NFL Standings 2016: Results, Playoff Picture and Scenarios After Week 15

Week 15 isn't quite complete. Yet, we already know the week is going to have a major impact on the NFL playoff picture at large.

The Seattle Seahawks retook the No. 2 seed in the NFC by winning on Thursday night and then watching the Detroit Lions lose on Sunday.The Oakland Raiders did the same in the AFC with a win and a Kansas City Chiefs loss—and Oakland also secured a playoff trip for the first time in 13 years.

The Pittsburgh Steelers kept their slim lead over the AFC North with a comeback win over the rival Cincinnati Bengals. The Baltimore Ravens and Tennessee Titans kept their playoff hopes alive with big statement wins.

The Houston Texans kept their spot atop the AFC South, but they also created some major quarterback controversy by benching starter Brock Osweiler.

What does all of this mean moving forward? That's exactly what we're going to examine here. We'll be looking at the top-seeded teams in each conference and examining some of the top playoff storylines coming out of Week 15 and moving forward.

Teams at the Top

Seed	Tea	Record
AFC
NFC
1	New England Patriots	12-2
2	Oakland Raiders	11-3
3	Pittsburgh Steelers	9-5
4	Houston Texans	8-6
5	Kansas City Chiefs	10-4
6	Miami Dolphins	9-5
7	Baltimore Ravens	8-6
8	Tennessee Titans	8-6
9	Denver Broncos	8-6
1	Dallas Cowboys	12-2
2	Seattle Seahawks	9-4-1
3	Atlanta Falcons	9-5
4	Detroit Lions	9-5
5	New York Giants	10-4
6	Washington Redskins	7-5-1
7	Green Bay Packers	8-6
8	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	8-6
9	Minnesota Vikings	7-7

Storylines to Follow

Tennessee Threatening

The Tennessee Titans finished the 2015 season tied for the fewest wins in the league with just three. After nearly 15 full weeks, the 2016 Titans are looking like dangerous playoff contenders.

The Titans needed a last-second field goal from Ryan Succop in order to win on Sunday, but win they did. They knocked off the rolling Kansas City Chiefs a week after knocking off the defending Super Bowl champion Denver Broncos.

The Titans are suddenly a team that no one should want to face. They have a potent offense—rated sixth overall by Pro Football Focus—and an opportunistic defense led by respected coordinator Dick LeBeau. That defense seems to be figuring out how to close out games.

If the Titans win out, they'll finish 10-6 and with the AFC South title.

The Titans would win their division because their final game of the season is against the Houston Texans, who share an 8-6 record right now.

Houston's Quarterback

The Texans maintain a lead in the AFC South because of their earlier win over the Titans. Houston's comeback win over the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday was absolutely critical to the team's postseason hopes.

The Texans rallied from a 20-8 deficit to beat the Jaguars, and they did it with backup Tom Savage under center.

After watching months of subpar play from offseason prize Brock Osweiler, Texans head coach Bill O'Brien finally decided to pull the trigger on a benching. The former Broncos spot-starter completed six of his first 11 passes for 48 yards but was mostly ineffective against the Jaguars while throwing two early interceptions.

Savage came in, led the comeback and finished 23-of-36 for 260 yards.

Texans owner Bob McNair made it clear that benching Osweiler was O'Brien's decision, and that it was a tough one.

The question now becomes whether or not Savage can keep the job for the remainder of 2016. If so, the Texans could be a much more dangerous team to face in the postseason. Savage appeared much more decisive with his throws, and he brought a spark to the team's downfield passing attack.

Savage also figured out how to get star receiver DeAndre Hopkins back into the offense. Hopkins caught eight passes for 87 yards with Savage under center.

As is the case in Tennessee, The Texans can win the AFC South by winning out.

Packers Still Have a Chance

Joe Robbins/Getty Images

The Green Bay Packers have fought their way back from the dead by winning their last four games. At 8-6, they very much remain in the playoff conversation, and they even have a shot at winning the NFC North.

Since the New York Giants handed the Detroit Lions a loss on Sunday, the Packers now find themselves only a game behind their rivals. The two teams will face off in the regular-season finale. Since the Packers already own one head-to-head win over Detroit, they can take the division by winning their final two games.

Though Sunday's 30-27 victory over the Chicago Bears wasn't pretty, the Packers have been playing like a team that should scare potential opponents in the postseason.

Everyone is familiar with quarterback Aaron Rodgers and the Packers passing attack, which is rated sixth overall by Pro Football Focus. However, the Packers seem to have found a dangerous ground game behind the hard-running of Ty Montgomery.

"He’s definitely classified as a big back," Packers head coach Mike McCarthy said of Montgomery, per Mike Spofford of the team's official website. "He’s 225 pounds and he’s a beast. He breaks tackles and has that second gear to get going on the second level."

Montgomery and Christine Michael combined for more than 200 yards rushing against Chicago. If the Packers can consistently pair this kind of rushing attack with Rodgers and the team's aerial assault, they're going to be a tough out in the postseason.

Patriots Looking Like a Different Team

It seemed like a foregone conclusion that the Patriots were going to be a very different team with star tight end Rob Gronkowski out for the season. Well, the offense certainly isn't the same, but this team appears different in other ways.

For one, the Patriots appear to be a more physical unit than we have seen in years past. New England was able to go into Denver and pick up a win largely because the team was able to run on the mighty Denver defense.

Dion Lewis and LeGarrette Blount combined for 126 yards and a touchdown on Sunday, which helped compensate for the harassment Brady faced from the Denver defense.

The Patriots also appear to be finding their way on defense. New England repeatedly frustrated Broncos quarterback Trevor Siemian and limited the Broncos to just two conversions on 12 third-down attempts.

For the season, the Patriots are rated fourth in overall defense by Pro Football Focus.

While Brady is rightfully going to garner a lot of the attention in New England, the Patriots are an incredibly well-balanced team and a legitimate title contender.

Raiders Reborn

Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images

The Oakland Raiders are back in the postseason for the first time since the 2002 season. They got there with a comeback win over the San Diego Chargers. They had the opportunity to get there when the Titans knocked off Kansas City.

Oakland is a dangerous team, especially on offense. Oakland is currently rated fifth in overall offense by Pro Football Focus. With Derek Carr under center and weapons like Amari Cooper, Michael Crabtree and Latavius Murray on the field, the Raiders can match points with virtually anyone.

The team has weapons on defense, though. Khalil Mack leads a pass rush that is now rated fifth in the NFL by Pro Football Focus. It was a defensive interception that helped earn Sunday's win and that postseason ticket.

Sunday's win places the Raiders back into the No. 2 seed in the AFC. If Oakland wins next week and the Chiefs lose, the Raiders can clinch the AFC West. However, if the Chiefs win out and the Raiders lose one of their next two games—against the Indianapolis Colts and the Broncos—Kansas City will claim the division title.

The Chiefs have beaten the Raiders twice this season.

If the Raiders want to guarantee the division and earn a first-round bye, they'll need to win out. For now, though, they should enjoy their pending playoff return.

Dallas a Step Closer

The Dallas Cowboys improved to 12-2 on the year with their 26-20 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday night. However, the Cowboys still haven't locked up a first-round bye the way the 12-2 Patriots have in the AFC.

This is because the 10-4 Giants have handed the Cowboys their only two losses of the season. If both teams finish with an identical record, New York would take the NFC East title. Of course, this means the Cowboys only need to win one of their two final games to clinch the division.

Dallas would also clinch the NFC's No. 1 seed with a win, as New York is the only other NFC team that could possibly reach 12-4.

Sunday night's win should also help to quiet any questions about quarterback Dak Prescott's ability to lead the team. A week after Prescott struggled in a loss, he went 32-of-36 for 279 yards. He also rushed four times for 20 yards and a score.

Contrarians might point to the fact the majority of Prescott's throws were short- and medium-range passes, but it's difficult to argue with his efficiency.

Prescott and fellow rookie Ezekiel Elliott had Dallas' offense looking like a well-oiled machine for much of the night. This came against a Buccaneers defense that allowed just 13.2 points per game over its last five games.

Now, Dallas is one win away from securing home-field advantage throughout the playoffs.