The NFL playoff landscape, after Sunday’s week of Week 15

With matchday 15 Sunday games completed, we take a look at how the postseason would play out if the NFL regular season ended right now.

The postponement of matches three pending matches for Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday of the Week 15, in addition to “Monday Night Football“Pending means our tentative table of what the postseason would look like if the season ended today may still change substantially in the hours to come.

Either way, it’s worth noting that we had to wait until Week 15 to meet the first official invitee to the playoffs: the first division champion of the NFL left the NFC North.

In addition, at least there is the good news that, for the moment, no team added their name to the list of clubs eliminated from the great postseason party.

We review how he paints outlook for the playoffs, after all Sunday matches of the day:

American Conference

The Kansas city chiefs (10-4) – the same team that everyone has complained about for the last couple of months – have seized first place in planting the Conference, after a thrilling overtime win in action Thursday against their divisional rivals Los Angeles Chargers (8-6), who were on their heels in the AFC West.

In Saturday’s game, the New england patriots (9-5) were overwhelmed by the Indianapolis Colts (8-6), provisionally leaving the pupils of Bill belichick in the second site of the AFC, but still leading the AFC East.

Then come the leaders of the AFC South, Tennessee Titans (9-5), who suffered disaster on their visit to the Pittsburgh steelers (7-6-1), missing the opportunity to improve their position in the Conference.

Finally, in the NFC North there was a change of courier at the tip. The Cincinnati Bengals (8-6) took advantage of a victory over the Denver Broncos (7-7) to storm the first divisional site –by tiebreaker–, displacing some Baltimore Ravens (8-6) who fell with their faces to the sun before the Green bay packers (11-3).

The team with the best wild card ticket, if dealt today, would be Indianapolis. I would have to pack to visit Cincinnati on the Wild Card Round. If it materializes, it would be the first duel between these two clubs in the campaign.

Afterwards, Chargers they would have to schedule a visit to Nashville to meet the Titans, another unprecedented game for the first round of the postseason.

Finally, the Buffalo bills (8-6) remain with the last provisional berth to the playoffs, which would mean they go to play Foxborough against Patriots, a team against which they must be measured twice a year as divisional rivals, in the regular season. The Pats beat the Bills a week ago and that duel is repeated, in New england, in the coming day.

National Conference

The Green bay packers (11-3) took full advantage of the multiple absences of the Baltimore Ravens, (8-6) and despite this, they suffered until the last moment to escape with a critical victory. The triumph assured for the Packers the title of the NFC North, and delivered the first playoff berth of the season for Aaron Rodgers and Cía.

In the NFC East, the Dallas cowboys (10-4) crushed the New York Giants (4-10) and are already placed in the second planting site of the National, taking advantage of the defeats of the teams that are leading the NFC South Y NFC West.

How important was the failed colon conversion of Baltimore in view of Green bay? Having achieved it and defeated the Packers, the Ravens they would have put the Cowboys in the driver’s seat of the NFC, not to mention they hadn’t lost their provisional ticket at the AFC.

Third place in the order of the National Conference corresponds to the Tampa bay buccaneers (10-4), who were whitewashed at home by the New orleans saints (7-7). More than just the defeat against a tough divisional rival – which by the way is among the best seven in the NFC–, the Bucs they should be concerned about the number of injured with which they left this match.

Finally, the leaders of the NFC West, Arizona Cardinals (10-4), they incredibly succumbed to the worst team in the conference, Detroit Lions (2-11-1). In a very short time, Cards have gone from leading the league with the best brand, to being just the fourth best division leader in the National, with Los Angeles Rams (9-4) on their heels. That means the Rams Y Cardinals, who already divided wins in the regular season, would see each other again in the NFC Wild Card Round.

The San Francisco 49ers (8-6), who also inhabit the West, they would have to make the trip to Tampa for what Jimmy Garoppolo find yourself against your former mentor, Tom brady, as another of the parties of Wild Card Round. It is a game that was not contemplated in the regular campaign.

Finally, the Saints, whose defeat would have qualified the Cowboys automatically, they have taken the last ticket of the Conference, for now, raising to Dallas above Tampa bay. That would send New orleans to play in the palace of Jerry Jones, rematch of a match already won by the Cowboys, by 27-17, at the beginning of the current month.

The eliminated

As we anticipated above, there were no games that added his name to the eliminated list, mathematically speaking, of the playoffs.

That means that the only four teams that only dispute positioning in the order of the next draft, are still the Detroit Lions (2-11-1), Houston Texans (3-11) –which they won–, Jacksonville Jaguars (2-12) and New York Jets (3-11) –which they lost–.

The combination of results, including the defeat of Jaguars in view of Texans, in his first game since the firing of Urban meyer, and the surprise victory of Detroit about Arizona, it means that Jacksonville would have, for the second consecutive year, the first selection of the Draft 2021, if order is maintained until the end of the regular season.