NFL Playoff Picture 2014: Week 15 Standings, Super Bowl Odds and Wild-Card Hunt
After yet another wild Sunday of action across the NFL, football fans have turned their attention to the playoff picture as the league heads into Week 15.
With top teams like Philadelphia, San Francisco and San Diego taking losses and other elite organizations, such as Detroit, Denver and Arizona, stealing victories, the turnover in the standings will create a buzz around the chase to make the postseason.
Here is a look at both the NFC and AFC standings, Super Bowl odds and wild-card breakdowns.
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NFC Standings, Super Bowl Odds and Wild-Card Hunt
| Arizona Cardinals | 10 | 3 | 0 | 25-1 |
| Seattle Seahawks | 9 | 4 | 0 | 13-2 |
| San Francisco 49ers | 7 | 6 | 0 | 28-1 |
| St. Louis Rams | 6 | 7 | 0 | 500-1 |
| Philadelphia Eagles | 9 | 4 | 0 | 12-1 |
| Dallas Cowboys | 9 | 4 | 0 | 20-1 |
| New York Giants | 4 | 9 | 0 | 750-1 |
| Washington Redskins | 3 | 10 | 0 | 1000-1 |
| Green Bay Packers | 10 | 3 | 0 | 7-2 |
| Detroit Lions | 9 | 4 | 0 | 25-1 |
| Minnesota Vikings | 6 | 7 | 0 | 300-1 |
| Chicago Bears | 5 | 8 | 0 | 500-1 |
| Atlanta Falcons | 5 | 8 | 0 | 75-1 |
| New Orleans Saints | 5 | 8 | 0 | 28-1 |
| Carolina Panthers | 4 | 8 | 1 | 500-1 |
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 2 | 11 | 0 | 2000-1 |
The battle for the six playoff spots in the NFC has been fierce all year, but the top teams in the league are beginning to separate themselves from the competition. While the Green Bay Packers have a chance to move into the No. 1 overall spot in the NFC with a win Monday night, the Arizona Cardinals have already won their matchup and moved to the top of the standings.
Of all the battles in the NFC, the fight for the East Division crown has been the most intense. The Philadelphia Eagles currently lead the division, but both Philadelphia and the Dallas Cowboys have an identical record. Luckily for football fans, the Eagles and the Cowboys square off in Week 15 with supremacy on the line.
Another interesting division is the NFC West. With the San Francisco 49ers taking a loss, the team’s hopes of making the postseason are fading. On the other hand, both Arizona and the Seattle Seahawks will continue fighting for the division title. The team that doesn’t win the West will likely still make the playoffs as a wild-card entrant.
In the NFC North, Green Bay is the clear No. 1 team, but the Detroit Lions are starting to regain an elite form heading into a key portion of the season. With Detroit holding the tiebreaker over Dallas due to the better win percentage in conference games, there is a legitimate chance the NFC North gets two teams into the postseason.
As good as much of the NFC has been this season, the NFC South is absolutely terrible. The Atlanta Falcons are currently the division leaders, but there is a very real possibility that the team that wins the South has a final record of below .500.
With a Week 15 schedule full of divisional matchups, including Philadelphia vs. Dallas, Seattle vs. San Francisco and Arizona vs. St Louis, football fans should be ready for another turnover in the standings.
AFC Standings, Super Bowl Odds and Wild-Card Hunt
| Denver Broncos | 10 | 3 | 0 | 9-2 |
| San Diego Chargers | 8 | 5 | 0 | 28-1 |
| Kansas City Chiefs | 7 | 6 | 0 | 66-1 |
| Oakland Raiders | 2 | 11 | 0 | 5000-1 |
| New England Patriots | 10 | 3 | 0 | 15-4 |
| Miami Dolphins | 7 | 6 | 0 | 66-1 |
| Buffalo Bills | 7 | 6 | 0 | 200-1 |
| New York Jets | 2 | 11 | 0 | 2000-1 |
| Cincinnati Bengals | 8 | 4 | 1 | 28-1 |
| Pittsburgh Steelers | 8 | 5 | 0 | 50-1 |
| Baltimore Ravens | 8 | 5 | 0 | 50-1 |
| Cleveland Browns | 7 | 6 | 0 | 100-1 |
| Indianapolis Colts | 9 | 4 | 0 | 18-1 |
| Houston Texans | 7 | 6 | 0 | 200-1 |
| Tennessee Titans | 2 | 11 | 0 | 1000-1 |
| Jacksonville Jaguars | 2 | 11 | 0 | 3000-1 |
The battle for supremacy in the AFC is just as entertaining as the NFC’s. The New England Patriots and Denver Broncos have proved to be the cream of the crop thus far, but with tough remaining games on both schedules, New England and Denver will have the chance to build even more momentum and confidence heading into the postseason.
The Patriots and the Broncos are clearly the top two teams in the AFC, and it’s not even close.
There are two other divisional leaders in the AFC in the Indianapolis Colts and the Cincinnati Bengals, but both showed in Week 14 that they are far from perfect. With Indianapolis barely pulling out a win over the Cleveland Browns and the Cincinnati Bengals losing to the Pittsburgh Steelers, there is no doubt that the remaining weeks of the season will feature plenty of wild-card turnover.
Currently, Pittsburgh and the San Diego Chargers are the two teams holding the wild-card spots, but the Baltimore Ravens are within striking distance, and there are five other teams with 7-6 records that are not conceivably out of contention just yet.
When asked about making the playoffs, Baltimore linebacker Terrell Suggs told The Associated Press, via ESPN.com, “Our fate is in our hands. If we win, we're in. That's the mentality we'll have down the stretch.”
The Ravens have a favorable matchup against the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 15, but there are several marquee divisional matchups in the AFC that fans can’t miss. With Cincinnati vs. Cleveland, Houston vs. Indianapolis and Miami vs. New England all on the schedule, the layout of the AFC could look very different at this time next week.
For now, football fans should just sit back and enjoy the mad rush for the postseason.
*Stats via NFL.com.
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