NFL Playoff Picture Week 15: Breaking Down AFC and NFC Postseason Outlook

With only a Monday Night Football game between the Green Bay Packers and Atlanta Falcons remaining, Week 14 has produced plenty of alterations to the NFL playoff picture following some pivotal contests.

While Sunday did take some more teams out of contention, the race between playoff hopefuls remains extremely tight. There's only a two-game margin between the AFC's No. 1 and No. 6 seeds and just a one-game differential among the NFC's top squads. We also have some newcomers in the top six for both conferences, adding to the drama down the final stretch of the season.

So, what does the current playoff picture look like? How will Monday's game affect the standings? What are the impending scenarios for Week 15? Those are all legitimate inquiries, so let's take a look at the answer for each.

Updated Playoff Picture

Here's a look at the teams that would enter the postseason if it began before Monday night's contest. All 12 of these teams control their own destinies, as winning out would ensure a playoff berth. However, there will be stiff competition over the remaining weeks, and you'll find the teams that are still in the hunt below.

AFC Seed	Team	NFC Seed	Team
1	New England Patriots (10-3)	1	Arizona Cardinals (10-3)
2	Denver Broncos (10-3)	2	Green Bay Packers (9-3)*
3	Indianapolis Colts (9-4)	3	Philadelphia Eagles (9-4)
4	Cincinnati Bengals (8-4-1)	4	Atlanta Falcons (5-7)*
5	Pittsburgh Steelers (8-5)	5	Seattle Seahawks (9-4)
6	San Diego Chargers (8-5)	6	Detroit Lions (9-4)

AFC in the hunt: Baltimore Ravens (8-5), Houston Texans (7-6), Miami Dolphins (7-6), Kansas City Chiefs (7-6), Buffalo Bills (7-6) and Cleveland Browns (7-6).

NFC in the hunt: Dallas Cowboys (9-4), San Francisco 49ers (7-6), Minnesota Vikings (6-7), St. Louis Rams (6-7), New Orleans Saints (5-8) and Carolina Panthers (4-8-1).

Week 14 Monday Night Football Scenarios

Both the Packers and Falcons are deeply entrenched in the playoff picture, so Monday night's game comes with some severe postseason implications for both teams.

The Falcons will maintain the lead in the NFC South no matter the outcome of Monday's contest against Green Bay. The New Orleans Saints were hammered by the Carolina Panthers by a score of 41-10 Sunday, giving Atlanta a bit of cushion atop the division.

However, the margin for error is small for the Falcons, as a loss would drop them to 5-8, into a tie with the Saints and just a half-game lead over the Panthers. Atlanta holds the head-to-head tiebreaker over both teams; although, it plays New Orleans and Carolina in Weeks 16 and 17, respectively.

Green Bay heads into Monday night's contest with a half-game lead over the Detroit Lions. Detroit trounced the Tampa Bay Buccaneers by a score of 34-17 on Sunday, briefly narrowing the lead in the division. The Lions hold a tiebreaker over the Packers due to a head-to-head victory earlier this season and would move into first place should Green Bay lose.

If the Packers win, they maintain their position as the NFC's No. 2 seed behind the Arizona Cardinals. After the Philadelphia Eagles lost to the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday, Green Bay's chances of earning a first-round bye increase, with a one-game cushion with three to play.

Week 15 Scenarios

We finally have some possibilities for teams to clinch playoff berths in Week 15. All of these scenarios take place in the AFC, as three divisions can be won this coming Sunday.

The Indianapolis Colts can clinch the AFC South with a win over the Houston Texans. The Colts are at 9-4 and currently hold a two-game lead over the 7-6 Texans with three games to play. If Indianapolis wins in Week 15, it will increase its lead to three games with just two remaining, making it impossible for Houston to make up enough ground.

Should Houston win, the division is nowhere near settled, as the teams would only be separated by one game with two remaining. However, the Texans would still need the Colts to lose another game to win the division since Indianapolis would hold a tiebreaker of a better record in common games.

The New England Patriots can clinch the AFC East in Week 15 with a victory over the Miami Dolphins. New England is what golfers call dormie—they are three up with three to play. A victory over Miami would be enough to put the Patriots on top of the division for good this season, as they would have a four-game lead over the Dolphins (and either a three- or four-game lead over the Buffalo Bills) with just two remaining.

Joe Mahoney/Associated Press

The Denver Broncos have a very similar scenario as the Colts in Week 15. Denver is up by two games over the San Diego Chargers and happen to face off against Philip Rivers and Co. on Sunday. Obviously, a win over the Chargers would put the Broncos up three games with just two remaining.

However, you may ask: What about the Kansas City Chiefs? Well, the Chiefs are now 7-6 after suffering a loss to the Cardinals in Week 14. That puts Denver up three games with three to play. A win by the Broncos makes it impossible for the Chiefs to catch up.

While there aren't any clinching scenarios in the NFC in Week 15, there are a few games to watch out for.

Arizona will attempt to outlast the St. Louis Rams on Thursday Night Football in an effort to remain atop the conference, the Cowboys take on the Eagles for the rights to the NFC East and the San Francisco 49ers face the Seahawks looking to stay alive in the division and wild-card race.