Updated Playoff Odds for Every Team After NFL Week 14

Vincent FrankJun 7, 2018

Well, some things were settled during Week 14. The Seattle Seahawks proved themselves to be contenders in the NFC, while mediocre play came back to haunt the Atlanta Falcons against the Carolina Panthers.

The Dallas Cowboys earned a much-needed win against the Cincinnati Bengals, who fell to 7-6. Meanwhile, the Baltimore and Pittsburgh Steelers, Cincinnati's AFC North rivals, failed to capitalize.

The horse race continues as 23 teams remain in the playoff chase. All the while, the bottom-feeders look to find something to build on entering the offseason.

Denver Broncos

1 of 34

Record: 10-3

Postseason Chances: 100 percent (clinched AFC West).

Remaining Opponents' Record: 16-23

Depending on the outcome of Monday night's New England-Houston game, the Broncos could be within one game of earning the No. 1 seed in the AFC.

They doubled up the Oakland Raiders in a less-than-stellar performance on Thursday night. Peyton Manning continued to play great and is in contention for the MVP award.

Denver takes on Baltimore next week before finishing up with two relatively easy games against the Cleveland Browns and Kansas City Chiefs at home. A 13-3 record and 11-game winning streak heading into the playoffs isn't out of the question here.

San Diego Chargers

2 of 34

Record: 5-8

Postseason Chances: Five percent

The San Diego Chargers kept their slim playoff hopes alive by defeating Ben Roethlisberger and the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday. This comes on the heels of various reports indicating that head coach Norv Turner and general manager A.J. Smith will be relieved of their duties following the season.

I guess you could say that their agony is a bit prolonged here. Another San Diego loss and both could be shown the door prior to San Diego's season finale against the Oakland Raiders.

Oakland Raiders

3 of 34

Record: 3-10

Postseason Chances: Zero percent (Eliminated from playoff contention).

The Oakland Raiders have lost six consecutive games by an average of nearly 18 points per outing. Needless to say, general manager Reggie McKenzie can't be happy with their inability to compete on a weekly basis.

Reports surfaced last week that Oakland was looking into bringing Jon Gruden back. While the Raiders' organization has denied such interest, it is becoming increasingly clear that first-year head coach Dennis Allen might be one and done in Northern California.

The larger issue is the future of Carson Palmer, who just doesn't seem to be a good fit for Oakland. While he does have a couple seasons remaining on his contract, the Raiders may go in another direction. It will be interesting to see if Terrelle Pryor is given a chance as the season draws to a close. After all, the Raiders are playing for nothing more than draft positioning.

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Kansas City Chiefs

4 of 34

Record: 2-11

Postseason Chances: Zero percent (Eliminated from playoff contention).

The Kansas City Chiefs followed up an inspiring performance last week against the Carolina Panthers with an equally uninspiring performance against the Cleveland Browns on Sunday.

After taking a 7-0 lead on an 80-yard touchdown run by Jamaal Charles, Kansas City yielded the final 30 points against a streaking Browns team. Brady Quinn completed just 10-of-21 passes and the Chiefs gave up nearly 400 yards of offense to Brandon Weeden and company.

These are the types of performances that cost coaches jobs, especially for a team that has only won two games in the first 14 weeks of the season.

As it is, Kansas City is going to have to take a long hard look at its roster and make some tough decisions in the offseason.

Among the most interesting decisions relates to the quarterback position. Matt Cassel and Quinn are nowhere near long-term solutions. Additionally, the 2013 NFL draft seems to be a bit lacking at this position.

Houston Texans

5 of 34

Record: 11-2

Postseason Chances: 100 percent (clinched playoff spot).

Remaining Opponents' Record: 25-14

The Houston Texans still might have an inside track for the No. 1 overall seed in the AFC, but their performance against the New England Patriots on Monday Night Football was nothing short of disastrous. Falling down 21-0 early, Houston wasn't able to rebound and got absolutely trounced in front of a nationally televised audience on the road in New England.

It is now only two games ahead of the Indianapolis Colts with two games remaining against them as well as a difficult matchup against Adrian Peterson and the Minnesota Vikings.

The best record in the conference doesn't mean much right now. Houston obviously isn't the best team in the AFC after it fell to New England 42-14.

Indianapolis Colts

6 of 34

Record: 9-4

Postseason Chances: 95 percent

Remaining Opponents' Record: 24-13

I don't know how the Indianapolis Colts continue to do it. They've now won seven of their last eight games by a combined 49 points after coming from behind to defeat the Tennessee Titans 27-23 on Sunday.

Andrew Luck, who threw another two interceptions, wasn't on top of his game again. It was the defense that stepped up by forcing two key Jake Locker interceptions and setting up Indianapolis with a shot at two fourth- quarter field goals.

Indianapolis is now 9-4 and two games ahead of Pittsburgh and Cincinnati in the AFC playoff race. It must, however, take on the Houston Texans in two of its final three games. That those two games may actually decide the division championship is a testament to what Luck and company have done this season.

Simply amazing.

Tennessee Titans

7 of 34

Record: 4-9

Postseason Chances: Zero percent (eliminated from playoff contention).

The Tennessee Titans finally showed up and competed against a playoff-caliber team on Sunday. Though it wasn't good enough to get a win over the Indianapolis Colts, Tennessee needs to at least take a moral victory out of this.

Now that Tennessee has been officially eliminated from the postseason, it is all about about getting Jake Locker some reps in the final three games of the season. It needs to see whether the young quarterback has the ability to stay healthy and lead the franchise.

Equally as important, Tennessee must think about rebuilding a defense that has been among the absolute worst in the NFL this season.

Jacksonville Jaguars

8 of 34

Record: 2-11

Postseason Chances: Zero percent (eliminated from postseason contention).

Almost in spite of themselves, the Jacksonville Jaguars stayed in the game until the end against the New York Jets on Sunday. Chad Henne, continuing his free fall, threw two more interceptions and completed fewer than half of his passes en route to a disastrous 41.3 QB rating.

Meanwhile, New York dominated the trenches. It rushed for 166 yards as Jacksonville's front seven look overpowered at times.

It has been a horrible season for this franchise. The Jaguars haven't been able to fairly assess Blaine Gabbert due to injuries, and other issues have kept several other players from being able to prove they can contribute to a winning team.

The best Jacksonville can hope for is an early first-round pick (they are tied for the worst record in the NFL) to rebuild what has quickly become a dormant franchise.

Baltimore Ravens

9 of 34

Record: 9-4

Postseason Chances: 80 percent

Remaining Opponents' Record: 25-14

Last week I made a crack that the Baltimore Ravens were the worst 9-2 team in the history of the NFL. Maybe it could be noted that they're the worst 9-4 team in the modern history of the league.

Baltimore let a late lead slip away when Kirk Cousins, who replaced an injured Robert Griffin III, hit Pierre Garcon with an 11-yard touchdown pass with less than 30 seconds remaining in regulation. The Washington Redskins ended up winning 31-28 in overtime.

The good news for Baltimore is that the Pittsburgh Steelers and Cincinnati Bengals lost. This means that the Ravens are still two games up in the AFC North with three games remaining.

While Baltimore should win the division, it will have a tough time going against playoff-caliber teams in the second season. We could easily be looking at a one-and-done scenario.

Pittsburgh Steelers

10 of 34

Record: 7-6

Postseason Chances: 51 Percent

Remaining Opponents' Record: 19-20

The Pittsburgh Steelers fell to a dormant San Diego Chargers team 34-24 at home on Sunday. In doing so, they let a golden chance to gain a one-game lead over the Cincinnati Bengals slip through their hands.

Ben Roethlisberger, returning from an injury that cost him the previous three games, picked up where he left off. The veteran quarterback threw three touchdown passes and played well.

It was struggles on the other side of the ball that cost the Steelers. They allowed San Diego to convert 12 third-down opportunities and control the time-of-possession battle.

Pittsburgh is now in a dead heat with Cincinnati for the sixth and final AFC playoff spot. Those two go up against one another in Week 16 after the Steelers travel to Texas in order to take on the suddenly streaking Dallas Cowboys.

Anything short of a 2-0 record during that stretch could end Pittsburgh's postseason hopes.

Cincinnati Bengals

11 of 34

Record: 7-6

Postseason Chances: 50 percent

Remaining Opponents' Record: 20-19

You cannot lose a home game against a .500 team and expect to be taken seriously in the AFC. This is what the Cincinnati Bengals did when they fell to the Dallas Cowboys on a last-second field goal Sunday.

The loss ends a four-game winning streak and threatens to derail Cincinnati's hopes of a second consecutive playoff appearance.

It must now take on the Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens in two of its final three games. That is where the playoff race should be decided.

As it is, letting a two-score lead slip away in the fourth quarter at home isn't going to get it done. Cincinnati needs to focus on winning its final three games.

Cleveland Browns

12 of 34

Record: 5-8

Postseason Chances: Four percent

Brandon Weeden threw for more than 200 yards without an interception while fellow rookie Josh Gordon hauled in eight passes on 12 targets Sunday en route to a 30-7 thumping of the visiting Kansas City Chiefs.

Cleveland has won three straight and is still in playoff contention.

On that note, I am actually giving the Browns a four percent shot at making the playoffs. While no one expects that to happen, Cleveland has a nice young core in place for contention in 2013 and beyond.

New England Patriots

13 of 34

Record: 10-3

Postseason Chances: 100 percent (clinched AFC East).

Remaining Opponents' Record: 16-22-1

Another December home game for Tom Brady and company means another late-season win. The New England Patriots absolutely dominated the Houston Texans, who came into the game with an 11-1 record, by the score of 42-14.

It wasn't even that close.

New England built a 21-0 lead before 20 minutes had even surpassed as Brady notched three scores during that span.

The Patriots have now won seven in a row and put up over 40 points four different times during those seven game. They now go up against the San Francisco 49ers next Sunday night in a game between two of the top teams in the NFL.

As it is, New England has to be considered the clear favorites to grab its second consecutive AFC Championship after destroying the Texans on Monday night.

New York Jets

14 of 34

Record: 6-7

Postseason Chances: Five percent

Take a deep breath and let this sink in. The New York Jets are one game out of the final AFC playoff spot after defeating the Jacksonville Jaguars 17-10 on Sunday. While the game itself wasn't pretty, specifically Mark Sanchez's performance, New York has won two straight and sits in sole possession of second place in the AFC East.

Is it going to make the playoffs? I highly doubt it. Just taking a look at this team, there is no way that's it is one of the top six in the conference.

New York does, however, have three winnable games remaining against the Tennessee Titans, San Diego Chargers and Buffalo Bills.

Miami Dolphins

15 of 34

Record: 5-8

Postseason Chances: Five percent

The Miami Dolphins played a good game against a superior opponent on Sunday. But they came out on the wrong end of a 27-13 score as rookie Ryan Tannehill completed just 4-of-14 passes in the final stanza.

Miami remains in the AFC playoff picture, two games behind Pittsburgh and Cincinnati for the final spot.

While the chances of a postseason berth are remote, it is important that the Dolphins continue to get up for the final three games of the regular season. Tannehill needs to gain valuable experience and the coaching staff has a lot of decisions to make about other personnel on this up-and-coming team.

Buffalo Bills

16 of 34

Record: 5-8

Postseason Chances: Five percent

A win against the St. Louis Rams on Sunday would have given the Buffalo Bills a legitimate shot at the sixth and final AFC playoff spot. Instead, they lost a heart-breaker to Sam Bradford and the St. Louis Rams. Bradford hit Brandon Gibson on a 13-yard touchdown pass with less than a minute remaining to give the Rams a 15-12 win.

That's all she wrote for this team in 2012.

It is now two games back in the playoff race and has five teams sitting between itself and the final seed. Don't expect any miracles here.

AFC Playoff Picture

17 of 34

Current Standings

1. Houston Texans 11-2

2. New England Patriots 10-3

3. Denver Broncos 10-3

4. Baltimore Ravens 9-4

5. Indianapolis Colts 9-4

6. Pittsburgh Steelers 7-6

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6. Cincinnati Bengals 7-6

8. New York Jets 6-7

9. Four teams tied at 5-8

San Francisco 49ers

18 of 34

Record: 9-3-1

Postseason Chances: 95 percent

Remaining Opponents' Record: 21-17

It wasn't pretty by any stretch of the imagination, but the San Francisco 49ers rebounded from their Week 13 loss by defeating the Miami Dolphins 27-13 at Candlestick on Sunday.

Colin Kaepernick, doing his best Alex Smith game-management impression, completed nearly 80 percent of his passes before clinching the victory with a 50-yard touchdown run late in the final stanza.

With the victory, San Francisco inched ever closer to locking up the all-important No. 2 seed in the NFC. It is a half-game up on the Green Bay Packers. More importantly, San Francisco remains in position to grab its second consecutive NFC West title.

The 49ers have a tough two-game stretch at New England and Seattle before taking on the lowly Arizona Cardinals at home in Week 17. A win in either of those first two games should win the NFC West.

San Francisco can clinch the division title next week with a win against New England and a Seattle loss to the Buffalo Bills.

Seattle Seahawks

19 of 34

Record: 8-5

Postseason Chances: 75 percent

Remaining Opponents' Record: 20-17-2

The Seattle Seahawks destroyed the Arizona Cardinals 58-0 on Sunday, putting the San Francisco 49ers and the rest of the NFC on notice.

They are for real.

Seattle is in sole possession of the No. 5 seed in the NFC playoff race, one game ahead of the Washington Redskins, Dallas Cowboys and Minnesota Vikings. Needless to say, Seattle stands a good chance of earning a trip to the playoffs.

The larger question is whether Seattle will upset San Francisco and win the NFC West. It goes up against the Buffalo Bills on the road next week before taking on the 49ers at home in Week 16.

St. Louis Rams

20 of 34

Record: 6-6-1

Postseason Chances: 15 percent

Remaining Opponents' Record: 21-18

What a gutsy win for the St. Louis Rams on Sunday. They had to travel to Canada and come back in the last seconds to beat an average Buffalo Bills team, but a win is a win.

Sam Bradford hit Brandon Gibson with the winning touchdown pass with 29 seconds remaining, keeping the Rams' slim playoff hopes alive.

St. Louis, which returned to .500 for the first time since Week 6, still has a steep road to climb. The Chicago Bears, Washington Redskins, Dallas Cowboys and Minnesota Vikings all stand between the Rams and the No. 6 seed.

While head coach Jeff Fisher might miss the playoffs in his first season with the Rams, it is apparent that he is building something nice here.

Arizona Cardinals

21 of 34

Record: 4-9

Postseason Chances: Zero percent (eliminated from playoff contention).

What a disgusting and genuinely disastrous performance by the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday. Going into Seattle to take on a hot Seahawks team, no one really expected Arizona to keep it close, but a 58-0 loss is just mind numbing.

It was the fourth-largest shutout in the NFL in the last 73 years. Arizona turned the ball over eight times as its quarterbacks played some of the worst football we have seen in some time. John Skelton completed just 11-of-22 passes with four interceptions before being replaced by Ryan Lindley.

Defensively it wasn't much better. Seattle gained nearly 500 yards, including 284 on the ground, as both Marshawn Lynch and Robert Turbin rushed for more than 100 yards.

Simply put, Arizona's ninth consecutive loss was one of the most embarrassing performances we have seen in quite a while.

The question is whether head coach Ken Whisenhunt will be relieved of his duties. Stay tuned.

Atlanta Falcons

22 of 34

Record: 11-2

Postseason Chances: 100 percent (clinched NFC South).

Remaining Opponents' Record: 18-21

This was bound to happen. The Atlanta Falcons haven't played great football over the course of the last two months. Six of their previous seven wins have come by one score, including two lackluster home performances against the Oakland Raiders and Arizona Cardinals, two teams that have combined to lose 15 consecutive games.

Matt Ryan and company fell behind 23-0 to the Carolina Panthers early in the third quarter before staging a brief comeback to make the score 23-13 in the final stanza. It was a poor performance if I have ever seen one.

Atlanta is still the clear-cut favorite to grab the No. 1 seed and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. It has also won 19 of its last 22 home games since the start of the 2010 season.

If there was a "favorite" to win the NFC, Atlanta would be it right now.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

23 of 34

Record: 6-7

Postseason Chances: 10 percent

Remaining Opponents' Record: 22-16-1

That was a huge loss for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday. They could have remained just one game out of the NFC playoff picture with a win, but are pretty much out of the race now with three games remaining.

Nick Foles threw for 381 yards, including a one-yard touchdown as time expired, to give the Philadelphia Eagles the 23-21 victory.

It will be difficult for the Bucs to rebound from this loss. They allowed a team that is playing out the string to come into Tampa and win its first game since September. Josh Freeman completed just 14-of-34 passes, showing us that he hasn't fully turned the corner.

Meanwhile, Tampa's secondary was shredded by a receiving corps that was missing DeSean Jackson.

This loss probably cost the Buccaneers a shot at postseason contention. Five teams now stand between them and the No. 6 seed.

New Orleans Saints

24 of 34

Record: 5-8

Postseason Chances: Zero percent (eliminated from playoff contention).

What is going on with Drew Brees? He has thrown nine interceptions in his last three games, all losses. His latest struggles came against the New York Giants in a must-win game for the New Orleans Saints on Sunday.

Brees was picked off twice as he continued to struggle to make the right reads.

The blame for this loss can't be placed solely on Brees. New Orleans yielded 52 points and 24 first downs to Eli Manning and company.

New Orleans is now officially eliminated from the playoffs.

Carolina Panthers

25 of 34

Record: 4-9

Postseason Chances: Zero percent (eliminated from playoff contention).

That was a nice win by Cam Newton and company. The Carolina Panthers took it to the top team in the NFC on Sunday, defeating the Atlanta Falcons 30-20.

Newton compiled more than 400 yards of total offense and scored three touchdowns. It was his third consecutive stellar outing. The second-year quarterback has gained more than 1,000 yards and scored 10 touchdowns during that span.

It is, however, too little, too late. Carolina is out of postseason contention and is just looking to finish what has been a disappointing season in a strong fashion.

Green Bay Packers

26 of 34

Record: 9-4

Postseason Chances: 75 percent

Remaining Opponents' Record: 19-20

In yet another less-than-stellar performance, the Green Bay Packers found a way to defeat the cellar-dwelling Detroit Lions in Lambeau Field on Sunday night.

It was their running game and defense that came through as Aaron Rodgers failed to throw a touchdown pass pass for as many as 200 yards in the snow. Green Bay gained 140 yards on the ground and forced two Lions turnovers in the 27-20 win.

By virtue of the Bears' loss against a contending Minnesota Vikings team, the Packers are one game up in the NFC North and can clinch the division with a win over the Bears next week.

That being said, this team has to fix a myriad of issues to be considered a favorite to win the NFC. Its passing game seems to be hitting the same lull that we saw earlier in the season. On defense, Green Bay's front seven has yielded a lot of yardage on the ground.

If these two aspects are not fixed soon, Green Bay may be looking at another one-and-done playoff finish come January.

Chicago Bears

27 of 34

Record: 8-5

Postseason Chances: 55 percent

Remaining Opponents' Record: 17-22

The Chicago Bears have now lost four of five after starting the season 7-1 and might actually struggle to make the playoffs.

They needed to get a win against the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday, but came away on the short end of a 21-14 score. Adrian Peterson, continuing his ridiculous play, rushed for 154 yards and two scores. Meanwhile, Jay Cutler completed half of his passes for one score and two interceptions before leaving with a neck injury. Thankfully, Cutler appears to be OK.

With games remaining against the Green Bay Packers and Detroit Lions, this team isn't guaranteed of anything moving forward. It is just one game up on the Washington Redskins, Dallas Cowboys and the Vikings for the final spot in the NFC playoffs.

A loss against Green Bay in Lambeau next week would eliminate Chicago from the division race and lead to further speculation about its ability to actually make the second season.

Minnesota Vikings

28 of 34

Record: 7-6

Postseason Chances: 25 percent

Remaining Opponents' Record: 26-11-1

In what amounted to a playoff game for the Minnesota Vikings, they relied on Adrian Peterson once again. My pick for Comeback Player of the Year rushed for 154 yards and two first-quarter scores en route to a 21-14 win over the Chicago Bears.

Not too often does a team win with its quarterback throwing for fewer than 100 yards, but tremendous play from every other position enabled Minnesota to stay right in the thick of the NFC playoff race.

In reality, Minnesota controls its destiny. If it wins its final three games against the St. Louis Rams, Houston Texans and Green Bay Packers, there is no reason to believe that the Vikings won't earn the final playoff spot.

Again, that's a difficult task. At the least, Minnesota is going to be playing another meaningful December game. No one would have thought that possible at the start of the year.

Detroit Lions

29 of 34

Record: 4-9

Postseason Chances: Zero percent (eliminated from playoff contention).

Maybe, just maybe Matthew Stafford isn't an elite quarterback. He struggled with accuracy and decision-making in the Detroit Lions' 27-20 loss to the Green Bay Packers on Sunday. All said, Stafford turned the ball over two times and seemed to be relying way too much on Calvin Johnson, who he targeted 13 times.

Detroit also couldn't stop a marginal Packers' running game. Green Bay ran for 140 yards on 25 carries. That's just not acceptable.

The Lions are now eliminated from playoff contention in what has to be considered a disappointing season for a team that came in with Super Bowl aspirations.

New York Giants

30 of 34

Record: 8-5

Postseason Chances: 60 percent

Remaining Opponents' Record: 24-15

The New York Giants maintained their slight NFC East lead with an impressive 52-27 victory over the visiting New Orleans Saints on Sunday.

Eli Manning, who was picked off twice, led seven touchdown-scoring drives against one of the worst defenses in the NFL. It was all about balance as the Giants rushed for 135 yards behind a two-touchdown performance by David Wilson.

Defensively, it was much more impressive for the Giants. They picked off Drew Brees two times and held Pro Bowler Jimmy Graham to five catches on 10 targets.

New York now goes up against the Atlanta Falcons and Baltimore Ravens on the road in its next two outings. Despite a 8-5 record, the Giants are not guaranteed of a postseason berth as those are going to be two difficult games to win.

Washington Redskins

31 of 34

Record: 7-6

Postseason Chances: 55 percent

Remaining Opponents' Record: 16-23

Reports indicate that Robert Griffin III did not suffer any ligament damage in his injured right knee. While it was a major scare for the rookie quarterback and his franchise, it appears that RGIII will be ready to go next week against the Cleveland Browns.

Considering that the Redskins playoff hopes ride on the arms and legs of their rookie quarterback, this is great news.

On to the game.

Fellow rookie Kirk Cousins came in for RGIII at quarterback and engineered an impressive comeback against the Baltimore Ravens. He threw an 11-yard touchdown pass to Pierre Garcon, then ran in on the two-point conversion to tie the game with 29 second remaining. Cousins and the Skins ended up defeating Baltimore 31-28 in overtime.

They remain one game out of the playoff race with three games remaining. A favorable two-game set against Cleveland and Philadelphia could set up Washington with a huge Week 17 home game against the Dallas Cowboys.

I can easily see Washington grabbing the NFC East title.

Dallas Cowboys

32 of 34

Record: 7-6

Postseason Chances: 35 percent

Remaining Opponents' Record: 19-20

What an inspiring win for the Dallas Cowboys coming off inconceivable tragedy the day before when Josh Brent, who has been charged with intoxication manslaughter, was the driver in a car accident that claimed the life of teammate Jerry Brown Jr.

Tony Romo led a stirring fourth-quarter comeback and continued to play stellar football. He threw for 278 yards and a score, including a 27-yard strike to Dez Bryant to pull the game within one score with a little more than 6:00 remaining in the fourth. Dan Bailey then nailed a 40-yard field goal as time expired to give Dallas a surprising 20-19 win over the Cincinnati Bengals.

Dallas remains one game out in the wild-card and division races with three games remaining. It hosts the Pittsburgh Steelers and New Orleans Saints in its next two games, both must wins, before finishing the season against the Washington Redskins in Week 17.

Philadelphia Eagles

33 of 34

Record: 4-9

Postseason Chances: Zero percent (eliminated from playoff contention).

The Philadelphia Eagles won their first game since September when they took down a Tampa Bay team that needed a win to remain viable in the playoff picture.

Rookie quarterback Nick Foles had his best game of the season, throwing for nearly 400 yards and two touchdowns in the upset road victory.

While the Eagles are just playing out the string, it is important for them to get a look at these youngster before what promises to be a franchise-altering offseason.