NFL Playoff Picture Week 15: AFC, NFC 2023 Postseason Scenarios and Predictions
The 2023 NFL season is winding down and the talk of the football world is the hunt for the postseason.
While only one team in either the NFC or AFC has already clinched a spot in the dance (looking at you, San Francisco), there is a handful that appears poised to make legitimate runs at the Lombardi Trophy.
In the AFC, parody reigns supreme as six teams have identical records and are virtually tied for two Wildcard spots. In the NFC, there are a less than a handful of teams that can be considered legitimate contenders to hoist the most coveted prize in the game.
Ahead of an all-important Week 15, these are the current playoff scenarios and postseason standings.
Week 15 Schedule
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Thursday, December 14
Los Angeles Chargers at Las Vegas Raiders (8:15 p.m., Amazon Prime)
Saturday, December 16
Minnesota Vikings at Cincinnati Bengals (1:00 p.m., NFL Network)
Pittsburgh Steelers at Indianapolis Colts (4:30 p.m., NFL Network)
Denver Broncos at Detroit Lions (8:15 p.m., NFL Network)
Sunday, December 17
Atlanta Falcons at Carolina Panthers (1:00 p.m., Fox)
Chicago Bears at Cleveland Browns (1:00 p.m., Fox)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Green Bay Packers (1:00 p.m., CBS)
New York Jets at Miami Dolphins (1:00 p.m., CBS)
New York Giants at New Orleans Saints (1:00 p.m., Fox)
Houston Texans at Tennessee Titans (1:00 p.m., CBS)
Kansas City Chiefs at New England Patriots (1:00 p.m., Fox)
San Francisco 49ers at Arizona Cardinals (4:05 p.m., CBS)
Washington Commanders at Los Angeles Rams (4:05 p.m., CBS)
Dallas Cowboys at Buffalo Bills (4:25 p.m., Fox)
Baltimore Ravens at Jacksonville Jaguars (8:20 p.m., NBC)
Monday, December 18
Philadelphia Eagles at Seattle Seahawks (8:15 p.m., ABC and ESPN)
AFC Playoff and Wildcard Picture
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AFC Playoff and Wildcard Picture
- Baltimore Ravens (10-3, AFC North)
- Miami Dolphins (9-4, AFC East)
- Kansas City Chiefs (8-5, AFC West)
- Jacksonville Jaguars (8-5, AFC South)
- Cleveland Browns (8-5, Wildcard)
- Pittsburgh Steelers (7-6, Wildcard)
- Indianapolis Colts (7-6, Wildcard)
On the Bubble
Houston Texans (7-6)
Denver Broncos (7-6)
Cincinnati Bengals (7-6)
Buffalo Bills (7-6)
Los Angeles Chargers (5-8)
Las Vegas Raiders (5-8)
New York Jets (5-8)
Tennessee Titans (5-8)
Eliminated
New England Patriots (3-10)
NFC Playoff and Wildcard Picture
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NFC Playoff and Wildcard Picture
- San Francisco 49ers (10-3, NFC West) (X)
- Dallas Cowboys (10-3, NFC East)
- Detroit Lions (9-4, NFC North)
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6-7, NFC South)
- Philadelphia Eagles (10-3, Wildcard)
- Minnesota Vikings (7-6, Wildcard)
- Green Bay Packers (6-6, Wildcard)
On the Bubble
Los Angeles Rams (6-7)
Seattle Seahawks (6-7)
Atlanta Falcons (6-7)
New Orleans Saints (6-7)
New York Giants (5-8)
Chicago Bears (5-8)
Washington Commanders (4-9)
Arizona Cardinals (3-10)
Eliminated
Carolina Panthers (1-12)
(X) - clinched playoff spot
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A Loaded AFC
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The Buffalo Bills defeated the defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs Sunday at Arrowhead, a win that made them the 11th seed in the AFC and one of six teams with a 7-6 record.
The others are Pittsburgh and Indianapolis, both of whom would be in the playoffs if the season ended today, as well as Houston, Denver, and Cincinnati. The logjam of teams with the same record will set up a dramatic final stretch of the regular season, with every win being of the utmost importance to that handful of teams fighting for two wildcard spots.
Two of the Bills' final four are against Dallas and Miami, tough match-ups for any team.
The Steelers have showdowns with the aforementioned Indianapolis and Cincinnati and a season finale on January 7 against their division-leading foes, the Baltimore Ravens. The Texans get Tennessee twice, Cleveland, and finish up the season against the Colts.
Denver has, perhaps, the easiest path to a playoff berth with games against the NFC's third-seeded Detroit, then showdowns with New England, the Los Angeles Chargers, and Las Vegas Raiders.
The Bengals finish up with Minnesota, Pittsburgh, Kansas City, and Cleveland.
The Colts have continuously found ways to win and if they can muster enough offense out of Gardner Minshew II to win three of their next four against Pittsburgh, Atlanta, Las Vegas, and Houston, should find themselves improbably in the playoffs.
That final spot, based on everything we have seen to this point in the season, will likely be decided in Week 18, with several teams scoreboard-watching as they await their playoff fates.
The NFL has long championed parody in hopes of creating the most exciting product for its fans and it certainly has what it wanted in the AFC hunt.
Prediction: The never-say-die Colts and the better-than-they've-shown Bills take the final two spots
A Top-Heavy NFC
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Whereas the AFC has considerable depth, the NFC is relatively top-heavy.
The San Francisco 49ers, Dallas Cowboys, and Philadelphia Eagles are all three-loss teams that could realistically emerge from the conference and represent it in the Super Bowl. Detroit has one more loss and while they have shown flashes of greatness all season long, they have struggled over the last month or so, including a loss to Chicago in Week 14.
From there, things turn mediocre quickly.
The NFC South-leading Buccaneers are a losing team at 6-7, as are the seventh-seeded Green Bay Packers. The Los Angeles Rams may be the best team not currently in the playoffs at 6-7 while the 7-6 Minnesota Vikings are in the sixth seed, but coming off a comically abysmal 3-0 win over the Raiders.
The Falcons and Saints have a shot to eclipse that sub-par Bucs team and takeover the South, and the Seahawks could always make the jump into the Wildcard round, but none are realistic threats to any of the four teams at the top of the conference.
The Rams and Packers will likely battle it out down to the wire for that final playoff spot, so there is some intrigue and drama, but the NFC feels very much like a four-team race to the Super Bowl in Las Vegas.
Prediction: A surging run game and solid defense propel the Rams past Green Bay for the final Wildcard position
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