Jacksonville Jaguars, Houston Texans, Minnesota Vikings, Detroit Lions, New Orleans Saints, San Diego Chargers, New York Jets. Three top players involved: Clemson (defensive end Vic Beasley, linebacker Stephone Anthony, defensive lineman Grady Jarrett); FSU (tackle Cameron Erving, cornerback P.J. Williams, defensive end Mario Edwards).

Miami at Nebraska: Atlanta Falcons, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Seattle Seahawks, San Francisco 49ers, Philadelphia Eagles, New York Jets, New York Giants, Miami Dolphins, Kansas City Chiefs, Dallas Cowboys, Green Bay Packers. Three top players involved: Miami (linebacker Denzel Perryman, running back Duke Johnson, offensive lineman Ereck Flowers); Nebraska (defensive end Randy Gregory, running back Ameer Abdullah, receiver Kenny Bell).

Florida at Alabama: Cleveland Browns, Jacksonville Jaguars, Kansas City Chiefs, Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Three top players involved: Alabama (receiver Amari Cooper, safety Landon Collins, defensive lineman A’Shawn Robinson); Florida (offensive tackle Chaz Green, defensive end Dante Fowler, cornerback Vernon Hargreaves III).

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Joining the dots: Where NFL scouts were Saturday

Christian Hackenberg is "going to function as the primary player decided"

Massachusetts coach Mark Whipple is a former NFL assistant — a former NFL quarterback trainer, to be exact — and he’s got a higher view of Penn State sophomore quarterback Christian Hackenberg.

Whipple and UMass play at Penn State on Saturday, and he was asked his opinion of Hackenberg during Monday’s MAC coaches’ teleconference.

"He Is likely to function as the primary player decided. If he could come out this year, he had be the first player decided," Whipple said, after adding that Hackenberg "only can make every throw. … He is only got it all."

Whipple was the Pittsburgh Steelers’ quarterback coach from 200406, meaning his first three seasons in the NFL coincided with Ben Roethlisberger’s first three seasons in the league. Whipple also has been an offensive assistant with all the Philadelphia Eagles (2008) and Cleveland Browns (2011 12).

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Christian Hackenberg is "going to function as the primary player decided"

Colts" Arthur Jones sprains ankle vs. Eagles, ruled out

Arthur Jones, a starting defensive lineman for the Indianapolis Colts, left the team’s match against the Philadelphia Eagles having a high-ankle sprain and was ruled out.

The fifth-year player was initially questionable after being carted off in the 2nd quarter, putting little if any weight on his right leg.

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Colts" Arthur Jones sprains ankle vs. Eagles, ruled out

Boston College stuns USC behind strong running attack

USC was riding high after last week’s huge upset of Pac 12 competition Stanford.

On Saturday yet, the Trojans came crashing back to reality as they were run over — actually — by Boston College in a vast cross country upset, 37-31.

Eagles quarterback Tyler Murphy was nothing to write home about as a passer — 5-of-13 for 54 yards — but gashed USC in the earth for 191 yards and also a score. Boston College wound up with 452 yards to the floor as the Trojans defense just could not stop them.

Offensive line woes harassed USC much of the night time. The team simply had 20 yards to the earth (on 29 attempts) and went just 5-of-16 on third down. Quarterback Cody Kessler threw four touchdowns and had strong numbers but was harassed all night long by an impressive front seven.

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Boston College stuns USC behind strong running attack

Madden Ratings: Week 1 evaluation, Week 2 forecasts

EA Sports

My favourite non-news story of the week was LeSean McCoy and his 20 cents tip that made its way around social networking and all the folks who were upset about McCoy being affordable. Even Charlie Sheen getting to the mixture was a necessary recreation to what was occurring around the NFL world.

But seriously, did any of you believe McCoy was simply being cheap? That he’d leave his name available to the bill for public inspection? Come on people. I am only able to envision the type of service McCoy received that compelled him to leave 20 cents. That is 20 cents, people. Thatis a clear "message" trick. It is not like my former pal who’d leave a $5 tip on a $75 bill because he was clueless. And then he’d wonder why the waiters would always drift to the rear of the home when he walked to the building.

Come on people, be a bit brighter here. My guy Dan Hanzus wrapped up the entire episode here. Only permit me to say I am a huge supporter of McCoy. I wish we could hear the entire story since I will have to picture it is very good.

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Madden Ratings: Week 1 evaluation, Week 2 forecasts

Fines roundup: Bears safety Chris Conte docked $22K

take a peek at more players who received unwanted email in the NFL:

» Eagles defensive end Fletcher Cox was docked $16,537 for roughing the passer in the Eagles’ win against the Jaguars.

» New York Jets linebacker Calvin Pace was likewise fined $16,537 for roughing the passer during the Jets’ win against the Oakland Raiders.

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Fines roundup: Bears safety Chris Conte docked $22K

Ask 5: Top up-and-coming coaches outside "Power 5" leagues

College football has been fertile ground for future NFL head coaches. Just look at the recent NFL success of former college head coaches Pete Carroll (coming off a Super Bowl-winning season with the Seattle Seahawks), Jim Harbaugh (coming off a third consecutive appearance in the NFC Championship Game with the San Francisco 49ers) and Chip Kelly (coming off an NFC East title in his first season with the Philadelphia Eagles).

All three of them came from high-profile Pac-12 programs, but you don’t necessarily have to look at the highest levels to identify the next up-and-coming coach. Keep in mind that Kelly spent time at New Hampshire before going to Oregon, and Harbaugh was head coach at the University of San Diego before going to Stanford.

With that in mind, I reached out to five NFL executives and asked them for a hot coaching candidate outside of the "Power Five" conferences. Here’s what they had to say:

Executive 1: Mark Hudspeth (Louisiana-Lafayette)
"He really seems to have the pulse of his team, but he doesn’t micromanage. He’s a creative offensive guy and he can recruit. That’s not an easy place to win and he’s done just that."

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Ask 5: Top up-and-coming coaches outside "Power 5" leagues

14 first-rounders, including 6 of top 10, started in Week 1

A bit less than half of the 2014 first-round picks — 14 of 32 — started their first NFL games this past weekend.

Also of interest: Three undrafted free agents were among the 35 rookie starters.

Seven teams started at least two rookies, with the Buffalo Bills, Jacksonville Jaguars and Oakland Raiders starting three each. There were eight teams that started zero rookies: the Chicago Bears, the Denver Broncos, the Detroit Lions, the New England Patriots, the New Orleans Saints, the Philadelphia Eagles, the San Diego Chargers and the Tennessee Titans.

The total of 35 rookie starters was four fewer than in 2013, 15 fewer than in ’12 and 12 fewer than in ’11. In the past 10 seasons, the 35 rookie starters was the sixth-most; it also was behind the 39 that started in 2010 and the 36 in 2008. It was ahead of the 34 in 2006, the 32 in 2007 and ’09 and the 26 in ’05.

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14 first-rounders, including 6 of top 10, started in Week 1

Ben Roethlisberger, Steelers fend off furious Browns rally

This is the backstory to one of the great moments of Week 1, the Pittsburgh Steelers‘ response to a frantic second-half rally by the Cleveland Browns. The Steelers’ dramatic win, as well as the Philadelphia Eagles‘ come-from-behind win over the Jacksonville Jaguars and the Miami Dolphins‘ denial of the New England Patriots are nominees for the GMC Never Say Never Moment of the week. Cast your vote for the GMC Never Say Never Moments of Week 1.

Ben Roethlisberger

Once upon a time, Cleveland Browns-Pittsburgh Steelers was one of the NFL’s greatest rivalries. Separated by less than 150 miles and a long-time connection in the AFC North (and AFC Central before that) perpetuated the regional fervor. However, ever since returning from their hiatus in 1999, the Browns have an abysmal 5-27 record against their rivals. During that run, the Steelers finally evened up their all-time record against the Browns and now hold a 68-57 edge in the rivalry that dates back to 1950, thanks to Week 1’s dramatic victory.

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Ben Roethlisberger, Steelers fend off furious Browns rally