NFL PLAYOFF PICTURE

(assuming no game ends tied)

NFC

East: Washington has clinched the East and the No. 4 playoff seed.

North: Green Bay and Minnesota play for the North title Sunday.

West: Arizona has clinched the West and a first-round bye. It gets home-field advantage throughout with a win and a Carolina loss.

South: Carolina has clinched the South and first-round bye. It gets home-field advantage throughout with a win or an Arizona loss.

Wild card: Seattle has clinched a spot. Minnesota or Green Bay will get the other.

AFC

East: New England has clinched the East and a first-round bye. It can clinch home field throughout with a win or a Denver loss.

North: Cincinnati has clinched the North. It can clinch a first-round bye with a win and Denver loss, or a Denver loss and Kansas City win.

West: Denver can clinch the West with a victory or a Kansas City loss, and can clinch a first-round bye with a win or losses by Kansas City and Cincinnati. It can clinch home-field advantage throughout with a win and a loss by New England. Kansas City can clinch the West with a win and a Denver loss.

South: Houston can clinch the South with a win or an Indianapolis loss but could also lose and clinch with wins by any of these teams: Cincinnati, New England, New Orleans, the New York Jets or San Diego. That would give the Texans a strength-of-victory tiebreaker over Indianapolis; they could also clinch if they lose and Kansas City and Baltimore win.

Confused yet? Well, how about this? Indianapolis can win the South if it wins, Houston loses, the teams tie in strength-of-victory tiebreaker and Indy clinches the strength-of-schedule tiebreaker with victories by Atlanta, Baltimore, Buffalo, Denver, Miami, Oakland and Pittsburgh.

Wild card: The Jets can clinch with a win or a Pittsburgh loss. Pittsburgh can clinch with a win and a loss by the Jets. The second-place team in the West, either Denver or Kansas City, will be the other wild-card team.

About the Vikings

The Vikings (10-5) clinched a playoff spot by winning last Sunday. Depending on what happens in the finale at Green Bay, they can be the NFC's No. 3, 5 or 6 seed:

If they win at Green Bay (10-5), they will clinch the NFC North, the No. 3 seed in the conference and play a home playoff game against Seattle.

If they lose to Green Bay and Seattle (9-6) loses at Arizona, the Vikings will be the No. 5 seed and open the playoffs at Washington.

If they lose to Green Bay and Seattle wins, the Vikings will be the No. 6 seed and begin the playoffs with another game at Lambeau Field.

If the Vikings and Packers tie, the Vikings will be the No. 5 seed and play at Washington.