NFL Playoff Picture Week 14: Scenarios for AFC and NFC 2020 Postseason Matchups

The race for the No. 1 seed in the AFC heated up on Monday after the Pittsburgh Steelers suffered their first loss of the 2020 NFL season. 

Pittsburgh and the Kansas City Chiefs are tied for the best record in the NFL at 11-1, and whichever team wins the AFC will earn the conference's lone first-round bye. 

Mike Tomlin's Steelers still hold an advantage over Kansas City since their loss to the Washington Football Team occurred out of conference. Pittsburgh has a perfect AFC record, which is the first tiebreaker after head-to-head meetings. 

The race for the top seed in the NFC also appears to be down to two teams after Week 13. The New Orleans Saints and Green Bay Packers are separated by one game. 

The Seattle Seahawks and Los Angeles Rams have outside shots at dethroning the Saints and Packers, but right now, it looks like the current top two sides will be the first two seeds in some order. 

Unlike the AFC situation, the head-to-head record will play a factor if the Saints and Packers are tied. Green Bay won the Week 3 clash in New Orleans by seven points. 

AFC Playoff Picture

Ross D. Franklin/Associated Press

Division Leaders

1. Pittsburgh (11-1)

2. Kansas City (11-1)

3. Buffalo (9-3)

4. Tennessee (8-4)

Wild-Card Race

5. Cleveland (9-3)

6. Miami (8-4)

7. Indianapolis (8-4)

8. Las Vegas (7-5)

9. Baltimore (6-5)

10. New England (6-6)

Pittsburgh's loss came to the perfect opponent in playoff terms.

If the Steelers win out, they would secure the No. 1 seed over Kansas City due to an undefeated conference record. 

However, finishing with a 4-0 mark will not be easy with the Buffalo Bills next up on the schedule. Buffalo looked impressive in its Monday night triumph over the San Francisco 49ers. 

After a Week 15 clash with the Cincinnati Bengals, the Steelers finish with games against AFC wild-card contenders Indianapolis and Cleveland. 

Kansas City, who clinched a playoff berth on Sunday, has an easier finish with the Atlanta Falcons and Los Angeles Chargers in Weeks 16 and 17. As long as the Chiefs get past clashes with the Miami Dolphins and New Orleans Saints, they should be in the mix for the No. 1 seed in Week 17. 

Buffalo's win over San Francisco moved it one game ahead of Tennessee for the No. 3 seed. The Titans fell to the Browns, who currently hold the top wild-card spot. 

If the season ended today, the Titans and Browns would meet again in the first round at Nissan Stadium.

Cleveland holds a valuable one-game edge in a wild-card race that has been narrowed to six teams for three positions. 

Kevin Stefanski's team would have to lose more than twice in the final four games to be in serious danger of losing one of the three wild-card berths. That does not seem likely since the Browns have both New York teams on the schedule in Weeks 15 and 16. 

Cleveland has to face the Baltimore Ravens on Monday night and closes with Pittsburgh at home.

Even though the Las Vegas Raiders sit on the outside looking in, they are the most powerful team in the wild-card race. Jon Gruden's side owns a head-to-head win over Cleveland and plays Indianapolis in Week 14 and Miami in Week 16. 

If the Raiders win both of those wild-card showdowns, they should feel safe if they finish on the same record as the Dolphins or Colts. 

Bill Belichick's New England Patriots are clinging to life in the wild-card discussion. They likely need to win three of their last four games to even get into the conversation since the Dolphins and Colts are already at eight victories.

NFC Playoff Picture

Mike Roemer/Associated Press

Division Leaders

1. New Orleans (10-2)

2. Green Bay (9-3)

3. Los Angeles Rams (8-4)

4. New York Giants (5-7)

Wild-Card Race

5. Seattle (8-4)

6. Tampa Bay (7-5)

7. Minnesota (6-6)

8. Arizona (6-6)

9. Chicago (5-7)

10. Detroit (5-7)

11. San Francisco (5-7)

12. Washington (5-7)

Green Bay has to be one win better than New Orleans in the final four games to earn the No. 1 seed off their head-to-head record. 

The toughest matchup left on the Packers' schedule is a Week 16 clash with the Titans. They face the Detroit Lions, Carolina Panthers and Chicago Bears in the other three games. 

New Orleans should get past the Philadelphia Eagles, Minnesota Vikings and Carolina, but beating Kansas City at home in Week 15 will be tough. 

If the Saints drop any of their remaining games, and Green Bay wins out, the Packers take the top spot and first-round bye. 

Given the volatility of the NFC West, it seems unlikely one of those squads will catch up to the Saints and Packers. 

Seattle dropped out of the division lead through a loss to the New York Giants. The Los Angeles Rams are currently first in the NFC West, but they have to finish the regular season with Seattle and the Arizona Cardinals. 

Seattle's playoff position is not under threat yet since it leads the wild-card race by a game and is ahead of the Vikings and Cardinals by two wins. 

If the Seahawks finish in the top wild-card spot, they could earn a rematch with the Giants, who currently hold the NFC East lead on a head-to-head tiebreaker over Washington. 

Washington sits in a four-way tie at 5-7. Of the four teams with that record in the NFC, Ron Rivera's side has displayed the most consistency in recent weeks. 

Chicago, Detroit and San Francisco have all tumbled to 5-7, and only the 49ers could make a convincing case to land a wild-card spot because they won the NFC last season. 

Minnesota can make sure the Bears and Lions don't get involved in the playoff hunt if it beats them in head-to-head matchups. 

Arizona can also ensure none of the 5-7 teams reach a wild-card spot if it gets past the Giants and Eagles in the next two weeks. That would give it some breathing room heading into clashes with the 49ers and Rams.

Strange things have happened in previous NFL playoff races, but for now, it appears the final wild-card spot is down to the Vikings and Cardinals.