NFL Playoff Scenarios 2014-15: AFC, NFC Week 16 Picture, Postseason Predictions
We knew Week 15 was chock-full of playoff implications, and Sunday delivered some decisive results. Coming into the week, not a single team had clinched a playoff berth. Now, with just a Monday Night Football clash between the New Orleans Saints and Chicago Bears remaining, four teams have officially claimed postseason berths.
On the AFC side, the New England Patriots, Denver Broncos and Indianapolis Colts all clinched their respective divisions with victories on Sunday. New England and Denver are still deadlocked at 11-3 and in a fight for home-field advantage. The Cincinnati Bengals round out the top four after destroying Johnny Manziel's Cleveland Browns in Week 15.
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The NFC still doesn't have an official division winner, but the Arizona Cardinals have officially earned a spot on the postseason. The team tweeted its jubilation:
A loss by the Green Bay Packers sends them from the No. 2 seed down to the No. 6 seed, with the Detroit Lions overtaking them in the NFC North. A Dallas Cowboys victory over the Philadelphia Eagles also saw those two teams switch spots, as Dallas is in the No. 3 seed and the Eagles are on the outside looking in.
Continuing with the conference's madness, the Carolina Panthers are now in the driver's seat in the NFC South following a victory and a loss by the Atlanta Falcons; however, a Saints win on Monday night will propel Drew Brees and Co. to the top.
Yeah, it's been pretty eventful.
Before we go any further this season, let's stop and take a look at the standings heading into a pivotal Week 16 and predict how the remainder of the season is likely to unfold.
Week 16 Playoff Picture
| 1 | (x) New England Patriots (11-3) | 1 | (x) Arizona Cardinals (11-3) |
| 2 | (x) Denver Broncos (11-3) | 2 | Detroit Lions (10-4) |
| 3 | (x) Indianapolis Colts (10-4) | 3 | Dallas Cowboys (10-4) |
| 4 | Cincinnati Bengals (9-4-1) | 4 | Carolina Panthers (5-8-1) |
| 5 | Pittsburgh Steelers (9-5) | 5 | Seattle Seahawks (10-4) |
| 6 | Baltimore Ravens (9-5) | 6 | Green Bay Packers (10-4) |
AFC in the hunt: Kansas City Chiefs (8-6), San Diego Chargers (8-6), Buffalo Bills (8-6), Houston Texans (7-7), Miami Dolphins (7-7), Cleveland Browns (7-7)
NFC in the hunt: Philadelphia Eagles (9-5), New Orleans Saints (5-8), Atlanta Falcons (5-9)
Postseason Predictions
Now that we know how the picture currently looks, it's time to speculate on which teams will ultimately make it to the postseason. Taking into account each team's remaining schedule and current on-field product, here's a look at how the playoff picture is likely to look following Week 17:
| 1 | New England Patriots (13-3) | 1 | Seattle Seahawks (12-4) |
| 2 | Denver Broncos (13-3) | 2 | Green Bay Packers (12-4) |
| 3 | Indianapolis Colts (11-5) | 3 | Dallas Cowboys (12-4) |
| 4 | Baltimore Ravens (11-5) | 4 | Atlanta Falcons (7-9) |
| 5 | Cincinnati Bengals (10-5-1) | 5 | Arizona Cardinals (12-4) |
| 6 | Pittsburgh Steelers (10-6) | 6 | Detroit Lions (11-5) |
| First Out | San Diego Chargers (10-6) | First Out | Philadelphia Eagles (11-5) |
So, this deserves an explanation.
New England has two games left against the New York Jets and Buffalo Bills, and it's not far-fetched to imagine them winning out and claiming home-field advantage in the AFC. Denver has a tough contest against Cincinnati in Week 16, but it should win given the Bengals' prime-time struggles. Around the NFL's Chris Wesseling knows what the bright lights do to quarterback Andy Dalton:
Defeating the Oakland Raiders in Week 17 to finish as the No. 2 seed shouldn't be difficult for Peyton Manning to maintain the No. 2 seed.
Even if the Colts drop their Week 16 contest to Dallas, a victory over the Tennessee Titans in Week 17 will be good enough to keep them in the No. 3 seed.
Rounding out the division winners is the Baltimore Ravens. With games remaining against Tom Savage and Johnny Manziel, they'll win out and take over the lead in the AFC North. With a Bengals win over the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 17, they'll finish fifth and sixth, respectively.
Unfortunately, that leaves the San Diego Chargers out in the cold with a 10-6 record, as they should pick up road wins against San Francisco and Kansas City to close out the regular season. They would lose a conference-record tiebreaker to Pittsburgh.
The Cardinals won't last much longer atop the NFC West, as a loss to the Seattle Seahawks in Week 16 will end their reign. This will give Seattle home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. According to Pro Football Talk, Seattle is already a heavy favorite:
The Packers will jump back into the NFC North lead with a Week 17 victory over the Lions, and the Cowboys will take the NFC East by winning out. However, they will earn the No. 2 and 3 seeds, respectively, due to a conference-record tiebreaker with Seattle.
Rounding out the division winners will be the Falcons. Despite holding a 5-9 record, they still control their own destiny, as wins over the Saints and Panthers in Weeks 16 and 17 will earn a division title. Losing the NFC West drops Arizona to the No. 5 seed, and the Lions fall to No. 6 overall.
Someone has to be the first team left out, and that unfortunate honor here goes to the Eagles. They will win out, but an 11-5 record won't be good enough to clinch a playoff berth, as Detroit will hold a conference-record tiebreaker.
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