NFL Playoff Scenarios 2023-24: AFC, NFC Bracket Picture and Pre-Week 15 Odds
If there is one thing that is certain about the 2023 NFL season, it is that nothing is certain.
Teams we thought were great are merely good. Teams that looked mediocre on paper are near the top of the AFC and NFC, respectively, with a chance to clinch playoff spots in the next game or two.
The hunt for a wildcard spot is as competitive as it has ever been in either conference, and fans have come to expect the unexpected when it comes to nearly every game on the slate.
Ahead of a pivotal Week 15, these are the current playoff standings in both conferences, as well as the updated Super Bowl odds, and scenarios to keep an eye on throughout the remainder of the season.
AFC Playoff Picture
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AFC playoff standings following Sunday's Week 14 action:
- Baltimore Ravens (10-3, AFC North)
- Miami Dolphins (9-3, AFC East)
- Kansas City Chiefs (8-5, AFC West)
- Jacksonville Jaguars (8-5, AFC South)
- Cleveland Browns (8-5, Wildcard)
- Cincinnati Bengals (8-6, Wildcard)
- Indianapolis Colts (8-6, Wildcard)
On the Bubble
Houston Texans (7-6)
Buffalo Bills (7-6)
Pittsburgh Steelers (7-7)
Denver Broncos (7-7)
Las Vegas Raiders (6-8)
New York Jets (5-8)
Tennessee Titans (5-8)
Los Angeles Chargers (5-9)
Eliminated
New England Patriots (3-10)
NFC Playoff Picture
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NFC playoff standings ahead of Sunday's Week 15 action:
- San Francisco 49ers (10-3, NFC West) (X)
- Dallas Cowboys (10-3, NFC East)
- Detroit Lions (10-4, NFC North)
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6-7, NFC South)
- Philadelphia Eagles (10-3, Wildcard)
- Minnesota Vikings (7-7, 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 berth
Super Bowl Odds
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San Francisco 49ers (+230; bet $100, win $330)
Baltimore Ravens (+550)
Philadelphia Eagles (+700)
Kansas City Chiefs (+700)
Miami Dolphins (+850)
Dallas Cowboys (+850)
Buffalo Bills (+1800)
Detroit Lions (+2000)
Jacksonville Jaguars (+2500)
Cleveland Browns (+4500)
Houston Texans (+7000)
Seattle Seahawks (+10000)
Los Angeles Rams (+10000)
Indianapolis Colts (+10000)
Cincinnati Bengals (+11000)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (+12000)
Atlanta Falcons (+12000)
Denver Broncos (+13000)
Minnesota Vikings (+15000)
Pittsburgh Steelers (+25000)
Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook
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A Wide Open AFC
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We are in Week 15 of the 2023 NFL season and not a single team from the AFC has clinched a playoff team to this point.
The Baltimore Ravens and Miami Dolphins, both with just three losses, are in a showdown for the No. 1 overall seed but a stumble from either opens the door for a five-loss team like the Chiefs, Jaguars, or Browns to enter the discussion.
Appropriately enough, the Ravens and Dolphins play each other on New Year's Eve, the penultimate game of the regular season for both. It will not be an easy path for either squad to that showdown, though.
The Ravens have play Jacksonville in Week 15, then the NFC-leading San Francisco 49ers in Week 16. They put a bow on their regular season against hated divisional rival Pittsburgh in Week 18.
The Dolphins play a tough Jets defense Sunday and follow up with a hot Dallas Cowboys squad before wrapping up the regular season against Buffalo.
Beyond that is a field of five or six teams in contention for a wildcard spot, including the suddenly red-hot Cincinnati Bengals behind Jake Browning, the "how the heck are they still here" Indianapolis Colts, the Buffalo Bills, Denver Broncos, and Pittsburgh Steelers.
All of whom have seven or more wins at this point in the season and are still very much alive in the battle for the final two spots in the playoff picture.
Whereas in years past things have been far clearer, parody has reigned supreme this season, with no team really asserting dominance in the conference, including the aforementioned Baltimore and Miami teams, both of whom could just as easily find themselves in the fourth or fifth seed by the time the season wraps up.
The Ravens have been the most consistently good team in the conference and likely get the No. 1 seed, but it will be interesting to see if Miami can silence its naysayers and win big games, against quality opponents, down the stretch to keep themselves in contention for it.
And what of Kansas City, who has struggled to score and has looked mightily average in recent weeks. Are their dreams of a Super Bowl repeat more of a nightmare at this point?
Rams, Packers In A Battle for Wildcard Positioning
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With starting quarterback Matthew Stafford sidelined due to injury, the Los Angeles Rams lost an otherwise very winnable game to the Green Bay Packers back on November 5.
The team was unable to generate offense behind its backup quarterbacks and the Packers, themselves struggling to get momentum on their side, ran away with an ugly 20-3 win.
Fast-forward a month and both teams are playing much better and are legitimate contenders to crash the playoff party and make some noise in the postseason. The Rams, with Stafford back and healthy, look like the dynamic offensive juggernaut they have been in recent years, while Packers quarterback Jordan Love has found his footing and is developing into one of the more intriguing young signal callers in the league.
Unfortunately, there is a real possibility that only one of the teams will get into the playoffs, with both watching each others' scoreboards closely in the coming weeks.
Both teams stumbled a week ago, with the Rams dropping an overtime heart breaker in Baltimore while the Packers stumbled to a two-point loss against the New York Giants.
For Green Bay to clinch, they need to keep winning. They have a favorable schedule, with games against Tampa Bay, Carolina, Minnesota, and Chicago. The Buccaneers are inconsistent, but can beat anyone on any given week, and the final two are against division rivals, so a winning record is not a guarantee.
The Rams, conversely, have games against Washington, New Orleans, the Giants, and end in San Francisco against a Niners team that may not have anything to play for.
As this season has proven, there is no such thing as a given, thanks in large part to the parody that has swept the league.
And the NFL would not have it any other way.
There is still an opportunity for the Seattle Seahawks to make a push for the postseason, and the Vikings could very well slip out of contention considering their quarterback woes and inconsistency, but it still very much feels like the Rams and Packers will come down to the wire for that final spot and a chance to add another Lombardi Trophy.
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