What Are The Nfl Playoff Scenarios?

If you’re a football fan, you’re probably wondering what the NFL playoff scenarios are. Here’s a breakdown of the possibilities.

AFC Picture

The NFL playoff scenarios are starting to clear up heading into Week 15. We know the Saints, Rams, Bears, and Cowboys have clinched their respective divisions, but there’s still plenty to be decided in both the AFC and NFC. Let’s take a look at the AFC playoff picture and what each team needs to do to punch their ticket to the playoffs.

New England Patriots

The New England Patriots are a professional American football team based in the Greater Boston area. The Patriots compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league’s American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The team plays its home games at Gillette Stadium in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts, which is located 28 miles (45 km) southwest of downtown Boston.

The Patriots are also headquartered at Gillette Stadium. An original member of the American Football League (AFL), the Patriots joined the NFL in 1970 as part of the AFL–NFL merger. The team changed its name from the original Boston Patriots after relocating to Foxborough in 1971. The Patriots played their home games at Foxboro Stadium from 1971 to 2001, then moved to Gillette Stadium at the start of 2002.

Pittsburgh Steelers

The Pittsburgh Steelers need a little help to make the playoffs. They are currently the seventh seed in the AFC playoff picture, but they are just one game behind the Miami Dolphins and Baltimore Ravens, who are tied for the sixth and final playoff spot.

The Steelers’ remaining schedule is fairly difficult, as they still have to play the New England Patriots, New Orleans Saints, and Dallas Cowboys. However, if they can win two out of those three games, they will have a very good chance of making the playoffs.

Los Angeles Chargers

AFC Picture – (What Are The Nfl Playoff Scenarios?)
If the Chargers win or tie, they clinch a playoff berth.

Kansas City Chiefs

The Kansas City Chiefs have clinched the AFC West and a first-round bye. They will host the lowest remaining seed in the AFC divisional round.

NFC Picture

If the season ended today, the NFC playoff picture would look like this: The 49ers would be the top seed at 13-2, followed by the Saints at 12-3. The Packers (11-3), Cowboys (11-3), Seahawks (11-3), and Eagles (8-7) would round out the field. But there’s still plenty of football left to be played.

Los Angeles Rams

The Los Angeles Rams are a professional American football team that play in the National Football League (NFL). They are based in Inglewood, California, and are members of the NFC West division. The Rams franchise was founded in 1936 as the Cleveland Rams in the short-lived second American Football League (AFL) before joining the NFL the next year. In 1946, the franchise moved to Los Angeles. The Rams franchise remained in the metro area until 1994, when they moved to St. Louis. The Rams franchise returned to Los Angeles in 2016.

The Rams play their home games at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, which they shared with the Los Angeles Chargers until both teams moved there permanently beginning with the 2020 season (it was previously known as Kawasaki Stadium). The club is currently coached by Sean McVay and have been to three Super Bowls, winning one in 1999 and losing two in 1980 and 2018.

New Orleans Saints

The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans, Louisiana. The Saints currently compete in the National Football League as a member of the league’s National Football Conference South division. The team was founded by John W. Mecom Jr., David Dixon, and the city of New Orleans on November 1, 1966. The Saints began play in Tulane Stadium in 1967.

The name “Saints” is an allusion to November 1 being All Saints Day in the Catholic faith, as New Orleans has a large Catholic population. The team’s primary colors are old gold and black; their logo depicts a golden Fleur-de-lis. They played their home games in Tulane Stadium through the 1974 NFL season. The following year, they moved to the new Louisiana Superdome (now Mercedez-Benz Superdome after a renovation), which became famous for its role in the annual Sugar Bowl.

Chicago Bears

As the NFC playoff field stands currently, the Chicago Bears are in the driver’s seat for the No. 2 seed and a first-round bye. At 10-3, they hold a one-game lead over the Rams (9-4), who currently occupy the sixth and final playoff spot. The Bears’ remaining schedule features a road game against the San Francisco 49ers (4-9) and a home game against the NFC North rival Green Bay Packers (5-7-1).

If the Bears win out, they will clinch the No. 2 seed and a first-round bye. If they lose one of their final two games, they will still clinch a playoff berth but would need some help to earn a bye. If they lose their final two games, they would still clinch a playoff berth but would need significant help to earn a bye or even home-field advantage throughout the playoffs.

Dallas Cowboys

The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The Cowboys compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league’s National Football Conference (NFC) East division. The team is headquartered in Frisco, Texas, and plays its home games at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, which opened for the 2009 season. The stadium took the place of the Cotton Bowl as the home of the Cotton Bowl Classic and host site of annual college football championship games, which the Cowboys hosted from 1937 to 2009 (except for 1945).