NFL Playoff Picture Week 15: AFC and NFC Standings, Updated Predictions

The NFL is unpredictable.

Just ask Week 14 of the 2020 campaign.

It already changed the No. 1 seeds atop both conferences and left the Pittsburgh Steelers—undefeated through 12 weeks—shouldering their first losing streak of the season. That just shows how little is decided with the actual postseason picture despite being this late into the 17-week trek through the regular season.

Let's update the league standings, then, and break out the crystal ball for some playoff predictions.

NFL Standings

Jennifer Stewart/Associated Press

AFC East

Buffalo Bills (10-3)

Miami Dolphins (8-5)

New England Patriots (6-7)

e-New York Jets (0-13)

AFC North

x-Pittsburgh Steelers (11-2)

Cleveland Browns (9-3)

Baltimore Ravens (7-5)

e-Cincinnati Bengals (2-10-1)

AFC South

Tennessee Titans (9-4)

Indianapolis Colts (9-4)

e-Houston Texans (4-9)

e-Jacksonville Jaguars (1-12)

AFC West

z-Kansas City Chiefs (12-1)

Las Vegas Raiders (7-6)

Denver Broncos (5-8)

e-Los Angeles Chargers (4-9)

NFC East

Washington Football Team (6-7)

New York Giants (5-8)

Philadelphia Eagles (4-8-1)

Dallas Cowboys (4-9)

NFC North

z-Green Bay Packers (10-3)

Minnesota Vikings (6-7)

Chicago Bears (6-7)

Detroit Lions (5-8)

NFC South

x-New Orleans Saints (10-3)

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (8-5)

e-Atlanta Falcons (4-9)

Carolina Panthers (4-9)

NFC West

Los Angeles Rams (9-4)

Seattle Seahawks (9-4)

Arizona Cardinals (7-6)

San Francisco 49ers (5-8)

*x-: clinched playoff berth; z-: clinched division; e-: eliminated from playoff contention

NFL Playoff Picture

Leon Halip/Associated Press

AFC

First-round bye: No. 1 Kansas City Chiefs

No. 7 Miami Dolphins at No. 2 Pittsburgh Steelers

No. 6 Indianapolis Colts at No. 3 Buffalo Bills

No. 5 Cleveland Browns at No. 4 Tennessee Titans

NFC

First-round bye: No. 1 Green Bay Packers

No. 7 Arizona Cardinals at No. 2 New Orleans Saints

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

No. 5 Seattle Seahawks at No. 4 Washington Football Team

Playoff Predictions

Ed Zurga/Associated Press

Any playoff team can feel frisky in a winner-take-all matchup, but that feels especially true for the No. 7 seeds in each conference.

The Dolphins might not be loaded with household names, but they play as hard as anyone under head coach Brian Flores, who basically turned a top-to-bottom, long-term rebuild into a two-year project. They may not maintain their playoff spot, but if they do, they'll be a tough matchup for anyone, especially as rookie signal-caller Tua Tagovailoa keeps getting more comfortable.

In the NFC, the seventh-seeded Cardinals lack consistency, but they pack a powerful knockout punch. The Kyler Murray-DeAndre Hopkins tandem exudes explosiveness, and the defense can be disruptive—like when Haason Reddick decides it's a good day to set a franchise record with five sacks.

Both could be potential pitfalls. But our playoff projections don't foresee that level of chaos.

The early rounds should be good for a few upsets—the Steelers better their rushing attack quickly—but chalk looks likely to rule the latter stages. As cold take-y as this will sound, the top-seeded Chiefs and Packers sure appear as strong bets to emerge from their respective conferences.

Kansas City is coming off a championship win and has only lost once all season—an eight-point loss to a division rival (Las Vegas) in which Patrick Mahomes threw for 300 yards and Travis Kelce paired 100 receiving yards with a score. The Chiefs' offensive upside speaks for itself, and they quietly have the eighth-best scoring defense.

In the NFC, what's not to like about Green Bay? Aaron Rodgers is right in the thick of the MVP race (39 touchdowns against four interceptions). Davante Adams is unguardable (1,144 receiving yards, 14 touchdown catches). Za'Darius Smith keeps opposing quarterbacks up at night (10.5 sacks).

The standings hold each one as the strongest team in its conference, and the eye test reaches the same conclusion. The Chiefs and Packers seem on a collision course for Super Bowl LV, and our crystal ball likes Mahomes and Co. to repeat.