NFL Standings 2014-15: Week 14 Records, Playoff Scenarios, Wild-Card Picture

Week 14 may have the most playoff implications we've seen to this point in the season. The races for division crowns and wild-card spots in both the AFC and NFC remain extremely tight, and several impending contests will have enormous impacts on the postseason picture.

Following the Miami Dolphins' victory over the New York Jets on Monday Night Football, they jumped into the AFC's No. 6 seed. However, five other teams are tied with 7-5 records, making for quite an intriguing Week 14 that's chock-full of playoff scenarios.

As for the NFC, there's currently three 8-4 teams vying for those coveted wild-card spots. As we know, only two will get in. Adding to the drama is the NFC South. The Atlanta Falcons currently hold the tiebreaker over the New Orleans Saints; however, since both of those teams only hold 5-7 records, the entire division is still technically in contention—yes, even the 2-10 Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Before another decisive week on the gridiron kicks off, here's a look at the current playoff picture heading into Week 14 and scenarios to watch going forward.

AFC Seed	Team	NFC Seed	Team
1	New England Patriots (9-3)	1	Arizona Cardinals (9-3)
2	Denver Broncos (9-3)	2	Green Bay Packers (9-3)
3	Cincinnati Bengals (8-3-1)	3	Philadelphia Eagles (9-3)
4	Indianapolis Colts (8-4)	4	Atlanta Falcons (5-7)
5	San Diego Chargers (8-4)	5	Seattle Seahawks (8-4)
6	Miami Dolphins (7-5)	6	Detroit Lions (8-4)

AFC wild-card race: Kansas City Chiefs, Buffalo Bills (7-5), Baltimore Ravens (7-5), Pittsburgh Steelers (7-5), Cleveland Browns (7-5), Houston Texans (6-6).

NFC wild-card race: Dallas Cowboys (8-4), San Francisco 49ers (7-5), New Orleans Saints (5-7), Chicago Bears (5-7), Minnesota Vikings (5-7), St. Louis Rams (5-7).

Playoff Scenarios to Watch

The Crazy AFC North

The Cincinnati Bengals pulled out a close victory over the Buccaneers Sunday, moving to a one-and-a-half-game lead over the rest of the division due to the other three teams losing their Week 13 contests. However, the Bengals must take on the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 14.

Bleacher Report's Matt Miller knows what this game means to Pittsburgh:

This will be the first time these teams meet this season, and the Steelers desperately need a win to keep pace in the AFC North. Meanwhile, the Baltimore Ravens will be facing the 7-5 Dolphins in a game that will have serious wild-card implications, and the Cleveland Browns will take on the AFC South-leading Indianapolis Colts.

The AFC North may be the most enigmatic division this season, and it's difficult to know what we should expect from all four teams on a weekly basis. Although, now that we've reached the season's final stretch, it's about time we find out what this division is truly made of.

Battle for the NFC West

The Seattle Seahawks have won two consecutive games, and the Arizona Cardinals have lost two straight. Heading into Week 14, the Cardinals still sit atop the division, but their cushion has decreased to just one game.

Here's a look at what the future holds for both teams, via NFL Network's Ian Rapoport:

Both of these teams have difficult matchups in Week 14, as the Cardinals play host to the Kansas City Chiefs and the Seahawks visit the Philadelphia Eagles. If Arizona continues to fall apart and Seattle keeps riding its hot streak, we'll see a new division leader after Sunday on the basis of a head-to-head tiebreaker.

Of course, the San Francisco 49ers can't be counted out of the equation, either. While they haven't been playing extremely well of late and are coming off a bad loss to Seattle, this team has a great chance for a victory this week against an Oakland Raiders team that just lost by a score of 52-0 in Week 13 to the St. Louis Rams.

Keeping Tabs on the NFC South

Every team in this division is at least two games under the .500 mark this season, and they all have a chance to make the playoffs. While that's exciting for all NFC South teams, there may be a very unhappy 11-5 team that misses the playoffs as a result.

Regardless, this is still a legitimate playoff scenario, as the Saints and Falcons attempt to pull away from the rest of the division. The Falcons made a bit of a stride in Week 13, according to NFL on ESPN:

However, it will be easier said than done for Atlanta this week, as it travels to Green Bay to take on a quarterback in Aaron Rodgers who has yet to lose a home game this season. New Orleans will be tested by a division foe, as the Carolina Panthers come to town.

If either Atlanta or New Orleans wins, the Buccaneers will officially be eliminated from playoff contention, and Carolina will be on the brink of elimination if it can't outlast the Saints.

Race for Home-Field Advantage

In the NFC, the Cardinals currently have the No. 1 seed; however, the Green Bay Packers and Eagles are nipping at their heels, holding the same record but falling short due to tiebreakers. Should Arizona fall to Kansas City this week, the Packers would be next in line to assume the top spot with a win.

In the AFC, the New England Patriots and Denver Broncos are deadlocked at 9-3, while the Bengals are just a half game behind. New England has full control over the situation due to victories over Denver, Cincinnati and Indianapolis this season. Bleacher Report's Erik Frenz relayed what home-field advantage would mean to New England:

The Patriots must lose to relinquish their grasp on the No. 1 seed. If that happens, the Broncos would assume the top spot, and a clash against the Bengals on Monday Night Football in Week 16 could become highly intriguing.

Get ready for a wild ride over the final four weeks of the season due to the immense amount of teams fighting for postseason positions in both conferences. With so many games featuring playoff implications going forward, we should expect continued adjustments to the postseason's picture on a weekly basis.