NFL Playoff Picture Week 14: Breaking Down AFC and NFC Postseason Outlook

The New Orleans Saints and Kansas City Chiefs punched the first two tickets to the 2020 NFL playoffs.

The Pittsburgh Steelers could be next with a win over Washington on Monday, and more postseason berths will come off the board once the action shifts over to Week 13.

For now, let's update the standings, plot out the current playoff picture and break down the postseason outlook in each conference.

NFL Standings

Larry Maurer/Associated Press

AFC East

Buffalo Bills (8-3)

Miami Dolphins (8-4)

New England Patriots (6-6)

New York Jets (0-12)

AFC North

Pittsburgh Steelers (11-0)

Cleveland Browns (9-3)

Baltimore Ravens (6-5)

Cincinnati Bengals (2-9-1)

AFC South

Tennessee Titans (8-4)

Indianapolis Colts (8-4)

Houston Texans (4-8)

Jacksonville Jaguars (1-11)

AFC West

x-Kansas City Chiefs (11-1)

Las Vegas Raiders (7-5)

Denver Broncos (4-8)

Los Angeles Chargers (3-9)

NFC East

New York Giants (5-7)

Washington Football Team (4-7)

Philadelphia Eagles (3-8-1)

Dallas Cowboys (3-8)

NFC North

Green Bay Packers (9-3)

Minnesota Vikings (6-6)

Chicago Bears (5-7)

Detroit Lions (5-7)

NFC South

x-New Orleans Saints (10-2)

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-5)

Atlanta Falcons (4-8)

Carolina Panthers (4-8)

NFC West

Los Angeles Rams (8-4)

Seattle Seahawks (8-4)

Arizona Cardinals (6-6)

San Francisco 49ers (5-6)

*x-: clinched playoff berth

NFL Playoff Picture

Wade Payne/Associated Press

AFC

First-round bye: No. 1 Pittsburgh Steelers

No. 7 Indianapolis Colts at No. 2 Kansas City Chiefs

No. 6 Miami Dolphins at No. 3 Buffalo Bills

No. 5 Cleveland Browns at No. 4 Tennessee Titans

NFC

First-round bye: No. 1 New Orleans Saints

No. 7 Minnesota Vikings at No. 2 Green Bay Packers

No. 6 Tampa Bay Buccaneers at No. 3 Los Angeles Rams

No. 5 Seattle Seahawks at No. 4 New York Giants

AFC Outlook

Mark Zaleski/Associated Press

The win-or-go-home format of the NFL playoffs can lend itself to unpredictability, so the best team doesn't always win.

But an assessment of the 2020 AFC field shows a clear divide between the top two seeds and everyone else.

The Steelers and Chiefs are first and second league-wide, respectively, in both winning percentage and scoring differential. Statistically speaking, Kansas City is the "lesser" of the two teams while holding an 11-1 record and massive plus-116 point differential. For context, the third-seeded Bills are 8-3 with a plus-17 differential.

As much as it might pain some to go with chalk, it's hard to tell where an upset could even happen.

The Bills run hot and cold. The Titans are 3-4 in their last seven outings. The Browns need to prove they can beat good teams. The Dolphins have questions at quarterback. The Colts lack clarity in their running back and receiving rotations. The other teams fighting for the seventh spot...well, they're outside looking in for a reason.

There's always a chance the football gods throw chaos into the equation, but the AFC looks like it's head toward an epic Pittsburgh-Kansas City collision.

NFC Outlook

Brynn Anderson/Associated Press

The Saints are something else.

New Orleans hasn't lost since Week 3. If that's already not impressive enough, remember this club lost future Hall of Famer Drew Brees during its Week 10 win over San Francisco. The Saints have called upon three different quarterbacks, and they still tower over their conference peers with a plus-106 differential. No other NFC club sits north of plus-80.

And yet, New Orleans hardly feels like a lock to escape the conference. There's just too much talent—especially at the quarterback position—to guarantee anyone a trip out of the NFC.

The second-seeded Packers have Aaron Rodgers. The fifth-seeded Seahawks have Russell Wilson. The sixth-seeded Buccaneers have Tom Brady. The now-seventh-seeded Vikings might have the hottest signal-caller of them all, as Kirk Cousins just authored his third consecutive 300-yard, three-score performance.

If you're forced into the prediction game, you throw a dart, hope it hits someone other than the NFC East champ and go with that. The Saints deserve to be considered the favorites, but there's a loaded field behind them.