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NFL Playoff Picture 2024-25: Bracket Clinching and Elimination Scenarios for Week 15

Adam Wells

After no new playoff spots were locked up in Week 14, there are four teams that can clinch their postseason berth in Week 15.

There are already four teams that have punched their playoff ticket, including the Detroit Lions, Philadelphia Eagles, Kansas City Chiefs and Buffalo Bills. The Bills and Chiefs have won their respective division title.

Of the seven teams that have been eliminated from playoff contention, six have come from the AFC. The New York Giants are the only NFC club that has officially been eliminated going into Week 15.

Here is an updated look at the standings, playoff-clinching scenarios and elimination scenarios going into the Week 15 slate of games.

Scenarios via NFLPlayoffScenarios.com.

Team Standings

Mitchell Leff/Getty Images

AFC Standings

Division Leaders

1. Kansas City Chiefs (12-1; clinched AFC West)

2. Buffalo Bills (10-3; clinched AFC East)

3. Pittsburgh Steelers (10-3)

4. Houston Texans (8-5)

Wild-Card Race

5. Baltimore Ravens (8-5)

6. Los Angeles Chargers (8-5)

7. Denver Broncos (8-5)

8. Indianapolis Colts (6-7)

9. Miami Dolphins (6-7)

10. Cincinnati Bengals (5-8)

11. Cleveland Browns (3-10)

12. Jacksonville Jaguars (3-10)

13. New York Jets (3-10)

14. Tennessee Titans (3-10)

15. New England Patriots (3-10)

16. Las Vegas Raiders (2-11)

NFC Standings

Division Leaders

1. Detroit Lions (12-1; clinched playoff berth)

2. Philadelphia Eagles (11-2; clinched playoff berth)

3. Seattle Seahawks (8-5)

4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-6)

Wild-Card Race

5. Minnesota Vikings (11-2)

6. Green Bay Packers (9-4)

7. Washington Commanders (8-5)

8. Los Angeles Rams (7-6)

9. Atlanta Falcons (6-7)

10. Arizona Cardinals (6-7)

11. San Francisco 49ers (6-7)

12. New Orleans Saints (5-8)

13. Dallas Cowboys (5-8)

14. Chicago Bears (4-9)

15. Carolina Panthers (3-10)

16. New York Giants (2-11)

Italics indicates team eliminated from playoff contention

Week 15 Playoff Clinching Scenarios

Stephen Maturen/Getty Images

Philadelphia Eagles clinch NFC East

Minnesota Vikings clinch playoff berth

Green Bay Packers clinch playoff berth

Houston Texans clinch AFC South

The NFC North could end the weekend with three playoff teams, though it is a long shot for both the Vikings and Packers to get in.

Minnesota has the simplest path of the two, needing just a win over the Chicago Bears or one of the Rams or Seahawks to lose.

The Packers will now by the end of Thursday night based on the result of the Rams-49ers game if they can clinch. It seems unlikely the NFC West rivals will tie, but stranger things have happened. The Rams and Niners did play to a tie during the 2012 season.

Coming out of their bye last week, the Houston Texans have an opportunity to win the AFC South for the second straight year with a win over the Miami Dolphins and an Indianapolis Colts loss to the Denver Broncos.

The Texans have lost three of their last five games, but they built up enough of a cushion early in the season that they aren't in immediate danger of missing the playoffs. If they lose and the Colts win this weekend, things could get interesting because the Texans' next two games are against the Chiefs and Baltimore Ravens.

In addition to trying to keep pace with the Lions for the No. 1 seed in the NFC, the Eagles can win the NFC East for the second time in three years. They need a victory and loss by the Commanders to do it, but they are a safe bet to win the division title very soon.

Week 15 Elimination Scenarios

Cooper Neill/Getty Images

NFC Elimination Scenarios

Carolina Panthers

Even though the Panthers' season is on the verge of being over as far as their playoff hopes are concerned, the most important thing that has happened to the franchise is Bryce Young's improved play over the last three weeks.

Young nearly led the Panthers to one of the biggest upsets of the season on Sunday against the Eagles. He should be able to continue his upward trajectory against a bad Dallas Cowboys defense this week.

Dallas Cowboys

The Cowboys' misery could potentially come to an end this week with a loss vs. the Panthers and a victory by the Washington Commanders.

Monday's loss to the Cincinnati Bengals was a perfect encapsulation of this Cowboys' season. They blocked a punt in the final minute of regulation, but the Bengals got the ball back to score the game-winning touchdown when Amani Oruwariye couldn't corral the ball when he inexplicably tried to pick it up.

Chicago Bears

The once-promising start for the Bears has given way to a disastrous seven-week stretch. They haven't won a game since before their bye in Week 7, fired Shane Waldron as their offensive coordinator and Matt Eberflus as head coach.

Chicago's nadir came on Sunday with a 38-13 loss to the injury-ravaged San Francisco 49ers. Things don't get easier for the Bears in Week 15 when they take on the Vikings at U.S. Bank Stadium.

AFC Elimination Scenarios

Cincinnati Bengals

Arguably the most disappointing team of the 2024 season, the Bengals could keep hope alive for at least one more week with a winnable game against the Tennessee Titans in Week 15.

There is a path for the Bengals to make the playoffs if they win out, but it will require a lot of other things going right. They are three games behind the Denver Broncos for the final playoff spot.

If the Broncos lose to the Colts, their remaining schedule is against the Chargers, Bengals and Chiefs. Cincinnati has to play the Browns, Broncos and Steelers to end the season.

Given the issues on Cincinnati's defense, it's hard to see this team stringing together five straight wins. But it's not an impossible task with that group of opponents, especially if the Steelers have locked up the AFC North prior to that Week 18 game.

   

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