NFL playoff picture, Week 12: Panthers, Patriots can lock down playoff spots

The Carolina Panthers are in Dallas for a Thanksgiving Day game against the Cowboys. A win on Thursday afternoon would help give Cam Newton and Co. something else besides an 11-0 record to be thankful for: it's the first step toward clinching a playoff spot this weekend.

The Patriots are in a similar situation, but they're not playing until Sunday night against the Broncos in Denver. New England can clinch both a playoff spot and the AFC East crown, which would be their 12th division title in the last 13 years.

Let's start with a look at Carolina's situation. It's not entirely up to the Panthers. They need a little help elsewhere in the NFC. If the Buccaneers lose or tie the Colts and the Seahawks lose or tie to the Steelers, that would do it for the Panthers, guaranteeing them a playoff spot. Another potential scenario involves three other teams. A Vikings loss, a Cardinals loss and a Bucs loss or tie combined with a win for the Panthers would do it as well.

If you're looking for the most likely scenario, it's probably one of the first two. The Cardinals are favored by 9.5 points against the lowly 49ers this week, so any scenario involving an Arizona loss is probably a stretch. The Colts are favored by 3 points over the Bucs, but Seattle is a 3.5-point favorite over the Steelers at the CLink.

The Patriots can clinch the AFC East with a win over the Broncos this week and a Jets loss or tie against the Dolphins (New York is favored by 4.5 points). If New England ties, they'll need the Jets and the Bills to both lose or tie. If both the Jets and the Bills lose, that would be enough to give the Patriots yet another AFC East title.

New England can still clinch a playoff spot even if they don't wrap up the division this weekend. If they beat the Broncos and the Chiefs lose or tie the Bills (Kansas City is favored by 3.5 points), they'll have it. They can also clinch with a Steelers loss and a Bengals loss.