NFL playoff picture 2023: Live standings, clinching, elimination ...

17 Dec 2023

The Phinsider

NFL playoff picture 2023 Live standings clinching elimination

As the Week 15 games reach final scores, we update the AFC and NFC playoff pictures.

Week 15 of the 2023 NFL regular season is underway. After the Las Vegas Raiders crushed the Los Angeles Chargers in the Thursday Night Football opener to the week, we have three games on Saturday. Throughout weekend and into the Monday Night Football game between the Philadelphia Eagles and Seattle Seahawks, we are tracking the latest updates to the NFL standings and the AFC and NFC playoff pictures.

The AFC playoff picture opened the week with the Baltimore Ravens sitting on top of the standings followed by the Miami Dolphins, Kansas City Chiefs, and Jacksonville Jaguars. The Cleveland Browns, Pittsburgh Steelers, and Indianapolis Colts held the three wild card positions for the conference.

The NFC’s bracket saw the San Francisco 49ers begin the week in the top spot and having become the first team to clinch a playoff berth this season. The Dallas Cowboys, Detroit Lions, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers rounded out the four division leader seedings. The Eagles, Minnesota Vikings, and Green Bay Packers were in the wildcard positions.

Below you will find the live standings throughout the weekend. We also track the elimination and clinching scenarios for the weekend.

Last update: 4:34 p.m. ET, Saturday

Editor’s note:

Due to some technical issues, we will not be able to update the live standings after the night game on Saturday. The next update will be made on Sunday morning. Here are the impacts from the game to ensure you know what the results will do.

Broncos at Lions

Broncos win: A Denver win brings Indianapolis, Cincinnati, and Denver into a three-way tie. The Colts take the sixth-seed in the AFC due to AFC winning percentage, ahead of Denver, with the Bengals sliding down to eighth. Detroit remains the third seed in the NFC with a 9-5 record, still leading the NFC North. The Broncos win eliminates the Los Angeles Chargers from winning the AFC North.

Lions win: Detroit remains the third seed in the NFC with a 10-4 record, still leading the NFC North. The Broncos fall to the 11th seed, dropping behind Pittsburgh based on AFC winning percentage. The Bengals remain in the sixth seed in the AFC and the Colts remain in the seventh seed.

AFC playoff picture (through Week 15 Saturday afternoon):

1 - Baltimore Ravens (10-3, AFC North leader)2 - Miami Dolphins (9-4, AFC East leader) 3 - Kansas City Chiefs (8-5, AFC West leader)4 - Jacksonville Jaguars (8-5, AFC South leader)

5 - Cleveland Browns (8-5, Wild Card 1 position)6 - Cincinnati Bengals (8-6, Wild Card 2 position)**7 - Indianapolis Colts (8-6, Wild Card 3 position)**

Houston Texans (7-6)Denver Broncos (7-6) - Kicked offBuffalo Bills (7-6)Pittsburgh Steelers (7-7)**Las Vegas Raiders (5-8)New York Jets (5-8)Tennessee Titans (5-8)*Los Angeles Chargers (5-9)*

Eliminated:New England Patriots (3-10)

*Week 15 Thursday Night Football.** Saturday game complete.

Tiebreaks:

Chiefs over Jaguars based on head-to-head results
Colts over Texans based on head-to-head results (divisional tiebreak); Steelers over Bills and Broncos based on AFC winning percentage; Steelers over Colts based on common game winning percentage
Colts over Texans based on head-to-head results (divisional tiebreak); Colts over Bills and Broncos based on AFC winning percentage
Texans over Bills and Broncos based on AFC winning percentage
Broncos over Bills based on head-to-head results
Jets over Titans based on strength of victor

AFC Clinching Scenarios Week 15

Ravens clinch playoff berth with:

Raven win and Broncos loss/tie and Bills loss/tie OR
Ravens win and Broncos loss/tie and Browns loss/tie OR
Ravens win and Broncos loss/tie and Steelers loss/tie OR
Ravens win and Broncos loss/tie and Texans loss/tie OR
Ravens win and Bills loss/tie and Browns loss/tie OR
Ravens win and Bills loss/tie and Steelers loss/tie OR
Ravens win and Bills loss/tie and Texans loss/tie OR
Ravens win and Browns loss/tie and Steelers-Colts tie OR
Ravens win and Texas loss/tie and Steelers-Colts tie OR
Various combinations of a Ravens tie with other losses and/or ties in the AFC results

AFC Elimination Scenarios Week 15

Bengals can be eliminated from AFC North division title with:

~~Bengals loss~~ OR
~~Bengals tie~~ and Ravens tie OR
Ravens win

Chargers can be eliminated from AFC West division title with:

Chiefs win/tie OR
Broncos win

The Chargers can also be eliminated from the playoffs if either of those results happen and a a bunch of other results also happen. It is unlikely, but it could happen.

Jets can be eliminated from playoffs with:

Jets loss and Bills win and Steelers-Colts do not tie OR
Jets loss and Bills win and Texans win/tie OR
Jets loss and Bills win and Bengals win/tie OR
Jets loss and Bills win and Broncos win OR
Jets loss and Colts win and Bengals win and Texans win/tie OR
Jets loss and Browns win/tie and Colts win and Bengals win OR
Jets loss and Browns win/tie and Steelers win and Texans win OR
Jets loss and Browns win/tie and Steelers win and Texans tie and Broncos win OR
Jets loss and Browns win/tie and Steelers tie and Bengals win/tie and Texans win/tie OR
Jets loss and Browns win/tie and Steelers tie and Bengals win/tie and Broncos win OR
Jets loss and Steelers tie and Bengals win/tie and Texans win/tie and Broncos win

Steelers can be eliminated from AFC North division title with:

Steelers loss and Ravens win/tie OR
Steelers tie and Ravens win

Steelers can be eliminated from playoffs with:

Steelers loss and Ravens win/tie OR
Steelers loss and Dolphins win/tie OR
Steelers tie and Ravens win OR
Steelers tie and Ravens tie and Dolphins win

Titans can be eliminated from AFC South division title with:

Titans loss OR
Titans tie and Jaguars win

Titans can be eliminated from playoffs with:

Titans loss and Steelers-Colts do not tie OR
Titans loss and Bengals win/tie OR
Titans loss and Broncos win

NFC Playoff Picture (through Week 15 Saturday early afternoon)

1 - San Francisco 49ers (10-3, NFC West leader) - Clinched playoff berth2 - Dallas Cowboys (10-3, NFC East leader)3 - Detroit Lions (9-4, NFC North leader) - Kicked Off4 - Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6-7, NFC South leader)

5 - Philadelphia Eagles (10-3, Wild Card 1 position)6 - Minnesota Vikings (7-7, Wild Card 2 position)**7 - Green Bay Packers (6-7, Wild Card 3 position)

Los Angeles Rams (6-7)Seattle Seahawks (6-7)Atlanta Falcons (6-7)New Orleans Saints (6-7)New York Giants (5-8)Chicago Bears (5-8)Washington Commanders (4-9)Arizona Cardinals (3-10)

Eliminated:Carolina Panthers (1-12)

**Saturday game complete

Tiebreaks:

Cowboys over Eagles based on NFC East win percentage (divisional tiebreak); 49ers over Cowboys based on head-to-head results
Cowboys over Eagles based on NFC East win percentage
Buccaneers over Falcons based on common opponent winning percentage; Buccaneers over Saints based on head-to-head results
Rams over Seahawks based on head-to-head results (divisional tiebreak);Falcons over Saints based on head-to-head results (divisional tiebreak); Packers over Rams based on head-to-head results and Packers over Falcons based on NFC winning percentage
Rams over Seahawks based on head-to-head results (divisional tiebreak); Falcons over Saints based on head-to-head results (divisional tiebreak); Rams over Falcons based on NFC winning percentage
Falcons over Saints based on head-to-head results (divisional tiebreak); Seahawks over Falcons based on NFC winning percentage
Falcons over Saints based on head-to-head results

Week 15 NFC Clinching Scenarios

Cowboys can clinch playoff berth with:

Cowboys win OR
Rams loss/tie and Seahawks loss/tie OR
Packers loss and Rams loss/tie and Falcons loss/tie OR
Packers loss and Falcons loss/tie and Seahawks loss/tie OR
Packers loss and Falcons loss/tie and Lions loss/tie OR
Buccaneers loss and Vikings loss/tie and Rams loss/tie OR
Buccaneers loss and Vikings loss/tie and Seahawks loss/tie OR
Buccaneers loss and Vikings loss/tie and Lions loss/tie OR
Buccaneers loss and 49ers loss/tie and Lions loss/tie OR
Buccaneers loss and Lions loss/tie and Rams loss/tie OR
Buccaneers-Packers tie and Rams loss/tie OR
Buccaneers-Packers tie and Seahawks loss/tie OR
Buccaneers-packers tie and Lions win/tie OR
Seahawks loss/tie and Vikings loss and Cowboys clinch strength of victory tiebreak over Falcons

Lions can clinch playoff berth with:

Lions win and Seahawks loss/tie and Packers loss/tie OR
Lions win and Seahawks loss/tie and Vikings loss/tie OR
Lions win and Seahawks loss/tie and Rams loss/tie OR
Lions win and Rams loss/tie and Vikings loss/tie and Buccaneers loss OR
Lions win and Rams loss/tie and Falcons loss/tie and Packers loss OR
Lions win and Rams loss/tie and Vikings loss/tie and Falcons loss/tie OR
Lions win and Buccaneers-Packers tie and Rams loss/tie OR
Lions tie and Buccaneers-Packers do not tie and Seahawks loss and Rams loss OR
Lions tie and Rams loss and Seahawks loss and Falcons loss OR
Lions tie and Packers loss and Seahawks loss and Falcons loss/tie OR
Lions loss and Vikings loss and Seahawks loss and Rams loss OR
Lions tie and Buccaneers-Packers tie and Vikings loss and Seahawks loss and Rams tie OR
Lions tie and Buccaneers-Packers tie and Vikings loss and Rams loss and Falcons loss/tie OR
Lions tie and Buccaneers-Packers tie and Vikings loss and Rams loss and Falcons loss/tie

Eagles can clinch playoff berth with:

Eagles win OR
Packers loss and Falcons loss/tie and Rams loss/tie OR
Packers loss and Falcons loss/tie and 49ers win/tie and Lions win OR
Buccaneers loss and Vikings loss/tie and Rams loss/tie OR
Buccaneers loss and Vikings loss/tie and 49ers win/tie and Lions win OR
Vikings loss/tie and Falcons loss/tie and Rams loss/tie OR
Vikings loss/tie and Falcons loss/tie and 49ers win/tie and Lions win OR
Buccaneers-Packers tie and Rams loss/tie OR
Buccaneers-Packers tie and 49ers win/tie and Lions win

49ers can clinch NFC West division title with:

49ers win/tie OR
Rams loss/tie

Week 15 NFC Elimination Scenarios

Cardinals can be eliminated from playoff contention with:

Cardinals loss OR
Cardinals tie and Rams win/tie OR
Cardinals tie and Packers win OR
Cardinals tie and Buccaneers win OR
Cardinals tie and Falcons win/tie OR
Cardinals tie and Bears win/tie OR
Cardinals tie and Seahawks win OR
Cardinals tie and Giants win OR
Rams win and ~~Vikings win/tie~~ OR
Rams win and Packers win/tie OR
Rams win and Saints win/tie and Bears win and Falcons win/tie OR
Rams win and Saints win/tie and Bears tie and Falcons win OR
Rams tie and ~~Vikings win/tie~~ and Giants win and Buccaneers win/tie and Falcons win and Bears win/tie OR
Rams tie and ~~Vikings win/tie~~ and Saints win/tie and Packers win and Falcons win and Bears win/tie OR
Rams tie and ~~Vikings win/tie~~ and Saints win/tie and Packers win and Falcons tie and Bears win OR
Rams tie and ~~Vikings win/tie~~ and Packers tie and Falcons win and Bears win OR
~~Vikings win/tie~~ and Packers win and Saints win and Falcons win and Bears win/tie OR
~~Vikings win/tie~~ and Packers win and Saints win and Falcons tie and Bears win OR
~~Vikings win/tie~~ and Packers tie and Saints win/tie and Falcons win and Bears win