Currently, the Indianapolis Colts’ playoff hopes are slim but still alive. However, it’s possible they could be eliminated from contention before they even step on the field to face the Giants in Week 17.

While the Colts play on Sunday, there are three games on Saturday, two of which will play a key role in deciding Indianapolis’ fate in the playoffs.

The LA Chargers face the New England Patriots at 1 p.m. ET. Then at 4:30 p.m. ET, the Denver Broncos are on the road to take on the Cincinnati Bengals.

The Colts have two paths to the playoffs as long as they win. One of those paths requires the Broncos to lose and either Cincinnati or Miami to win their final two games.

In this case, there would be a three-way tie at 9-8, and the tiebreaker would go to the team with the best AFC record, which the Colts would hold.

The other scenario requires the Chargers to lose – pretty easy, but not entirely easy since they finish the year with three wins against the Patriots and three wins against the Raiders.

However, if the Broncos beat the Bengals and the Chargers beat the Patriots on Saturday, then the Colts’ playoff hopes will simply be dashed before they step on the field.

For a sneak peek into each of these games, Broncos Wire Editor-in-Chief Jon Heath gave us a look at this match. You can also click here to dive deeper into the Denver vs. Cincinnati game.

Broncos vs. Bengals: 5 things to watch for on Saturday

Now for a quick preview of the Chargers vs. Patriots game, Alex Katson of Chargers Wire had this to say. And if you want to take a closer look at this match, click here.

Reasons for the Chargers’ optimism in Week 17 vs. Patriots

This article originally appeared on Colts Wire: The Colts could be eliminated from the playoffs before they even play on Sunday