Tag: NFL Playoff Picture

Which Week 15 results would help the Dolphins most? A rooting guide

Winning is Houston is the top priority, but there’s a few other teams in Week 15 that Dolphins fans should also be cheering on.

The Miami Dolphins can’t afford a misstep after digging themselves into a hole in the first half of the 2024 season. But after four wins in their last five games, the Dolphins could get back to .500 on Sunday if they manage to beat the Houston Texans.

That’d put the Dolphins very much in the mix for a wild card berth with three weeks left. They still need help, though.

Three 8-5 teams currently occupy the trio of AFC wild card entries into the NFL playoffs, and the 6-7 Indianapolis Colts own a tiebreaker over the 6-7 Dolphins thanks to their head-to-head victory back in Week 7.

Getting a win at NRG Stadium on Sunday is paramount for Miami. But here’s what else Dolphins fans should be rooting for in Week 15:

Giants win vs. Ravens (1 p.m. ET)

To catch the Ravens, the Dolphins would need two more wins than Baltimore in the last four weeks. Baltimore would be in serious jeopardy of not doing enough if it can’t go through the easiest opponent left on its schedule.

If the two-win Giants somehow ended an eight-game losing streak by getting a home win against the Ravens, it’d leave the door pretty wide open for Miami. The Ravens would likely need to win at least two — or maybe all three — of its remaining games against the Steelers, Texans, and Browns to hold off the Dolphins.

A Giants win is a long shot, but it’d be a dream come true for Miami.

Buccaneers win vs. Chargers (4:25 p.m. ET)

The likeliest path to the playoffs for the Dolphins is to track down one of the two AFC West teams ahead of them in the standings. The Broncos and Chargers meet in Week 16, meaning that (barring a tie) Miami has an inevitable chance to make up a game on one of them.

So a Chargers loss to the Buccaneers could even mean the Dolphins climb into a wild card spot as early as next week.

Colts win vs. Broncos (4:25 p.m. ET)

The good news for the Dolphins is that (again, barring a tie) one of these teams will lose. The bad news is one will win.

While Miami probably needs Indianapolis to lose at least once down the stretch, the priority for now is catching one of the eight-win contenders.

And even if the Colts rattle off four consecutive wins to end the season — which isn’t outlandish considering they play the Titans, Giants, and Jaguars to close out the year — it might not be a nightmare scenario. That’d move Indianapolis to 10-7, which may be enough to take the AFC South title from the Texans, especially if the Dolphins hand Houston its sixth loss on Sunday.

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NFL playoff picture: Who’s in, out or clinched ahead of Week 15?

A look at the playoff picture this week.

After Week 15, we’ll have a few more weeks of NFL action to decide who’s facing whom in the postseason, as the road to Super Bowl 59 will truly begin.

But for now, if you’re wondering what the playoff picture looks like, you’ve come to the right place.

A few teams have already been eliminated (sorry to your squad if you root for them, but here’s the NFL Draft order right now to help!), but we’ll split it into the NFC and AFC and see who’s up, who’s down and who’s in between as of right now:

AFC playoff picture

In right now:

1. Kansas City Chiefs (clinched a playoff spot)

2. Buffalo Bills (clinched a playoff spot)

3. Pittsburgh Steelers

4. Houston Texans

5. Baltimore Ravens

6. Los Angeles Chargers

7. Denver Broncos

Out but looming:

8. Indianapolis Colts

9. Miami Dolphins

10. Cincinnati Bengals

NFC playoff picture

In right now:

1. Detroit Lions (clinched a playoff spot)

2. Philadelphia Eagles (clinched a playoff spot)

3. Seattle Seahawks

4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

5. Minnesota Vikings

6. Green Bay Packers

7. Washington Commanders

Out but looming:

8. Los Angeles Rams

9. Atlanta Falcons

10. Arizona Cardinals

11. San Francisco 49ers

12. New Orleans Saints

13. Dallas Cowboys

14. Chicago Bears

15. Carolina Panthers

Who’s been eliminated from the playoffs?

New England Patriots

Las Vegas Raiders

New York Giants

Cleveland Browns

Jacksonville Jaguars

New York Jets

Tennessee Titans

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Seattle Seahawks’ Week 15 Rooting Guide

Seattle Seahawks’ Week 15 Rooting Guide

The Seattle Seahawks are hosting the Green Bay Packers on Sunday Night Football in Week 15. It qualifies as a big-time game in the NFC playoff picture. Around the NFC West, the Los Angeles Rams unfortunately defeated the San Francisco 49ers in Thursday’s primetime contest. With other notable contests on the docket that directly impact the Seahawks’ postseason odds and seeding, we’ve compiled your Week 15 rooting guide.

Patriots over Cardinals

As a result of the Rams-49ers game, the only other NFC West team in action this weekend is the Arizona Cardinals, who play host to the New England Patriots. The Seahawks possess a sizable lead over the Cardinals in the division as a result of sweeping this year’s regular-season series, but a loss is always preferred. Drake Maye and the Patriots will attempt to execute the upset.

Commanders over Eagles

The Seahawks are currently the No. 3 seed in the NFC Playoff Picture. The Philadelphia Eagles, the two-seed, play a divisional game versus the Washington Commanders on Sunday. The Seahawks trail the Eagles by three contests, but still possess a flicker of hope to capture the NFC’s No. 2 postseason seeding if Philadelphia goes on a late-season losing streak.

Chargers over Buccaneers

The No. 4 seed is the NFC South-leading Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Buccaneers are right on Seattle’s heels for the NFC’s third playoff seed. A Los Angeles Chargers victory would place some much-appreciated distance between the Seahawks and the Bucs.

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Seahawks vs Packers: Playoff Preview on Sunday Night Football

Seahawks vs Packers: Playoff Preview on Sunday Night Football

The Seattle Seahawks are playing their best football of the season, and it’s coming at the right time, as they are about to enter their toughest stretch of the year. First up will be a Sunday Night Football showdown against an old foe… the Green Bay Packers.

If the 2024 season were to end today (and I am well aware there is still plenty of football left to be played!) the Seahawks would own the No. 3 seed in the playoffs. As the No. 3 seed, they would host the No. 6 seed in Wild Card Weekend, which is currently occupied by the Packers. Sunday night at Lumen Field, in prime time, is going to feel like a playoff game… because this certainly could end up being one!

At 8-5, Seattle is in first place in the NFC West. Meanwhile, Green Bay is in third place. However, they are not like other third place squads. With their 9-4 record, the Packers would be in first in three other divisions this year. Unfortunately for them, they are trapped in the NFC North with the 12-1 Detroit Lions and the 11-2 Minnesota Vikings. The Packers have already been swept by Detroit, and lost once to Minnesota already. Their chances of winning the NFC North are already a longshot, and a loss in Seattle would likely sink them for good.

On the other side, the Seahawks are in first but they have the Los Angeles Rams hot on their tail. LA has an easier path moving forward than Seattle does, which means the margin for error for the Hawks is near zero. The Seahawks need a win on Sunday night to help keep the Rams at bay and remain in first place.

No, the stakes are not quite as high as “your season will be over if you lose” as a normal playoff game would be. But the Packers and Seahawks have plenty on the line nonetheless for prime time.

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How the Cardinals can still win the NFC West

A look at the possible scenarios for the Cardinals to win the division over the final four games of the season.

The Arizona Cardinals have almost completely choked away their chances of winning the NFC West. They were 6-4 heading into their bye week and in first place, having won four straight games. Now after three consecutive losses, including two to the Seattle Seahawks, their chances are fading.

They are 6-7, two games behind the 8-5 Seahawks (who also now own a head-to-head tiebreaker over them) and one behind the 7-6 L.A. Rams.

But they still can win the NFC West. They just need some help.

It is possible, though.

The Cardinals have the following teams left on the schedule:

  • 3-10 New England Patriots
  • 3-10 Carolina Panthers
  • 7-6 Rams
  • 6-7 San Francisco 49ers

The Seahawks have these opponents:

  • 9-4 Green Bay Packers
  • 11-2 Minnesota Vikings
  • 4-9 Chicago Bears
  • 7-6 Rams

The Rams have these opponents:

  • 6-7 49ers
  • 3-10 New York Jets
  • 6-7 Cardinals
  • 8-5 Seahawks

How the Cardinals can still win the NFC West

The simplest way for the Cardinals to win the division is to win all four of their remaining games, something that is possible. They would be 10-7.

Because the Rams are on the schedule, if the Cardinals go 10-7, the best the Rams could finish would also be 10-7, but the Cardinals would own a 2-0 head-to-head tiebreaker over them.

However, the Seahawks can only win one more game in that scenario. If the Cardinals and Rams are 10-7 and the Seahawks are 9-8, the Cardinals win the division.

What if there is a three-way tie at 10-7?

According to the ESPN playoff machine, if the Cardinals, Rams and Seahawks all finish 10-7, the Cardinals would win the division.

How? Well, the Rams would hold a head-to-head tiebreaker over Seattle and Arizona would hold one over the Rams, while Seattle owns one over the Cardinals. The tiebreaker would move to division records. The Cardinals would be 4-2 in the division, L.A. would be 4-2 and Seattle would be 3-3. Seattle would be out and the Cardinals make it over the Rams thanks to the head-to-head tiebreaker.

What if there is a three-way tie at 9-8?

This is tricky.

The Cardinals will win the division if they beat both the Rams and the 49ers to end the season and the Rams beat the Seahawks in Week 18. It would not matter how the Rams split their games in Weeks 15 and 16 against the 49ers and the Jets.

Any other combination results in the Cardinals not winning the division. At 9-8, they only win the division if they beat the Rams and the Niners and if the Rams beat Seattle to end the season.

Get more Cardinals and NFL coverage from Cards Wire’s Jess Root and others by listening to the latest on the Rise Up, See Red podcast. Subscribe on Spotify, YouTube or Apple podcasts.

 

NFL playoff picture: What are Chargers’ chances of making postseason after loss to Chiefs?

The Chargers are still in a good position to play beyond the regular season despite their loss to the Chiefs.

The Chargers lost to the Chiefs on Sunday night. They fell to 8-5, as did their chances of making the playoffs slightly.

According to NFL.com, Los Angeles has a 90% chance of making the playoffs. With the Bolts’ loss, they dropped back down to the sixth seed, and the Ravens moved to the fifth seed.

Here’s a look at the division standings entering Week 15:

1. Chiefs (12-1) *clinched division*

2. Chargers (8-5)

3. Broncos (8-5)

4. Raiders (2-11)

And a look at the playoff picture:

*There are (7) available Playoff spots

1. Chiefs (12-1)

2. Bills (10-3)

3. Steelers (10-3)

4. Texans (8-5)

5. Ravens (8-5)

6. Chargers (8-5)

7. Broncos (8-5)

8. Colts (6-7)

9. Dolphins (6-7)

10. Bengals (4-8)

AFC playoff matchups if the season ended today:

  • No. 2 Bills vs. No. 7 Broncos
  • No. 3 Steelers vs. No. 6 Chargers
  • No. 4 Texans vs. No. 5 Ravens

NFC playoff picture: Eagles, Lions clinch; Buccaneers take NFC South lead in Week 14

A look at the current NFC playoff picture after games in Week 14.

The playoff picture in the NFC has not changed much, but a couple of important things happened in Week 14. The Detroit Lions and Philadelphia Eagles officially punched their tickets to the postseason.

The Lions won their 11th game in a row, beating the Green Bay Packers 34-31 at home on Thursday night.

The Eagles won their ninth straight game, surviving the Carolina Panthers at home in a 22-16 win.

The NFC South has a new division leader. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers won their third straight game and took the division lead with the Atlanta Falcons losing their fourth straight game.

Here is what the NFC playoff standings currently look like with all games that matter in the books.

  1. Detroit Lions, 12-1
  2. Philadelphia Eagles, 11-2
  3. Seattle Seahawks, 8-5
  4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 7-6
  5. Minnesota Vikings, 11-2
  6. Green Bay Packers, 9-4
  7. Washington Commanders, 8-5

In the mix:

  • L.A. Rams, 7-6
  • Arizona Cardinals, San Francisco 49ers, Atlanta Falcons, all 6-7

Week 14 games that impacted standings

  • The Lions beat Green Bay 34-31
  • The Eagles beat Carolina 22-16
  • Seattle beat Arizona 30-18
  • Tampa Bay beat Las Vegas 28-13
  • Minnesota beat Atlanta 42-21
  • The Rams beat Buffalo 44-42
  • The 49ers beat the Bears 38-13

Week 15 games that impact NFC playoff picture

  • The Rams and 49ers face one another Thursday night in Santa Clara.
  • The Commanders are on the road against the New Orleans Saints.
  • The Cardinals host the New England Patriots.
  • The Lions host the Bills.
  • The Bucs are on the road against the L.A. Chargers
  • The Eagles play the 10-3 Pittsburgh Steelers at home.
  • The Packers and Seahawks play in Seattle on Sunday night.
  • The Vikings host the Bears on Monday night.
  • The Falcons are on the road against the Raiders on Monday night.

Get more Cardinals and NFL coverage from Cards Wire’s Jess Root and others by listening to the latest on the Rise Up, See Red podcast. Subscribe on Spotify, YouTube or Apple podcasts.

 

NFL playoff picture: Bad week for Dolphins got worse on Sunday, Monday

Calais Campbell thinks 10-7 would get the Dolphins in the playoffs, but even that might not be enough.

Shortly after the Miami Dolphins lost to the Green Bay Packers on Thanksgiving to fall to 5-7 on the year, defensive lineman Calais Campbell told reporters, “I feel 10-7 gets us in” the playoffs. After Sunday and Monday, even that’s not looking likely.

The Dolphins have no shot at catching the Buffalo Bills, who clinched a fifth consecutive AFC East title. So the only path to the postseason for Miami is to track down at least one of four contenders: the Pittsburgh Steelers, Baltimore Ravens, Los Angeles Chargers, and Denver Broncos.

The problem is that those teams aren’t leaving the door open.

While the Ravens lost a hard fought game against the Philadelphia Eagles, they’re still at eight wins. And both the Chargers and Broncos got their eighth win. The Steelers face several tough teams down the stretch, but improved to 9-3 with a shootout victory against the Bengals.

With only five weeks left, here’s the current state of affairs in the AFC:

  1. (x) Kansas City Chiefs: 11-1
  2. (y) Buffalo Bills: 10-2
  3. Pittsburgh Steelers: 9-3
  4. Houston Texans: 8-5
  5. Los Angeles Chargers: 8-4
  6. Baltimore Ravens: 8-5
  7. Denver Broncos: 8-5
  • Indianapolis Colts: 6-7
  • Miami Dolphins: 5-7
  • Cincinnati Bengals: 4-8

(x – clinched playoff berth; y – clinched division title)

In the hypothetical that the Dolphins won five straight to finish the year 10-7, they’d have an 8-5 record in AFC play. That would likely be enough to win a tiebreaker if any of the teams ahead of them slip up. But Miami will need to be perfect and get some help to get into the postseason.

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NFL playoff picture: Who’s in, out or clinched ahead of Week 14?

A look at the playoff picture this week.

After Week 14, we’ll have a few more weeks of NFL action to decide who’s facing whom in the postseason, as the road to Super Bowl 59 will truly begin.

But for now, if you’re wondering what the playoff picture looks like, you’ve come to the right place.

A few teams have already been eliminated (sorry to your squad if you root for them, but here’s the NFL Draft order right now to help!), but we’ll split it into the NFC and AFC and see who’s up, who’s down and who’s in between as of right now:

AFC playoff picture

In right now:

1. Kansas City Chiefs

2. Buffalo Bills

3. Pittsburgh Steelers

4. Houston Texans

5. Los Angeles Chargers

6. Baltimore Ravens

7. Denver Broncos

Out but looming:

8. Indianapolis Colts

9. Miami Dolphins

10. Cincinnati Bengals

11. Cleveland Browns

12. New York Jets

13. Tennessee Titans

15. Jacksonville Jaguars

NFC playoff picture

In right now:

1. Detroit Lions

2. Philadelphia Eagles

3. Seattle Seahawks

4. Atlanta Falcons

5. Minnesota Vikings

6. Green Bay Packers

7. Washington Commanders

Out but looming:

8. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

9. Arizona Cardinals

10. Los Angeles Rams

11. San Francisco 49ers

12. Dallas Cowboys

13. New Orleans Saints

14. Chicago Bears

15. Carolina Panthers

Who’s been eliminated from the playoffs?

New England Patriots

Las Vegas Raiders

New York Giants

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NFL playoff picture: What are Chargers’ chances of making postseason after win over Falcons?

The Chargers are in excellent position to play beyond the regular season.

The Chargers beat the Falcons on Sunday, improving their record to 8-4 and their chances of making the playoffs.

According to NFL.com, Los Angeles has a 94% chance of making the playoffs. With the Bolts’ win and the Ravens’ loss to the Eagles on Sunday, L.A. moved back up to the fifth seed.

Here’s a look at the division standings entering Week 14:

1. Chiefs (11-1)

2. Chargers (8-4)

3. Broncos (7-5)

4. Raiders (2-10)

And a look at the playoff picture:

*There are (7) available Playoff spots

1. Chiefs (11-1)

2. Bills (10-2)

3. Steelers (9-3)

4. Texans (8-5)

5. Chargers (8-4)

6. Ravens (8-5)

7. Broncos (7-5)

8. Colts (6-7)

9. Dolphins (5-7)

10. Bengals (4-8)

AFC playoff matchups if the season ended today:

  • No. 2 Bills vs. No. 7 Broncos
  • No. 3 Steelers vs. No. 6 Ravens
  • No. 4 Texans vs. No. 5 Chargers