Week 12 of the NFL season was a busy one, with the playoff picture gaining a bit of clarity but remaining as wide-open as ever. It’s hard to believe with only five games left in the books, but no team is officially eliminated from playoff contention and nobody has clinched a spot, either. It’s been that kind of parity for the league this year.
2015 NFL playoff picture and standings: Panthers only undefeated team left after Week 12
The Broncos took down the Patriots on a busy Sunday that saw some big shakeups in the playoff picture.
The biggest story of the week is the Denver Broncos knocking off the New England Patriots in a wild overtime game. That not only removes the Patriots from the ranks of the undefeated, it could have big implications for the top seed in the AFC. Denver now holds a head-to-head tiebreaker over New England, and should the Patriots stumble again we could see some huge changes in the top of the playoff rankings.
The other big story involves some movement in the AFC Wild Card picture. The Kansas City Chiefs and Houston Texans both took care of business on Sunday and move into the No. 5 and 6 seeds, respectively. The Pittsburgh Steelers are temporarily out after dropping a road game to the Seattle Seahawks. After looking like the worst division in football a month ago, the AFC South is suddenly in a position to send two teams to the postseason. That’s how quickly things can change in the NFL.
Speaking of worst division, that crown now belongs to the NFC East, with Washington standing on top at 5-6 after beating the New York Giants. The Minnesota Vikings move into first place in the North and the Atlanta Falcons continue to sink, having lost five of their last six games. For now, the Seahawks move into the No. 6 seed.
Here are the updated standings after Week 12 (pending the Monday night game):
AFC East
| W | L | Home | Away | Division | |
| New England Patriots | 10 | 1 | 6-0 | 4-1 | 4-0 |
| New York Jets | 6 | 5 | 4-2 | 2-3 | 2-2 |
| Buffalo Bills | 5 | 6 | 2-3 | 3-3 | 3-2 |
| Miami Dolphins | 4 | 7 | 1-3 | 3-4 | 0-5 |
AFC North
| W | L | Home | Away | Division | |
| Cincinnati Bengals | 9 | 2 | 5-1 | 4-1 | 3-0 |
| Pittsburgh Steelers | 6 | 5 | 4-2 | 2-3 | 1-2 |
| Baltimore Ravens | 3 | 7 | 2-3 | 1-4 | 1-2 |
| Cleveland Browns | 2 | 8 | 1-3 | 1-5 | 1-2 |
AFC South
| W | L | Home | Away | Division | |
| Indianapolis Colts | 6 | 5 | 3-3 | 3-2 | 3-0 |
| Houston Texans | 6 | 5 | 4-2 | 2-3 | 2-1 |
| Jacksonville Jaguars | 4 | 7 | 3-3 | 1-4 | 1-2 |
| Tennessee Titans | 2 | 9 | 0-6 | 2-3 | 0-3 |
AFC West
| W | L | Home | Away | Division | |
| Denver Broncos | 9 | 2 | 4-1 | 5-1 | 2-1 |
| Kansas City Chiefrs | 6 | 5 | 3-2 | 3-3 | 2-1 |
| Oakland Raiders | 5 | 6 | 2-3 | 3-3 | 1-1 |
| San Diego Chargers | 3 | 8 | 2-4 | 1-4 | 0-2 |
NFC East
| W | L | Home | Away | Division | |
| Washington | 5 | 6 | 5-1 | 0-5 | 2-1 |
| New York Giants | 5 | 6 | 3-2 | 2-4 | 2-3 |
| Philadelphia Eagles | 4 | 7 | 2-3 | 2-4 | 2-2 |
| Dallas Cowboys | 3 | 8 | 1-5 | 2-3 | 2-2 |
NFC North
| W | L | Home | Away | Division | |
| Minnesota Vikings | 8 | 3 | 4-1 | 4-2 | 3-1 |
| Green Bay Packers | 7 | 4 | 4-2 | 3-2 | 2-2 |
| Chicago Bears | 5 | 6 | 1-4 | 4-2 | 1-3 |
| Detroit Lions | 4 | 7 | 3-3 | 1-4 | 2-2 |
NFC South
| W | L | Home | Away | Division | |
| Carolina Panthers | 11 | 0 | 6-0 | 5-0 | 2-0 |
| Atlanta Falcons | 6 | 5 | 3-3 | 3-2 | 0-2 |
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 5 | 6 | 2-3 | 3-3 | 2-1 |
| New Orleans Saints | 4 | 7 | 3-2 | 1-5 | 1-2 |
NFC West
| W | L | Home | Away | Division | |
| Arizona Cardinals | 9 | 2 | 4-1 | 5-1 | 3-1 |
| Seattle Seahawks | 6 | 5 | 4-2 | 2-3 | 2-2 |
| St. Louis Rams | 4 | 7 | 3-2 | 1-5 | 3-0 |
| San Francisco 49ers | 3 | 8 | 3-3 | 0-5 | 0-5 |
And here is the updated playoff picture.
AFC
1. Patriots (10-1)
2. Bengals (9-2)
3. Broncos (9-2)
4. Colts (6-5)
5. Chiefs (6-5)
6. Texans (6-5)
In the hunt:
Jets (6-5)
Steelers (6-5)
Raiders (5-6)
Bills (5-6)
Jaguars (4-7)
Dolphins (4-7)
NFC
1. Panthers (11-0)
2. Cardinals (9-2)
3. Vikings (8-3)
4. Washington (5-6)
5. Packers (7-4)
6. Seahawks (6-5)
In the hunt:
Falcons (6-5)
Buccaneers (5-6)
Giants (5-6)
Bears (5-6)
Rams (4-7)
Lions (4-7)
Eagles (4-7)
Saints (4-7)
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