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…
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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. [sidebar]
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.
