NFL Playoff Picture - Week 15: Postseason seeds, projected draft order
NFL Playoff Picture is a weekly look at the teams jockeying to secure their shot to make it to Super Bowl LIX.
AFC
| Seed | Team | Division | Record |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chiefs (y) | West | 13-1 |
| 2 | Bills (y) | East | 11-3 |
| 3 | Steelers (x) | North | 10-4 |
| 4 | Texans (y) | South | 9-5 |
| 5 | Ravens | North | 9-5 |
| 6 | Broncos | West | 9-5 |
| 7 | Chargers | West | 8-6 |
x = clinched playoff berth
y = clinched division title
z = clinched first-round bye
Two games still separate the Kansas City Chiefs and Buffalo Bills. Kansas City defeated the Cleveland Browns but saw quarterback Patrick Mahomes sustain an ankle injury. Meanwhile, Buffalo claimed a massive win over the Lions in Detroit. The Bills still play the New England Patriots (twice) and New York Jets, so winning every remaining game is a real possibility, though catching the Chiefs will be hard with only three games left. Kansas City's remaining opponents are the Houston Texans, Pittsburgh Steelers, and Denver Broncos.
The Steelers and Texans joined the Chiefs and Bills in clinching a playoff berth. Pittsburgh lost to the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday, but the Indianapolis Colts' loss to the Denver Broncos, combined with the Miami Dolphins' loss to the Texans earlier in the day, secured Pittsburgh's spot. The Colts' defeat helped the Texans, who claimed the AFC South title for a second straight year.
With the triumph over Indy, the Broncos significantly increased their playoff chances, which are currently at 91%, according to The Athletic. The Broncos are now ahead of the Los Angeles Chargers, and the two will go head to head Thursday night in a divisional matchup with big seeding implications. Denver and Baltimore have the same record, but the Ravens remain the 5-seed because they beat the Broncos earlier this season.
In the hunt
| Seed | Team | Division | Record |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8 | Colts | South | 6-8 |
| 9 | Dolphins | East | 6-8 |
| 10 | Bengals | North | 6-8 |
It'll be very hard for the Colts, Dolphins, or Cincinnati Bengals to sneak into the playoffs. Indianapolis finished Sunday with five total turnovers in its defeat to Denver, while Miami couldn't do much versus Houston. The Athletic gives the Colts and Dolphins a 16% and 7% chance of making the postseason, respectively. Cincinnati did defeat the Tennessee Titans this week, but its chances are only at 5%.
NFC
| Seed | Team | Division | Record |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lions (x) | North | 12-2 |
| 2 | Eagles (x) | East | 12-2 |
| 3 | Buccaneers | South | 8-6 |
| 4 | Rams | West | 8-6 |
| 5 | Vikings (x) | North | 11-2 |
| 6 | Packers | North | 10-4 |
| 7 | Commanders | East | 9-5 |
x = clinched playoff berth
y = clinched division title
z = clinched first-round bye
The Lions and Eagles have the same record with three weeks left. Philadelphia cut Detroit's advantage in the race for the No. 1 seed after defeating Pittsburgh. The Lions suffered their second loss of the year to the Bills. Dan Campbell's outfit, however, remains the 1-seed in the NFC for having a better record than Philly in conference games. The Minnesota Vikings - who officially booked their postseason spot Sunday - can also improve to 12-2 if they beat the Chicago Bears on Monday Night Football. The Vikings would still be the 5-seed with a win this week because they lost their first meeting with the Lions. But the two division rivals will play each other again in a highly anticipated regular-season finale.
The Seattle Seahawks' Sunday night loss helped the Vikings secure their playoff berth and also cost Seattle the top spot in the West. Sean McVay's outfit has won four of its last five contests. The Rams and Seahawks are both 8-6, but L.A. owns the head-to-head tiebreaker here. They play each other again in three weeks.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers dominated the Chargers to put more pressure on the Atlanta Falcons, who have an easier remaining schedule but have lost four straight. Atlanta plays the Las Vegas Raiders on Monday, and a loss would increase Tampa Bay's 81% chance of winning the South.
The Washington Commanders held on to defeat the New Orleans Saints on Sunday to bolster their case as the No. 7 seed. Washington lost three straight games in November but has now won two in a row. The Commanders currently have an 87% chance of making the playoffs.
In the hunt
| Seed | Team | Division | Record |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8 | Seahawks | West | 8-6 |
| 9 | Cardinals | West | 7-7 |
| 10 | Falcons | South | 6-7 |
| 11 | 49ers | West | 6-8 |
| 12 | Cowboys | East | 6-8 |
Not only did the Seahawks lose first place in their division, but they fell out of the playoff picture completely after a home loss to the Green Bay Packers on Sunday. Seattle's playoff hopes remain very much alive, though. The team already swept its season series against the Arizona Cardinals and has another crucial matchup against the Rams on the schedule.
Projected NFL draft order
| Pick | Team |
|---|---|
| 1 | Giants |
| 2 | Raiders |
| 3 | Patriots |
| 4 | Jaguars |
| 5 | Panthers |
| 6 | Titans |
| 7 | Browns |
| 8 | Jets |
| 9 | Bears |
| 10 | Saints |
The New York Giants lost to the Ravens this week to fall to 2-12. New York is currently slated to pick first overall, but the Raiders can retake that spot if they lose to the Falcons on Monday night. New York and Las Vegas are the only two-win teams left, but the Raiders would own the strength of schedule tiebreaker. (The team that plays the schedule with the lower winning percentage receives the higher draft choice.)