NFL Playoff Picture 2014: Current Outlook and Postseason Matchup Predictions

Heading into Week 15 of the NFL season, eight teams have already been eliminated from the playoffs. That leaves 24 franchises vying for just 12 spots with none of the seeds secured at this point.

The New England Patriots, Denver Broncos and Green Bay Packers look like locks to make the postseason. However, even the strongest teams in the NFL can still fall out of the picture over the last three weeks.

Several pivotal games are set to take place this weekend, with divisional matchups taking center stage. The Philadelphia Eagles and Dallas Cowboys showdown is the most notable given the importance for both teams looking to make the playoffs.

Prior to the start of this weekend's slate, here's a look at the current seeds for the NFC and AFC along with how the postseason will ultimately look after the season.

AFC	Current	Predicted Finish
NFC	Current	Predicted Finish
No. 1 Seed	New England Patriots	New England Patriots
No. 2 Seed	Denver Broncos	Denver Broncos
No. 3 Seed	Indianapolis Colts	Indianapolis Colts
No. 4 Seed	Cincinnati Bengals	Pittsburgh Steelers
No. 5 Seed	Pittsburgh Steelers	San Diego Chargers
No. 6 Seed	San Diego Chargers	Cincinnati Bengals
No. 1 Seed	Arizona Cardinals	Green Bay Packers
No. 2 Seed	Green Bay Packers	Seattle Seahawks
No. 3 Seed	Philadelphia Eagles	Philadelphia Eagles
No. 4 Seed	Atlanta Falcons	Atlanta Falcons
No. 5 Seed	Seattle Seahawks	Arizona Cardinals
No. 6 Seed	Detroit Lions	Detroit Lions

Predictions Breakdown

The AFC looks mostly chalk at this point with the only divisions up for grabs being the South and North. The Houston Texans, Kansas City Chiefs, Cleveland Browns and Baltimore Ravens all look like potential playoff teams, but they simply haven't been able to seize opportunities.

At the top, the Patriots and Broncos look like the class of the conference. Meanwhile, the only true shakeup in the AFC I foresee is the Pittsburgh Steelers overtaking the Cincinnati Bengals for the division. But the Who Dat Nation will still make it to the postseason as a Wild Card.

Over in the NFC, only seven teams have records of .500 or better, but one representative will come from the lowly South division. Though the winner of the South is guaranteed to make the playoffs, a 10-win season for the Arizona Cardinals doesn't even secure a berth.

Two of those teams looking to get to 10 wins this weekend are the Cowboys and Eagles. Despite a beatdown on Thanksgiving Day for Philadelphia, the Eagles take on a fresh Cowboys team looking to win the division.

One big difference is the health of Tony Romo, who was playing on short rest against the Eagles during the previous meeting. Philly coach Chip Kelly spoke about facing a rested Romo, via the Eagles' Twitter account:

Losing on Thanksgiving was a heart-breaker for the Cowboys, but going on the road has actually been more kind. Dallas is 6-0 on the road thanks to great play from Romo, as ESPN Stats & Info notes:

Regardless of what happens on Sunday, both teams still have two more games lying ahead. If the Cowboys don't pull out a win this weekend, their season is all but over without a win over the surging Indianapolis Colts.

Out on the West Coast, the Seattle Seahawks suddenly look like the best team in the NFL again. Russell Wilson has five total touchdowns in his past three games and has dominated games with his mobility.

The offense has looked great, but it's the defense that has made the difference over the last three games. Holding opponents to an average of less than seven points during that stretch, Seattle's official account points out how well the defense has played all season:

Questions were being asked at the beginning of the year about the defensive dominance, but it appears to be one of the best yet again. Even with their recent stretch, a playoff berth is far from secured with the upcoming schedule.

Facing the division-rival San Francisco 49ers in Week 15, coach Pete Carroll discussed the matchup:

Much like every other NFC division, the West is still very much up for grabs. If Seattle wins out against the rest of the division, it will emerge as the No. 2 seed in the conference heading into the playoffs.

Two teams will make it from the West, but they likely won't be the ones anyone would have predicted coming into the season. With a lot still to play for and three weeks still remaining, expect chaos to ensue prior to the playoffs.

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