The NFL playoff field is filling out with greater speed as the season works its way through December. Four teams punched their ticket into the playoffs ahead of Week 15, and four teams entered Sunday with a chance to clinch a playoff berth.
The weekend opened with a huge NFC West matchup between the 49ers and Rams in Santa Clara. The Rams pulled out the 12-6 win and find themselves firmly in the mix for the NFC West title. That was the first of what is a busy Week 15 for the playoff picture.
Entering Sunday, the Eagles, Vikings, Texans, and Steelers could all clinch a playoff berth. The Vikings only need a win, while the Texans and Eagles could clinch their division titles with a win and a loss by the second place team. On the other end, the Panthers, Cowboys, Bears, and Bengals all faced elimination from playoff contention.
The Sunday slate ended up backloaded with five of the six matchups starting at 4:25 p.m. ET featuring two playoff teams. The two big ones are a grab bag of the four teams who could end up in their respective conference title games. The Lions host the Bills while the Eagles host the Steelers. While neither game is likely to have a big impact on tiebreakers, all four division leaders are battling for high seed positioning.
NFC standings during Week 15
1. x-Detroit Lions (12-2, 8-1 NFC)
2. x-Philadelphia Eagles (12-2, 7-2 NFC)
3. Seattle Seahawks (8-5)
4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (8-6)
5. Minnesota Vikings (11-2)
6. Green Bay Packers (9-4)
7. Washington Commanders (9-5)
8. Los Angeles Rams (8-6)
9. Arizona Cardinals (7-7, 3-6 NFC)
10. Atlanta Falcons (6-7, 6-3 NFC)
11. San Francisco 49ers (6-8, win over DAL)
12. Dallas Cowboys (6-8, loss to SF)*
13. New Orleans Saints (5-9)
14. Chicago Bears (4-9) — eliminated
15. Carolina Panthers (3-11) — eliminated
16. New York Giants (2-12) — eliminated
AFC standings during Week 15
1. y-Kansas City Chiefs (13-1)
2. y-Buffalo Bills (11-3)
3. x-Pittsburgh Steelers (10-4)
4. y-Houston Texans (9-5)
5. Baltimore Ravens (9-5, win over DEN)
6. Denver Broncos (9-5, loss to BAL)*
7. Los Angeles Chargers (8-6)*
8. Indianapolis Colts (6-8, 5-5 AFC, win over MIA)*
9. Miami Dolphins (6-8, 5-5 AFC, loss to IND)*
10. Cincinnati Bengals (6-8, 3-6 AFC)*
11. New York Jets (4-10) — eliminated
12. New England Patriots (3-11) — eliminated
13. Cleveland Browns (3-11, win over JAX) — eliminated
14. Jacksonville Jaguars (3-11, win over TEN) — eliminated
15. Tennessee Titans (3-11) — eliminated
16. Las Vegas Raiders (2-11) — eliminated
Teams with an asterisk (*) have been eliminated from divisional contention
Teams with an (x) have clinched a playoff spot
Teams with a (y) have clinched their division
Key playoff picture takeaways in Week 15
Detroit Lions remain in first despite loss
The Lions fell to the Buffalo Bills in the highest scoring game of the year, but Detroit couldn’t win. They stay in first place because of their superior NFC record, but it’s a tough loss whenever you score 42 points. 494 passing yards and five touchdowns wasn’t good enough for Jared Goff’s offense, apparently.
Patrick Mahomes injures ankle in win
The Chiefs handled their business against the Browns, but the big story is Patrick Mahomes’ ankles. He was rolled up on a failed fourth down attempt in the fourth quarter and did not return to the game. The medical staff taped up his ankles, but given the lead, there was no need for him to return. This will be a situation to monitor as the Chiefs play two more games in the next 10 days.
Buffalo Bills carve out their place with huge win over Lions
Josh Allen is the NFL’s MVP and scored four more touchdowns in Detroit. The Bills scored 40 points for the second straight week and needed every one of them, as the defense allowed 42 points or more for the second straight week. Coupled with the Steelers loss, the Bills are firmly in second place in the AFC with a chance to overtake the Chiefs in the final month of the season. The Bills have three games against the Patriots and Jets remaining.
Philadelphia wins the battle of Pennsylvania, downing the Steelers
The Eagles proved to be perhaps the most dangerous team in the NFL by downing their cross-state rivals. Philly hung 27 on the Steelers defense and held a red-hot Pittsburgh offense to just 13 points.
Buccaneers blow out Chargers in battle of playoff hopefuls
Tampa Bay went to Southern California and hung a 40-burger on the Chargers. Los Angeles stays in playoff position with the loss, but it’s a huge blow for them. The Bucs meanwhile stay ahead of the Falcons for the lead in the NFC South.
Broncos solidify their playoff spot with a win over Colts
Meanwhile, the Indianapolis Colts had a chance to close the gap in the wild card race but could not overcome self-inflicted wounds. Denver is now two games plus a tiebreaker up with three games left and sitting pretty for a playoff berth.
Commanders get critical stop to beat Saints
Washington was rolling over New Orleans, but needed a huge defensive stand at the end of the game to secure the win. The Saints scored what could have been a game-tying touchdown, but elected to go for two and the win. They came up short and Washington won. The win means the Eagles have to wait another week to get a clinching scenario for the NFC East.
Texans on verge of AFC South title
The Texans held off the Dolphins thanks to a pair of picks by Derek Stingley. They won 20-12 and in doing so set up a clinching scenario heading into the 4 p.m. window. If the Colts lose, the Texans will clinch the AFC South title. The Dolphins are not eliminated from playoff contention, but they’re in a bad spot.
Rams all but eliminate 49ers
LA won in Santa Clara on Thursday Night Football to sweep the season series. The Rams could move into first place if the Seahawks lose to the Packers on Sunday Night Football. The 49ers dropped to 6-8 and with only three games remaining, they could be eliminated from playoff contention in Week 16.
Which NFL teams have already clinched playoff spots?
When they moved to 11 wins in Week 13, the Kansas City Chiefs became the first NFL team in the NFL to clinch a playoff spot. The Buffalo Bills clinched the AFC East last Sunday night, ensuring a home playoff game. The Lions secured their playoff spot with the Thursday night win while the Philadelphia Eagles joined them on Sunday.
- Kansas City Chiefs
- Buffalo Bills
- Detroit Lions
- Philadelphia Eagles
Which NFL teams have been eliminated from the playoffs?
In Week 13, the Giants became the first team this season to be officially eliminated from the playoff race. On Black Friday, the Raiders joined them with their tenth loss of the season and they are also eliminated. On Sunday, the Patriots were also eliminated them with a loss and wins by the Chargers and Texans. With the Broncos win on Monday night, they eliminated the Jaguars from the playoffs. In Week 14, the Browns joined the list. The Week 15 elimination group includes the Bears and Panthers.
- New York Giants
- New England Patriots
- Jacksonville Jaguars
- Las Vegas Raiders
- Tennessee Titans
- Cleveland Browns
- New York Jets
- Chicago Bears
- Carolina Panthers
NFL Division Standings
AFC East standings
- Buffalo Bills, 11-3 — division clinched
- Miami Dolphins, 6-8
- New York Jets, 4-10 — eliminated from playoff contention
- New England Patriots, 3-11 — eliminated from playoff contention
AFC North standings
- Pittsburgh Steelers, 10-4
- Baltimore Ravens, 9-5
- Cincinnati Bengals, 6-8
- Cleveland Browns, 3-11 — eliminated from playoff contention
AFC South standings
- Houston Texans, 9-5
- Indianapolis Colts, 6-8
- Jacksonville Jaguars, 3-11 — eliminated from playoff contention
- Tennessee Titans, 3-11 — eliminated from playoff contention
AFC West standings
- Kansas City Chiefs, 13-1 — division clinched
- Denver Broncos, 9-5
- Los Angeles Chargers, 8-6
- Las Vegas Raiders, 2-11 — eliminated from playoff contention
NFC East standings
- Philadelphia Eagles, 12-2
- Washington Commanders, 9-5
- Dallas Cowboys, 6-8
- New York Giants, 2-12 — eliminated from playoff contention
NFC North standings
- Detroit Lions, 12-2
- Minnesota Vikings, 11-2
- Green Bay Packers, 9-4
- Chicago Bears, 4-9 — eliminated from playoff contention
NFC South standings
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 8-6
- Atlanta Falcons, 6-7
- New Orleans Saints, 5-9
- Carolina Panthers, 3-11 — eliminated from playoff contention
NFC West standings
- Seattle Seahawks, 8-5
- Los Angeles Rams, 8-6
- Arizona Cardinals, 7-7
- San Francisco 49ers, 6-8
