NFL Playoffs 2014-15: AFC and NFC Sleepers Nobody Wants to Play

Teams with a losing record, Ryan Lindley at quarterback and more define the strange but unpredictable 2014-15 NFL playoffs. 

There are a handful of games left in the regular season as postseason playoff bids continue to evaporate, but it is becoming clearer by the day which teams pose the biggest threat.

While contenders such as Tom Brady and the New England Patriots are scary in their own right, teams that sneak in can do plenty of damage. In fact, sleepers appear as if they can cause plenty of damage upon arrival.

Below, let's take a look at the updated playoff picture and identify a few sleepers that may throw the entire postseason bracket for a loop.

NFL Playoffs 2014-15 Picture

AFC and NFC's Most Dangerous Sleepers

NFC South Winner

The NFC South winner will sneak into the postseason with a losing record.

So what?

The Carolina Panthers and Atlanta Falcons are set to put it all on the line in a season-ending showdown in Week 17. This is exactly how the NFL hoped things would pan out, although flashier records would have been nice. ESPN Stats & Info breaks down the situation:

It does not matter which team makes it through—both are dangerous in their own right.

Look at Matt Ryan and the Falcons, a team with a top-five passing attack that just took down the New Orleans Saints on the road. Ryan threw for 322 yards and a score, but more impressive was the defense that held the Saints to 328 total yards and 14 points.

This is a Falcons team that has lost two of its last four, but a 43-37 loss to the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field and a 27-20 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers (spoilers—more on them in a bit) are not exactly losses to scoff at.

Perhaps the biggest knock on the Falcons at this point is the fact the team absolutely feasts on the NFC South. Mike Smith's team has a 5-0 record against the division but a 1-9 mark against the rest.

Chris Graythen/Getty Images

Still, an elite passing attack is not something to discredit in the postseason.

Neither is a Panthers team that just knows how to win this time of year.

A 17-13 triumph over the Cleveland Browns in Week 16 keeps Cam Newton and Co. alive. The former Auburn standout made his return and threw for 201 yards and a score with 63 more yards and a touchdown as a rusher.

The victory is a strong sign that the Panthers, now winners of three straight, are on their usual late-season roll:

History is not enough to make the Panthers a dangerous sleeper, but it is quite a start.

A top-13 rushing attack thanks to the efforts of Newton and lead back Jonathan Stewart—who is finally healthy and rushed for 122 yards on a 5.1 per-carry average against the Browns—makes the Panthers a serious threat.

So too does a budding pass defense that gets better by the week. The secondary has held three of its last four opponents to less than 200 passing yards, meaning Newton and his offense can get ahead and stay ahead on the strength of a defense that limits big plays and a ground game that chews clock.

Try not to scoff at either of the teams with losing records.

Pittsburgh Steelers

Justin K. Aller/Getty Images

The AFC is every bit as dramatic, as the Steelers will host the Cincinnati Bengals for the AFC North title in Week 17.

Regardless of the outcome, Ben Roethlisberger and the Steelers are in and by far the sleeper no team wants to play.

When it comes to offense, fans and the opposition know what to expect from the Steelers at this point. Look at a Week 16, 20-12 win over the Kansas City Chiefs. Big Ben threw for 220 yards and a score. Le'Veon Bell rushed for 63 yards and a score. Antonio Brown caught seven passes for 72 yards and a score.

Justin K. Aller/Getty Images

The defense is what should turn some heads, though. Coach Mike Tomlin put it best after the game, per ESPN.com's Scott Brown:

James Harrison and the Steelers held Jamaal Charles to just 29 yards on nine carries and sacked Kansas City quarterback Alex Smith six times. When a defense limits an offense such as the Chiefs' to a 0-of-4 mark in the red zone despite more than 31 minutes of possession, the team is on to something.

That something comes at just the right time. The Steelers have now won three in a row. This is a team with last-second losses to Tampa Bay and New Orleans; otherwise, the hype machine would be churning at a more consistent pitch right about now.

Thanks to a strong defense and consistent offense that continues to churn out strong showings, no team in the AFC wants to see the Steelers this postseason.

Stats courtesy of NFL.com.