With Week 14 almost in the books, the NFL playoff picture is starting to get a lot clearer. Two more teams punched their postseason tickets this week, while five were mathematically eliminated. Meanwhile, there is no shortage of drama in the NFC East, the AFC South has devolved back into a race to the bottom and the AFC North is far from over.
2015 NFL playoff picture: Patriots, Cardinals clinch spots; AFC North back in play
Two more teams clinched a playoff spot in Week 14, while five were knocked out of the hunt for good. Meanwhile, one injury could throw the AFC North into chaos.
First, let's talk about the clinching teams. The Arizona Cardinals secured their spot with a narrow win over the Minnesota Vikings, moving to 11-2. They could've clinched the NFC West if the Seattle Seahawks somehow lost, but the Seahawks made quick work of the Baltimore Ravens and moved up to the No. 5 seed, owning a tiebreaker win over the Vikings. Seattle now has a two-game lead over the field in the NFC wild card race, but its running game is suddenly a concern after Thomas Rawls suffered a season-ending ankle injury.
The other clinching team is the New England Patriots, who shook off a two-game skid with a 27-6 thumping of the Houston Texans. The Patriots also reclaimed the top seed in the AFC after the Denver Broncos and Cincinnati Bengals stumbled earlier on Sunday.
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The Bengals' season got thrown for a loop when Andy Dalton broke his thumb, which could cost him the rest of the season. That left AJ McCarron pressed into service, and he was helpless as the Pittsburgh Steelers cruised to a 33-20 win. The Steelers are now just two games back of the Bengals and are one of the hottest teams in the league. This division race could get interesting real fast.
The NFC East remains unchanged -- Washington and the Philadelphia Eagles both won to stay tied for first, with Washington holding a head-to-head tiebreaker for now. It's looking more and more like their Week 16 rematch will decide the division crown, unless the New York Giants somehow get back into this. The Dallas Cowboys are just about done at 4-9, but still not eliminated yet because, again, NFC East.
Speaking of bad divisions, the AFC South went 1-3 on Sunday, with the only win coming from the Jacksonville Jaguars, who laid a 51-16 smack down on the Indianapolis Colts. The Texans' wild card hopes are almost over, and their Week 15 matchup with the Colts could be a win-or-go-home situation.
In the AFC West, the Broncos failed to clinch their division while the Kansas City Chiefs keep sneaking up, now sitting just two games behind. These teams split their regular season series, but Kansas City holds a slight edge in division record, so keep an eye out on that race. Andy Reid's squad has somehow won seven in a row despite losing Jamaal Charles halfway through the year.
Finally, let's bid a fond farewell to the Baltimore Ravens, Tennessee Titans, San Diego Chargers, Detroit Lions and San Francisco 49ers, who were officially eliminated from postseason contention this week. Better luck next year, and check out the latest draft position here.
Here are the complete standings after Sunday’s games.
AFC East
| W | L | Home | Away | Div | |
| x-New England Patriots | 11 | 2 | 6-1 | 6-1 | 4-0 |
| New York Jets | 8 | 5 | 5-2 | 3-3 | 2-2 |
| Buffalo Bills | 6 | 7 | 3-3 | 3-4 | 2-2 |
| Miami Dolphins | 5 | 7 | 2-3 | 3-4 | 0-5 |
AFC North
| W | L | Home | Away | Div | |
| Cincinnati Bengals | 10 | 3 | 5-2 | 5-1 | 4-1 |
| Pittsburgh Steelers | 8 | 5 | 5-2 | 3-3 | 2-2 |
| Baltimore Ravens | 4 | 9 | 2-4 | 2-5 | 2-2 |
| Cleveland Browns | 3 | 10 | 2-5 | 1-5 | 1-4 |
AFC South
| W | L | Home | Away | Div | |
| Indianapolis Colts | 6 | 7 | 3-3 | 3-4 | 3-1 |
| Houston Texans | 6 | 7 | 4-3 | 2-4 | 2-1 |
| Jacksonville Jaguars | 5 | 8 | 4-3 | 1-5 | 2-3 |
| Tennessee Titans | 3 | 10 | 1-6 | 2-4 | 1-3 |
AFC West
| W | L | Home | Away | Div | |
| Denver Broncos | 10 | 3 | 4-2 | 6-1 | 3-2 |
| Kansas City Chiefs | 8 | 5 | 4-2 | 4-3 | 4-1 |
| Oakland Raiders | 6 | 7 | 2-4 | 4-3 | 2-2 |
| San Diego Chargers | 3 | 10 | 2-5 | 1-5 | 0-4 |
NFC East
| W | L | Home | Away | Div | |
| Washington | 6 | 7 | 5-2 | 1-5 | 2-2 |
| Philadelphia Eagles | 6 | 7 | 3-3 | 3-4 | 2-2 |
| New York Giants | 5 | 7 | 3-3 | 2-4 | 2-3 |
| Dallas Cowboys | 4 | 9 | 1-5 | 3-4 | 3-2 |
NFC North
| W | L | Home | Away | Div | |
| Green Bay Packers | 9 | 4 | 5-2 | 4-2 | 3-2 |
| Minnesota Vikings | 8 | 5 | 4-2 | 4-3 | 3-1 |
| Chicago Bears | 5 | 8 | 1-6 | 4-2 | 1-3 |
| Detroit Lions | 4 | 9 | 3-4 | 1-5 | 2-3 |
NFC South
| W | L | Home | Away | Div | |
| y-Carolina Panthers | 13 | 0 | 7-0 | 6-0 | 4-0 |
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 6 | 7 | 3-4 | 3-3 | 3-2 |
| Atlanta Falcons | 6 | 7 | 3-3 | 3-4 | 0-4 |
| New Orleans Saints | 5 | 8 | 3-3 | 2-5 | 2-3 |
NFC West
| W | L | Home | Away | Div | |
| x-Arizona Cardinals | 11 | 2 | 5-1 | 6-1 | 4-1 |
| Seattle Seahawks | 8 | 5 | 4-2 | 4-3 | 2-2 |
| St. Louis Rams | 5 | 8 | 4-3 | 1-5 | 3-1 |
| San Francisco 49ers | 4 | 9 | 3-3 | 1-6 | 0-5 |
x - clinched playoff berth
y - clinched division title
z - clinched homefield advantage
And here is the updated playoff picture heading into Monday’s game.
AFC
1. Patriots (11-2)
2. Bengals (10-3)
3. Broncos (10-3)
4. Colts (6-7)
5. Chiefs (8-5)
6. Jets (8-5)
In the hunt
Steelers (8-5)
Raiders (6-7)
Bills (6-7)
Texans (6-7)
Dolphins (5-7)
Jaguars (5-8)
Eliminated
Ravens (4-9)
Chargers (3-10)
Browns (3-10)
Titans (3-10)
NFC
1. Panthers (13-0)
2. Cardinals (11-2)
3. Packers (9-4)
4. Washington (6-7)
5. Seahawks (8-5)
6. Vikings (8-5)
In the hunt
Buccaneers (6-7)
Falcons (6-7)
Eagles (6-7)
Giants (5-7)
Rams (5-8)
Saints (5-8)
Bears (5-8)
Cowboys (4-9)
Eliminated
Lions (4-9)
49ers (4-9)
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