The NFL playoffs standings have the New England Patriots and Carolina Panthers leading the AFC and NFC heading out of the Week 14 weekend schedule. The Patriots clinched a playoff spot, while the Panthers locked in a first round bye after improving to 13-0 and staying undefeated against the Falcons.
The playoff picture is still taking shape in both conferences, as the AFC has the Patriots in control after the Bengals and Broncos lost, while the Panthers are two games up on the Cardinals for the top seed with three games left to play. The Bengals and Broncos play against each other in a couple of weeks and that gives the Patriots the chance to control the AFC, while the wild card in the conference has three teams gunning for two spots.
The Chiefs and the Jets are both currently in wild card position at 8-5, while the Pittsburgh Steelers are also 8-5 and looking to hang around. The Patriots are currently the top seed at 11-2, while the Bengals and Broncos are next at 10-3 and the Colts are fourth at 6-7, leading the AFC South. The Bengals and Broncos both lost and Cincinnati saw Andy Dalton go down with an injury and depending on the severity of that, the Bengals could be a very different playoff contender.
The NFC has the Panthers and Cardinals into the postseason already, with Carolina locking up the NFC South division last week and a first round bye this week. The Cardinals have a two game lead over the Packers for the other first round bye, while the Washington Redskins remain in the NFC East lead for the time being after winning over the Bears. The Seattle Seahawks and Minnesota Vikings are both 8-5 and they are currently in wild card position.
The Buccaneers, Falcons and Eagles are all 6-7 and the Giants will try and join them there if they can get a win on Monday night against the Dolphins. The Redskins currently hold the tiebreaker in the division and they will need to keep winning to keep that lead in the East. The Patriots are in strong position to win the AFC East this season over the Jets, Bills and Dolphins, while the Bengals have the advantage in the AFC North over the Steelers at 10-3.
Losing Andy Dalton for any period of time changes things and the team still has not yet clinched the division, so anything can happen over the final weeks of the season. The South has the Texans and Colts battling at 6-7 and right now Indy is in the lead after Houston lost to the Patriots on Sunday night. The two teams will play again this season, while the Jaguars come in at 5-8 ahead of the Titans. The Broncos are leading the Chiefs in the AFC West with a 10-3 record, while Kansas City is 8-5 ahead of the Raiders and Chargers.
The NFC East is still up for grabs with the Redskins leading the Eagles and Giants, while the Packers have the advantage in the North over the Vikings. The Panthers have won the South, while the Cardinals are 11-2 and have a lead over the 8-5 Seahawks.
