Playoffs Are Looking Easy to Figure : Pro football: Wild-card spots come down to final two games of regular season.

Like coaches who assign 17 names to a play in which a guy is handed the ball and told to run like the dickens, NFL officials insist on being as complicated as possible with their playoff forecast.

That way, even New York Jet fans follow the sport until the final weekend, when, much to their dismay, they realize their team was mathematically eliminated two days before Halloween.

But with two weeks remaining in the regular season, it’s as complicated as a hash mark.

NFC

The San Francisco 49ers (10-4) can, and will, clinch home field advantage with victories at home against the Minnesota Vikings and on the road against the Atlanta Falcons. The Dallas Cowboys (10-4) can, and will, will clinch the other first-round bye with victories at home against the New York Giants, and at Arizona.

The Green Bay Packers (9-5) will win the NFC Central, and play host to a first-round wild card game, with a victory at New Orleans and at home against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

The Philadelphia Eagles (9-5), on the basis of their stunning victory over the Cowboys on Sunday, will probably play host to the other first-round game as the top wild card team. They need only to defeat Arizona at home and win the final day against the Chicago Bears.

Figuring out the other two wild cards is just as tame. The Atlanta Falcons, Detroit Lions and Minnesota Vikings are tied at 8-6.

The Lions figure to win their last two games--at home against Jacksonville, and at Tampa Bay--so count them in. The Falcons and Vikings each play the 49ers, so they will each probably lose one of their final two games. If they finish tied at 9-7, the Falcons get the edge because of a better conference record.

AFC

If quarterback Steve Bono’s right thumb is hurting as much as it appeared Monday night, the Kansas City Chiefs (11-3) are in trouble. But they need to win one of their final two games--at home against Denver Broncos and Seattle Seahawks--to clinch home field throughout the playoffs.

The Steelers (10-4) will win one of their final two games--probably against the New England Patriots this weekend--to clinch the other bye.

The Buffalo Bills (9-5) need only to win one of their two remaining home games--against the Miami Dolphins (8-6) or Houston Oilers--to clinch the AFC East and a first-round bye.

The Indianapolis Colts (8-6), Oakland Raiders (8-6), Dolphins and yes, even the San Diego Chargers (7-7) can advance by winning their final two games.

With Jeff Hostetler returning, the Raiders should win at Seattle and at home against the Denver Broncos. The Dolphins seem primed to defeat the Bills and win in St. Louis on the season’s final day. That leaves the Chargers-Colts matchup in Indianapolis this weekend as the one to probably decide the third finisher.