So it’s set in the AFC and NFC. The Indianapolis Colts and the Denver Broncos drew first round byes in the AFC while the Seattle Seahawks and Chicago Bears are the top seeds with the conference running through Seattle in the playoffs.

In last week’s possible Super Bowl preview, the 13-2 Seahawks manhandled the Colts 28-13. With the win, Seattle clinched its first ever no. 1 postseason seeding. Having the luxury of playing at home in the playoffs is crucial for any team. With the way Matt Hasselbeck and Shaun Alexander are playing right now, nobody in the NFC wants to travel to the hilly Seattle in the postseason.

Heading into week 17, the 2006 NFL playoff focus is getting clearer with only the NFC East division title and the wild-card berths up for grabs. In the NFC, the Giants can win the NFC East with a victory Saturday at Oakland. The Washington Redskins (9-6) can make the playoffs as a wild card if they win their finale in Philadelphia next week. They can win the East if they win and the Giants lose.

The New York Giants (10-5) also secured a playoff berth when the Vikings (8-7) were eliminated with a 30-23 loss to Baltimore in the night game. A season marked by extreme lows followed by unexpected highs ended Sunday night, a week early for the Vikings. Now, the spotlight turns into the Vikings’ infamous "Love Boat Scandal". See Odds on Minnesota’s Love Cruise Sentences [Sports Interaction].

The Dallas Cowboys (9-6) team is still in the hunt but needs to win their season finale against the St. Louis Rams next week at Texas Stadium. Hope for a loss b

y either Washington or Carolina. The Panthers would win the NFC South division with a victory and a Bucs loss.

But with byes followed up by home games in the second round, plus the erratic play of the ‘other’ NFC teams, it’s very likely we are headed towards a Chicago Bears - Seattle Seahawks showdown in Seattle for the right to go to Super Bowl XL. (Chicago Bears?)

Week 17 NFL Football odds and lines [Bodog]