NFL playoff picture continues to clear up as two regular season contests remain

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The race for the final NFL playoff spots is in full swing with the last two regular season games on tap over the next couple of weekends.
What will the final playoff bracket look like when the final whistle blows on December 30? That question may not be answered until the last game of the year is completed.
Here is what we do know.
In the NFC, the picture is much clearer than the AFC. We know for sure that the Chicago Bears, the Los Angeles Rams and the New Orleans Saints have all clinched their respective divisions.
In fact, all three of those teams have chances at home field advantage throughout the playoffs, with the Saints needing just one win over the next two games to garner that advantage.
As far as the three remaing slots available in the NFC, the Dallas Cowboys, the Seattle Seahawks and the Minnesota Vikings all control thier own destinies.
Dallas would clinch the Eastern Division if they can get past the Tampa Bay Buccaneers today. If they should lose, they can still clinch a playoff berth with a tie and a Minnesota loss.
Seattle must beat Kansas City tonight and get some help to clinch a playoff berth. There are five different things that can happen with a Seahawks win for them to get in, the easiest is for Washington to lose to Tennesse.
And as far as the Vikings are concerned, they would get in the playoffs if they beat Detroit and if Philadelphia loses or ties and Washington loses.
Three other teams have an outside chance at getting into the post-season dance, the Philadelphia Eagles, the Washington Redskins and the Carolina Panthers. But, all three of these teams have to have a number of things go their way.
The AFC is very muddied heading into week 16. As of right now, only the Kansas City Chiefs and the Los Angeles Chargers have clinched a playoff spot.
No team has clinched their division up to this point. Those two teams are currently tied atop the Western Division and have beaten each other once in the regular season, which means if they remained tied after the final game, tiebreaker situations would be applied to see who is the champion.
The Houston Texans hold a comfortable two-game lead in the AFC South, but have not quite clinched a playoff berth, which is still extremely likely even if they lose their remaining games.
A New England win in either of their next two games would clinch the division title and a postseason berth. However, if the Patriots lose out, they may not make the playoffs altogether.
The Pittsburgh Steelers are on top of the AFC North, and winning out would guarantee a playoff berth and the division title. But if the Steelers lose one of their remaining games, they would need help to get in.
Of the five remaining teams in the AFC with a chance at the playoffs, the Baltimore Ravens, the Indianapolis Colts and the Tennesse Titans are all 8-6. Of those teams, the Ravens hold the better chance of making it to the playoffs.
The Miami Dolphins and the Cleveland Browns are also in the hunt, but need a ton more help to get themselves in position to pick up a spot.