NFL Standings 2015: Week 15 Records, Playoff Scenarios, Wild-Card Review
There are three weeks remaining in the NFL regular season and the playoff picture is still far from being decided.
Through Week 14 we have seen just three teams clinch postseason berths, leaving a lot of uncertainty going forward. The fact that two different divisions are currently being led by teams with losing records goes to show the craziness fans should expect in the final few weeks.
While this entire mess will be sorted out by the end of Week 17, here is a look at the standings and a quick breakdown of the key races in each conference.
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| AFC | ||
| New England Patriots | 11 | 2 |
| New York Jets | 8 | 5 |
| Buffalo Bills | 6 | 7 |
| Miami Dolphins | 5 | 8 |
| Cincinnati Bengals | 10 | 3 |
| Pittsburgh Steelers | 8 | 5 |
| Baltimore Ravens | 4 | 9 |
| Cleveland Browns | 3 | 10 |
| Indianapolis Colts | 6 | 7 |
| Houston Texans | 6 | 7 |
| Jacksonville Jaguars | 5 | 8 |
| Tennessee Titans | 3 | 10 |
| Denver Broncos | 10 | 3 |
| Kansas City Chiefs | 8 | 5 |
| Oakland Raiders | 6 | 7 |
| San Diego Chargers | 3 | 10 |
| NFC | ||
| Washington Redskins | 6 | 7 |
| Philadelphia Eagles | 6 | 7 |
| New York Giants | 6 | 7 |
| Dallas Cowboys | 4 | 9 |
| Green Bay Packers | 9 | 4 |
| Minnesota Vikings | 8 | 5 |
| Chicago Bears | 5 | 8 |
| Detroit Lions | 4 | 9 |
| Carolina Panthers | 13 | 0 |
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 6 | 7 |
| Atlanta Falcons | 6 | 7 |
| New Orleans Saints | 5 | 8 |
| Arizona Cardinals | 11 | 2 |
| Seattle Seahawks | 8 | 5 |
| St. Louis Rams | 5 | 8 |
| San Francisco 49ers | 4 | 9 |
AFC Breakdown
The New England Patriots are the only team to clinch a playoff berth in the conference, although the AFC East is not yet secure. Mathematically the New York Jets can still win the division with three wins and three Patriots losses, although that scenario isn't all that likely.
On the other hand, two other division races that seemed over heading into Sunday are no longer as safe. One of them came in a head-to-head AFC North battle with the Pittsburgh Steelers winning on the road against the Cincinnati Bengals, closing the gap to two games.
Tony Dungy of NBC Sports broke down the sudden change:
Quarterback Andy Dalton is likely to miss significant time with a broken thumb, putting the Bengals in tough position going forward. Games against the San Francisco 49ers and Baltimore Ravens remaining will make it a bit easier to stay in first place, but backup quarterback AJ McCarron is completely unproven, providing a lot of uncertainty.
With the way the Steelers have played, especially offensively, it wouldn't be a shock for Pittsburgh to keep the pressure on by winning out.
In the AFC West, the Kansas City Chiefs have won seven games in a row and have turned their fortunes around after a terrible start. ESPN Stats and Info breaks down the dramatic turnaround:
The Denver Broncos dropped a winnable game Sunday and now only lead the division by two games. If signal-caller Brock Osweiler can't get more production out of the offense (only once has the team scored more than 20 with him under center), the Chiefs could take over the AFC West lead. The two teams have split their head-to-head battles, with Kansas City faring better in the division.
While the AFC South might have the worst records, it remains exciting with the Houston Texans and Indianapolis Colts tied at 6-7. The two teams will battle in Week 15 in a game that could very well decide the division, although don't count out the Jacksonville Jaguars at 5-8. This group hasn't always been pretty to watch, but one of them will earn a home game in the playoffs.
The battle for the wild card will likely come down to three teams fighting for two spots. The Chiefs, Steelers and Jets are all tied at 8-5, although Kansas City has the edge currently with its 7-2 conference record. It also has the easiest schedule with three games against opponents with losing records. Of course, it all comes down to winning down the stretch for all three teams.
NFC Breakdown
The Carolina Panthers have clinched the NFC South and a first-round bye. The team is still playing to keep an undefeated season but not much else as the squad continues to pile up victories.
Meanwhile, the Arizona Cardinals know they are in the playoffs, but still have a lot to be decided about where they will end up in the standings. Head coach Bruce Arians said it best about his team's situation, per the team's official Twitter account:
One more win or a Seattle Seahawks loss will clinch the NFC West with the team being in good shape for a first-round bye, but nothing is guaranteed, especially with as well as the Seahawks have played as of late. At the very least, Seattle's fourth win in a row puts the squad in great shape to at least secure a wild-card berth thanks to a two-game lead over the next eligible team.
Two NFC North squads should make the playoffs based on the current standings, with the Green Bay Packers and Minnesota Vikings both having solid records. Still, they each want to win the division and earn that much-needed home game in the playoffs. While Green Bay does have a one-game advantage, there seems to be a good chance it all comes down to Week 17.
The Packers host the Vikings on the final day of the regular season, and as long as Minnesota stays within one game of the standings, this battle could be similar to a college football conference title game. With so much scoreboard watching going on at this stage of the year, a head-to-head battle for a division championship seems like a much more exciting scenario.
Meanwhile, the NFC East has featured some questionable play for much of the season, but it remains exciting with all four squads still mathematically eligible for the postseason. To make things more exciting, the Washington Redskins and Philadelphia Eagles each have two more remaining games against divisional opponents, including a Week 16 battle against each other. The New York Giants probably have the toughest remaining schedule with matchups against the Panthers and Vikings remaining, but you can't count them out either.
According to Dianna Marie Russini of ESPN, FPI predicts the Eagles to have the best chance to win the division:
Interestingly, these teams and other 6-7 squads like the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Atlanta Falcons have a chance to also compete for the wild card, although it will likely take a whole lot of help for that to happen. The Seahawks and NFC North loser will likely have the inside track, but you never know what will happen in the NFL.
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