NFL Playoff Clinching Scenarios Entering Week 16: How Seattle Seahawks could earn lower seed than San Francisco 49ers and more

As teams like the Seattle Seahawks and San Francisco 49ers know, the playoffs are on the horizon. In Week 15, the Denver Broncos and Los Angeles Rams clinched playoff spots. There are still six spots up for grabs, and Sportskeeda is here to help show what it will take to get one.

There is still potential for many surprises before everything is set in stone. Here's a look at potential playoff clinching scenarios heading into Week 16.

How Seattle Seahawks, San Francisco 49ers and more can earn playoff spots

Brock Purdy at Titans at 49ers - Source: Getty

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#5 - San Francisco 49ers

According to Sportskeeda's playoff predictor, the San Francisco 49ers could make the playoffs as high as a fifth seed with a 13-4 record. To do it, the team would need to defeat the Indianapolis Colts, Chicago Bears, and Seattle Seahawks in Week 18.

#4 - Seattle Seahawks

Of course, if the San Francisco 49ers finish with the fifth seed, the best the Seattle Seahawks could finish is with the sixth seed with a 12-5 record. If Seattle loses to the Los Angeles Rams in Week 16, defeats the Carolina Panthers in Week 17, and loses to the San Francisco 49ers in Week 18, Seattle would finish behind San Francisco with the sixth seed.

#3 - Buffalo Bills

In the AFC, Josh Allen's team could finish 12-5 and still be stuck in the wild card as the NFL's fifth seed. To get the fifth seed, Allen would need to defeat the Cleveland Browns, lose to the Philadelphia Eagles, and defeat the New York Jets in Week 18.

The team would still lose the AFC East for the first time since 2019, but would still get the chance to host a playoff game if they were able to face a sixth or seventh seed in a future round after upsetting a higher seed in its building.

#2 - Houston Texans

The Houston Texans had a nightmarish start to the year, but in a long season, anything is possible. The Texans can clinch a seventh seed with a 10-7 record. The team would be able to make the playoffs even if they lose to the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 16 and the Indianapolis Colts in Week 18, as long as the team defeats the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 17.

#1 - Green Bay Packers

The Green Bay Packers could slide all the way to the edge of the playoffs as the seventh seed if they don't win the NFC North. The Packers would finish as the seventh seed if the team wraps the year with a 10-6-1 record. This would include a Week 16 loss to the Chicago Bears, a Week 17 loss to the Baltimore Ravens, and a Week 18 win over the Minnesota Vikings.

Edited by Ian Van Roy