NFL Standings 2019: Week 13 Records, Playoff Scenarios, Wild-Card Picture

The AFC wild-card race contains some of the unlikeliest NFL playoff contenders.

Pittsburgh, the current leader for the No. 6 seed, started 1-4 and has utilized two backup quarterbacks to reach 6-5. 

Oakland climbed into the race thanks to an uptick in production from Derek Carr and a terrific rookie class, including Josh Jacobs. 

Indianapolis and Tennessee are being led by Jacoby Brissett and Ryan Tannehill, both of whom entered training camp as backups. 

If you look past the 6-5 teams, Cleveland and the New York Jets used three-game winning streaks to claw back into the picture. 

Regardless of which team lands the final AFC playoff spot, it promises to be an intriguing competition with so many franchises involved. 

In the NFC, five of the six postseason participants are close to being locked in. Philadelphia is the only squad outside the top six with a realistic chance to qualify. 

AFC

Division Leaders

1. New England (10-1) 

2. Baltimore (9-2) 

3. Houston (7-4) 

4. Kansas City (7-4) 

New England can become the first AFC team to clinch a playoff berth in Week 13. 

The Patriots need a victory combined with a loss or tie from Oakland or Pittsburgh to lock in their position. 

Wild-Card Race

5. Buffalo (8-3) 

6. Pittsburgh (6-5) 

7. Oakland (6-5) 

8. Indianapolis (6-5) 

9. Tennessee (6-5) 

10. Cleveland (5-6) 

11. Jacksonville (4-7) 

12. Los Angeles Chargers (4-7) 

13. New York Jets (4-7) 

14. Denver (3-8) 

15. Miami (2-9)

16. Cincinnati (0-11) 

For some teams, just being in contention is remarkable given their early-season struggles. 

Pittsburgh headlines that collection, as it reeled off five wins in the last six games, with Mason Rudolph and Devlin Hodges at quarterback and James Conner, JuJu Smith-Schuster and others dealing with injuries. 

Frank Victores/Associated Press

Earning a Week 13 win is imperative for Mike Tomlin's team to earn revenge against the Browns and keep its AFC North foe from entering the race for the No. 6 seed. 

If that occurs, the Steelers would remain the front-runner for the second wild-card spot. 

They hold a head-to-head win over Indianapolis and possess a better conference record than Oakland and Tennessee. There is a chance the Steelers could snag the No. 5 seed if they knock off Buffalo in their Week 15 home finale.

Buffalo still has to play Dallas, Baltimore and New England, but even if the Bills lose those three games, a win over Pittsburgh should leave them in their current position. 

A bit of clarity is expected after Week 13, as the Colts host the Titans and the Raiders have to go to Kansas City. 

Frank Reich's team needs to finish one game better than Oakland to avoid losing out on a head-to-head tiebreaker. That scenario could require rooting for Tennessee in Week 14 when it visits Oakland in what could turn into an elimination game for playoff contention if the Steelers keep winning.

Suffering two consecutive losses at this point could be catastrophic for franchises without any tiebreaker edges. 

Even if Tannehill extends his run to six wins in seven games, it may not be enough to put the Titans in the postseason. 

James Kenney/Associated Press

Tennessee has to face Houston in Weeks 15 and 17 and welcomes the Saints, who will be playing for NFC home-field advantage, in Week 16. 

Even for a team riding a victorious stretch, that is a difficult set of three games to navigate and it is by far the toughest finish of any wild-card contender.

Cleveland can make the race more complicated by beating Pittsburgh Sunday, which would put the Browns ahead of the Steelers in the standings on head-to-head tiebreaker.

If that occurs, Baker Mayfield and Co. would have gone from 2-6 to a possible playoff team with a favorable closing set of contests. 

The Browns have two games left with Cincinnati and a Week 15 road trip to Arizona that could produce three additional wins. The only game they will not be favored is the Week 16 home meeting with Baltimore, but the Browns are one of two teams to beat the Ravens this season, an accomplishment that looks more remarkable by the week. 

New York is in a similar position, as it faces Cincinnati and Miami in the next two weeks before visiting Baltimore in Week 15. 

If the Jets go 2-1 in that stretch, they would have to beat Pittsburgh and Buffalo to have a chance, but finishing 8-8 might not be good enough with only one spot up for grabs. 

Jacksonville and the Los Angeles Chargers are sitting on the fringe, but they could be knocked out soon if they continue to trend in the wrong direction. 

NFC 

Division Leaders

1. San Francisco (9-1) 

2. New Orleans (9-2) 

3. Green Bay (8-2) 

4. Dallas (6-5) 

New Orleans will win the NFC South with a victory over Atlanta on Thanksgiving Day. 

The Saints enter their clash with Atlanta four games ahead of Carolina, with a head-to-head tiebreaker and a much better NFC record. 

San Francisco can solidify a postseason berth through a win over Baltimore and a loss or tie by the Los Angeles Rams. 

Wild-Card Race

5. Seattle (9-2) 

6. Minnesota (8-3) 

7. Los Angeles Rams (6-5) 

8. Chicago (5-6) 

9. Philadelphia (5-6) 

10. Carolina (5-6) 

11. Tampa Bay (4-7) 

12. Detroit (3-7-1) 

13. Arizona (3-7-1) 

14. Atlanta (3-8) 

15. New York Giants (2-9) 

16. Washington (2-9) 

The NFC wild-card race looks like a second-grade math equation compared to the calculus required to decipher the AFC hunt. 

Matt Rourke/Associated Press

The winner of Monday night's game between Seattle and Minnesota is the front-runner for the No. 5 seed. 

If Seattle triumphs at home, it would possess a two-game lead with four weeks left. 

The Seahawks should not lose ground before Week 17 since they face the Los Angeles Rams, Carolina and Arizona in Weeks 14-16. That would set up a showdown with San Francisco at CenturyLink Field for the NFC West title. If Pete Carroll's team sweeps the 49ers, the current No. 1 seed would drop to No. 5. 

Minnesota faces a more difficult climb to its divisional crown, as it needs to beat Green Bay in Week 16 to level the season record. 

The Packers have to lose twice in the NFC North to open the door for further tiebreakers between the two sides, but that seems unlikely with how poor Chicago and Detroit are playing. 

Los Angeles' loss to Baltimore put it two games back of Minnesota with five games remaining. Since the Rams still have to play Seattle, Dallas and San Francisco, it seems unlikely they can make up that gap. 

At 5-6 with losses to Seattle and Minnesota, Philadelphia is close to being eliminated from wild-card contention, but it sits one game back of Dallas in the NFC East. 

The Eagles, Bears and Panthers need the Seahawks and Vikings to lose at least three games to have an opportunity to sneak in as a wild card. 

That is one of the most far-fetched playoff scenarios given the current form of all franchises involved. 

Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90.