And while the current NFL playoff picture is pretty clear in AFC (six of the seven teams have clinched spots) and the NFC (two spots are available), that means there are still squads that are very much alive heading into the penultimate week of regular-season action.

The NFL released the playoff scenarios for Week 17, determining which teams can secure a No. 1 seed -- which comes with a first-round bye and home-field advantage -- a division title or a playoff berth this week.

Chicago Bears wide receiver Bernard Berrian, left, catches a 40-yard pass for a touchdown as Seattle Seahawks' Kelly Herndon, center, and Oliver Celestin, right, defend during the third quarter of an NFL football game Sunday, Oct. 1, 2006 in Chicago. (AP Photo)

The Miami Dolphins’ path to the postseason has become awfully simple. After a 20-3 win against the Cleveland Browns, the Dolphins are 8-8 and just a game behind the 9-7 Denver Broncos for the final playoff spot in the AFC. Thanks to a superior record against AFC teams, the Dolphins would win a tiebreaker if both teams finished 9-8.

Ravens will try to lock down the AFC North against the Browns, while the Vikings and Lions will meet to decide the NFC North and the conference’s top seed.

The NFL is nothing if not unpredictable. Week 17, after all, delivered quite a few surprises, from the New York Giants stunning the Indianapolis Colts to the Kenny Pickett-led Philadelphia Eagles trouncing the Dallas Cowboys.