NFL playoff picture and clinching scenarios Week 15 - Updated through all games

Week 16 live updates here.

Week 15 of the 2022 NFL season is here, bringing us a little closer to the end of the regular season and the start of the playoffs. As we work our way through the week’s schedule of games, the situation is getting a little clearer in both the NFC and AFC playoff picture. We are starting to have teams claim playoff positions and division championships, as well as teams being eliminated from postseason contention.

Week 15 started with the Buffalo Bills holding the top spot in the AFC, followed by the Kansas City Chiefs as the second seed. The Baltimore Ravens and Tennessee Titans held the third and fourth seed, rounding out the division leaders. The Cincinnati Bengals, Miami Dolphins, and New England Patriots were in the fifth, sixth, and seventh positions as wild-card contenders. Just outside the playoff spots were the Los Angeles Chargers and New York Jets.

Over in the NFC, the Philadelphia Eagles started the week as the top team in the conference and the only team locked into the playoffs. The Minnesota Vikings were second in the standings, followed by the San Francisco 49ers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The wild card spots were held by the Dallas Cowboys, Washington Commanders, and New York Giants, putting the entire NFC East in playoff positions. On the outside looking in were the Seattle Seahawks and Detroit Lions.

How will Week 15 shake up the standings? Here are the live standings and playoff scenarios, updated as the games are played:

Week 15 Schedule and Results

Final
San Francisco 49ers 21 - 13 Seattle Seahawks
Indianapolis Colts 36 - 39 Minnesota Vikings
Baltimore Ravens 3 - 13 Cleveland Browns
Miami Dolphins 29 - 32 Buffalo Bills
Atlanta Falcons 18 - 21 New Orleans Saints
Pittsburgh Steelers 24 - 16 Carolina Panthers
Philadelphia Eagles 25 - 20 Chicago Bears
Kansas City Chiefs 30 - 24 Houston Texans (OT)
Dallas Cowboys 34 - 40 Jacksonville Jaguars (OT)
Detroit Lions 20 - 17 New York Jets
Arizona Cardinals 15 - 24 Denver Broncos
New England Patriots 24 - 30 Las Vegas Raiders
Tennessee Titans 14 - 17 Los Angeles Chargers
Cincinnati Bengals 34 - 24 Tampa Bay Buccaneers
New York Giants 20 - 12 Washington Commanders
Los Angeles Rams 12 - 24 Green Bay Packers

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AFC Playoff Picture (through Week 15)

Clinching Scenarios:

Buffalo Bills - Clinched playoff berth

• Clinch playoff berth with Bills win OR Bills tie and Chargers loss OR Bills tie and Jets loss and Patriots loss OR Bills tie and Jets loss and Patriots tie and Chargers tie

Kansas City Chiefs - Clinched Division

• Clinch AFC West division title with Chief win OR Chargers loss OR Chiefs tie and Chargers tie
• Clinch playoff berth with Chiefs tie and Jets loss and Patriots loss OR Chiefs tie and Dolphins loss and Patriots loss and Jets tie OR Chiefs tie and Dolphins loss and Jets loss and Patriots tie

1 - Buffalo Bills (11-3, AFC East leader)^
2 - Kansas City Chiefs (11-3, AFC West champion)+
3 - Cincinnati Bengals (10-4, AFC North leader)
4 - Tennessee Titans (7-7, AFC South leader)
5 - Baltimore Ravens (9-5, Wild Card 1)
6 - Los Angeles Chargers (8-6, Wild Card 2)
7 - Miami Dolphins (8-6, Wild Card 3)

In the hunt
New England Patriots (7-7)
New York Jets (7-7)
Jacksonville Jaguars (6-8)
Las Vegas Raiders (6-8)
Cleveland Browns (6-8)
Pittsburgh Steelers (6-8)
Indianapolis Colts (4-9-1)

Eliminated
Denver Broncos (4-10)
Houston Texans (1-12-1)

*Still to play
^Clinched playoff berth
+Clinched division title

Elimination Scenarios

Indianapolis Colts - Cannot be eliminated

• Eliminated from playoffs with Colts loss and Titans win/tie and Jets win OR Colts loss and Titans win/tie and Patriots win

Pittsburgh Steelers - Cannot be eliminated

• Eliminated from playoffs with Steelers loss and Patriots win OR Steelers loss and Jets win and Chargers win/tie OR Steelers loss and Chargers win and Raiders tie

Cleveland Browns - Cannot be eliminated

• Eliminated from playoffs with Browns loss and Chargers win OR Browns loss and Jets win OR Browns loss and Patriots win

Las Vegas Raiders - Cannot be eliminated

• Eliminated from playoffs with Raiders loss and Dolphins win/tie OR Radiers loss and Jets win/toss

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NFC Playoff Picture (through Week 15)

Clinching Scenarios:

Dallas Cowboys - Clinched playoff berth

• Clinch playoff berth with Cowboys win OR Cowboys tie and Giants/Commanders does not end in tie OR Cowboys tie and Seahawks loss/tie OR Seahawks loss and Lions loss/tie OR Seahawks loss and Commanders loss

Minnesota Vikings - Cinched Division

• Clinch NFC North division title with Vikings win OR Lions loss/tie

San Francisco 49ers - Clinched Division

• Clinch NFC West division title with 49ers win

1 - Philadelphia Eagles (13-1, NFC East leader)^
2 - Minnesota Vikings (11-3, NFC North champion)+
3 - San Francisco 49ers (10-4, NFC West champion)+
4 - Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6-8, NFC South leader)
5 - Dallas Cowboys (10-4, Wild Card 1)^
6 - New York Giants (8-5-1, Wild Card 2)
7 - Washington Commanders (7-6-1, Wild Card 3)

In the hunt
Seattle Seahawks (7-7)
Detroit Lions (7-7)
Green Bay Packers (6-8)
Carolina Panthers (5-9)
New Orleans Saints (5-9)
Atlanta Falcons (5-9)

Eliminated
Los Angeles Rams (4-10)
Arizona Cardinals (4-10)
Chicago Bears (3-11)

*Still to play
^Clinched playoff berth
+Clinched division title

Elimination Scenarios

Arizona Cardinals - Eliminated

• Eliminated from playoffs with Cardinals loss OR Cardinals tie and Giants tie

Los Angeles Rams - Eliminated

• Eliminated from playoffs with Rams loss OR Rams tie and Giants win/tie

New Orleans Saints - Cannot be eliminated

• Eliminated from playoffs with Saints loss and Buccaneers win/tie OR Saints loss and Panthers win