NFL Playoff Scenarios 2018-19: AFC, NFC Picture; Browns, Eagles Wild-Card Odds

The AFC West is a minefield heading into Week 16 of the NFL season.

The two best records in the AFC belong to the Kansas City Chiefs and Los Angeles Chargers, and those two teams are tied for first place in that division. The Chiefs have the edge because they have the better divisional record, but the Chargers are in a position to pounce.

Los Angeles pulled off a 29-28 victory in Kansas City in Week 15, and the Chargers host the Baltimore Ravens on Saturday night. The Chiefs must go on the road and take on the Seattle Seahawks. If the Chargers win and the Chiefs lose, the Chargers will pass the Chiefs. If both teams win or lose, the Chiefs will retain their lead.

Andy Reid says his team will put all of its efforts to getting back on track. "So what do we do? We get back on it," Reid told reporters. "You have to be resilient. That's what you do: You learn from your mistakes. That's real. Then you become a better team and get yourself ready to go play Seattle, and that's what we will do."

Here's how the playoff picture looks with two weeks to go in the regular season.

Week 16 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 (12-2)

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 (7-6-1)

In the Hunt

7. Philadelphia Eagles (7-7)

8. Washington Redskins (7-7)

9. Carolina Panthers (6-8)

Keith Srakocic/Associated Press

Playoff Scenarios

The New England Patriots went into their Week 14 game at Miami needing a win to clinch the AFC East. They lost and also fell at Pittsburgh last week. However, they are still in a solid position with home games remaining against the Buffalo Bills and New York Jets. One win in either game clinches the division title.

The Steelers ended a three-game losing streak with their win over the Patriots, but they have a brutal assignment in Week 16 on the road at the New Orleans Saints. If the Steelers lose and the Ravens beat the Chargers on the road, Baltimore will move into first place in the AFC North.

The Houston Texans need one win in their last two games to win the AFC South. The Texans play in Philadelphia on Sunday and close out the season with a home game against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

The second-place finisher in the AFC West will take the No. 1 wild-card spot. The Ravens have the lead for the No. 2 spot, and they are trying to hold off the Indianapolis Colts and Tennessee Titans.

If the Ravens lose to the Chargers, and the Colts and Titans both win their games against the New York Giants and Washington Redskins, respectively, the Week 17 game between Indianapolis and Tennessee will likely decide the No. 2 wild-card spot.

The Cleveland Browns still have a heartbeat as far as the wild card is concerned, but it is a faint one. The Browns need to beat the Bengals in Week 16 and the Ravens in Week 17 while the Colts-Titans showdown ends in a tie. They also need the Ravens to lose to the Chargers.

That would give Cleveland, Indianapolis and Tennessee 8-7-1 records, and the Browns have the edge in the tiebreakers. The Browns would also need the 7-7 Miami Dolphins to do no better than split its remaining games against the Jaguars and Bills.

Michael Conroy/Associated Press

The Dallas Cowboys are coming off a shutout loss to the Colts, but they had won their previous five games and have a one-game lead over Washington and Philadelphia. 

The Cowboys, who close with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at home and the New York Giants on the road, have an excellent chance at joining the Chicago Bears, New Orleans Saints and Los Angeles Rams as division champions.

The Seahawks dropped a 26-23 overtime decision to the San Francisco 49ers in Week 15, but they are still in the lead for the No. 1 NFC wild-card position with home games remaining against the Chiefs and Arizona Cardinals.

The Minnesota Vikings are holding onto the other wild-card spot, and they are on the road in Week 16 at Detroit before closing the regular season at home against the Bears.

The Redskins and Eagles are trying to chase down one of the wild-card spots. If either Washington or Philadelphia wins out and the Vikings lose a game, that team would be in.

Washington goes to Tennessee in Week 16 while Philadelphia hosts Houston. The Redskins host the Eagles in their regular-season finale. Seattle clinches a wild-card spot with one win in its last two games.

Carolina needs to win its final two games and hope the Vikings lose both. They also need a complex set of circumstances to find a way into the postseason. The Panthers host the Atlanta Falcons in Week 16 and close the season with a game at New Orleans.

Playoff odds

Here's a look at the odds to make the playoffs for several teams teetering on the edge of contention, per OddsShark:

Vikings -160
Titans -110
Ravens +130
Eagles +130
Colts +180
Redskins +500
Dolphins +1000

The website lists the Browns at +15000 to win the Super Bowl.