Baltimore controls its own playoff destiny and would make it in as the AFC North champions by beating the Patriots in Week 16 and Bengals in Week 17.
Where it gets really interesting is that Baltimore-Cincinnati matchup. If Week 16 sees the Dolphins beat the Bills, Week 17 becomes a free-for-all. The Dolphins would then make the playoffs, likely as the no. 6 seed, with a win over the Jets at home. The winner of the Bengals-Ravens game would clinch the AFC North and a home playoff game in the first round, while the loser would almost surely go home empty-handed. Given Miami's soft AFC East schedule the rest of the way, they have to be considered the favorites to win the no. 6 seed. San Diego would need to win out while both the Dolphins and Bengals lose out to claim the no. 6 seed.
Notice how I said the Dolphins would "likely" be the no. 6 seed with a win in Week 17? They still have a shot at winning the AFC East, and the Patriots, amazingly, could still miss the playoffs. If Miami wins out and the Patriots lose to the Ravens and Bills — often a thorn in New England's side — the Dolphins would win the AFC East at 10-6, by virtue of having a superior record within the division. If the Ravens win the AFC North and the Bengals beat the Vikings in Week 16, that would leave 10-6 Cincinnati in the playoffs as the no. 6 seed over the Patriots, by virtue of their home win over New England this year.
