NFL playoff picture: Week 15 standings, scenarios, and Miami Dolphins rooting guide

The NFL is inching closer and closer to the start of the postseason. Week 15 brings us to the final four weeks of the regular season, with teams all vying for a position in the playoff brackets. How do the AFC and NFC playoff pictures stand and what teams can clinch or be eliminated this week? We break down the current situation from across the league.

We also bring back the Miami Dolphins rooting guide. While the Dolphins started the year 1-6 and looked like a team in contention for the league’s worst record, they have turned things around late in the year and somehow clawed their way back into postseason consideration. The hole they dug themselves to start the year makes a postseason berth unlikely, but they still have a chance and can see those chances continue to grow this week.

AFC playoff picture

1 – Denver Broncos (11-2, AFC West leader)
2 – New England Patriots (11-2, AFC East leader)
3 – Jacksonville Jaguars (9-4, AFC South leader)
4 – Pittsburgh Steelers (7-6, AFC North leader)

5 – Los Angeles Chargers (9-4, Wildcard 1)
6 – Buffalo Bills (9-4, Wildcard 2)
7 – Houston Texans (8-5, Wildcard 3)

Indianapolis Colts (8-5)
Baltimore Ravens (6-7)
Kansas City Chiefs (6-7)
Miami Dolphins (6-7)
Cincinnati Bengals (4-9)

Eliminated:
New York Jets (3-10)
Cleveland Browns (3-10)
Las Vegas Raiders (2-11)
Tennessee Titans (2-11)

AFC playoff seeding tiebreakers

• Broncos over Patriots based on AFC record (7-2 vs. 6-2)
• Chargers over Bills based on AFC record (7-2 vs. 6-3)
• Texans over Colts based on head-to-head results
• Ravens over Chiefs and Dolphins based on AFC record (4-5 vs. 3-5 vs. 3-6)
• Chiefs over Dolphins based on AFC record (3-5 vs. 3-6)
• Jets over Browns based on head-to-head results
• Raiders over Titans based on head-to-head results

AFC playoff clinching scenarios

Denver Broncos

Broncos clinch a playoff berth with:

• Broncos win OR
• Broncos tie and Chargers loss OR
• Broncos tie and Jaguars loss OR
• Broncos tie and Texans loss/tie OR
• Broncos tie and Colts loss/tie OR
• Texans loss/tie and Colts loss OR
• Colts loss/tie and Texans tie

New England Patriots

Patriots clinch the AFC East division title with:

• Patriots win

Patriots clinch a playoff berth with:

• Patriots win OR
• Patriots tie and Chargers loss OR
• Patriots tie and Texans loss/tie OR
• Patriots tie and Colts loss/tie OR
• Patriots tie and Jaguars loss OR
• Texans loss/tie and Colts loss OR
• Colts loss/tie and Texans tie

AFC playoff elimination scenarios

Cincinnati Bengals

Bengals eliminated from the playoffs with:

• Bengals loss OR
• Bengals tie and Steelers win

Miami Dolphins

Dolphins eliminated from the playoffs with:

• Dolphins loss and Bills win/tie and Texans win/tie OR
• Dolphins loss and Bills win/tie and Colts win/tie OR
• Dolphins loss and Texans win and Colts win OR
• Dolphins...