NFL Playoff Picture Week 15 Scenarios: Five teams eye berths

Here's a look at the playoff clinching scenarios as we head into Week 15 of the 2014 NFL season.

By Joe Ferreira

Dec 9, 2014 at 9:59 am ET • 2 min read

After 14 weeks of the 2014 season, we are left with 24 teams (12 in each conference) in contention for the playoffs. An interesting note on the AFC teams left is that all 12 have winning records which appears to be a record for a conference with three weeks to play going back to the NFL merger in 1970.

An offshoot of having a large number of teams with winning records is that no NFL teams have clinched a playoff berth yet as the NFC has only a one-game spread between the current No. 1 seed (Arizona) and No. 6 seed (Detroit). This is the first time since 1979 in a non-strike year that no team had clinched a playoff berth with three weeks to play (exception was 1982 strike year).

As for week 15 clinching scenarios, we have three teams in the AFC that can clinch division titles with "Win and In" situations but still no division clinching scenarios in the NFC. We also see the first look at potential first-round bye scenarios for New England and Denver, which will no doubt grow as we move forward.

ARIZONA can clinch a playoff spot with (updated after ARI win as ARI clinched SOV tie/SOS win over GB):

1) DET loss

2) DAL loss

3) PHI loss

GREEN BAY can clinch a playoff spot with (updated after ARI win as GB clinched SOV win over DAL):

1) GB win + DAL loss

DENVER can clinch the AFC West with:

1) DEN win or tie

DENVER can clinch a first-round bye:

1) DEN win + IND loss + CIN loss + PIT loss or tie

2) DEN win + IND loss + CIN loss + DEN clinches strength of victory tiebreaker over PIT

DENVER can clinch a playoff spot:

1) MIA loss or tie + HOU loss or tie + CIN loss + PIT loss

2) MIA loss or tie + HOU loss or tie + BAL loss + CLE loss or tie

3) MIA loss or tie + HOU loss or tie + BAL loss + PIT win

NEW ENGLAND can clinch the AFC East with:

1) NE win or tie

NEW ENGLAND can clinch a first round bye:

1) NE win + IND loss + PIT loss or tie + CIN loss or tie

2) NE win + IND loss + PIT loss or tie + DEN loss

NEW ENGLAND can clinch a playoff spot:

1) BUF loss or tie + CIN loss + PIT loss + BAL loss + HOU loss or tie

2) BUF loss or tie + CIN loss + PIT loss + KC loss or tie + SD loss

3) BUF loss or tie + HOU loss or tie + KC loss or tie + SD loss + BAL loss

INDIANAPOLIS can clinch the AFC South with:

1) IND win or tie

Andrew Luck and the Colts can clinch the AFC South with a win or tie. (USATSI)

There are a number of nuances to the above scenarios including Arizona already clinching Strength of Victory tiebreaker over Dallas if both end 11-5 and 8-4 in the conference and the Denver and New England playoff clinching scenarios with losses this week, but I'm happy to answer any questions fans may have in the comments below or you can ping me @JoeNFL as well.

Here are my predictions of the seeds at the end of the season based on performance to date, future schedules and tiebreaker scenarios going forward.

AFC:

1) New England

2) Denver

3) Indy

4) Baltimore

5) Cincinnati

6) San Diego

NFC:

1) Green Bay

2) Philadelphia

3) Seattle