NFL Playoffs 2014-15: AFC, NFC Postseason Predictions Heading into Week 16

The Denver Broncos, New England Patriots, Arizona Cardinals and Indianapolis Colts are in the playoffs. That's all we know about the 2014 NFL postseason picture, and it's not like fans of those four teams have no rooting interest in the final two weeks of the regular season.

No, order of finish is wildly important in the NFL, and the top seeds in both conferences are still up for grabs. The Broncos and Patriots will be hoping that the other trips up or lets up as the season comes to a close, while the Cardinals need to hold off a resurgent Seattle Seahawks squad in order to lock down the NFC West, let alone a playoff bye.

Hardly anything is decided as we head into Week 16, which means the action should be as intense as ever as teams fight for the honor of playing in front of Katy Perry.

Here are my predictions on which teams will make the NFL playoffs, followed by a breakdown of the fireworks to come over the final two weeks of the regular season.

AFC Seed	Team	NFC Seed	Team
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	New Orleans Saints (8-8)
5	Pittsburgh Steelers (10-6)	5	Arizona Cardinals (12-4)
6	San Diego Chargers (10-6)	6	Detroit Lions (11-5)

Note: A complete look at tiebreaker rules/explanations, clinching scenarios and potential seeding can be found at CBSSports.com.


AFC Breakdown

The Texans, Browns and Dolphins are all still technically in the AFC wild-card sweepstakes, but they stand to make little impact on the proceedings and won't get into the postseason. 

Houston and Cleveland do at least have the opportunity to play spoiler to Baltimore, but the Ravens should be able to bounce back from a listless performance against Jacksonville in Week 15 and come away with two victories and snag the fifth seed.

The Buffalo Bills are still hanging on the postseason periphery, but they should be on the outside looking in with a 4-6 conference record to this point and need an apocalyptic collapse from a couple of teams to get in.

Cincinnati's playoff prospects are bright, despite the wildly inconsistent play of Andy Dalton. The Bengals can clinch a berth if they somehow beat the Denver Broncos in Week 16 and both Pittsburgh and Baltimore lose (or the Ravens could tie and let the Bengals clinch). Grantland's Bill Barnwell also noted they could clinch the third seed or miss the playoffs altogether:

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More realistically, the Bengals do have a shot at moving up and becoming the third seed in the AFC. That’s a simpler plan. As they’re a half-game back, they would need to win one game more than the Colts over these final two weeks. It’s a big ask, given that Cincinnati plays the Broncos on Monday night, but the Bengals could get some help if the Cowboys manage to beat the Colts next week. The Titans could also technically pull off the upset in Week 17, but if that happens, we should be more concerned about grabbing the pairs of animals.

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However, it's quite possible the Bengals lose to the Broncos and then fall to the Steelers on the road in the final week of the regular season, opening the door for a certain AFC West squad.

The San Diego Chargers need either Cincinnati or Pittsburgh to flop over the final two weeks. They could get some help from a motivated division foe in the Kansas City Chiefs, who play the Steelers in Week 16. FiveThirtyEight's Nate Silver has crunched the numbers, and the Chiefs can increase their playoff chances by 38.7 percent if they beat Pittsburgh.

If the Chiefs do pull it off, they could fall prey to the Bolts in Week 17, who should be able to take care of a reeling San Francisco 49ers squad in Week 16.

Of course, three AFC North teams in the playoffs wouldn't be at all surprising. It would be a referendum on the strength of the division overall, as the Browns were in the playoff chase as well until bad Johnny Manziel happened.

The Indianapolis Colts have already clinched a playoff spot and are likely going to finish with either the third or fourth seed, depending on just how much mayhem unfolds around them. Look for them to drop the game to the Cowboys in Week 16 but right the ship with a win over the Tennessee Titans in Week 17.

The Patriots and Broncos should both win out, affording Bill Belichick the No. 1 seed and perhaps his best chance at claiming another Super Bowl ring before Tom Brady truly does start breaking down—or, you know, fools us all again with another minor early season swoon.

NFC Breakdown

Three teams are alive in the rancid NFC North, with the New Orleans Saints currently leading the division with a 6-8 record. They play what should be a wildly entertaining game against the 5-9 Atlanta Falcons in Week 16. If the Saints can manage to fight off Atlanta, then they clinch a playoff spot if Carolina loses to the Browns, a reasonable enough scenario.

Every Philadelphia Eagles fan doubles as a Colts supporter in Week 16. The Eagles should be able to defeat the New York Giants and Washington Redskins over the final two weeks of the regular season, although that could be a lot to ask of Mark Sanchez.

However, if that plays out and Andrew Luck and Co. can outclass the 'Boys on the road, the Eagles sneak back into the playoffs with the NFC East crown in tow. Much rides on the health of running back DeMarco Murray, who practiced Wednesday despite having surgery for a broken left hand earlier in the week, per ESPN.com's Todd Archer.

"I think we need to see something where there's a comfort level we all have and certainly a comfort level that he has," said head coach Jason Garrett, via Archer. "Carrying the football is an important responsibility. You have to be able to do it. I think we all want to see it. I know he wants to see it, so we'll take it day by day and see how it progresses."

If Murray can play at full strength, the Cowboys should be able to take care of business at home against the Colts and make the playoffs in spite of the Eagles' best efforts.

Green Bay is at odds with the Eagles. It can clinch a spot in Week 16 with a win and a Philly loss or tie and then set its sights on reclaiming the top spot in the NFC North when it takes on the division-rival Detroit Lions in Week 17. Don't expect Aaron Rodgers to have any problem regaining his MVP-level form against Tampa Bay on Sunday.

Seattle has a chance to take over the top spot in the NFC West in the final two weeks, starting with game against division-rival Arizona in Week 16. The Cardinals are already in the playoffs, but they need a win to secure the division. Of all the teams fighting for a top playoff spot, the Cardinals could use a Wild Card Round bye the most.

Jeff Roberson/Associated Press

They are down to Ryan Lindley at quarterback, a San Diego State product who had a brief, disastrous stint as the Cards starter in 2012. In seven career games (four starts), Lindley has completed 51.4 percent of his passes for 782 yards, seven interceptions and no touchdowns. 

The Cards were already in a tough spot with the mediocre Drew Stanton running the show in place of Carson Palmer. If Lindley can deliver a win for the Cardinals in Week 16, it would provide a huge boost to a potential Super Bowl run.