NFL Scores Week 16: AFC, NFC Playoff Picture, Standings and Results

There might've been fewer teams in playoff contention than usual by the time Week 16 rolled around in the 2015 NFL season, but the the penultimate slate of football still featured plenty of drama and shocking results. 

The Atlanta Falcons brought Carolina's undefeated streak to an end, rolling to a 20-13 win behind a massive performance from wide receiver Julio Jones. The New York Jets essentially played a must-win game against preeminent rival New England on Sunday and delivered with a tense 26-20 home overtime victory, aided by the Patriots' perplexing decision to defer after winning the overtime coin toss.

Somehow, some way, the Baltimore Ravens neutralized Pittsburgh's brilliant, talent-laden passing attack in a 20-17 victory. Ben Roethlisberger managed just 227 passing yards and tossed two interceptions, ruining a standout display from running back DeAngelo Williams. 

St. Louis continues to be a thorn in Seattle's side, cooling off the red-hot Russell Wilson in a surprise 23-17 road victory. 

Here's a look at the results, playoff picture and complete standings following Week 16's action.

Away	Score	Home
San Diego Chargers	20-23 (OT)	Oakland Raiders
Washington Redskins	38-24	Philadelphia Eagles
Indianapolis Colts	18-12	Miami Dolphins
Chicago Bears	26-21	Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Cleveland Browns	13-17	Kansas City Chiefs
New England Patriots	20-26 (OT)	New York Jets
Dallas Cowboys	6-16	Buffalo Bills
Carolina Panthers	13-20	Atlanta Falcons
San Francisco 49ers	17-32	Detroit Lions
Houston Texans	34-6	Tennessee Titans
Pittsburgh Steelers	17-20	Baltimore Ravens
Jacksonville Jaguars	27-38	New Orleans Saints
Green Bay Packers	8-38	Arizona Cardinals
St. Louis Rams	23-17	Seattle Seahawks
New York Giants	17-49	Minnesota Vikings
Cincinnati Bengals	17-20 (OT)	Denver Broncos

Seed	AFC	NFC
1	New England Patriots (12-3)	Carolina Panthers (14-1)
2	Denver Broncos (11-4)	Arizona Cardinals (13-2)
3	Cincinnati Bengals (11-4)	Green Bay Packers (10-5)
4	Houston Texans (8-7)	Washington Redskins (8-7)
5	Kansas City Chiefs (10-5)	Minnesota Vikings (10-5)
6	New York Jets (10-5)	Seattle Seahawks (9-6)
In the Hunt	Pittsburgh Steelers (9-6)
In the Hunt	Indianapolis Colts (7-8)

AFC East	W	L
AFC West
AFC North
AFC South
NFC East
NFC West
NFC North
NFC South
New England Patriots	12	3
New York Jets	10	5
Buffalo Bills	7	8
Miami Dolphins	5	10
Denver Broncos	11	4
Kansas City Chiefs	10	5
Oakland Raiders	7	8
San Diego Chargers	4	11
Cincinnati Bengals	11	4
Pittsburgh Steelers	9	6
Baltimore Ravens	5	10
Cleveland Browns	3	12
Houston Texans	8	7
Indianapolis Colts	7	8
Jacksonville Jaguars	5	10
Tennessee Titans	3	12
Washington Redskins	8	7
New York Giants	6	9
Philadelphia Eagles	6	9
Dallas Cowboys	4	10
Arizona Cardinals	13	2
Seattle Seahawks	9	6
St. Louis Rams	7	8
San Francisco 49ers	4	11
Green Bay Packers	10	5
Minnesota Vikings	10	5
Detroit Lions	6	9
Chicago Bears	6	9
Carolina Panthers	14	1
Atlanta Falcons	8	7
Tampa Bay Buccaneers	6	9
New Orleans Saints	6	9

Notable Week 16 Results

The Jets win, combined with the Steelers loss, puts New York in control of its playoff destiny. Seth Walder of the New York Daily News praised Brandon Marshall and several members of the Jets defense in the win:

"

Per usual, Brandon Marshall was the star of the show for the Jets in regulation. Marshall caught two touchdowns and hit the 100-reception mark on the season. That broke the Jets' franchise single-season record and made him the first receiver to have six 100-reception seasons in NFL history.

On defense, the Jets' defensive line -- led by Muhammad Wilkerson and Sheldon Richardson -- was able to wreak havoc on Brady, who was playing behind a depleted offensive line. And Darrelle Revis picked up an interception against his former team to help the defensive effort, as well.

"

New York can now make the postseason with a win over Buffalo in Week 17 or another Steelers loss, per Walder. As for the Patriots, they will likely have to wait until next week to wrap up the AFC No. 1 seed. A Cincinnati win over Denver on Monday night would bring them level with New England's 12-3 record.

Kathy Willens/Associated Press

Kansas City did just enough to beat Cleveland 17-13, clinching a playoff spot and putting pressure on Denver in the AFC West title race.

The Washington Redskins did take away some of the potential intrigue at the end of this season by clinching the NFC East with a 38-24 win over the Philadelphia Eagles on Saturday. Wide receiver DeSean Jackson has plenty of belief in his team, even though it will go into the postseason with one of the league's most underwhelming resumes, per ESPN.com's John Keim:

"

Everybody is not giving us the credit we deserve, they’re not believing in us. We have a lot of veteran guys that have had success. ... We’re building something that is dangerous in the offense. We have a lot of weapons and we do a lot of good things. As long as we don’t shoot ourselves in the foot, we’re going to have a great chance in the playoffs.

"

Brandon Weeden led Houston to a huge 34-6 win over the Tennessee Titans. He managed this by doing what every Texans quarterback has done this season—which is four, if you're keeping track—in chucking the ball to wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins, who finished with 117 receiving yards and a touchdown.

Weston Kenney/Associated Press

The win kept the Texans a game ahead of Indianapolis in the playoff race. The Colts beat Miami 18-12 on Sunday, and Jacksonville's slim postseason hopes were dashed as a result of the Colts and Texans winning.

The Falcons kept their playoff hopes alive for a few hours with the upset win over undefeated Carolina on Sunday, but they couldn't get the necessary results to stay in the hunt until Week 17. Minnesota defeated the New York Giants 49-17 on Sunday Night Football, clinching a playoff spot. The Vikings play the Packers for the NFC North title in Lambeau Field next Sunday.

Seattle had already clinched a playoff spot in Week 15, so the loss does nothing more than temporarily move them into the No. 6 seed in the NFC bracket. 

Arizona can still overtake Carolina for the NFC's top seed. The Cardinals handily defeated the Green Bay Packers 38-8 on Sunday, putting them just a game back of the Panthers heading into the final week of the season. It would be quite the blow to Carolina should they lose the NFC's top seed after lording over the NFL for most of the season.

As good as the Panthers are, they are thin at wide receiver and running back Jonathan Stewart has missed the past two games. The first-round bye they've clinched will go a long way toward letting them get back to health, but a potential NFC championship game against Arizona would be that much tougher should they have to play on the road.