NFL playoff picture: Packers in, Redskins out after Monday upset

If the season ended now:

 

AFC: (1) Patriots, (2) Raiders, (3) Steelers vs. (6) Dolphins, (4) Texans vs. (5) Chiefs

 

NFC: (1) Cowboys, (2) Seahawks, (3) Falcons vs. (6) Packers, (4) Lions vs. (5) Giants

 

The Redskins fell out of playoff position Monday with a home loss to the Panthers, allowing the Packers to edge the Buccaneers for current NFC wild-card placement.

The Patriots clinched the AFC East with a win at the Broncos, but the Raiders kept the pressure on in the race for the top spot in the conference. Oakland ended a 14-year playoff drought and regained the lead in the AFC West because of the Chiefs’ loss, which kept a clear path for the Titans to win the AFC South despite the Texans’ win.

The Giants’ win at the Lions kept the Cowboys from clinching the NFC East on Sunday night despite their win against the Buccaneers. It also gave the Packers a clear path to the NFC North title and bumped the Seahawks to No. 2 in the NFC.

Here’s the updated playoff picture after Week 15. Check back for more details before the Giants visit the Eagles on Thursday.

All times Eastern. x-clinched playoff berth, y-clinched division title

 

AFC

DIVISION LEADERS

 

y-1. New England Patriots (12-2, East champion; 9-1 conf, 3-1 div)
W 16-3 at Broncos; vs. Jets (Sat 1/CBS & DirecTV 708), at Dolphins

The Patriots clinched the East and a first-round playoff bye with a win at the Broncos. New England would clinch home-field advantage through the AFC playoffs with a win/tie against the Jets plus a Raiders loss/tie to the Colts.

 

x-2. Oakland Raiders (11-3, West leader; 8-2 conf, 3-2 div)
W 19-16 at Chargers; vs. Colts (Sat 4:05/CBS & 712), at Broncos

The Raiders clinched a playoff berth with a win at the Chargers. Oakland would clinch the West and a first-round playoff bye with a win/tie against the Colts plus a Chiefs loss/tie Christmas night to the Broncos.

 

3. Pittsburgh Steelers (9-5, North leader; 7-3 conf, 2-1 div)
W 24-20 at Bengals; vs. Ravens (Sun 4:30/NFLN), vs. Browns

The Steelers would clinch the North with a win (though not a tie) against the Ravens on Christmas. Baltimore would win a tie based on head-to-head results. Pittsburgh also could earn a wild-card berth.

 

4. Houston Texans (8-6, South leader; 6-4 conf, 5-0 div)
W 21-20 vs. Jaguars; vs. Bengals (Sat 8:25/NFLN), at Titans

The Texans haven’t lost a division game and hold the tiebreaker against the Titans for the South lead. Houston would clinch the South with a Week 17 win at the Titans, or in Week 16 with a win against the Bengals plus a Titans loss at the Jaguars.

 

WILD CARD LEADERS

 

5. Kansas City Chiefs (10-4, top wild card; 7-3 conf, 4-0 div)
L 17-19 vs. Titans; vs. Broncos (Sun 8:30/NBC), at Chargers

The Chiefs would clinch a playoff berth with a Christmas night win/tie against the Broncos but might secure a berth before then. Kansas City hasn’t clinched a playoff berth because it would lose a tie with the Steelers for the wild card due to a head-to-head loss.

 

6. Miami Dolphins (9-5, bottom wild card; 6-4 conf, 3-1 div)
W 34-13 at Jets; at Bills (Sat 1/CBS & 705), vs. Patriots

The Dolphins would clinch a playoff berth with two wins but also could advance with one win plus help.

 

IN THE HUNT

 

7. Baltimore Ravens (8-6; 7-3 conf, 4-0 div)
W 27-26 vs. Eagles; at Steelers (Sun 4:30/NFLN), at Bengals

The Ravens hold the No. 7 position because of a better conference record (7-3) than the Titans (5-5) and Broncos (5-5). Baltimore would clinch the North with two wins because of a head-to-head sweep of the Steelers.

 

8. Tennessee Titans (8-6; 5-5 conf, 1-3 div)
W 19-17 at Chiefs; at Jaguars (Sat 1/CBS & 707), vs. Texans

The Titans hold the No. 8 position because of a head-to-head win against the Broncos. Tennessee would clinch the South with two more wins, but they lose all ties with South teams due to being swept by the Colts. Tennessee also could earn a wild card.

9. Denver Broncos (8-6; 5-5 conf, 1-3 div)

 L 3-16 vs. Patriots; at Chiefs (Sun 8:30/NBC), vs. Raiders

The Broncos cannot catch the Chiefs because of a worse division record (4-2 to 3-3 if the teams finish tied). Denver likely would win a tie with the Dolphins (and certainly would if Miami loses to the Patriots based on a 2-3 record against the Bengals, Chargers, Patriots and Titans compared to the Dolphins’ 1-4).

 

10. Indianapolis Colts (7-7; 4-6 conf, 2-3 div)
W 34-6 at Vikings; at Raiders (Sat 4:05/CBS & 712), vs. Jaguars

The Colts currently are ahead of the Bills because of a better strength of victory (43-55 to 29-67-2). Indianapolis would win the South with two wins plus two Texans losses plus a Titans Week 16 loss at the Jaguars. The Colts also can win a tiebreaker with Dolphins for the wild card.

11. Buffalo Bills (7-7; 4-6 conf, 1-3 div)

 W 33-13 vs. Browns; vs. Dolphins (Sat 1/CBS & 705), at Jets

The Bills still play the Dolphins and might be able to pass Miami for the last wild-card spot, but to win the strength of victory tiebreaker they’d need the Bengals, Jaguars and Patriots to finish with a better record than the Chargers, Jets, and Steelers (currently 19-22-1 to 18-24).

 

NFC

 

DIVISION LEADERS

 

x-1. Dallas Cowboys (12-2, East leader; 8-2 conf, 3-2 div)
W 26-20 vs. Buccaneers; vs. Lions (Mon 8:30/ESPN), at Eagles

The Cowboys have clinched a playoff berth. Dallas has not clinched the East because the Giants swept the Cowboys. The Cowboys would clinch the East, a first-round playoff bye and home-field advantage through the NFC playoffs with a win/tie Monday against the Lions or a Giants loss/tie Thursday at the Eagles.

 

y-2. Seattle Seahawks (9-4-1, West champion; 5-4-1 conf, 2-1-1 div)
W 24-3 vs. Rams; vs. Cardinals (Sat 4:25/Fox & DirecTV 715), at 49ers

The Seahawks clinched the West with a win against the Rams. They cannot finish No. 1 in the conference but would clinch a first-round playoff bye with a win against the Cardinals and Falcons loss at the Panthers and Lions loss Monday at the Cowboys and Packers loss to the Vikings and Buccaneers loss at the Saints.

 

3. Atlanta Falcons (9-5, South leader; 7-3 conf, 5-1 div)
W 41-13 vs. 49ers; at Panthers (Sat 1/Fox & 709), vs. Saints

The Falcons currently lead the Lions for the No. 3 seed because of better strength of victory (56-68-1 to 49-76-1). Atlanta would clinch the South with a win at the Panthers plus a Buccaneers loss at the Saints. The Falcons lose the tiebreaker to the Buccaneers if the teams finish tied because of division record.

 

4. Detroit Lions (9-5, North leader; 7-3 conf, 3-2 div)
L 6-17 at Giants; at Cowboys (Mon 8:30/ESPN), vs. Packers

The Lions would lose a tie to the Packers because of a head-to-head sweep (factoring in their Week 17 meeting), but Detroit still would be in good shape for a wild card. Unless the Lions clinch the North with a win at the Cowboys and a Packers loss to the Vikings in Week 16, the North champion will be the winner of the Week 17 Packers-Lions game.

 

WILD CARD LEADERS

 

5. New York Giants (10-4, top wild card; 7-3 conf, 2-1 div)
W 17-6 vs. Lions; at Eagles (Thurs 8:25/NBC, NFLN, Twitter), at Redskins

The Giants did not clinch a playoff berth in Week 15 because the Packers won (Green Bay has a head-to-head win against the Giants). New York would clinch a first-round playoff bye if it can catch the Cowboys in the East.

 

6. Green Bay Packers (8-6, bottom wild card; 6-4 conf, 3-1 div)
W 30-27 at Bears; vs. Vikings (Sat 1/Fox & 711), at Lions

Both the Packers and Buccaneers are 3-2 against the Bears, Cowboys, Falcons and Seahawks, and they share the same strength of victory (49-62-1). Green Bay holds the No. 6 spot in the NFC because it leads the strength of schedule tiebreaker by game (99-95-2 to 98-96-2). The Packers would clinch the North with two wins because of a head-to-head sweep of the Lions.

 

IN THE HUNT

 

7. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (8-6; 6-4 conf, 3-1 div)
L 20-26 at Cowboys; at Saints (Sat 4:25/Fox & DirecTV 714), vs. Panthers

The Buccaneers lost a game in the standings to the Falcons but won the tiebreaker, leaving them within striking range in the South. But they’ll need to beat the Saints and Panthers and get help from one of them to knock off the Falcons. Of course, the wild card remains in reach.

 

8. Washington Redskins (7-6-1; 5-5 conf, 3-2 div)
L 15-26 vs. Panthers; at Bears (Sat 1/Fox & 710), vs. Giants

The tie game against the Bengals is just enough for the Redskins to trail the Packers and Buccaneers for the final NFC wild-card berth.

 

9. Minnesota Vikings (7-7; 4-6 conf, 1-3 div)
L 6-34 vs. Colts; at Packers (Sat 1/Fox & 711), vs. Bears

The Vikings need to win at the Packers in Week 16 to have any chance at the postseason. They would have been eliminated with a Buccaneers win at the Cowboys because of a worse conference record than the Falcons and Buccaneers (6-6 to 7-5 if the teams finish 9-7).

 

10. New Orleans Saints (6-8; 5-5 conf, 1-3 div)
W 48-41 at Cardinals; vs. Buccaneers (Sat 4:25/Fox & 714), at Falcons

The Saints currently hold the No. 10 position because of a better record against common opponents (5-5) than the Panthers (4-6). New Orleans would clinch a wild-card berth with two wins plus two Packers losses plus a Buccaneers loss to the Panthers plus two more Redskins losses plus a Vikings Week 17 loss to the Bears because of a better record against common opponents than the Buccaneers (and Panthers) and a better conference record (7-5) than the Vikings (5-7), who would win a tie with the 8-8 Packers because of a head-to-head sweep.

 

11. Carolina Panthers (6-8; 5-5 conf, 1-3 div)
W 26-15 at Redskins; vs. Falcons (Sat 1/Fox & 709), at Buccaneers

The Panthers would clinch a wild-card berth with two wins plus a Redskins tie and loss plus two Packers losses plus two Buccaneers losses plus a Vikings Week 17 loss to the Bears plus a Saints Week 17 loss/tie at the Falcons because of a better conference record (7-5) than the Buccaneers (6-6) and Vikings (5-7), who would win a tie with the 8-8 Packers because of a head-to-head sweep.