Bleacher Report

NFL Standings 2024: Results, Playoff Picture and Bracket Scenarios After Week 15

David Kenyon

As the Kansas City Chiefs inched closer to home-field advantage for the 2024 NFL playoffs, the NFC race tightened.

Josh Allen continued his potential MVP-winning season with another huge box score in a win over the Detroit Lions. The result moved the Philadelphia Eagles—who defeated in-state rivals the Pittsburgh Steelers—into a deadlock atop the NFC standings.

Additionally, the AFC wild-card race became a bit clearer as the Denver Broncos rolled past the Indianapolis Colts, a result that clinched the AFC South for the Houston Texans, too.

This piece was updated Sunday night.

NFL Week 15 Results

Nico Collins Ken Murray/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Thursday, Dec. 12

Los Angeles Rams 12, San Francisco 49ers 6

Sunday, Dec. 15

Kansas City Chiefs 21, Cleveland Browns 7
Baltimore Ravens 35, New York Giants 14
Houston Texans 20, Miami Dolphins 12
Washington Commanders 20, New Orleans Saints 19
Cincinnati Bengals 37, Tennessee Titans 27
Dallas Cowboys 30, Carolina Panthers 14
New York Jets 32, Jacksonville Jaguars 25

Philadelphia Eagles 27, Pittsburgh Steelers 13
Buffalo Bills 48, Detroit Lions 42
Denver Broncos 31, Indianapolis Colts 13
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 40, Los Angeles Chargers 17
Arizona Cardinals 30, New England Patriots 17

Green Bay Packers 30, Seattle Seahawks 13

Monday, Dec. 16

Chicago Bears at Minnesota Vikings, 8 p.m.
Atlanta Falcons at Las Vegas Raiders, 8:30 p.m.

All times ET

AFC Playoff Picture

Patrick Mahomes Jason Miller/Getty Images

Division Leaders

1. Kansas City Chiefs (13-1, clinched AFC West)
2. Buffalo Bills (11-3, clinched AFC East)
3. Pittsburgh Steelers (10-4, AFC North)
4. Houston Texans (9-5, clinched AFC South)

Behind a dominant defense in a 21-7 win at Cleveland, Kansas City continued its march toward the No. 1 seed in the AFC. The team's main concern, though, is whether an ankle injury will sideline Patrick Mahomes for any amount of time. That two-game advantage on Buffalo could dissipate quickly if the Chiefs are without Mahomes.

Wild-Card Race

5. Baltimore Ravens (9-5)
6. Denver Broncos (9-5)
7. Los Angeles Chargers (8-6)

What a season for Sean Payton, Bo Nix and the Broncos. They are—in simplest terms—a single win away from securing a postseason berth following Sunday's victory over the Colts. Same applies to the Ravens, who routed the Giants and moved within a game of the Steelers in the AFC North.

In the Hunt

8. Indianapolis Colts (6-8)
9. Miami Dolphins (6-8)
10. Cincinnati Bengals (6-8)

Miami's playoff hopes took a significant hit in Week 15 as the offense flat-out stunk in a 20-12 loss to Houston. Tua Tagovailoa threw for just 196 yards on 40 attempts and tossed three interceptions in the ugly setback. Indianapolis wasted an opportunity to get within a game of the Broncos and hold a key tiebreaker, falling to the Broncos 31-13.

Eliminated

11. New York Jets (4-10)
12. Cleveland Browns (3-11)
13. Jacksonville Jaguars (3-11)
14. Tennessee Titans (3-11)
15. New England Patriots (3-11)
16. Las Vegas Raiders (2-11)

No changes in this section. Each franchise had already been eliminated from playoff contention before Week 15.

NFC Playoff Picture

Terry McLaurin Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images

Division Leaders

1. Detroit Lions (12-2, NFC North)
2. Philadelphia Eagles (12-2, NFC East)
3. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (8-6, NFC South)
4. Los Angeles Rams (8-6, NFC West)

As the Lions struggled to slow a sizzling Josh Allen and the Bills, the Eagles handled the Steelers. Detroit currently owns the tiebreaker on Philly, but this should be a fun battle down the stretch. Tampa's emphatic win against the Chargers pushed the Bucs a valuable step closer to winning an unimpressive NFC South.

Wild-Card Race

5. Minnesota Vikings (11-2)
6. Green Bay Packers (10-4)
7. Washington Commanders (9-5)

Thanks to a well-defended two-point conversion on the final snap of the game, Washington pulled out a 20-19 thriller over the Saints. The victory ensured the Commanders would maintain their one-game advantage on the Rams for the NFC's final playoff spot.

In the Hunt

8. Seattle Seahawks (8-6)
9. Arizona Cardinals (7-7)
10. Atlanta Falcons (6-7)
11. San Francisco 49ers (6-8)
12. Dallas Cowboys (6-8)
13. New Orleans Saints (5-9)

Although the Cowboys won Sunday, they sit on the mathematical edge of elimination and need an improbable set of results to legitimately stay in the hunt. Similarly, the Saints—who cannot be a wild-card team—are perched on the very fringe of the NFC South discussion.

Eliminated

14. Chicago Bears (4-9)
15. Carolina Panthers (3-11)
16. New York Giants (2-12)

It would have taken a miracle for the Bears or Panthers to make the playoffs, of course, but they're now officially out of the running. Carolina has missed the postseason in seven straight years.

Remaining Week 15 Scenarios

Sam Darnold Stephen Maturen/Getty Images

Sunday night's action includes a clinching scenario for the Green Bay Packers, who could seal a playoff berth with a victory over the Seattle Seahawks.

If that happens, the Minnesota Vikings are formally in, too.

That's a realistic inevitability, given Minnesota needs a loss by either of the Rams or Seahawks to lock up a postseason berth. Those two franchises meet in Week 18 anyway, so it's just a matter of "when" for the Vikings to announce their playoff future.

Should the Seahawks beat Green Bay, Minnesota can clinch a spot Monday night with a win at home against the Chicago Bears.

Editor's note: Green Bay defeated Seattle 30-13, locking both the Packers and Vikings into the playoffs.

   

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