NFL Playoffs 2015-16: Updated Standings, Bracket Picture and Scenarios

The early and afternoon games are in the books in Week 15. The latest results have dealt a blow to the playoff hopes of a few NFL teams. Here's a look at the latest standings heading into Sunday Night Football. 

AFC East	W	L	T	Pct.
* -New England Patriots	12	2	0	.857
New York Jets	9	5	0	.643
Buffalo Bills	6	8	0	.429
Miami Dolphins	5	9	0	.357
AFC North	W	L	T	Pct.
x -Cincinnati Bengals	11	3	0	.785
Pittsburgh Steelers	9	5	0	.643
Baltimore Ravens	4	10	0	.286
Cleveland Browns	3	11	0	.214
AFC South	W	L	T	Pct.
Houston Texans	7	7	0	.500
Indianapolis Colts	6	8	0	.429
Jacksonville Jaguars	5	9	0	.357
Tennessee Titans	3	11	0	.214
AFC West	W	L	T	Pct.
Denver Broncos	10	4	0	.714
Kansas City Chiefs	9	5	0	.643
Oakland Raiders	6	8	0	.429
San Diego Chargers	4	10	0	.285
NFC East	W	L	T	Pct.
Washington Redskins	7	7	0	.500
Philadelphia Eagles	6	7	0	.462
New York Giants	6	8	0	.429
Dallas Cowboys	4	10	0	.286
NFC North	W	L	T	Pct.
x -Green Bay Packers	10	4	0	.714
Minnesota Vikings	9	5	0	.643
Chicago Bears	5	9	0	.357
Detroit Lions	4	9	0	.308
NFC South	W	L	T	Pct.
* -Carolina Panthers	14	0	0	1.000
Atlanta Falcons	7	7	0	.500
Tampa Bay Buccaneers	6	8	0	.429
New Orleans Saints	5	8	0	.385
NFC West	W	L	T	Pct.
x -Arizona Cardinals	11	2	0	.846
x -Seattle Seahawks	9	5	0	.643
St. Louis Rams	6	8	0	.429
San Francisco 49ers	4	10	0	.286

• Z: Clinched Division
• X: Clinched Playoff Berth
• *: Clinched Division and Bye

Stats per NFL.com.

Sunday's Big Wins

Carolina Chasing Top Seed and History

Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

Thanks to Cam Newton's heroics, the Carolina Panthers' pursuit of a perfect season and the top seed in the NFC is still alive. After watching his defense blow a 35-7 lead in the third quarter, Newton took the field on the game's last drive and calmly engineered a game-winning march into field-goal range.

Graham Gano came through with the 45-yard game-winning field goal as time expired. It was Gano's leg and foot that ultimately delivered the win, but Newton's arm, legs and heart made it all possible.

When Odell Beckham Jr. caught the 15-yard touchdown pass from Eli Manning that evened the game at 35, per Sports Pics, this was Newton's reaction:

"

Cam Newton: "I got this." https://t.co/DG79Kk5Ou6

— Sports Pics (@AmazingSprtsPic) December 20, 2015"

All the questions about who deserves the NFL MVP should be put to rest.

Cincinnati Wraps Up AFC North

Playing without quarterback Andy Dalton, the Cincinnati Bengals defeated the San Francisco 49ers, 24-14, on Sunday in Santa Clara. The victory gave the Bengals the AFC North Division title. 

Filling in for Dalton, second-year-QB AJ McCarron played well. He completed 15 of 21 passes for 191 yards and a touchdown. Most importantly, he avoided the interceptions that tainted his play in Week 14. It might be hard to believe, but check out this factoid delivered from NFL on ESPN:

With the division under wraps, McCarron and the Bengals can breathe a sigh of relief as they wait and hope for Dalton to hopefully be ready for the postseason.

Chiefs Keep Winning

Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports

Everyone is talking about the Panthers' 14-game win streak, and with good reason, but quietly the Kansas City Chiefs have won eight in a row. Their latest victory was a 34-14 win over the Baltimore Ravens Sunday on the road.

The Chiefs defense forced three turnovers in the game, and Alex Smith controlled his team's possessions. The defense has forced 16 turnovers in the team's last six games. Smith completed 21 of 25 passes for 171 yards and a score. He didn't turn the ball over, and with the way his defense is playing, that's his primary objective.

Playoff Seedings and Scenarios

Here's a snapshot of the updated playoff seedings along with the teams still in contention for a division title and/or a wild-card spot. 

NFL Playoff Picture Week 15

AFC
Seed	Team	Division	Record
1	New England	East	12-2
2	Cincinnati	North	11-3
3	Denver	West	10-4
4	Houston	South	7-7
5	Kansas City	West	9-5
6	Pittsburgh	North	9-5
Still Contending
Seed	Team	Division	Record
7	N.Y. Jets	East	9-5
10	Indianapolis	South	6-8
12	Jacksonville	South	5-9
NFC
Seed	Team	Division	Record
1	Carolina	South	14-0
2	Arizona	West	11-2
3	Green Bay	North	10-4
4	Washington	East	7-7
5	Seattle	West	9-5
6	Minnesota	North	9-5
Still Contending
Seed	Team	Division	Record
7	Atlanta	South	7-7
8	Philadelphia	East	6-7
10	N.Y. Giants	East	6-8

With just two games remaining, here are the updated playoff scenarios in both conferences:

AFC

New England clinches top seed

• New England win once more

Cincinnati clinches first-round bye:

• Cincinnati win and Denver loss

NFC

Carolina clinches home-field advantage throughout NFC playoffs with:

• Arizona loss on Sunday night or
• Week 16 Carolina win or Arizona loss

Arizona clinches NFC West division with:

• Arizona win on Sunday night

Expect to see another fleet of teams eliminated in Week 16. Squads like the Giants, Philadelphia Eagles and Jacksonville Jaguars' playoff hopes are hanging by mere threads. If the Cardinals defeat the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday night and the Panthers win again on the road against the Atlanta Falcons in Week 16, head coach Ron Rivera will have a decision to make for the season finale.

The top seed in the conference will be wrapped up, but the chance at a perfect season will still be in reach. Should Rivera go for history or rest some of his stars such as Newton, Charles Tillman and others?

That's just one of several storylines to follow as the 2015 NFL season winds down.