Week 17 of the NFL season is in the books, which means in just one short week, we'll know which 14 teams will be headed to the NFL postseason and who they'll face when they get there.

What just happened? What does it mean? What are the pertinent factors (and, perhaps, tiebreakers) prominently in play as each conference's seven-team bracket begins to crystallize? All will be explained and analyzed up to the point when the postseason field is finalized Sunday,

The Miami Dolphins entered Sunday at No. 11 in the 2026 NFL draft order. A 20-17 win against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers didn't do much to impact that at all. While the Dolphins improved to 7-9 with the win,

Despite losing for the seventh time in eight games, the Bucs still have a chance at capturing the NFC South if they beat the Panthers on Saturday. But first, "We have to get ourselves together before we worry about anybody else,