That being said, Week 15 had the potential to be the defining weekend in the NFL, and it lives up to that billing. There were several playoff scenarios this weekend and the big picture is starting to emerge.
However, one thing that is still in progress is the AFC East crown. The New England Patriots had a chance to secure the division on Sunday with a win, but the Buffalo Bills rallied from a 21-point deficit to keep their hopes of winning the AFC East alive for at least another week. Meanwhile, the Cincinnati Bengals are officially eliminated from the playoffs after the Baltimore Ravens pulled off a key win in the AFC North to remain in playoff contention.
However, perhaps the most significant event took place at Arrowhead Stadium, where the Kansas City Chiefs played. officially eliminated from the playoffs. Moreover, Patrick Mahomes left the match late in the fourth quarter due to a left knee injury, which since it turned out that it was a cruciate ligament rupture.
The afternoon window took the baton from the early slate and ran with it. The Los Angeles Rams clinched the playoffs after beating the Detroit Lions, as did the Denver Broncos by beating the Green Bay Packers in a heavyweight showdown at Mile High. Meanwhile, the Carolina Panthers had a chance to clinch first place in the NFC South but ended up on the wrong end of the scoreboard and the New Orleans Saints came up short.
With a massive Week 15 program unfolding before our eyes, now is the time to take a look at the playoff picture in real life. Below we'll break down who is currently in and out of the postseason.
AFC standings
- X-Denver Broncos (12-2)
- New England Patriots (11-3)
- Jacksonville Jaguars (10-4)
- Pittsburgh Steelers (7-6)
- Los Angeles Chargers (10-4)
- Buffalo Bills (10-4)
- Houston Texans (9-5)
x-trip to the playoffs
1. Denver Broncos (12-2)
Remaining schedule: vs. Jaguars, on Managersagainst chargers
After winning their 11th straight game with a 34-26 win over the Green Bay Packers, the Broncos are 12-2 and have officially clinched a playoff berth. They have a strong cushion in the AFC West and have even more breathing room in the race for the No. 1 seed thanks to Buffalo's win over the New England Patriots.
2. New England Patriots (11-3)
Remaining schedule: V CrowsV Jetsagainst. Dolphins
The Patriots had a chance to clinch the AFC East title with a win over Buffalo on Sunday, but they blew a 21-point lead in Week 15 and had their winning streak snapped. New England remains in first place in the division, but the Bills are hiding.
With the exception of Buffalo, this loss currently doesn't help the Patriots in the race for Denver's top spot.
3. Jacksonville Jaguars (10-4)
Remaining schedule: in the Broncos, in Coltsagainst. Titans
The Jaguars have now won five games in a row after a blowout win over the New York Jets. This helps them maintain first place in the AFC South over the surging Houston Texans.
4. Pittsburgh Steelers (7-6)
Remaining schedule: against dolphins, in LionsV Brownsvs. Ravens
Pittsburgh returned to first place in the AFC North standings after defeating the Ravens; however, there is still a lot to be determined in this division. Baltimore just beat the Cincinnati Bengals, so a lot will depend on the Steelers' matchup against the Miami Dolphins on Monday night, especially with another head-to-head matchup with Baltimore still on the court in Week 18.
5. Los Angeles Chargers (10-4)
Remaining schedule: V Cowboysagainst the Texans in the Broncos
The Chargers picked up their 10th win of the season and knocked the Kansas City Chiefs out of playoff contention on Sunday with a convincing win over Arrowhead. This win not only keeps them as the No. 1 team, but also remains within Denver's reach in the AFC West.
6. Buffalo Bills (10-4)
Remaining schedule: in Browns, vs. Eaglesvs Jets
It's impossible to overstate how important Buffalo's win over the Patriots was. Having erased another double-digit deficit, the Bills are still alive in the AFC East race, meaning there is still a chance for a higher seed and a home playoff game.
7. Houston Texans (9-5)
Remaining schedule: against. Raiderson the Chargers, against the Colts
After starting the season 0–3, the Texans returned to the playoffs as a seventh seed and pulled off an impressive win over the Cardinals at home. They've now won six games in a row and are hot on the heels of the Jaguars in the AFC South, so there's room to move even higher.
On the hunt
Colts (8-6) are still mathematically searching, but they have a tough road ahead, especially after they couldn't overcome the loss in Seattle.
The team that may have the best chance in this group to make the postseason is Crows (7-7)especially after the Bengals failed to get back to .500 on the year. That puts them right behind the Steelers (who play Monday) in the AFC North, with one more game to play in the regular-season finale.
Surprisingly Dolphins (6-7) are still lurking on the outskirts after winning four games in a row, but there's a lot to do right. Besides likely needing to win, Miami will need multiple wild card contenders to collapse, as it currently loses tiebreakers to the Colts, Chargers and Ravens.
Predicting the entire 2025 NFL playoff bracket and Week 15 Super Bowl winner.
John Breech
NFC standings
- X-Los Angeles Rams (11-3)
- Chicago Bears (10-4)
- Philadelphia Eagles (9-5)
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-7)
- Seattle Seahawks (11-3)
- San Francisco 49ers (10-4)
- Green Bay Packers (9-4-1)
x-trip to the playoffs
1. Los Angeles Rams (11-3)
Remaining schedule: to Seahawks, to Falconsagainst the cardinals
The Rams officially clinched the playoffs after beating the Detroit Lions in Week 15. Not only did they punch their ticket to the postseason, but the win helped Los Angeles keep both the Seahawks and 49ers at arm's length with both NFC West rivals hot on their heels. Next week's matchup against Seattle will prove monumental in clinching the division. However, Sean McVay and company are now in the driver's seat fighting for first place.
2. Chicago Bears (10-4)
Remaining schedule: vs. Packers, vs. 49ers, vs. Lions
The Bears posted double-digit wins on the season after a convincing win over the Cleveland Browns at Soldier Field. With the Denver Broncos' win over the Packers, Chicago moved back into first place in the NFC North and currently sits in second place in the conference. Of course, this puts even more emphasis on what was already a huge matchup with Green Bay next week.
3. Philadelphia Eagles (9-5)
Remaining schedule: V Commandersin Bills vs Commanders
Philadelphia snapped a three-game losing streak with a convincing win over the Raiders on Sunday. Jalen Hurts came back strong with three passing touchdowns, and the win keeps the Eagles firmly atop the NFC East.
4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-7)
Remaining schedule: at the Panthers, at the Dolphins, against the Panthers
Even after a demoralizing loss to the Falcons on Thursday, the Buccaneers emerged from Week 15 in first place in the NFC South division. This came as the New Orleans Saints upset the Carolina Panthers to move them to 7-7 on the season. Tampa Bay currently holds the tiebreaker over Carolina thanks to a better winning percentage against regular opponents. However, both head-to-head matches are still to come, starting next week in Carolina.
5. Seattle Seahawks (11-3)
Remaining schedule: vs. Rams, vs. Panthers, vs. 49ers
Seattle narrowly escaped a win in Week 15. The club allowed Philip Rivers to hold on just long enough to get the Colts within striking distance, but a game-winning field goal with 18 seconds left in regulation helped secure the victory. The Seahawks are now 11-3, tied with the Rams for first place in the NFC West at the time. Los Angeles currently holds the tiebreaker thanks to a head-to-head win in Week 11, but the two will meet on Thursday.
6. San Francisco 49ers (10-4)
Remaining schedule: at Colts, vs. Bears, vs. Seahawks
The Niners are quietly lurking in the NFC playoff race. Despite being ranked sixth, San Francisco is 10-4 and poised to pounce if their division rivals slip away. The team split the head-to-head series with the Rams but currently has the edge over Seattle, whom the 49ers will face again in Week 18.
There's a world in which the 49ers could suddenly rise much higher in the standings if some pieces fall over the next three weeks.
7. Green Bay Packers (9-4-1)
Remaining schedule: at the Bears, against the Ravens, at the Vikings
Green Bay has seen a significant fall from grace. After coming into Week 15 as the No. 2 seed and the top seed in the NFC North, they suddenly fell to the No. 7 spot after a loss to the Denver Broncos. The loss helped Chicago move past the Packers into first place in the division, putting even more emphasis on next week's matchup. To make matters worse, pass rusher Micah Parsons left Sunday's loss with a serious knee injury.
With Green Bay sweeping the Lions in the season series, the Packers have some wiggle room before falling out of the playoff picture entirely.
On the hunt
Lions (8-6) had their backs against the wall after falling to the Los Angeles Rams. This loss still keeps them on the outside looking in on the playoff picture as a No. 8 seed as they sit in third place in the NFC North. They're not out of the race yet, but they definitely need to win and get some help along the way.
Carolina Panthers (7-7) They had a great opportunity to put some space between them and the Buccaneers for first place in the NFC South, they just needed a win over the Saints to move to 8-6 while Tampa Bay stumbled to 7-7 with a loss to Atlanta on Thursday. However, the Panthers allowed New Orleans to pull off the upset, bringing them back to .500 for the season. Since they are tied with the Bucs, they lose the tiebreaker due to their inferior record against regular opponents. Of course, the Panthers can get back into action with two of their three remaining games in the season against Tampa.
Cowboys (6-7-1) are on life support after Sunday night's loss to the Vikings, all but ending any hopes of a postseason berth.
