NFL Playoff Picture Week 14: Latest AFC, NFC Standings and Bracket Scenarios

The final month of the 2016 NFL season has arrived. Week 14 is about to begin, and the playoff race is heating up at a rapid pace.

As of now, only the Dallas Cowboys have managed to clinch a postseason berth. However, there are scenarios in which the New England Patriots, Oakland Raiders and Seattle Seahawks can join them in the playoff-bound fraternity this week.

The Patriots can get in with a win and a loss by the Miami Dolphins. New England can also secure a first-round bye with a win and a loss by both the Dolphins and the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Raiders are in if they win and either the Dolphins or the Denver Broncos lose. If Seattle ties or wins and the Arizona Cardinals lose, the Seahawks are headed to the postseason.

Let's take a look at how the rest of the league stacks up. We'll run down the divisional standings in playoff-seeding format. This means that division leaders will be seeded first, regardless of records. We'll also examine some of the top playoff storylines heading into Week 14.

Week 14 Standings

Place	Team	Record
AFC
NFC
1	Oakland Raiders	10-2
2	New England Patriots	10-2
3	Baltimore Ravens	7-5
4	Houston Texans	6-6
5	Kansas City Chiefs	9-3
6	Denver Broncos	8-4
7	Miami Dolphins	7-5
8	Pittsburgh Steelers	7-5
9	Indianapolis Colts	6-6
10	Tennessee Titans	6-6
11	Buffalo Bills	6-6
12	San Diego Chargers	5-7
13	Cincinnati Bengals	4-7-1
14	New York Jets	3-9
15	Jacksonville Jaguars	2-10
16	Cleveland Browns	0-12
1	Dallas Cowboys	11-1
2	Seattle Seahawks	8-3-1
3	Detroit Lions	8-4
4	Atlanta Falcons	7-5
5	New York Giants	8-4
6	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	7-5
7	Washington Redskins	6-5-1
8	Minnesota Vikings	6-6
9	Green Bay Packers	6-6
10	Arizona Cardinals	5-6-1
11	New Orleans Saints	5-7
12	Philadelphia Eagles	5-7
13	Carolina Panthers	4-8
14	Los Angeles Rams	4-8
15	Chicago Bears	3-9
16	San Francisco 49ers	1-11

If the season ended right now, the Patriots, Raiders, Seahawks and Cowboys would hold first-round byes. The Baltimore Ravens would host the Denver Broncos, while the Houston Texans would host the Kansas City Chiefs over in the AFC.

In the NFC, the opening round would consist of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at the Detroit Lions and the New York Giants at the Atlanta Falcons.

The Raiders and Cowboys would each host the lowest-seeded team in their respective conferences in the divisional round.

Notable Storylines

Race for the No. 1 Seed in the AFC

About 15 years ago, the Oakland Raiders and New England Patriots were involved in a little something that many fans now refer to as the "Tuck Rule Game."

There's a real chance that the Raiders and Patriots could meet in the AFC Championship Game this year, but it's anyone's guess as to where the game will take place. Right now, the Raiders control the AFC's No. 1 seed and will hold it if both they and the Patriots finish 14-2 at the end of the season.

A lot is going to happen between now and the end of the regular season, though, and the Raiders and Patriots aren't the only teams in the chase for the No. 1 seed.

Kansas City Chiefs

John Bazemore/Associated Press

It'll be worth following the 9-3 Kansas City Chiefs through the end of the season for a couple of reasons. For one, they are only one game behind the Raiders in the AFC West with a second meeting looming Thursday night.

Since Kansas City has already beaten the Raiders, a win would move the Chiefs into first place in the division.

Another reason to follow Kansas City is that this is a dangerous team and a legitimate Super Bowl contender. The Chiefs aren't flashy or especially dominant in any one area—they are rated 21st in offense and 10th in defense by Pro Football Focus. They just win.

According to Bleacher Report's Mike Freeman, many people around the league believe the Chiefs are actually the best team in football. He recently wrote: "In speaking to several front-office executives and veteran players, I was given three main reasons: 1. They are a conservative, defense-oriented team built to win in the postseason; 2. They are well-coached by Andy Reid and his staff; and 3. Their quarterback, Alex Smith, makes few mistakes."

Kansas City could easily come away with a first-round bye or even the AFC's No. 1 seed. They could also be a lethal team come playoff time.

Dallas Cowboys

As we mentioned above, the Cowboys have already punched their ticket to the postseason. If they can defeat the New York Giants Sunday night, they'll also lock up the NFC East.

It will be interesting to see how Dallas responds to the situation. If the team has little left to play for after Week 14, how much intensity can it carry into the postseason? We've seen the Cowboys coast into the postseason during the Tony Romo era, and things didn't end the way they would have liked.

According to Cowboys linebacker Justin Durant, though, coasting isn't in the team's DNA:

Of course, this is all hypothetical. The Giants handed Dallas its only loss in Week 1. If they win again in Week 14, then the Cowboys will need to fight for at least another week in order to secure a divisional crown.

The AFC South Race

Bill Kostroun/Associated Press

In all likelihood, the winner of the AFC South is going to wind up with the No. 4 seed in the conference. Right now, the Houston Texans, Indianapolis Colts and Tennessee Titans are tied atop the division with identical 6-6 records.

The Texans would be division champs if the season ended today, but it doesn't. They face the Colts this week in a game that could decide the divisional race.

"This game this weekend, that’s exciting," Colts tight end Dwayne Allen said, per Mike Chappell of Fox59.com. "This is what you play the game for. T.Y. (Hilton) said it best: 'This is a Game 7 atmosphere.'"

If the Texans win, they'll hang onto the division lead. If the Colts win, they will take control. The Titans are also in the mix, but they have already lost twice to Indianapolis and once to Houston. The only way Tennessee could take the division lead this week is with a win over the Denver Broncos and a tie in Indianapolis.