NFL Playoff Picture Week 15: Full AFC, NFC Outlook and Predictions

The Los Angeles Chargers had an opportunity to seize the AFC West lead Thursday night. Instead, the Kansas City Chiefs strengthened their hold on the division and proved they are once again a force to be reckoned with.

The Chiefs outlasted the Chargers for a 34-28 victory in overtime, becoming the first team in the AFC to win 10 games this season. Kansas City has a two-game lead over Los Angeles in the AFC West with only three weeks to go in the regular season.

For now, the Chiefs are the top team in the AFC. That could change by Sunday, though, as they entered Week 15 in a three-way tie with the New England Patriots and Tennessee Titans atop the conference, and the Pats own the tiebreaker among that group.

With most of the Week 15 action still to come, here's a look at the NFL playoff picture, along with some predictions for how things will shake out down the stretch.

Current NFL Playoff Picture

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AFC

Bye: No.1 Kansas City Chiefs (10-4)

No. 2 New England Patriots (9-4) vs. No. 7 Buffalo Bills (7-6)

No. 3 Tennessee Titans (9-4) vs. No. 6 Indianapolis Colts (7-6)

No. 4 Baltimore Ravens (8-5) vs. No. 5 Los Angeles Chargers (8-6)

In the hunt: Cleveland Browns (7-6), Cincinnati Bengals (7-6), Denver Broncos (7-6), Pittsburgh Steelers (6-6-1), Las Vegas Raiders (6-7), Miami Dolphins (6-7)

NFC

Bye: No. 1 Green Bay Packers (10-3)

No. 2 Tampa Bay Buccaneers (10-3) vs. No. 7 Washington Football Team (6-7)

No. 3 Arizona Cardinals (10-3) vs. No. 6 San Francisco 49ers (7-6)

No. 4 Dallas Cowboys (9-4) vs. No. 5 Los Angeles Rams (9-4)

In the hunt: Minnesota Vikings (6-7), Philadelphia Eagles (6-7), Atlanta Falcons (6-7), New Orleans Saints (6-7), Carolina Panthers (5-8), Seattle Seahawks (5-8), New York Giants (4-9), Chicago Bears (4-9)

The Chiefs Will Stay Hot to Capture AFC's No. 1 Seed

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Early in the season, some were questioning whether the Chiefs may have fallen off after successive Super Bowl appearances. It was understandable considering they were 3-4 and seemed like they weren't stacking up against some of the top contenders around the AFC.

However, Kansas City has proved it's still among the top teams in the league. It has won seven consecutive games, and it could be alone atop the AFC standings by the end of Week 15. That would require New England to lose to the Indianapolis Colts on Saturday and Tennessee to lose to the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday.

Even if it doesn't happen this week, don't be surprised if the Chiefs end up as the No. 1 seed by the time the regular season is over. It's possible Kansas City will keep its winning streak going, as it closes the season with games against the Steelers, Cincinnati Bengals and Denver Broncos.

Patrick Mahomes (410 yards and three touchdowns), Travis Kelce (191 yards and two touchdowns) and Tyreek Hill (148 yards and a touchdown) all looked like the best versions of themselves in Thursday's win over the Chargers. And when those three are playing like that, the Chiefs are difficult to beat.

The Buccaneers Will End Up Atop the NFC

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The battle for the No. 1 seed in the NFC is much more competitive after the Arizona Cardinals lost to the Los Angeles Rams on Monday night. Now, Arizona, the Green Bay Packers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers all have identical 10-3 records, and any of the three could end up at the top of the standings.

The Packers own that tiebreaker, but each team still has four regular-season games to play. But looking at the schedule, it may be the Buccaneers who have the easiest path to the top seed in the NFC and the first-round bye that comes with it.

Over the final four weeks of the regular season, the Bucs play the Carolina Panthers twice and also have matchups against the New Orleans Saints and New York Jets. All three of those teams have sub-.500 records, and Tampa Bay may just roll through and keep the momentum going from its active four-game win streak.

There have been a lot of special seasons in Tom Brady's career, yet he's still putting up huge numbers at 44, leading the NFL in passing yards (4,134) and passing touchdowns (36) at this point. He should have no trouble guiding the Buccaneers to a strong finish that should move them to the top of the NFC standings.

The Vikings Should Emerge from Crowded NFC Wild-Card Race

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There are five teams in the NFC that are 6-7. The Washington Football Team has the edge and would be the No. 7 seed if the season ended today, while the Minnesota Vikings, Philadelphia Eagles, Atlanta Falcons and New Orleans Saints would all be out. But a lot could change in this wild-card race over the next four weeks.

It's an even more crowded mix when considering the San Francisco 49ers are 7-6. Meanwhile, the Carolina Panthers and Seattle Seahawks (both 5-8) and even the New York Giants and Chicago Bears (both 4-9) remain alive.

If there's one team to keep an eye on, though, it's Minnesota. The Vikings have a pair of winnable games against the Bears in Weeks 15 and 18, sandwiching a pair of challenging matchups against the Rams and Packers. But Minnesota beat Green Bay in Week 11, and it has the offensive talent to overpower any team when it's at full strength.

San Francisco and Washington are far from safe, and Minnesota is the best team among those on the outside looking in. Don't be surprised if the Vikings play well enough down the stretch to work their way into the playoffs.