2015 NFL playoff picture and scenarios, Week 15: Packers clinch berth, Washington takes NFC East lead
The Packers have punched their ticket into the postseason.
Heading into Week 15, only two division titles had been secured and six races hadn't yet been decided. While leads for teams like the Arizona Cardinals, Denver Broncos and Cincinnati Bengals will likely become insurmountable soon, it's still not impossible for challengers to swipe those spots.
Still, those three teams all have or had the opportunity to clinch divisions in Week 15, and as many as five of the six playoff berths in the NFC can be clinched too. But assuming there isn’t a tie in Week 15, the Bengals, Broncos and Green Bay Packers all have the easiest clinching scenarios: Win.
The Cardinals were in a "win and you're in" situation for the NFC West crown after already locking down a postseason berth in Week 14. Arizona secured the division title on Sunday Night Football by winning a romp over what had been a hot Philadelphia Eagles team.
Both the Broncos and Bengals had a chance at becoming division champions on Sunday, but needed some help in addition to wins. The Broncos needed the Kansas City Chiefs to lose, but the Chiefs scored a win against the Baltimore Ravens to move to 9-5 on the season, helping their own chances at a wild card spot. Cincinnati needs the Pittsburgh Steelers to lose in addition to a victory, but both teams play in the afternoon.
Only the Cardinals, Broncos and Bengals had a chance to become division champions in Week 15, but the Packers, Seahawks and Minnesota Vikings can earn playoff berths as well.
For Green Bay, a road victory against the Oakland Raiders would be enough to get into the NFC postseason field. If the Raiders come out on top, a loss for either Washington or the New York Giants would be enough to give the Packers a spot in the playoffs. The Giants did lose, giving the Packers a spot.
The Seahawks and Vikings are also rooting against Washington and New York in Week 15. If either of the NFC East teams lost and Seattle manages to beat Cleveland on Sunday, the Seahawks would secure a spot. Fortunately, the Giants lost.
For Minnesota, the clinching scenario is a little more complicated.
Not only would the Vikings need to win at home against the Chicago Bears (which they did) and a loss for either Washington or New York, Minnesota also needed either a Seahawks loss against the Browns or a loss for the Atlanta Falcons against the Jacksonville Jaguars. But the Jaguars couldn't complete a comeback against the Falcons, so the Vikings have to hope the Seahawks fall to the Browns.
But with eyes on the six teams with a chance to clinch in Week 15, the best playoff races are the ones in the NFL’s worst divisions. It’s all but guaranteed that teams from the AFC South and NFC East aren’t going to win wild card spots, so their only chance is to win the pair of divisions that don’t have a single winning record.
A battle between the Texans and Colts decided the leader in the AFC South, while the Jaguars lurk just behind. The Texans won to take the division lead at 7-7, but the Jaguars fell further behind in the division with their loss. In the NFC East, there was a three-way tie between 6-7 teams, while the 4-10 Dallas Cowboys were just eliminated from playoff contention after a last-minute loss Saturday night to the New York Jets. Washington improved to 7-7 with a win over the Buffalo Bills, while the Giants fell behind with a loss to the Panthers.
Here are the current standings after the 1 p.m. games Sunday:
AFC
1. (y) New England Patriots (12-2)
2. Cincinnati Bengals (10-3)
3. Denver Broncos (10-3)
4. Houston Texans (7-7)
5. Kansas City Chiefs (9-5)
6. New York Jets (9-5)
In The Hunt
Pittsburgh Steelers (8-5)
Oakland Raiders (6-7)
Indianapolis Colts (6-8)
NFC
1. (y) Carolina Panthers (14-0)
2. (y) Arizona Cardinals (11-2)
3. (x) Green Bay Packers (9-4)
4. Washington (7-7)
5. Minnesota Vikings (9-5)
6. Seattle Seahawks (8-5)
In The Hunt
Atlanta Falcons (7-7)
Philadelphia Eagles (6-7)
New York Giants (6-8)
(y) = Clinched division
(x) = Clinched playoffs
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