NFL Playoff Picture Week 15: Scenarios for AFC and NFC 2015 Postseason Matchups

Try as it might, the race to the inaugural College Football Playoff does not hold a candle to the NFL playoff picture. 

As things bleed into Week 15, several divisional battles on the professional side of things make for a thrilling final three weeks of action that demand an attention to detail.

Look at the AFC North, where all four teams are still in contention. In the NFC South, even downright ineptitude cannot get teams nixed from consideration.

The list goes on, but it is important to point out that Week 15 will see more than a handful of teams bow out of the process. Those that have already done so want to play spoiler, so they are not alone.

As far as playoff implications go, Week 15 is the best to date this season.

Week 15 Playoff Picture

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 (10-3)*
3	Indianapolis Colts (9-4)	3	Philadelphia Eagles (9-4)
4	Cincinnati Bengals (8-4-1)	4	Atlanta Falcons (5-8)*
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 15 Scenarios

Keep things in the AFC North for a moment.

The Pittsburgh Steelers and Cincinnati Bengals control their fate. If one wins out, it will emerge as the champion.

Pittsburgh has been the most erratic team in the league this season—last-second loss to Tampa Bay, anyone?—and must now duel the high-flying attack of Matt Ryan and Atlanta.

Cincinnati needs to somehow overcome Cleveland at the same time and wipe away memories of a 24-3 loss back in Week 10.

Speaking of the NFC South, Atlanta needs that home win over Pittsburgh to now stay ahead in the division after a miserable 43-37 loss on Monday Night Football.

David Zalubowski/Associated Press

Elsewhere in the AFC, Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos will hunt for a season sweep of the San Diego Chargers, with the first game resulting in a 35-21 affair.

Should the Chargers lose, an AFC West crown would be out of the question—and the playoffs would be as well unless a Week 17 encounter with the Kansas City Chiefs went their way. 

Flip back to the NFC, where Green Bay is in control of the NFC North for the time being. A single loss in the conference is all that's keeping Aaron Rodgers and Co. behind Arizona for the No. 1 seed in the conference. 

Also keep in mind that Dallas and Philadelphia are set to do the dance one more time after Thanksgiving Day favored the latter 33-10.

Should Tony Romo and Co. falter again, things would hit desperation mode as the team battles with Seattle and Detroit for position.

Playoff Spoiler to Watch in Week 15

Look, nobody wants to hear this, but keep a close eye on the New Orleans Saints.

Losers of four straight at home, Drew Brees and the Saints are still in a duel with Atlanta for the NFC South crown. While a Week 14, 41-10 home loss to Carolina is fresh on the mind, ESPN.com's Mike Triplett puts it best:

"We've got to look closely at everything—preparation, who we're asking to do it," Payton told The Associated Press (h/t ESPN.com). "We're not that good. That's painfully obvious."

Things sit at rock bottom, sure, but an offense led by Brees will not remain lethargic forever.

This will manifest itself during a Week 15 Monday Night Football showdown with the woeful Chicago Bears. Marc Trestman's team is already out of the postseason and has lost five of its last seven—while boasting the 30th-ranked pass defense, no less.

A win there on an extra day of preparation means the Saints are a must-watch team the rest of the way. A date with Atlanta is in the cards the week after, with the first contest between the two squads being a three-point overtime loss.

The Saints' season ends in Tampa Bay, a team they already beat once this season.

Sometimes the most desperate of teams are the most dangerous. This is a lesson each year, with New Orleans likely to dish it out in Week 15.

Stats courtesy of NFL.com.