Our 2022 NFL playoff picture tracker is updated through the Week 15 Thursday Night Football game.
Week 15 of the 2022 NFL season is here, bringing us a little closer to the end of the regular season and the start of the playoffs. As we work our way through the week’s schedule of games, the situation is getting a little clearer in both the NFC and AFC playoff picture. We are starting to have teams claim playoff positions and division championships, as well as teams being eliminated from postseason contention.
Week 15 started with the Buffalo Bills holding the top spot in the AFC, followed by the Kansas City Chiefs as the second seed. The Baltimore Ravens and Tennessee Titans held the third and fourth seed, rounding out the division leaders. The Cincinnati Bengals, Miami Dolphins, and New England Patriots were in the fifth, sixth, and seventh positions as wild-card contenders. Just outside the playoff spots were the Los Angeles Chargers and New York Jets.
Over in the NFC, the Philadelphia Eagles started the week as the top team in the conference and the only team locked into the playoffs. The Minnesota Vikings were second in the standings, followed by the San Francisco 49ers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The wild card spots were held by the Dallas Cowboys, Washington Commanders, and New York Giants, putting the entire NFC East in playoff positions. On the outside looking in were the Seattle Seahawks and Detroit Lions.
How will Week 15 shake up the standings? Here are the live standings and playoff scenarios, updated as the games are played:
Week 15 Schedule and Results
Final
San Francisco 49ers 21 – 13 Seattle Seahawks
Scheduled
Indianapolis Colts at Minnesota Vikings, Sat. 1 p.m. ET
Baltimore Ravens at Cleveland Browns, Sat. 4:30 p.m. ET
Miami Dolphins at Buffalo Bills, Sat. 8:15 p.m. ET
Atlanta Falcons at New Orleans Saints, Sun. 1 p.m. ET
Pittsburgh Steelers at Carolina Panthers, Sun. 1 p.m. ET
Philadelphia Eagles at Chicago Bears, Sun. 1 p.m. ET
Kansas City Chiefs at Houston Texans, Sun. 1 p.m. ET
Dallas Cowboys at Jacksonville Jaguars, Sun. 1 p.m. ET
Detroit Lions at New York Jets, Sun. 1 p.m. ET
Arizona Cardinals at Denver Broncos, Sun. 4:05 p.m. ET
New England Patriots at Las Vegas Raiders, Sun. 4:05 p.m. ET
Tennessee Titans at Los Angeles Chargers, Sun. 4:25 p.m. ET
Cincinnati Bengals at Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Sun. 4:25 p.m. ET
New York Giants at Washington Commanders, Sun. 8:20 p.m. ET
Los Angeles Rams at Green Bay Packers, Sun. 8:15 p.m. ET
AFC Playoff Picture (through Week 15 Thursday Night Football)
Clinching Scenarios:
Buffalo Bills
- Clinch playoff berth with Bills win OR Bills tie and Chargers loss OR Bills tie and Jets loss and Patriots loss OR Bills tie and Jets loss and Patriots tie and Chargers tie
Kansas City Chiefs
- Clinch AFC West division title with Chief win OR Chargers loss OR Chiefs tie and Chargers tie
- Clinch playoff berth with Chiefs tie and Jets loss and Patriots loss OR Chiefs tie and Dolphins loss and Patriots loss and Jets tie OR Chiefs tie and Dolphins loss and Jets loss and Patriots tie
1 – Buffalo Bills (10-3, AFC East leader)*
2 – Kansas City Chiefs (10-3, AFC West leader)*
3 – Baltimore Ravens (9-4, AFC North leader)*
4 – Tennessee Titans (7-6, AFC South leader)*
5 – Cincinnati Bengals (9-4, Wild Card 1)*
6 – Miami Dolphins (8-5, Wild Card 2)*
7 – New England Patriots (7-6, Wild Card 3)*
In the hunt
Los Angeles Chargers (7-6)*
New York Jets (7-6)*
Jacksonville Jaguars (5-8)*
Las Vegas Raiders (5-8)*
Cleveland Browns (5-8)*
Pittsburgh Steelers (5-8)*
Indianapolis Colts (4-8-1)*
Eliminated
Denver Broncos (3-10)*
Houston Texans (1-11-1)*
*Still to play
Elimination Scenarios
Indianapolis Colts
- Eliminated from playoffs with Colts loss and Titans win/tie and Jets win OR Colts loss and Titans win/tie and Patriots win
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Eliminated from playoffs with Steelers loss and Patriots win OR Steelers loss and Jets win and Chargers win/tie OR Steelers loss and Chargers win and Raiders tie
Cleveland Browns
- Eliminated from playoffs with Browns loss and Chargers win OR Browns loss and Jets win OR Browns loss and Patriots win
Las Vegas Raiders
- Eliminated from playoffs with Raiders loss and Dolpins win/tie OR Radiers loss and Jets win/toss
NFC Playoff Picture (through Week 15 Thursday Night Football)
Clinching Scenarios:
Dallas Cowboys
- Clinch playoff berth with Cowboys win OR Cowboys tie and Giants/Commanders does not end in tie OR Cowboys tie and Seahawks loss/tie OR Seahawks loss and Lions loss/tie OR Seahawks loss and Commanders loss
Minnesota Vikings
- Clinch NFC North division title with Vikings win OR Lions loss/tie
San Francisco 49ers – Clinched Division
- Clinch NFC West division title with 49ers win
1 – Philadelphia Eagles (12-1, NFC East leader)*^
2 – Minnesota Vikings (10-3, NFC North leader)*
3 – San Francisco 49ers (10-4, NFC West champion)+
4 – Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6-7, NFC South leader)*
5 – Dallas Cowboys (10-3, Wild Card 1)*
6 – Washington Commanders (7-5-1, Wild Card 2)*
7 – New York Giants (7-5-1, Wild Card 3)*
In the hunt
Seattle Seahawks (7-7)*
Detroit Lions (6-7)*
Green Bay Packers (5-8)*
Carolina Panthers (5-8)*
Atlanta Falcons (5-8)*
Arizona Cardinals (4-9)*
New Orleans Saints (4-9)*
Los Angeles Rams (4-9)*
Eliminated
Chicago Bears (3-10)*
*Still to play
^Clinched playoff berth
+Clinched division title
Elimination Scenarios
Arizona Cardinals
- Eliminated from playoffs with Cardinals loss OR Cardinals tie and Giants tie
Los Angeles Rams
- Eliminated from playoffs with Rams loss OR Rams tie and Giants win/tie
New Orleans Saints
- Eliminated from playoffs with Saints loss and Buccaneers win/tie OR Saints loss and Panters win