It all comes down to this.

After 16 gruelling weeks, the NFL playoffs will start one week early for the Indianapolis Colts and Tennessee Titans when they meet in a Week 17 showdown on Sunday Night Football to determine the final AFC playoff spot.

It will be just the 10th regular season finale since 2002 in which the winner advances to the postseason and the loser is eliminated.

If the Houston Texans beat the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday, the winner of this game clinches the final AFC wild-card spot.

If the Texans lose, the winner of this game clinches the AFC South division title.

It’s only fitting that these teams will have the spotlight to themselves on Sunday night.

After all, for the most part the Titans and Colts have been two of the league’s most overlooked teams all season.

Indianapolis, led by the NFL’s Comeback Player of the Year frontrunner and MVP candidate Andrew Luck, have gone 8-1 since Week 7.

Considering his career record versus Tennessee, Luck is in a perfect position to cap off an incredible season by leading the Colts back to the playoffs.

The first-overall pick from the 2012 NFL Draft is 10-0 versus the Titans in his career.

Luck can set the all-time record for most wins versus a single opponent without a loss with a victory over Tennessee on Sunday night.

Luck enters Week 17 with a 67.2 per cent completion rate, 4,308 passing yards, 36 touchdowns and 14 interceptions this season. He went 23-of-29 for 297 yards and three touchdowns with zero turnovers the first time these teams met, which was a 38-10 Colts’ win back on Nov. 18.

A similar performance on Sunday should be enough to lead Indianapolis back to the postseason.

The keys to success remain the same this week as they have for the Colts all season.

First, the offensive line will need to continue to protect their franchise passer.

Luck has been pressured on just 22 per cent of his drop backs this season, which is the fourth-lowest mark in the league. The improved play up front is a big reason why Luck has been sacked on only three per cent of his drop backs, which is the lowest mark in the NFL.

Second, Luck has done an excellent job of getting the ball out quickly and accurately in to tight windows all year.

According to the NFL’s Next Gen Stats, Luck leads the league in passing attempts and passing yards on throws into tight windows, which is defined as one yard or fewer of separation. When releasing the football within 2.5 seconds of the snap, Luck has thrown 18 touchdowns compared to just one interception. Accuracy and timing have been integral to Luck’s success.

Finally, another strong performance from the defence can go a long way towards taking some of the pressure off Luck.

Since Week 7, Indianapolis owns the NFL’s best scoring defence.

The Colts have allowed an average of 16.3 points per game while going 8-1 over their last nine games. Contrast that with the 30.0 points per game allowed over the first six weeks, and it’s easy to see how important the defence has been throughout Indy’s turnaround.

For the Titans, there is a lot less certainty heading into Week 17.

Even after four straight wins and with home field advantage versus the Colts, it’s easy to understand the question marks surrounding Tennessee.

After all, this is the same team that lost to Indianapolis by 28 points in Week 11.

The Titans have won four straight, but those victories came against the Jaguars, New York Jets, New York Giants and the Washington Redskins, teams that have a combined 21-39 record this season.

Quarterback Marcus Mariota is expected to play on Sunday.

However, he was a limited participant in practice on Wednesday and there are still obvious concerns about his throwing arm after he suffered a stinger in his elbow that forced him to leave last week’s win over Washington.

With questions at quarterback, Tennessee will likely lean heavily on running back Derrick Henry again versus the Colts.

Henry has averaged 6.6 yards per carry while rushing for 532 yards and eight touchdowns during the Titans’ last four wins. A big part of that production has been a league-high 311 rushing yards after contact over that span. No other player has more than 181 rush yards after contact over that span.

The Titans haven’t won five in a row since 2009.

If they are going to clinch a playoff spot in back-to-back years for the first time since 2007 and 2008, they will need to extend their win streak to five when they host Indianapolis on Sunday.

With everything on the line, all eyes will be on Nissan Stadium this Sunday night.

After a wild 17 weeks in the NFL, it’s only fitting that it’s the final game of the regular season that will determine the final playoff spot.