NFL Playoff Scenarios 2018-19: AFC, NFC Week 16 Picture, Postseason Predictions

Kristopher KnoxDec 17, 2018

For the second week in a row, the Los Angeles Rams blew it against a quality opponent in prime time. Just as quarterback Jared Goff saw his errant heave land in the hands of Philadelphia Eagles safety Corey Graham, the hold on the NFC's No. 1 seed landed into the collective laps of the New Orleans Saints.

Back-to-back losses have left the Rams at 11-3, and they lost to the Saints in the head-to-head matchup. This means that even if New Orleans loses to the Carolina Panthers on Monday night, they will still be in control of the top spot.

The Panthers, on the other hand, already have slim postseason hopes and will be completely out of it with a loss.

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With all of this in mind, let's take a look at the playoff landscape heading into the Week 15 finale. We'll run down the AFC and NFC playoff pictures, examine some of the most intriguing related storylines and make some early playoff predictions based on the current seeding order.

Pre-MNF Playoff Picture

AFC Division Leaders

1. Kansas City Chiefs (11-3)

2. Houston Texans (10-4)

3. New England Patriots (9-5)

4. Pittsburgh Steelers (8-5-1)

Wild Card

5. Los Angeles Chargers (11-3)

6. Baltimore Ravens (8-6)

In the Hunt

7. Indianapolis Colts (8-6)

8. Tennessee Titans (8-6)

9. Miami Dolphins (7-7)

10. Cleveland Browns (6-7-1)

NFC Division Leaders

1. New Orleans Saints (11-2)

2. Los Angeles Rams (11-3)

3. Chicago Bears (10-4)

4. Dallas Cowboys (8-6)

Wild Card

5. Seattle Seahawks (8-6)

6. Minnesota Vikings (7-5-1)

In the Hunt

7. Philadelphia Eagles (7-7)

8. Washington Redskins (7-7)

9. Carolina Panthers (6-7)

Playoff Buzz

Eagles are Back in the Mix

The Eagles hurt the Rams by pulling off the upset, but they also pushed themselves firmly back into the playoff picture. The Eagles know they at least have a shot with Nick Foles under center, and of course, this is why they refused to move him in the offseason.

Suddenly, the path to the postseason doesn't appear so difficult. Philadelphia still has a shot at the NFC East title, but the easiest road would be with a wild-card ticket.

All the Eagles have to do to earn one is win out and watch the Minnesota Vikings lose to either the Chicago Bears or the Detroit Lions. Considering the way Chicago has been playing, that isn't at all unrealistic.

All the Eagles can do now, though, is concentrate on beating the Houston Texans.

"I think the big thing is also we focus on the moment," Foles said, via the team's official website. “We don't need to worry about that. All we've got to focus on is getting back to Philly, getting our bodies right, prepping, getting back at it, and we'll see what happens."

Cleveland is Still in the Mix—Just Barely

How weird does this seem? The Cleveland Browns have two games left to play, and they can still get into the postseason. This is thanks largely to the rise of rookie quarterback Baker Mayfield and rookie running back Nick Chubb, but also the work of offensive coordinator Freddie Kitchens and the firing of head coach Hue Jackson.

Mayfield has exploded under Kitchens' direction, and because of this, Cleveland has a real shot at winning out and finishing 8-7-1.

This would give the Browns their first winning season since 2007, but like that year, record alone wouldn't get Cleveland into the postseason. The Browns need an awful lot of help.

For starters, the Baltimore Ravens would have to lose next week to the Los Angeles Chargers and then to the Browns in Week 17. Then the Tennessee Titans and Indianapolis Colts would have to lose in Week 16 and tie each other in Week 17—or the Colts tie next week and beat Tennessee in Week 17.

What has to happen is that Tennessee and Indianapolis must finish no better than 8-7-1 and the Ravens must finish 8-8. Indianapolis would win the tiebreaker over Tennessee due to the earlier head-to-head win, and then Cleveland would win the common-opponent tiebreaker.

Confusing? Yep. So was the decision to start the season with Jackson and Haley that led to Cleveland even being in this position.

The Patriots Are Not What We're Used to

If you've watched the New England Patriots over the last two weeks, or during any of their five losses, really, you haven't seen the same team we've become accustomed to. We've seen sloppy play, a serious lack of discipline and some poor decisions—even by living legend Tom Brady.

Down four points and under pressure, Brady tried to float a fourth-quarter pass out of bounds, only to see it picked by Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Joe Haden.

"I was just trying to flick it out of bounds," Brady said, per Phil Perry of NBC Sports Boston. "I didn't want to take the sack. Shouldn't happen."

Brady, you may remember, did take a sack just before halftime against the Miami Dolphins that took New England out of field-goal range. Had the Patriots gotten three points there, the Miami Miracle would have been meaningless.

Everything can't be blamed on Brady, though. He wasn't responsible for that defensive breakdown on the Dolphins' final play. He didn't force his team to rack up 14 penalties against Pittsburgh. He doesn't own New England's 3-5 road record all by himself.

The Patriots can still be dangerous in the postseason. Unless New England somehow blows the division, it will host one playoff game, and experience could even get the Patriots a road victory. However, getting this Patriots team to the Super Bowl primarily on the road would go down as one of Bill Belichick's greatest accomplishments.

Predictions Based on Current Seeding

Wild Card Weekend

Los Angeles Chargers 28, Pittsburgh Steelers 24

Baltimore Ravens 22, New England Patriots 26

Seattle Seahawks 27, Dallas Cowboys 20

Chicago Bears 30, Minnesota Vikings 20

Divisional Round

New England Patriots 26, Houston Texans 25

Los Angeles Chargers 30, Kansas City Chiefs 28

New Orleans Saints 27, Seattle Seahawks 21

Chicago Bears 28, Los Angeles Rams 27

Championship Round