NFL Playoffs 2015-16: Predicting Post-Week 16 AFC, NFC Standings

Christmas has come and gone, and now we are staring down the barrel of a slate of Week 16 games that could end up determining playoff positioning.

Here's an updated look at how the playoff standings sit right now:

The results from Week 16 can certainly shake things up, as the Denver Broncos and Cincinnati Bengals play each other in the AFC and the Green Bay Packers and Arizona Cardinals face off in the NFC. We've gone ahead and projected how the standings will shake out after Monday night. Check out our predicted standings after Week 16 below. 

AFC	NFC
1. New England Patriots (13-2)	1. Carolina Panthers (15-0)
2. Denver Broncos (11-4)	2. Arizona Cardinals (12-3)
3. Cincinnati Bengals (11-4)	3. Green Bay Packers (11-4)
4. Houston Texans (8-7)	4. Washington Redskins (8-7)
5. Kansas City Chiefs (10-5)	5. Seattle Seahawks (10-5)
6. Pittsburgh Steelers (10-5)	6. Minnesota Vikings (10-5)

As you can see, we have the Broncos knocking off the Bengals and vaulting to the second seed in the AFC. It's a battle of backup quarterbacks, but we think the Broncos defense will give Denver the edge. 

The New England Patriots can clinch home-field advantage throughout the playoffs with a win, so look for them to come out and take it to the New York Jets in order to ensure the road to the Super Bowl runs through Gillette Stadium.

And should the Jets lose, the Pittsburgh Steelers can clinch a spot in the postseason with a win against the Baltimore Ravens, and Ben Roethlisberger and Co. should do just that. Having the good fortune of hosting the Cleveland Browns should also allow the Kansas City Chiefs to clinch a playoff berth as well.

Over on the NFC side, the Panthers can also clinch home-field advantage with a win, and we expect them to keep rolling along against the Atlanta Falcons. With its win Saturday night, Washington clinched the NFC East and essentially locked itself into the fourth seed, earning a home playoff game.

A Seattle Seahawks victory would clinch a playoff spot for the Minnesota Vikings. We pencil in both teams for a win this week, so the six NFC playoff teams will be set. But the order could still change a bit.

We have the Packers edging the Cardinals and gaining one game in the standings, making Week 17 even more interesting. If Green Bay wins, that would give it an opportunity to jump the Cardinals in the standings. The Packers would then play the Vikings in Week 17, while the Cardinals play the Seahawks.

Should the Packers win and Cardinals lose in Week 17, Green Bay would jump to the second seed and earn that much-coveted bye. We can only hope that scenario plays out to make the Week 17 games as meaningful as possible.