Which NFL teams clinched a playoff spot in Week 15 and which were eliminated?

Most of us probably didn’t see this coming in September. After Week 3, the Chargers, Cowboys, and Seahawks were all 1-2. The Bears were 2-1, albeit coming off just a two-point win over the Cardinals. The Texans were 0-3.

Fast forward three months and all of them had a chance to earn a playoff berth in Week 15.

The Chargers got it done in a yet another thrilling comeback in primetime, ending their nine-game losing streak against the Chiefs and preventing their rivals from locking down the division (at least for this week).

Now the Chiefs and Chargers are both 11-3 and fighting for not just the division title, but the top seed in the AFC. Buckle up, folks. It’s the law. And also, the last few weeks of the season should be gooooood.

The Chargers’ last-second win (more accurately, last four seconds) sent the final Thursday night game of the season in style. It was not the final Thursday Night Football game, however. The TNF brand was co-opted for this week’s and next week’s Saturday games.

On Saturday, the Texans helped their playoff cause when they held off the Jets 29-22. The Jets didn’t make it easy on the Texans, taking their first lead of the game with five minutes left to play. Then Deshaun Watson and the Houston offense answered, culminating with an incredible DeAndre Hopkins touchdown catch.

After that, the Browns kept their slim playoff hopes alive with a one-point win over the Broncos. It wasn’t quite revenge for The Drive and The Fumble, but it all but officially knocked the Broncos out of playoff contention.

Los Angeles entered Sunday as home to half of the NFL’s playoff teams, but that percentage dropped slightly with the Bears clinching. The Cowboys, Seahawks, Texans, and Patriots missed their chance this week to join the Rams, Chargers, Chiefs, Bears, and Saints.

On the other hand, the dream ended for seven more teams this weekend. The 49ers, Cardinals, Raiders, Bills Jets, and Jaguars were already there. Now you can add the Broncos, Bengals, Giants, Packers, Lions, Bucs, and Falcons to the list.

Here’s what happened in Week 15.

The Bears, Cowboys, Seahawks, and Texans were less expected to be in this position. The Patriots weren’t supposed to here this week, either — as in, they were expected to sew up the AFC East, for the 10th straight year, last week. Then the Miracle in Miami happened.

Meanwhile in the NFC, the top two seeds, and the first-round byes that come with it, could have been decided this week.

In the end, only one team was able to clinch anything.

The Bears could’ve either gone big (win their division) or go medium (earn a playoff spot). They chose the former, with their first win over the Packers at Soldier Field since 2010. That, not coincidentally, is the last time they won the division. Thanks, Jon Gruden!

The Bears just needed one of the following to occur to become NFC North champs for the first time in eight years:

The Bears didn’t end up needing any help after they beat the Packers 24-17.

The Cowboys looked all but in the playoffs, and then they were shut out by the Colts. The Cowboys are still the favorites to win the division (thanks, Jon Gruden!), even if they missed their chance to clinch this week.

It was either NFC East or bust this week for Dallas, who needed:

They got blown out 23-0 to the Colts, while the Josh Johnson-led Washington sneaked by the Jaguars and the Eagles beat the Rams.

The Rams have already won the NFC West, but the Seahawks are in firm control of the No. 5 seed. Since no one else wants the other wild card spot, it’s just a matter of when the Seahawks secure the first one. That didn’t happen Sunday.

The 4 ways the Seahawks could’ve locked up a wild card spot:

The 49ers got their revenge over the Seahawks with a 26-23 win in overtime.

It wasn’t win and they’re in this week for the Texans. It was win and a couple others things going their way.

The Texans already beat the Jets, so they could’ve won the AFC South if this happened:

Neither did, so the Texans have to to wait for another chance at division title. However, they could have still clinched a postseason bid.

After their win over the Jets, the Texans could’ve nabbed a playoff berth if:

Miami and New England both lost. So the bad news for the Texans is that they couldn’t clinch this week. The good news is that they moved up to the No. 2 spot.

The Patriots were human last week; it was beautiful, even if it was fleeting.

They just needed one of these outcomes to clinch the AFC East again:

The Dolphins’ 41-17 loss to the Vikings helped the Patriots with one part of that equation. But FOR ONCE, the Steelers beat the Patriots. So another week, another opportunity wasted for the Patriots.

The Rams had a chance to grab one of the first-round byes last week, but then they seemed to have no interest in playing on a cold night in Chicago. So they got another shot this week, but their chance ended before they even played on Sunday Night Football.

The Rams needed two things to happen:

But the Bears’ win, coupled with the Rams’ loss to the Eagles, meant that once again, the Rams couldn’t secure a bye.

A week after winning their second straight NFC South title, the Saints could’ve crossed another item off their to-do list. But just like the Rams, the Saints found out before their Monday Night Football game that they won’t be able to clinch a bye this week.

The Saints could’ve skipped all the way to the Divisional Round if:

The Bears rained on their parade, too. The Saints beat the Panthers, though, so they’re in good shape to lock down a first-round bye next week.

There were many complicated scenarios in which teams could’ve been eliminated with ties, but the NFL seems to be over its early-season tie fetish. We also could’ve gotten into the weeds with one team clinching strength of victory over another. But for the sake of our sanity, let’s keep it simple. If it fits into a Joe Ferreira tweet, then it’s all you probably need to know.

(If you’ve got a little more time on your hands and want to delve into the nitty-gritty, NFL Playoff Scenarios on Reddit exhaustively broke down the AFC and NFC pictures.)

The Browns’ dream of making the playoffs remains alive (!) after their win over the Broncos. If they had lost, they would’ve been knocked out.

The Broncos lost to the Browns, and they are now eliminated because:

The Bengals beat the Raiders, but they’re officially out of playoff contention because:

The Giants needed more than just a loss to be knocked out this week. Unfortunately for them, they lost to the Titans AND:

They also could’ve been out with a loss coupled with an Eagles win or a Vikings win. The Giants had zero help this week.

The Packers are toast (probably covered in cheese) because:

It was a similar situation for the Lions, who are out because:

And oh hey, same thing for the Bucs, who are done because:

The Falcons, who got a win over the Cardinals, still completed their run as one of the most disappointing teams this season because:

The Vikings finally found life on offense after firing OC John DeFilippo. In the process, they ruined a few teams’ playoff chances.

Here’s a look at the current standings, which are finally starting to settle a bit, except for those wild card spots:

The NFC:

The AFC:

**clinched the division
*clinched a playoff berth