NFL Standings 2016: Full League Outlook and AFC, NFC Playoff Predictions

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We’re now standing on the doorstep of Week 15, which will kick off with the Los Angeles Rams against the Seattle Seahawks on Thursday night. In just over three weeks, the 2016-17 NFL postseason will be set.

So what is going to happen between the start of Week 15 and the end of the regular season? Well, that’s tricky to answer. As of right now, only the Dallas Cowboys have secured a postseason ticket. Five more teams—the New England Patriots, Oakland Raiders, Kansas City Chiefs, Detroit Lions and New York Giants—can potentially clinch in Week 15.

We’re going to take an in-depth look at the playoff picture as it stands. We’ll look at the current standings in playoff-seeding format—division leaders are ranked first, regardless of records—and make our predictions for what the playoffs will ultimately look like.

We’ll also examine some of the top storylines that could help us bridge the gap from the current standings to our projected final ones. We’ll base our predictions on these, along with factors like past performances, team health and pending matchups.

     

Week 15 Standings

   

Storylines to Watch

Tennessee Titans

The Titans might not leap out as a team to follow over the final three weeks of the season, but they are. The surprisingly competitive 7-6 team has the potential to shape the postseason in a couple of ways.

The first is by making a run at the AFC South title. The Indianapolis Colts had their shot at snatching the division away from the Houston Texans last week but failed. The Titans will get their shot in the season finale.

Right now, the Texans and Titans are tied at 7-6. If the two teams remain tied, that finale will essentially be the AFC South title game.

To get to that point, though, Tennessee will need to get through its Week 15 matchup with the Chiefs. This may seem like a difficult task, and it is, but the Titans can give the Chiefs a fight.

The Titans are rated sixth in overall offense by Pro Football Focus …

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