Fourteen playoff spots. Eight division crowns. Two coveted bye weeks awarded to top-seeded teams. All remain up for grabs as we dive into another weekend of football.
But the biggest story of Week 15 is the one that’s changing on a minute-by-minute basis: COVID.
On Friday, the NFL announced the rescheduling of three games due to large ongoing COVID outbreaks among several teams amid an overall spike in cases league-wide. A week that was going to feature a Saturday double-header in addition to the usual Sunday slate and Monday nighter now brings four consecutive days of NFL action with one Saturday night matchup, a full Sunday, a Monday double-header and two games Tuesday. Here is what the schedule revisions look like:
• Saturday’s Raiders @ Browns game is now scheduled for Monday, Dec. 20 at 5 p.m. ET
• Sunday’s Washington @ Eagles game is now scheduled for Tuesday, Dec. 21 at 7 p.m. ET
• Sunday’s Seahawks @ Rams game is now scheduled for Tuesday, Dec. 21 at 7 p.m. ET
Wishing everyone a safe and healthy Week 15 of the NFL season. Now, let’s dig into those playoff clinching scenarios…
NFC CLINCHING SCENARIOS: CARDINALS, COWBOYS, PACKERS, RAMS, BUCCANEERS
While the AFC’s playoff picture is still pretty murky, the NFC’s could really start to come into focus this weekend — at least, at the very top of things. By the conclusion of Week 15, three of the conference’s four division champs could be crowned, leaving just the NFC West contested.
Of the five teams eligible to secure their post-season berths this week, three are firmly in control of their own fate: The Cardinals, Packers, and Buccaneers all have win-and-you’re-in scenarios in addition to a long list of other ways into the post-season.
Fun fact: All five of these clubs listed below have an Eagles-Washington tie included among their possibilities. Wouldn’t that be fun?
The Arizona Cardinals clinch a playoff berth with:
• Cardinals win or tie; OR
• Saints loss or tie + Vikings loss or tie; OR
• Saints loss or tie + Eagles-Washington tie; OR
• Saints loss or tie + Eagles loss + Falcons loss or tie + Packers win or tie; OR
• Saints loss or tie + 49ers tie + Rams loss; OR
• Vikings loss or tie + Eagles-Washington tie; OR
• Vikings loss or tie + 49ers loss; OR
• 49ers loss + Eagles-Washington tie; OR
• 49ers tie + Rams loss + Eagles-Washington tie
The Dallas Cowboys clinch the NFC East division title with:
• Cowboys win + Washington-Eagles tie; OR
• Cowboys win + Washington loss + Cowboys clinches strength-of-victory tiebreaker over Eagles
The Cowboys clinch only a playoff berth with:
• Cowboys win + Saints loss or tie; OR
• Cowboys win + 49ers loss; OR
• Cowboys tie + Vikings loss or tie + Saints loss or tie + Falcons loss or tie; OR
• MIN loss + Falcons loss + Saints loss + Eagles-Washington tie; OR
• MIN loss + Falcons loss + Saints loss + Cowboys clinches strength-of-victory tiebreaker over Eagles
The Green Bay Packers clinch the NFC North division title with:
• Packers win or tie; OR
• Vikings loss or tie
The Packers clinch only a playoff berth with:
• Saints loss or tie + 49ers loss; OR
• Saints loss or tie + Eagles-Washington tie; OR
• Saints loss or tie + Rams loss + 49ers tie; OR
• 49ers loss + Eagles-Washington tie; OR
• Rams loss + 49ers tie + Eagles-Washington tie
The Los Angeles Rams clinch a playoff berth with:
• Rams win + Saints loss or tie + Vikings loss or tie; OR
• Rams win + Saints loss or tie + Eagles-Washington tie; OR
• Rams win + Vikings loss or tie + Eagles-Washington tie; OR
• Rams tie + Vikings loss + Saints loss + Falcons loss or tie
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers clinch the NFC South division title with:
• Buccaneers win or tie
The Buccaneers clinch only a playoff berth with:
• Vikings loss or tie + 49ers loss; OR
• Vikings loss or tie + Eagles-Washington tie; OR
• 49ers loss + Eagles-Washington tie
AFC CLINCHING SCENARIOS: PATRIOTS, TITANS
UPDATE: The Patriots’ loss to the Colts Saturday means they cannot clinch a playoff spot this week. The Colts’ win keeps them in contention for the AFC South and prevents the Tennessee Titans from both claiming the crown and securing a post-season berth this week. As a result of Saturday’s outcome, we will see no AFC playoff spots claimed in Week 15.
The Patriots clinch a playoff berth with:
• Patriots win + Dolphins loss or tie + Browns loss + Ravens loss + Bengals loss + Chiefs loss; OR
• Patriots win + Dolphins loss or tie + Browns loss + Ravens loss + Broncos loss + Chargers loss; OR
• Patriots win + Dolphins loss or tie + Browns loss + Steelers loss or tie + Broncos loss or tie + Chargers loss; OR
• Patriots win + Dolphins loss or tie + Browns loss + Ravens loss + Steelers loss or tie + Bengals loss; OR
• Patriots win + Dolphins loss or tie + Browns loss + Ravens loss + Bengals loss + Chargers loss; OR
• Patriots win + Dolphins loss or tie + Ravens loss + Chargers loss + Raiders loss + Bengals-Broncos tie
Tennessee clinches the AFC South with:
• Titans win + Colts loss
PLAYOFF TURNOVER
As playoff spots begin to get snatched up, here’s an interesting story to track:
A little added context: The teams that made the post-season last year and are currently on the outside looking in are the Steelers, Browns, Saints, Seahawks, Bears, and Washington.
