NFL Playoff Picture Week 15: Latest AFC, NFC Standings and Bracket Scenarios

With only four NFL postseason spots secured ahead of Week 15, every game on the schedule will carry some type of playoff implication.

The Las Vegas Raiders need to open the Week 15 slate with a Thursday night win over the Los Angeles Chargers to remain in the hunt for an AFC wild-card spot. 

Even Monday night's lopsided matchup between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Cincinnati Bengals matters since Mike Tomlin's side is in the hunt for the No. 1 seed in the AFC.

The most important games to all of the potential playoff bracket scenarios involve AFC teams visiting NFC sites. The Chiefs take on the New Orleans Saints in what could be a Super Bowl preview, and the Cleveland Browns visit the New York Giants in a game that will affect both wild-card races and the NFC East. 

Officially, eight teams can either clinch division titles, playoff berths or a first-round bye in Week 15, per ESPN's Adam Schefter.

AFC Playoff Picture

Wilfredo Lee/Associated Press

Division Leaders

1. Kansas City (12-1)

2. Pittsburgh (11-2)

3. Buffalo (10-3)

4. Tennessee (9-4)

There is a clear hierarchy in the AFC with the Chiefs, Steelers and Buffalo Bills occupying the top three seeds.

Buffalo's Sunday night win over Pittsburgh shifted the complexion of the race for the AFC's first-round bye and opened up a scenario in which the Chiefs could clinch it on Monday.

If the Chiefs beat the Saints and the Steelers lose to Cincinnati, they would earn the only bye in the AFC. Kansas City has a 10-1 AFC record compared to Pittsburgh's 8-1, and a loss Monday would drop the Steelers to two defeats within the conference.

Buffalo needs another Pittsburgh loss to take advantage of its head-to-head tiebreaker and land the No. 2 seed.

For now, the Bills have to focus on winning the AFC East, which they can do with a Saturday victory over the Denver Broncos, or through a Miami Dolphins defeat at the hands of the New England Patriots.

The Tennessee Titans need to keep winning to preserve the No. 4 seed. They own a divisional record tiebreaker over the Indianapolis Colts. Tennessee hosts Detroit on Sunday, while the Colts welcome the Houston Texans to Lucas Oil Stadium.

Wild-Card Hunt

5. Cleveland (9-4)

6. Indianapolis (9-4)

7. Miami (8-5)

8. Baltimore (8-5)

9. Las Vegas (7-6)

10. New England (6-7)

Cleveland's loss to Baltimore in Week 14 brought it back to the pack in the AFC wild-card hunt.

Suffering back-to-back losses would be the worst-case scenario for Kevin Stefanski's side. It only has a head-to-head tiebreaker over Indianapolis. It lost both meetings with Baltimore and fell to Las Vegas.

If the AFC wild-card race becomes one big jumbled mess heading into Week 17, the Browns could be at a disadvantage because of those defeats, but that only comes into play if the Browns struggle to beat both New York teams in Weeks 15 and 16.

Miami can eliminate New England from the wild-card hunt Sunday, which would cut the number of contenders down to five.

The Colts, Ravens and Raiders are all expected to win in Week 15, so everything should remain the same if the Browns topple the Giants on Sunday night.

The wild-card race could be cut to four teams after Week 16 if Miami beats Las Vegas at Allegiant Stadium. That would set up a competition between the Dolphins and Ravens for the final position in Week 17.

NFC Playoff Picture

Ted S. Warren/Associated Press

Division Leaders

1. Green Bay (10-3)

2. New Orleans (10-3)

3. Los Angeles Rams (9-4)

4. Washington (6-7)

All the Green Bay Packers have to do to clinch the No. 1 seed in the NFC is match the record of the Saints and finish one game ahead of the Los Angeles Rams.

Green Bay gained the advantage in the hunt for the first-round bye through New Orleans' loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. The Packers own a head-to-head win over Sean Payton's squad.

A loss to the Chiefs on Sunday afternoon would make the Saints' quest for the top seed even more difficult.

If that occurs and the Rams beat the New York Jets, those two franchises will be fighting for the No. 2 seed. The Saints and Rams have the same conference record.

Washington has to beat the Seattle Seahawks to remain in front of the NFC East. Losses by the Giants and Eagles to Cleveland and Arizona, respectively, could help its cause as well.

Wild-Card Race

5. Seattle (9-4)

6. Tampa Bay (8-5)

7. Arizona (7-6)

8. Minnesota (6-7)

9. Chicago (6-7)

10. Detroit (5-8)

11. San Francisco (5-8)

12. New York Giants (5-8)

13. Philadelphia (4-8-1)

The NFC wild-card race is much less of a mess than the one developing in the AFC.

Seattle can secure a playoff spot through a win over Washington, and Tampa Bay can do the same with a victory and a tie between the Minnesota Vikings and Chicago Bears.

The Vikings-Bears clash could serve as an elimination game for the wild-card, especially if the Cardinals win at home over the Eagles. That would put the loser of the NFC North matchup two games back with two weeks left.

If Philadelphia earns its second victory with Jalen Hurts starting at quarterback, then the fight for the No. 7 seed becomes messier.

The Eagles need to beat Arizona and have Seattle down Washington to remain alive in the NFC East, while the Giants should root for both of their divisional rivals to lose so they could take the advantage with a win over Cleveland.

Detroit and San Francisco need all sorts of help to reach the No. 7 seed. All of those scenarios start with Arizona losing and both teams winning in Week 15. The Lions visit the Colts and the Niners face the Dallas Cowboys on the road.

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