NFL Playoff Picture 2025-26, Bracket Clinching and Elimination Scenarios for Week 15

With nine teams already eliminated from playoff contention, Week 15 marks the first time during the 2025 NFL season that teams can punch their ticket to the postseason.

There are a total of three spots that can be clinched based on the results this coming weekend, with the New England Patriots having a shot to win the AFC East for the first time since 2019.

The biggest storyline entering Week 15 is that the Kansas City Chiefs, who have played in the AFC Championship Game every year since 2019, could be eliminated from postseason contention on Sunday.

Here are the updated standings, as well as the clinching and elimination scenarios at stake going into this weekend.

Team Standings

AP Photo/Jeffrey Phelps

AFC Standings

Division Leaders

1. Denver Broncos (11-2; lead AFC West)

2. New England Patriots (11-2; lead AFC East)

3. Jacksonville Jaguars (9-4; lead AFC Sorth)

4. Pittsburgh Steelers (7-6; lead AFC North)

Sunday's results saw the Jaguars and Steelers take control of their respective divisions with four weeks to play. The Broncos moved into the No. 1 seed over the Patriots, who were on bye in Week 14, based on the winning percentage in conference games tiebreaker.

Wild-Card Race

5. Los Angeles Chargers (9-4)

6. Buffalo Bills (9-4)

7. Houston Texans (8-5)

The Chargers aren't always pretty to watch as more offensive linemen keep getting injured, but head coach Jim Harbaugh has them taking care of business against teams they need to beat. Houston might be the scariest team in the AFC with how its defense is playing and now the offense doing enough to make it count in the win-loss column.

In the Hunt

8. Indianapolis Colts (8-5)

9. Baltimore Ravens (6-7)

10. Kansas City Chiefs (6-7)

11. Miami Dolphins (6-7)

12. Cincinnati Bengals (4-9)

Sunday was a rough one for the Colts, who have fallen out of playoff position just five weeks after being the No. 1 seed in the AFC. They lost Daniel Jones for the season to a torn Achilles and backup Riley Leonard is dealing with a knee injury, so 44-year-old Philip Rivers is being brought in for a workout.

The Ravens and Chiefs, who have been two stalwarts in the conference for years, face steep odds to make it in the field after losing on Sunday.

Eliminated

13. New York Jets (3-10)

14. Cleveland Browns (3-10)

15. Las Vegas Raiders (2-11)

16. Tennessee Titans (2-11)

NFC Standings

Division Leaders

1. Los Angeles Rams (10-3; lead NFC West)

2. Green Bay Packers (9-3-1; lead NFC North)

3. Philadelphia Eagles (8-5; lead NFC East)

4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-6; lead NFC South)

The top seed in the NFC looks to be a race between the Rams and Packers because Philadelphia's free fall continued with another ugly performance in a 22-19 overtime loss to the Chargers on Monday. The Bucs are also spiraling with four losses in their last five games, giving them the same record as Carolina.

Wild-Card Race

5. Seattle Seahawks (10-3)

6. San Francisco 49ers (9-4)

7. Chicago Bears (9-4)

8. Detroit Lions (8-5)

9. Carolina Panthers (7-6)

10. Dallas Cowboys (6-6-1)

11. Minnesota Vikings (5-8)

The best race in the NFC right now is out west with three teams within one game of each other. The Seahawks are 0-2 against the Rams and 49ers, but they will play their division rivals again in the final three weeks of the regular season.

Despite their loss to the Packers on Sunday, the Bears remain in playoff position even though their margin of error has diminished with the Lions right on their heels after a huge win over Dallas.

Speaking of the Cowboys, they caught a huge break with the Eagles losing on Monday night to stay within one game in the loss column for the top spot in the division race.

Eliminated

12. Atlanta Falcons (4-9)

13. Arizona Cardinals (3-10)

14. New Orleans Saints (3-10)

15. Washington Commanders (3-10)

16. New York Giants (2-11)

Playoff Clinching Scenarios

AP Photo/Greg M. Cooper

New England Patriots Clinch AFC East

• win vs. Buffalo Bills

New England Patriots Clinch Playoff Berth

• tie vs. Buffalo Bills AND Jacksonville Jaguars loss vs. New York Jets
• or tie vs. Buffalo Bills AND Los Angeles Chargers loss at Kansas City Chiefs
• or tie vs. Buffalo Bills AND Indianapolis Colts loss/tie at Seattle Seahawks
• or tie vs. Buffalo Bills AND Houston Texans loss/tie vs. Arizona Cardinals
• or Indianapolis Colts loss/tie at Seattle Seahawks AND Houston Texans loss/tie vs. Arizona Cardinals (as long as both games don't end in a tie)

Denver Broncos Clinch Playoff Berth

• win vs. Green Bay Packers
• or tie vs. Green Bay Packers AND Jacksonville Jaguars loss vs. New York Jets
• or tie vs. Green Bay Packers AND Los Angeles Chargers loss at Kansas City Chiefs
• or tie vs. Green Bay Packers AND Indianapolis Colts loss/tie at Seattle Seahawks
• or tie vs. Green Bay Packers AND Houston Texans loss/tie vs. Arizona Cardinals
• or Indianapolis Colts loss/tie at Seattle Seahawks AND Houston Texans loss/tie vs. Arizona Cardinals (as long as both games don't end in a tie)

Los Angeles Rams Clinch Playoff Berth

• win vs. Detroit Lions

Playoff Elimination Scenarios

AP Photo/Tyler Kaufman

Teams Already Eliminated from Playoff Contention

AFC: New York Jets, Cleveland Browns, Las Vegas Raiders, Tennessee Titans

NFC: Atlanta Falcons, Arizona Cardinals, New Orleans Saints, Washington Commanders, New York Giants

Official Week 15 elimination scenarios still TBD