And then there was one . . . regular season NFL week left.  The playoff race will come down to the finale Sunday night between the Green Bay Packers and the Detroit Lions, with the NFC North title and its automatic berth on the line for the winner.  1. Cowboys (13-2): Dallas, which plays in Philadelphia, is sitting pretty, with the NFC East, a bye and home-field advantage throughout the NFC playoffs in the bag. Still, expect Dak Prescott and not Tony Romo at quarterback.  2. Falcons (10-5): Atlanta has the NFC South title wrapped up, but can clinch the NFC’s second seed with a victory over the New Orleans Saints in Atlanta, or a Seattle Seahawks loss or tie and a Lions loss or tie.  3. Seahawks (9-5-1): Seattle is the NFC West champion and can be the No. 2 seed in the NFC if it beats the 49ers Sunday and if the Falcons lose to or tie the Saints.  4. Packers (9-6): A victory at Detroit gives them the NFC North title (the Packers won their earlier meeting). A loss would eliminate Green Bay if Washington beats the New York Giants. After the Packers’ fourth straight loss in November, Aaron Rodgers said he thought the team could run the table and a victory Sunday would be their sixth in a row.  If conspiracy theories are your thing, this is how the NFL could absolutely explode into controversy. If the Packers and Lions tie, both teams would make the playoffs — with Packers taking the division and the Lions getting the sixth NFC berth. This would leave Redskins fans erupting in anger as their team is left on the outside looking in.  Don’t count on it, although it might be entertaining as all get-out. Pro Football Talk points out that there has never been a tie on the final week of a season that caused any changes to the playoff picture since the merger in 1970. And there hasn’t even ever been a tie on the final week since the merger.  5. Giants (10-5): The Giants have little for which to play in a 4:25 p.m. game against the Washington Redskins — other than it would be a very bad thing to go into the playoffs fresh from two consecutive losses. They’re a lock in the No. 5 spot, even though they may not know who they’re playing in the wild-card round until late Sunday night.  6. Lions (9-6): The Lions, like Green Bay, would win the division and a playoff berth with a victory. A loss would eliminate them if Washington beats the Giants.  7. Washington (8-6-1): The Redskins would make the playoffs if they beat the Giants and the Lions-Packers game does not end in a tie. Absent a tie, the Packers-Lions loser would be out of the running, a half-game behind Washington for the second wild-card spot. A Giants victory would eliminate the Redskins.  8. Buccaneers (8-7): So you’re saying there’s a chance. Seven things must happen if Jameis Winston and Co. are to play in the postseason. First, the Bucs must beat the Panthers in a home game. They would need the Colts, Cowboys, Titans, 49ers and Lions to win and for the Redskins-Giants game to end in a tie. Even Lloyd Christmas thinks this is unlikely.  The permutations are far fewer in the AFC, with playoff seedings for the six playoff teams still to be determined Sunday.  1. Patriots (13-2): New England has clinched a first-round bye and can clinch home-field advantage throughout the AFC playoffs with a victory or an Oakland Raiders loss. The worst they can do is finish as the No. 2 seed.  2. Raiders (12-3): The AFC West is still up for grabs. The Raiders, who now go forward without MVP candidate Derek Carr, must win or have the Kansas City Chiefs lose to capture the division title. The Chiefs finish with a game against the Chargers in San Diego and the Raiders close it out against the Broncos in Denver.  3. Steelers: (10-5): Pittsburgh has the No. 3 seed locked up and has a game Sunday against the one-win Cleveland Browns. Pittsburgh will host a playoff game on Jan. 7 or 8.  4. Texans (9-6): The No. 4 seed is theirs and they play the Titans in Tennessee. This is the game equivalent of Mr. Irrelevant.  5. Chiefs (11-4): A Kansas City win and a loss by Oakland throws the AFC West to the Chiefs.  6. Dolphins (10-5): A victory by the Dolphins, who play the Patriots in New England, and a loss by Kansas City would move them up to the No. 5 seed. The Dolphins, by the way, have won nine of their last 10 games.
The craziest scenarios involve Tampa Bay's chances for a postseason spot and the unlikelihood of a Packers-Lions tie.