NFL Playoffs 2015: Bold Predictions for AFC and NFC Matchups

We're entering the home stretch in the NFL playoff hunt, and division races are starting to heat up thanks to some upset losses in Week 14. 

The New England Patriots, Carolina Panthers and Arizona Cardinals have already punched their tickets to the playoffs, leaving nine spots to be filled in the final weeks of the season. 

There's relatively little drama at the top of each conference, but multiple division races will come down to the wire—and could potentially be decided in head-to-head matchups in Week 17.

The following playoff seeds are based on projections for how the season will play out. 

AFC Playoff Race

Seed	Team	Projected W-L
1	New England Patriots	14-2
2	Denver Broncos	12-4
3	Cincinnati Bengals	11-5
4	Indianapolis Colts	8-8
5	Pittsburgh Steelers	11-5
6	Kansas City Chiefs	10-6

Thanks to Sunday's losses by the Denver Broncos and Cincinnati Bengals, the Patriots have reclaimed control in the AFC. If the Patriots win out against the Tennessee Titans, New York Jets and Miami Dolphins, they'll clinch home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. 

The second bye is a battle between Denver and Cincinnati, which could be decided when they meet in Denver for Monday Night Football in Week 16.  

Unfortunately, it looks like that could end up being a battle between backup quarterbacks, as both Peyton Manning and Andy Dalton are likely out with injuries for a few more weeks. 

According to NFL.com's Gregg Rosenthal, Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis says the team will go "week to week" with Dalton and his broken thumb, which at least leaves the possibility of a return open.

Fortunately for the Bengals, a relatively easy schedule lies ahead. While their battle with the Broncos will be tough, their other two remaining games are on the road versus the San Francisco 49ers and at home against the Baltimore Ravens. 

If the Bengals win at least one of those games, they will hold off the Pittsburgh Steelers for the AFC North title.

The most fascinating division battle in the conference is in the dreadful AFC South. 

Despite two consecutive blowout losses, the Indianapolis Colts remain the favorite in the division due to the fact that they host the Houston Texans in Week 15. With a victory, the Colts will hold a one-game lead in the division, and own the head-to-head tiebreaker over the Texans.

NFC Playoff Race

Seed	Team	Projected W-L
1	Carolina Panthers	15-1
2	Arizona Cardinals	14-2
3	Green Bay Packers	10-6
4	Philadelphia Eagles	7-9
5	Seattle Seahawks	10-6
6	Minnesota Vikings	10-6

The NFC playoff race is more clear-cut than the AFC's, thanks to the Panthers and Cardinals running away with their respective divisions and the conference's top two seeds. Carolina has already clinched a first-round bye, and Arizona can join them this week with a victory and a Green Bay loss. 

The NFC North is a hotly contested battle between the Packers and Minnesota Vikings, and could culminate in a de facto division title game in Week 17 between the two teams in Green Bay. 

Both teams, however, are likely headed to the playoffs regardless of their status in the division. Minnesota, currently one game behind Green Bay in the division, holds a two-game lead in the wild-card hunt. 

The NFC East remains the most fascinating race in the conference—for all the wrong reasons, of course. 

Thanks to the Philadelphia Eagles and Washington Redskins victories in Week 14, a 10-loss division winner is no longer a possibility. But it remains likely the division will send a 7-9 team to the playoffs. 

The most important game in that division could end up being a Week 16 battle between the Redskins and Eagles in Philadelphia.