The NFL playoffs standings heading into the Week 15 schedule has the Carolina Panthers and New England Patriots leading the NFC and AFC as number one seeds. The Patriots clinched their division on Monday night with the Dolphins losing and now teams will try and stay in wild card position this week as the schedule pushes into the middle of December.
The AFC has the Patriots in the top seed in the conference, while the Bengals, Broncos and Colts are the current division leaders. The Chiefs and Jets are in wild card position, but the Steelers are lurking and have looked like a playoff team this season. The NFC has the Panthers leading at 13-0 and both Carolina and Arizona have clinched spots. The Packers and Redskins are the other divisional leaders, while the Seahawks and Vikings are in wild card position.
The Patriots won the AFC East after the Dolphins lost on Sunday and the team is now in good position to get the number one overall seed. The Bengals and Broncos lost this past weekend and those teams also have to play each other before the season ends. The Patriots are leading the Jets, Bills and Dolphins in the standings and are 11-2 heading into Week 15.
The AFC North got a bit more interesting this weekend, as the Steelers won over the Bengals and Cincinnati lost Andy Dalton to an injury. Dalton will not need surgery and is expected to be able to play again soon, but for now the Bengals will have to try and clinch without him. The Steelers are behind the 10-3 Bengals at 8-5 and they could make a run, while the Ravens and Browns are at the bottom of the division standings and battling for draft position.
The AFC South remains up for grabs, as the Colts and Texans are both 6-7 this season and will play again this week. The teams both lost this past weekend and with the Colts having won over the team already, they can keep control with a win. The Jaguars are alive at 5-8, while the Titans are at the bottom of the division at 3-10. The AFC West has the Broncos at 10-3 leading, but the Chiefs are coming on at 8-5 ahead of the Raiders and the Chargers.
The NFC East has three teams at 6-7 with the Redskins, Eagles and Giants over the Cowboys, but Washington can control things by winning out. The team has the tiebreaker over the Giants and has another head-to-head matchup with the Eagles. The NFC North has the Packers in control and they are leading the Vikings by a game, while the Bears and Lions are last in the division standings.
The Panthers have already clinched a first round bye and the division in the NFC South, while the Bucs and Falcons are trying to hang on in the wild card over the Saints. The NFC West has the Cardinals leading and they have not yet clinched over the 8-5 Seahawks, while the Rams and 49ers are in the bottom of the division standings.
Check here for the division standings and playoff standings.
