NFC Playoff Race Heats Up - Week 15

NFC Playoff Race Heats Up - Week 15

As the NFL enters Week 15, there are 14 NFC teams in contention for a trip to Super Bowl 50.

The Carolina Panthers (13-0) and Arizona Cardinals (11-2) have both clinched a postseason berth. Four playoff spots in the conference remain up for grabs.

The Panthers have won the NFC South and secured a first-round bye. The Cardinals have clinched a playoff berth.

Following are the records of NFC playoff contenders, their remaining games and their wins and losses against other NFC playoff hopefuls:

NFC East

Team/Games vs AFC Contenders	Overall	Division	Conference	Week 15	Week 16	Week 17
(Source: NFL)
WASHINGTON REDSKINS	6-7	2-2	6-4	Buf	at Phi	at Dal
	Wins: Chi, NO, NYG, Phi, StL, TB; Losses: Atl, Car, Dal, NYG
PHILADELPHIA EAGLES	6-7	2-2	3-6	Az	Was	at NYG
	Wins: Dal, NO, NYG; Losses: Atl, Car, Dal, TB, Was
NEW YORK GIANTS	6-7	2-3	4-5	Car	at Min	Phi
	Wins: Dal, TB, Was; Losses: Atl, Dal, NO, Phi, Was
DALLAS COWBOYS	4-9	3-2	3-8	NYJ	at Buf	Was
	Wins: NYG, Phi, Was; Losses: Atl, Car, GB, NO, NYG, Phi, Sea, TB

NFC North

Team/Games vs AFC Contenders	Overall	Division	Conference	Week 15	Week 16	Week 17
(Source: NFL)
GREEN BAY PACKERS	9-4	3-2	7-3	at Oak	at Az	Min
	Wins: Chi, Dal, Min, StL, Sea; Losses: Car, Chi
MINNESOTA VIKINGS	8-5	3-1	5-4	Chi	NYG	at GB
	Wins: Atl, Chi, StL; Losses: Az, GB, Sea
CHICAGO BEARS	5-8	1-3	2-7	at Min	at TB	Det
	Wins: GB, StL; Losses: Az, GB, Min, Sea, Was

NFC South

Team/Games vs AFC Contenders	Overall	Division	Conference	Week 15	Week 16	Week 17
(Source: NFL)
CAROLINA PANTHERS *	13-0	4-0	9-0	at NYG	at Atl	TB
	Wins: Atl, Dal, GB, NO (2), Phi, Sea, TB, Was
TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS	6-7	3-2	5-4	at StL	Chi	at Car
	Wins: Atl (2), Dal, NO, Phi; Losses: Car, NO, NYG, Was
ATLANTA FALCONS	6-7	0-4	4-6	at Jax	Car	NO
	Wins: Dal, NYG, Phi, Was; Losses: Car, Min, NO, TB (2)
NEW ORLEANS SAINTS	5-8	2-3	4-6	Det	Jax	at Atl
	Wins: Atl, Dal, NYG, TB; Losses: Az, Car (2), Phi, TB, Was

NFC West

Team/Games vs AFC Contenders	Overall	Division	Conference	Week 15	Week 16	Week 17
(Source: NFL)
ARIZONA CARDINALS **	11-2	4-1	8-1	at Phi	GB	Sea
	Wins: Chi, Min, NO, StL, Sea; Loss: StL
SEATTLE SEAHAWKS	8-5	2-2	6-4	Cle	StL	at Az
	Wins: Chi, Dal, Min; Losses: Az, Car, GB, StL
ST. LOUIS RAMS	5-8	3-1	4-5	TB	at Sea	at SF
	Wins: Az, Sea; Losses: Az, Chi, GB, Min, Was

* Clinched division and first-round bye

** Clinched playoff berth

NFC Playoff Picture - Week 15

Seed	Team	Division	Record
(Source: NFL) Division Winner ^Playoff berth #First-round bye*
1	Carolina#	South	13-0-0
2	Arizona^	West	11-2-0
3	Green Bay	North	9-4-0
4	Washington	East	6-7-0
5	Seattle	West	8-5-0
6	Minnesota	North	8-5-0
Still Alive
7	Tampa Bay	South	6-7-0
8	Atlanta	South	6-7-0
9	Philadelphia	East	6-7-0
10	N.Y. Giants	East	6-7-0
11	St. Louis	West	5-8-0
12	New Orleans	South	5-8-0
13	Chicago	North	5-7-0
16	Dallas	East	4-9-0
Eliminated
14	Detroit	North	4-9-0
15	San Francisco	West	4-9-0

Here are the official Week 15 playoff clinching scenarios:

2015 NFL Playoff Scenarios For Week 15

NFC

Clinched:

Carolina Panthers (NFC South and a first-round bye)

Arizona Cardinals (playoff berth)

CAROLINA PANTHERS (at New York Giants, Sunday)

Carolina clinches home-field advantage throughout NFC playoffs with:

CAR win + ARI loss or tie OR
CAR tie + ARI loss

ARIZONA CARDINALS (at Philadelphia, Sunday night)

Arizona clinches NFC West division with:

ARI win or tie OR
SEA loss or tie OR
ARI clinches strength of victory tiebreaker over SEA

(Note: ARI clinches strength of victory tiebreaker over SEA in scenario 3 if all of the following occurs: CIN win, NO win, DAL loss, PIT loss)

Arizona clinches a first-round bye with:

ARI win + GB loss or tie OR
ARI tie + GB loss

GREEN BAY PACKERS (at Oakland, Sunday)

Green Bay clinches a playoff spot with:

GB win or tie OR
TB loss or tie + WAS loss or tie OR
TB loss or tie + NYG loss or tie

SEATTLE SEAHAWKS (vs. Cleveland, Sunday)

Seattle clinches a playoff spot with:

SEA win + TB loss or tie + NYG loss or tie OR
SEA win + TB loss or tie + WAS loss or tie OR
SEA win + TB loss or tie + ATL loss or tie + MIN loss + GB win or tie OR
SEA tie + TB loss + ATL loss or tie + NYG loss OR
SEA tie + TB loss + ATL loss or tie + WAS loss + PHI loss or tie

MINNESOTA VIKINGS (vs. Chicago, Sunday)

Minnesota clinches a playoff spot with:

MIN win + TB loss or tie + WAS loss or tie + ATL loss or tie OR
MIN win + TB loss or tie + WAS loss or tie + SEA loss or tie OR
MIN win + TB loss or tie + NYG loss or tie + ATL loss or tie OR
MIN win + TB loss or tie + NYG loss or tie + SEA loss or tie OR
MIN tie + TB loss + ATL loss or tie + PHI loss or tie + WAS loss OR
MIN tie + TB loss + ATL loss or tie + PHI loss or tie + NYG loss OR
MIN tie + TB loss + ATL loss or tie + WAS loss or tie + NYG loss or tie (as long as WAS and NYG both don't tie)

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