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 (12-1)
2. x-Philadelphia Eagles (11-2)
3. Seattle Seahawks (8-5)
4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-6)
5. Minnesota Vikings (11-2)
6. Green Bay Packers (9-4)
7. Washington Commanders (8-5)
8. Los Angeles Rams (8-6)
9. Atlanta Falcons (6-7, 6-3 NFC)
10. Arizona Cardinals (6-7)
11. San Francisco 49ers (6-8)
12. New Orleans Saints (5-8, win over DAL)
13. Dallas Cowboys (5-8, loss to NO)*
14. Chicago Bears (4-9)*
15. Carolina Panthers (3-10)
16. New York Giants (2-12) — eliminated
AFC standings during Week 15
1. y-Kansas City Chiefs (12-1)
2. y-Buffalo Bills (10-3, SOV 59 wins)
3. Pittsburgh Steelers (10-3, SOV 52 wins)
4. Houston Texans (8-5)
5. Baltimore Ravens (9-5)
6. Los Angeles Chargers (8-5, win over DEN)*
7. Denver Broncos (8-5)*
8. Indianapolis Colts (6-7, win over MIA)
9. Miami Dolphins (6-7)*
10. Cincinnati Bengals (5-8)*
11. Cleveland Browns (3-10) — eliminated
12. Jacksonville Jaguars (3-10) — eliminated
13. New York Jets (3-10) — eliminated
14. Tennessee Titans (3-10) — eliminated
15. New England Patriots (3-10) — eliminated
16. Las Vegas Raiders (2-11) — eliminated
Note: In the five-way tie between Cleveland, Jacksonville, New York, Tennessee, and New England, divisional tiebreakers first drop the Titans (loss to Jaguars) and the Patriots (common games tiebreaker to Jets). The Jets then drop behind the Browns and Jaguars due to the conference record tiebreaker and the Browns finish ahead of the Jaguars due to head-to-head. Then it’s the Jaguars and Jets, where Jacksonville wins a head-to-head tiebreaker. The Jets and Titans go head to head after that, and New York beat Tennessee. The Titans beat the Patriots, so they are next.
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
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 Denver Broncos win on Monday night, they eliminated the Jacksonville Jaguars from the playoffs. In Week 14, the Cleveland Browns joined the list.
- New York Giants
- New England Patriots
- Jacksonville Jaguars
- Las Vegas Raiders
- Tennessee Titans
- Cleveland Browns
- New York Jets
NFL Division Standings
AFC East standings
- Buffalo Bills, 10-3 — division clinched
- Miami Dolphins, 6-7
- New York Jets, 3-10 — eliminated from playoff contention
- New England Patriots, 3-10 — eliminated from playoff contention
AFC North standings
- Pittsburgh Steelers, 10-3
- Baltimore Ravens, 9-5
- Cincinnati Bengals, 5-8
- Cleveland Browns, 3-10 — eliminated from playoff contention
AFC South standings
- Houston Texans, 8-5
- Indianapolis Colts, 6-7
- Jacksonville Jaguars, 3-10 — eliminated from playoff contention
- Tennessee Titans, 3-10 — eliminated from playoff contention
AFC West standings
- Kansas City Chiefs, 12-1 — division clinched
- Los Angeles Chargers, 8-5
- Denver Broncos, 8-5
- Las Vegas Raiders, 2-11 — eliminated from playoff contention
NFC East standings
- Philadelphia Eagles, 11-2
- Washington Commanders, 8-5
- Dallas Cowboys, 5-8
- New York Giants, 2-12 — eliminated from playoff contention
NFC North standings
- Detroit Lions, 12-1
- Minnesota Vikings, 11-2
- Green Bay Packers, 9-4
- Chicago Bears, 4-9
NFC South standings
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 7-6
- Atlanta Falcons, 6-7
- New Orleans Saints, 5-8
- Carolina Panthers, 3-10
NFC West standings
- Seattle Seahawks, 8-5
- Los Angeles Rams, 8-6
- Arizona Cardinals, 6-7
- San Francisco 49ers, 6-8