AFC and NFC fields are still shifting

Each week during the 2024 NFL regular season, USA TODAY Sports will provide timely updates on the league’s ever-evolving playoff picture – typically starting after late games on Sunday afternoon and continuing through the remainder of the week (through Monday and Thursday). games or Saturdays, if applicable).

What just happened? What does it mean? What relevant factors (and perhaps the deciding factors) will play a prominent role as each conference’s seven-team bracket begins to emerge? Everything will be explained and analyzed until the postseason field is finalized on Sunday, January 5th.

Here’s where things stand in Week 15 of the 2024 season:

NFC playoff image

x – 1. Detroit Lions (12-1), NFC North leaders: For the first time in their 95-year history, they have won 12 games in consecutive seasons – and by taking the nail-biter away from the Packers in Week 14, the Lions are officially qualified for the 2024 postseason. An important game against Buffalo on Sunday afternoon in Motown, but – given the nature of the interconference – one that shouldn’t necessarily be decisive in the tiebreaker area if Detroit and its weakened defense stumble. Remaining schedule: against Bills, at Bears, at 49ers, against Vikings

NFL STATISTICS CENTER: The latest NFL scores, schedules, odds, stats and more.

x – 2. Philadelphia Eagles (11-2), NFC East leaders: Winners of nine straight games, they cannot win the division on Sunday after Washington’s win in New Orleans. Remaining schedule: against Steelers, at Commanders, against Cowboys, against Giants

3. Seattle Seahawks (8-5), NFC West leaders: A loss on Sunday night would knock them out of the division lead due to their loss to the Rams in Week 9. Remaining schedule: against Packers, against Vikings, at Bears, at Rams

4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-6), NFC South leaders: Their weak schedule down the stretch and Atlanta’s ongoing collapse finally did what many expected – the Bucs shot into first place last week by beating the Raiders while the Falcons collapsed in Minneapolis. Atlanta’s season win over Tampa means the Buccaneers, who last finished in first place in 2020, must remain plus-one in the win column. Remaining schedule: at Chargers, at Cowboys, vs. Panthers, vs. Saints

5. Minnesota Vikings (11-2), Wild Card No. 1: Minnesota can clinch a spot by beating Chicago on Monday night – although it would first be assured of a loss in Seattle. Remaining schedule: vs. Bears, at Seahawks, vs. Packers, at Lions

6. Green Bay Packers (9-4), Wild Card No. 2: The win against Detroit will see the Pack relegated to wild card status, but it will have to wait at least another week to secure the win. Remaining schedule: at Seahawks, vs. Saints, at Vikings, vs. Bears

7. Washington Commanders (9-5), No. 3 seed: They barely outlasted the Saints, but it was enough to keep them alive for another week while the NFC East was still technically up for grabs. Remaining schedule: vs. Eagles, vs. Falcons, at Cowboys

8. Los Angeles Rams (8-6), in the hunt: Win and the Rams – now a half-game behind Seattle – are NFC West champions. LA, also in the wild-card hunt, will move into first place in its division on Sunday night if Seattle loses. Remaining schedule: at Jets, vs. Cardinals, vs. Seahawks

9. Atlanta Falcons (6-7), in the hunt: Their margin for error has disappeared, and with it first place in the NFC South, after their losing streak extended to four on Sunday at Minnesota as the Falcons fell five spots in the conference standings. Still, their season win over the Bucs means they only need to draw level with Tampa Bay to retake the division lead. Remaining schedule: at Raiders, vs. Giants, at Commanders, vs. Panthers

10. Arizona Cardinals (6-7), in the hunt: A win over Seattle could have put them back at the top of the NFC West in Week 14. Instead, the Cards lost their third straight and are all but out of contention. They also fell behind Atlanta, which has three more conference wins than Arizona. Remaining schedule: against Patriots, against Panthers, against Rams, against 49ers

11. San Francisco 49ers (6-8), in contention: Thursday’s loss to the Rams was a near-fatal blow to the reigning NFC champions, who have a greater than 99% chance of missing the postseason, according to NFL.com. Remaining schedule: at Dolphins, vs. Lions, at Cardinals

13. Dallas Cowboys (6-8), in the hunt: Like the Niners, to whom they lost in Week 8, they are hoping to be on life support after the season despite Sunday’s win in Charlotte. Remaining schedule: vs. Buccaneers, at Eagles, vs. Commanders

All the NFL news on and off the field. Sign up for USA TODAY’s 4th and Monday newsletter.

AFC playoff image

Year – 1. Kansas City Chiefs (13-1), AFC West Champions: A 21-7 win in Cleveland on Sunday gives them home field advantage… assuming quarterback Patrick Mahomes’ ankle injury isn’t too serious. Remaining schedule: against Texans, at Steelers, at Broncos

J – 2. Buffalo Bills (10-3), AFC East champions: This potentially crucial tiebreaker against the Chiefs won’t be worth much if the Bills, losers of that entertaining exhibition with the Rams last Sunday, can’t keep up with the reigning champions. Remaining schedule: at Lions, vs. Patriots, vs. Jets, at Patriots

3. Pittsburgh Steelers (10-3), AFC North leaders: They remain relevant in the discussion about home advantage. The win strength tiebreaker currently has Pittsburgh looking up to Buffalo. Remaining schedule: at Eagles, at Ravens, vs. Chiefs, vs. Bengals

4. Houston Texans (9-5), AFC South leaders: A loss by Indianapolis in Denver ensures Houston’s second straight championship title. Remaining schedule: at Chiefs, vs. Ravens, at Titans

5. Baltimore Ravens (9-5), Wild Card No. 1: They cruised past the sleepwalking Giants, but now the Ravens really need an Eagles win to put Pittsburgh, the Ravens’ Week 16 opponent, back in focus for the AFC North throne. Remaining schedule: against Steelers, at Texans, against Browns

6. Los Angeles Chargers (8-5), Wild Card No. 2: Even if they get pressured (and doinked) again by the Chiefs, they’ll have to do a lot of “Charger-ing” to get a golden chance in their first year under HC Jim Harbaugh…even though they’re at extra playoff caliber The squad will meet in the next two weeks. Remaining schedule: against Buccaneers, against Broncos, at Patriots, at Raiders

7. Denver Broncos (8-5), wild card No. 3: They have a great chance to make their first postseason trip since winning Super Bowl 50 nine years ago. But a game with Indianapolis could put them in trouble. They currently remain suppressed as the seventh seed due to losses to the Ravens and Chargers. Remaining schedule: against Colts, against Chargers, against Bengals, against Chiefs

8. Indianapolis Colts (6-7), in the hunt: A win in Denver in Week 15 would put them one game away from a postseason slot. Remaining schedule: at Broncos, vs. Titans, at Giants, vs. Jaguars

9. Miami Dolphins (6-8), in the hunt: After Sunday’s loss in Houston, it’s basically over. Remaining schedule: against 49ers, at Browns, at Jets

10. Cincinnati Bengals (6-8), in the hunt: They won in Nashville on Sunday, which means there’s still a weak pulse. A worse record in AFC games leaves them trailing Miami. Remaining schedule: vs. Browns, vs. Broncos, at Steelers

NFL playoff win scenarios for Week 15

Houston clinches the AFC South Division title with:

▶ Colts loss

Pittsburgh secures the playoff spot with:

Win or draw
Colts lose or draw

Breaking News

Dellupodisabato

AFC and NFC fields are still shifting

Leave a Reply Cancel reply