The NFL playoff picture is becoming much more clear with most of Week 15’s games completed.
The latest teams to clinch a playoff spot with a win Sunday were the New England Patriots and Oakland Raiders. The Patriots are AFC East champions for the 14th time since 2000, while the Raiders are going to the playoffs for the first time since 2002 — when they lost Super Bowl XXXVII.
Here’s how the NFL playoff picture looks following Sunday’s Week 15 action.
AFC
East: New England Patriots (12-2)
West: Oakland Raiders (11-3)
North: Pittsburgh Steelers (9-5)
South: Houston Texans (8-6)
In the hunt for a wild-card berth: Kansas City Chiefs (10-4), Miami Dolphins (9-5), Baltimore Ravens (8-6), Denver Broncos (8-6), Tennessee Titans (8-6), Indianapolis Colts (7-7), Buffalo Bills (7-7)
The Patriots beat the Denver Broncos on Sunday to clinch the AFC East title and a first-round bye. New England still is the AFC’s No. 1 seed but it hasn’t been clinched just yet. The Raiders clinched a playoff spot and moved ahead of the Chiefs (who lost to the Titans) in the AFC West with a win over the San Diego Chargers.
The Steelers and Ravens both won, so Pittsburgh maintains a one-game lead in the AFC North entering the Christmas Day matchup between these rivals. The Texans still lead the AFC South on a tiebreaker over the Titans, but the Colts are just one game back. This division probably won’t be decided until Week 17.
The Chiefs and Dolphins are in the best position to secure wild-card berths based on their records. However, the Dolphins host the Patriots in Week 17, and New England might still have the conference’s top seed to play for.
The Ravens would need a lot of help in the wild-card chase if they lose to the Steelers next week. It’s basically a must-win game for Baltimore. The Broncos still have a chance to get into the playoffs, but they end the season with matchups against Kansas City and Oakland, which is tough.
Even the Bills, with reports suggesting a head-coaching change could be coming in the offseason, remain in the wild-card race.
NFC
East: Dallas Cowboys (12-2)
West: Seattle Seahawks (9-4-1)
North: Detroit Lions (9-5)
South: Atlanta Falcons (8-5)
In the hunt for a wild-card berth: New York Giants (10-4), Tampa Bay Buccaneers (8-6), Green Bay Packers (8-6), Washington Redskins (7-5-1)
The Cowboys have clinched a playoff spot, but the Giants’ win Sunday prevents them from clinching the NFC East or No. 1 seed before Week 16. The Giants would have to completely meltdown to miss the playoffs, as all they need to do to clinch is beat the Philadelphia Eagles on Thursday night.
The Seahawks still hold a slim lead over the Detroit Lions for the NFC’s No. 2 seed, and Detroit has the tougher remaining schedule. The Falcons are a game up on the Buccaneers for the NFC South title and both of them play the Carolina Panthers and New Orleans Saints over the final two weeks.
The Packers, Giants and Bucs are in prime spots to capture a wild-card spot, with The Redskins being the only other team with a legit chance to crash the party.
Thumbnail photo via Ron Chenoy/USA TODAY Sports Images
