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?

Aaron Rodgers "baffled" by Kromer"s Jay Cutler comments

GREEN BAY, Wisc. — Aaron Rodgers and Jay Cutler are rivals on the field, but they are also friends who happen to be members of a relatively small fraternity. And as a franchise quarterback who credits a supportive and open environment for helping him thrive with the Green Bay Packers, Rodgers was appalled by what Cutler, his beleaguered Chicago Bears counterpart, had to endure last week.

Reacting to reports that Bears offensive coordinator Aaron Kromer admitted last Monday to his players that he’d been an anonymous source in a report by NFL Media Insider Ian Rapoport in which Cutler’s game-management skills were criticized, Rodgers strongly denounced Kromer’s behavior, saying he was "baffled" by the situation.

"I would have a major problem if somebody said something like that," Rodgers said Tuesday during an interview at Lambeau Field. "I think anybody that plays the position, you can’t help but empathize with Jay for that situation. You talk all the time about being connected, being a unit, believing in each other. But if you have unnamed sources, people out there cutting you down, and then you find out it’s the person calling the plays — that would be really hard to deal with, to look at him the same way."

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Aaron Rodgers "baffled" by Kromer"s Jay Cutler comments

Cardinals, Colts, Lions among least convincing winning teams

Fifteen weeks into the 2014 NFL campaign, eight teams boast double-digit win totals:

» Arizona Cardinals (11-3)
» Denver Broncos (11-3)
» New England Patriots (11-3)
» Dallas Cowboys (10-4)
» Detroit Lions (10-4)
» Green Bay Packers (10-4)
» Indianapolis Colts (10-4)
» Seattle Seahawks (10-4)

But of course, not all double-digit winners are created equal. Which is the least-convincing team with 10-plus wins?

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Cardinals, Colts, Lions among least convincing winning teams

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

Seahawks, Cardinals among roughest teams to confront at home

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Fourteen weeks in the 2014 NFL effort, four teams remain perfect at home:

» New England Patriots (6-0) » Denver Broncos (7-0) » Arizona Cardinals (7-0) » Green Bay Packers (7-0)

Hey, whaddya know: Those just so happen to be the top two seeds for every conference in the upgraded playoff image. One team that’s not on this list: the tremendously unsatisfactory New Orleans Saints, who have inexplicably dropped four in a row in the Superdome, which had been a house of horrors for competitors prior to the season.

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Seahawks, Cardinals among roughest teams to confront at home

Scout compares Baylor"s Bryce Petty to Matt Flynn, Drew Stanton

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Getting past Kansas State and possibly into the College Football Playoff is the immediate challenge for Baylor quarterback Bryce Petty. But another challenge — getting past the stereotype the Bears’ shotgun offense has not prepared him well for the NFL — could be even more demanding.

"He puts up monster numbers in a offense that does not have a history of creating successful pro style quarterbacks," an AFC place scout told NFL Media’s Albert Breer. & quot;He Is a bright, high character player. Respectable sportsman, having a powerful lower body, but I personally do not see him as a top prospect."

That scout compared Petty to the Green Bay Packers’ Matt Flynn as well as the Arizona Cardinals’ Drew Stanton — not just household names.

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Scout compares Baylor"s Bryce Petty to Matt Flynn, Drew Stanton

Chargers gather monumental road win over playoff-quality team

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Here Is the backstory to among the significant minutes of Week 13, the San Diego Chargers’ frenzied final-minute road win over the Baltimore Ravens. The Chargers’ thrilling triumph, along with the finest comeback triumph in Jacksonville Jaguars history as well as the Green Bay Packers’ fending away from the powerful New England Patriots are nominees for the GMC Never Say Never Minute of the week. Cast your vote for the GMC Never Say Never Minutes of Week 13.

Philip Rivers

One could easily create a claim that Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers is having an MVP season. The astonishing seasons of Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers and New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady — not to mention the havoc-wreaking ridiculousness that’s J.J. Watt’s campaign for the Houston Texans — tend to overshadow what Rivers has done this season. Rivers hammered that point home having a come-from-behind road win against a playoff-quality team, a success that force the Chargers to the center of the AFC playoff race.

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Chargers gather monumental road win over playoff-quality team

NFL's greatest competition? Bears-Packers continues among top picks

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The NFL is constructed on classic competitions, as is clear in the primetime lineup for Week 10. First, the Cleveland Browns rolled over the Cincinnati Bengals on "Thursday Night Football," by having an honest to goodness AFC North race adding some juice to the Battle of Ohio. Next comes the granddaddy of these all: Chicago Bears at Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field on "Sunday Night Football."

As the Bears and Packers prepare for the 190th episode of among the more storied show in league history, we believed we had ask: Which NFL competition is the most effective right now?

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NFL"s greatest competition? Bears-Packers continues among top picks

One Preview: Two of game"s greatest QBs square off in primetime

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One trusted preview. One crucial variable to decide the match. It is that straightforward.

Green Bay Packers at New Orleans Saints (Sunday, 8:30 p.m. ET, NBC) — All indications point to an offensive shootout Sunday night in the Superdome.

Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers is on an impressive three-match run. In four straight matches, Rodgers has thrown for three or more touchdowns and not been intercepted (Tom Brady and Peyton Manning are the only other quarterbacks in NFL history to complete that). If Rodgers continues that run through Sunday night, he’ll function as the primary quarterback in NFL history to do this. Additionally, Rodgers is the sole player in NFL history with at least 18 touchdown passes and one or no interceptions through his team’s first seven games of a season.

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One Preview: Two of game"s greatest QBs square off in primetime

NFL Week 5 viewer"s guide

The Green Bay Packers made easy work of the Minnesota Vikings on Thursday, but there’s still a full slate of games on Sunday. Around The NFL’s Kevin Patra fills you in on the key storylines for each matchup. Here’s your guide as you settle into your couch for all the NFL action.

Cam Newton admitted this week he hasn’t been as mobile as he thought following offseason ankle surgery. One area he has improved is the deep ball. With rookie Kelvin Benjamin stretching defenses, the Panthers already have nine receptions of 20-plus yards in the air — last season they had 12 total. Expect more of that against a shaky Bears back end.

Jay Cutler has played well on the road this season, throwing for six touchdowns and zero interceptions. However, he’s thrown for 300-plus yards only once in his last 25 road games. The Bears need Good Jay verses a Panthers defense that knows it must bounce back from two poor performances.

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NFL Week 5 viewer"s guide

Fines roundup: Muhammad Wilkerson docked $20K for fight

Muhammad Wilkerson’s ejection not only possibly cost his team a win from the Green Bay Packers last Sunday. It brought some cash from his pocket.

The New York Jets defensive lineman was penalized $20,000 for his part in an on-field altercation that contained a hit to the head of Packers guard Josh Sitton during the third quarter of his team’s 31-24 loss to Aaron Rodgers and Co. 

Here’s who else stood by their telephones (and checkbooks) Friday.

» Carolina Panthers defensive tackle Dwan Edwards fined $8,268 for a late hit on Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford.

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Fines roundup: Muhammad Wilkerson docked $20K for fight

One Preview: Highest passers on display in Detroit

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One trusted preview. One crucial variable to decide the match. It is that straightforward.

Green Bay Packers at Detroit Lions (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET, FOX) — One of the NFL’s longest-running competitions revives when the Lions host the Packers. The competition continues to be one sided lately: The Packers have won five of the past six matchups, and gone 22-4 against the Lions dating back to the 2001 season. All time, the Packers hold a 96-66-7 border.

After a hapless Week 1 performance from the Seattle Seahawks, Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers was his more recognizable self in a 31-24 win on the New York Jets in Week 2. His 346 yards passing last week helped him move previous Professional Football Hall of Famer Bart Starr for second in the team’s all time passing yardage list (24,732 yards to 24,718). Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford had an opposite experience, flourishing in a Week 1 win on the New York Giants but fighting in a Week 2 defeat in the hands of the Carolina Panthers. To change the Lions’ fortunes from the Packers, Stafford must perform better than he’s lately against Green Bay. Stafford is 1-6 against the Packers, has thrown two or more touchdowns in only two of those seven matches and a couple of interceptions in five of these seven matches.

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One Preview: Highest passers on display in Detroit