NFL Playoffs
NEW YORK – With just three weeks remaining in the 2018 NFL regular season, only six teams (49ers, Raiders, Cardinals, Jets, Jaguars and Bills) have been eliminated from playoff contention. The total of 26 teams remaining in contention is tied for the fourth-most such teams with three weeks remaining in a season since the league expanded to a 16-game schedule in 1978.
General view of Mercedes-Benz Stadium, site of Super Bowl LIII. (Photo by Michael Chang/Getty Images)
As the league enters Week 15, there are 20 teams either in or within one game of a playoff spot, including 11 teams that did not advance to the postseason in 2017. Since the 12-team playoff format began in 1990, at least four teams have qualified for the playoffs in every season that were not in the postseason the year before.
Here is the up to the minute playoff picture courtesy of CBSSports.com.
USA Today crunched the numbers from playoff models of Football Outsiders, Five Thirty Eight and the New York Times to determine the playoff odds for each of the 26 teams with playoff hopes remaining.
Courtesy of the NFL, here are the playoff scenarios for Week 15:
NFC
CLINCHED: Los Angeles Rams – NFC West division title
New Orleans Saints – NFC South division title
NEW ORLEANS SAINTS (11-2) (at Carolina (6-7), Monday night, 8:15 PM ET, ESPN)
New Orleans clinches a first-round bye with:
1) NO win + CHI loss or tie OR
2) NO tie + CHI loss
LOS ANGELES RAMS (11-2) (vs. Philadelphia (6-7), Sunday night, 8:20 PM ET, NBC)
Los Angeles clinches a first-round bye with:
1) LAR win + CHI loss or tie OR
2) LAR tie + CHI loss
CHICAGO BEARS (9-4) (vs. Green Bay (5-7-1), Sunday, 1:00 PM ET, FOX)
Chicago clinches NFC North division title with:
1) CHI win OR
2) MIN loss OR
3) CHI tie + MIN tie
Chicago clinches a playoff berth with:
1) CHI tie OR
2) WAS loss or tie
DALLAS COWBOYS (8-5) (at Indianapolis (7-6), Sunday, 1:00 PM ET, FOX)
Dallas clinches NFC East division title with:
1) DAL win OR
2) DAL tie + PHI loss or tie + WAS loss or tie OR
3) PHI loss + WAS loss
SEATTLE SEAHAWKS (8-5) (at San Francisco (3-10), Sunday, 4:05 PM ET, FOX)
Seattle clinches a playoff berth with:
1) SEA win OR
2) SEA tie + MIN loss + CAR loss or tie OR
3) SEA tie + MIN loss + PHI loss or tie + WAS loss or tie OR
4) SEA tie + CAR loss or tie + PHI loss or tie + WAS loss or tie
AFC
CLINCHED: Kansas City Chiefs – Playoff berth
KANSAS CITY CHIEFS (11-2) (vs. Los Angeles Chargers (10-3), Thursday night, 8:20 PM ET, FOX/NFL Network/Amazon)
Kansas City clinches AFC West division title and a first-round bye with:
1) KC win
Kansas City clinches home-field advantage throughout AFC playoffs with:
1) KC win + NE loss or tie
NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS (9-4) (at Pittsburgh (7-5-1), Sunday, 4:25 PM ET, CBS)
New England clinches AFC East division title with:
1) NE win + MIA loss or tie OR
2) NE tie + MIA loss
New England clinches a playoff berth with:
1) NE win + TEN loss or tie OR
2) NE tie + BAL loss + TEN loss + IND loss or tie
HOUSTON TEXANS (9-4) (at New York Jets (4-9), Saturday, 4:30 PM ET, NFL Network)
Houston clinches AFC South division title with:
1) HOU win + IND loss or tie + TEN loss or tie OR
2) HOU tie + IND loss + TEN loss
Houston clinches a playoff berth with:
1) HOU win + MIA loss or tie + PIT loss OR
2) HOU win + MIA loss or tie + BAL loss or tie OR
3) HOU tie + IND loss or tie + BAL loss + MIA loss OR
4) HOU tie + IND loss or tie + PIT loss + BAL loss + MIA tie OR
5) HOU tie + IND loss or tie + PIT loss + BAL win + MIA loss OR
6) HOU tie + TEN loss or tie + BAL loss + MIA loss OR
7) HOU tie + TEN loss or tie + PIT loss + BAL loss + MIA tie OR
8) HOU tie + TEN loss or tie + PIT loss + BAL win + MIA loss
LOS ANGELES CHARGERS (10-3) (at Kansas City (11-2), Thursday night, 8:20 PM ET, FOX/NFL Network/Amazon)
Los Angeles clinches a playoff berth with:
1) LAC win or tie OR
2) MIA loss or tie + PIT loss OR
3) MIA loss or tie + BAL loss or tie OR
4) MIA loss or tie + IND loss or tie + TEN loss or tie OR
5) PIT loss + IND loss or tie + TEN loss or tie OR
6) BAL loss or tie + IND loss or tie + TEN loss or tie
