AFC Playoff Scenarios

While your Houston Texans are locked into the No. 3 seed and a game at Reliant Stadium on either January 7th or January 8th, the rest of the AFC is nowhere close to settled. Like a handful of other teams, Bud Adams' Army of Darkness is still in the hunt for a playoff berth. Which team actually earns the sixth and final playoff bid is of significant importance to Texans fans, considering whoever it is will be the Texans' opponent in the first playoff game in franchise history. Courtesy of our friends at NFL.com, the AFC playoff picture, with all its permutations, is after the jump.

AFC
CLINCHED:
New England - AFC East and a first-round bye
Houston - AFC South
Baltimore - playoff spot
Pittsburgh - playoff spot

NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS
New England clinches home-field advantage throughout AFC playoffs with:
1) NE win or tie OR
2) BAL loss or tie + PIT loss or tie.

BALTIMORE RAVENS
Baltimore clinches AFC North division and a first-round bye with:
1) BAL win OR
2) BAL tie + PIT loss or tie OR
3) PIT loss.

Baltimore clinches home-field advantage throughout AFC playoffs with:
1) BAL win + NE loss.

PITTSBURGH STEELERS
Pittsburgh clinches AFC North division and a first-round bye with:
1) PIT win + BAL loss or tie OR
2) PIT tie + BAL loss.

Pittsburgh clinches home-field advantage throughout AFC playoffs with:
1) PIT win + BAL loss or tie + NE loss.

DENVER BRONCOS
Denver clinches AFC West division with:
1) DEN win OR
2) DEN tie + OAK loss or tie OR
3) OAK loss.

OAKLAND RAIDERS
Oakland clinches AFC West division with:
1) OAK win + DEN loss or tie OR
2) OAK tie + DEN loss.

Oakland clinches a playoff spot with:
1) OAK win + CIN loss + TEN loss or tie OR
2) OAK win + CIN loss + NYJ win.

CINCINNATI BENGALS
Cincinnati clinches a playoff spot with:
1) CIN win or tie OR
2) NYJ loss or tie + OAK loss or tie OR
3) NYJ loss or tie + DEN loss or tie.

NEW YORK JETS
New York clinches a playoff spot with:
1) NYJ win + CIN loss + TEN loss or tie + OAK loss or tie OR
2) NYJ win + CIN loss + TEN loss or tie + DEN loss or tie.

TENNESSEE TITANS
Tennessee clinches a playoff spot with:
1) TEN win + CIN loss + NYJ win + OAK loss or tie OR
2) TEN win + CIN loss + NYJ win + DEN loss or tie OR
3) TEN win + CIN loss + NYJ loss or tie + OAK win + DEN win.

Clear as mud? Good.