Franz’s 2013 NFL Power Poll – Week 16

1) SEAHAWKS (1): already clinched a playoff…gets the #1 seed (home-field advantage until Super Bowl) by beating Arizona or if 49ers lose on MNF to Atlanta

2) PANTHERS (3): clinches playoff if they win…also clinches if 49ers lose to Atlanta and Cards lose in Seattle…can not clinch division this week…needs to win out to earn a #2 seed (1st round bye and 2nd round home game)…eliminated from earning #1 seed

3) 49ERS (6): clinches playoff by beating Atlanta or if Seattle beats Arizona

4) BRONCOS (5): already clinched playoff…clinches division and at least a #2 seed (1st round bye and 2nd round home game) with a win at Houston and Chiefs lose at home to Colts…clinches the #1 seed (home-field advantage until Super Bowl) with a win and a Chiefs loss at home to Colts and a Patriots loss at Baltimore

5) SAINTS (2): clinches playoff spot if Arizona losses at Seattle…clinches division and a #2 seed (1st round bye and 2nd round home game) with a win at Carolina…to win #1 seed (home-field advantage until Super Bowl) needs to win out along with the 49ers winning out and have Seattle lose at home to Arizona and St. Louis

6) CHIEFS (8): already clinched at least the #5 seed (first round road game against worst division winner)…can not clinch division this week…needs to win out and for Denver to lose either at Houston or at Oakland to clinch division and #1 seed (home-field advantage until Super Bowl)

7) PATRIOTS (4): clinches playoff spot if Bengals lose at home to Minnesota…clinches division and at least the #4 seed (1st round home game against Kansas City/Denver) with a win at Ravens or if Miami losses at Buffalo…clinches #2 seed (1st round bye and 2nd round home game) with a win if Bengals lose at home to Minnesota and the Colts lose in Kansas City…can not clinch clinch #1 seed (home-field advantage until Super Bowl) this week…needs to win out and have both the Chiefs and Broncos lose out to earn #1 seed

8) BENGALS (7): clinches playoff with a win at home versus Minnesota and a Miami loss at Buffalo…clinches at least a #4 seed (1st round home game versus Kansas City/Denver) with a win and a Ravens loss at home to New England…clinches at least #3 seed (1st round home game against the weakest wild card team) with a win versus Minnesota if Colts and Ravens lose…can not clinch #2 seed (1st round bye and 2nd round home game) this week…holds tie-breaker with Patriots and Colts so only needs to end up tied or with a better record than both to earn #2 seed…clinches #1 seed (home-field advantage until Super Bowl) if Bengals win out, Denver and KC lose out and New England losses once

9) CARDINALS (10): can not clinch playoff this week…eliminated from division championship and seeds #1-#4…a loss only eliminates if 49ers and Carolina win…has two options to enter playoffs…needs to win out and have Carolina lose versus either the Saints or at Atlanta…or…wins out and Atlanta beats the 49ers

10) RAVENS (11): clinches playoff with a win versus New England and if Miami losses at Buffalo and San Diego losses versus Oakland…can not clinch division this week…eliminated from division race with a loss versus New England and a Bengals win versus Minnesota…clinches division and at least a #4 seed (1st round home game against Kansas City) with a win versus New England and a win next week in Cincinnati…can even clinch division and at least a #4 seed with a loss to New England if Minnesota beats Cincinnati and Ravens win at Cincinnati next week…clinches #3 seed (1st round home game against the weakest wild card team) by winning out and the Colts losing out…clinches #2 seed (1st round bye and 2nd round home game) by winning out if Colts lose once and New England losses out…eliminated from #1 seed…eliminated from playoffs with a loss to either New England or Cincinnati and Miami wins out…also eliminated if San Diego wins out and Ravens lose out

11) DOLPHINS (12): clinches #6 seed (must win 3 road games to make Super Bowl) with a win at Buffalo if Bengals and Ravens lose…or, if Miami and Ravens win out…or, if Miami wins out and Ravens lose versus New England or at Cincinnati…eliminated from seeds #1-5

12) BEARS (14): clinches #3 seed (1st round home game against the weakest wild card team) with win at Eagles if Detroit losses versus the Giants and Green Bay losses versus Pittsburgh…eliminated from seeds #1 and #2, also can not win wild card…clinches #4 seed despite losing to Philly as long as Bears win versus Green Bay next week and Detroit splits remaining games…eliminated with a split of remaining games and Detroit wins out…or, if Bears lose out and Detroit wins once…or, if Bears beat Philly but Packers win out

13) COLTS (16): already clinched at least #4 seed (1st round home game against Kansas City)…clinches #3 seed (1st round home game against the weakest wild card team) by winning out if Bengals lose once or if Colts, Ravens and Dolphins all split remaining games and Bengals lose out…clinches #2 seed (1st round bye and 2nd round home game) by winning out and New England losses one game and Cincinnati losses one game…clinches #1 seed (home-field advantage until Super Bowl) by winning out and Denver and KC lose out, Cincinnati losses once and New England losses once

14) EAGLES (9): clinches #4 seed (1st round home game versus best wild card) with any win over last two weeks versus Chicago or at Dallas…clinches #3 seed by winning out or by beating Chicago if Dallas losses to Washington, Green Bay losses once and Detroit losses once…eliminated from seeds #1 and #2…eliminated from Wild Card

15) CHARGERS (17): eliminated from seeds #1-5…eliminated by a loss to Oakland or any win for the remainder of the season by Baltimore or Miami…clinches #6 seed by winning out if Ravens and Miami both lose out

16) PACKERS (18): can not clinch division this week…eliminated from #1 or #2 seed…eliminated from wild card…clinches #4 seed by winning out…eliminated with a loss versus Pittsburgh if Chicago wins at Philly

17) LIONS (13): can not clinch division this
week…eliminated from #1 or #2 seed…eliminated from wild card…clinches #4 seed (1st round home game versus best wild card) by winning out if Chicago and Green Bay each lose once…eliminated with a loss to the Giants this week

18) COWBOYS (15): eliminated from seeds #1 and #2…can not clinch playoff spot this week…eliminated with a Philly win if they lose at Washington…can clinch #4 seed (1st round home game versus best wild card) by winning out…can clinch #3 seed by winning out if Chicago losses out as long as Green Bay and Detroit both lose once

19) RAMS (20): eliminated

20) STEELERS (21): eliminated

21) JETS (19): eliminated

22) BILLS (27): eliminated

23) VIKINGS (25): eliminated

24) GIANTS (22): eliminated

25) TITANS (23): eliminated

26) JAGUARS (24): eliminated

27) BUCCANEERS (26): eliminated

28) FALCONS (30): eliminated

29) RAIDERS (29): eliminated

30) BROWNS (28): eliminated

31) REDSKINS (31): eliminated

32) TEXANS (32): eliminated

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