NFL Standings, Week 15

Here are the updated NFL standings through week 15:

AFC
AFC EAST
Team	W	L	T	Pct	Conference	Division	SOV	SOS
y-New England Patriots	10	4	0	0.714	9-1	5-0	0.511	0.536
New York Jets	6	8	0	0.429	4-6	2-3	0.399	0.526
Miami Dolphins	6	8	0	0.429	4-6	1-3	0.423	0.500
Buffalo Bills	5	9	0	0.357	4-6	1-3	0.286	0.500
AFC NORTH
Team	W	L	T	Pct	Conference	Division	SOV	SOS
x-Baltimore Ravens	9	5	0	0.643	8-3	4-1	0.429	0.490
Cincinnati Bengals	8	6	0	0.571	5-5	1-3	0.339	0.429
Pittsburgh Steelers	7	7	0	0.500	4-6	2-2	0.459	0.469
Cleveland Browns	5	9	0	0.357	5-5	2-3	0.371	0.480
AFC SOUTH
Team	W	L	T	Pct	Conference	Division	SOV	SOS
y-Houston Texans	12	2	0	0.857	10-1	5-0	0.429	0.469
Indianapolis Colts	9	5	0	0.643	6-4	3-2	0.397	0.449
Tennessee Titans	5	9	0	0.357	4-7	0-5	0.400	0.526
Jacksonville Jaguars	2	12	0	0.143	2-8	2-3	0.500	0.541
AFC WEST
Team	W	L	T	Pct	Conference	Division	SOV	SOS
y-Denver Broncos	11	3	0	0.786	8-2	5-0	0.396	0.485
San Diego Chargers	5	9	0	0.357	5-5	3-2	0.286	0.474
Oakland Raiders	4	10	0	0.286	4-7	2-3	0.232	0.469
Kansas City Chiefs	2	12	0	0.143	0-10	0-5	0.393	0.469
x-clinched playoff spot, y-clinched division title, z-clinched first round bye, c-clinched conference title

NFC
NFC EAST
Team	W	L	T	Pct	Conference	Division	SOV	SOS
Washington Redskins	8	6	0	0.571	6-4	3-1	0.482	0.513
Dallas Cowboys	8	6	0	0.571	5-5	3-2	0.420	0.515
New York Giants	8	6	0	0.571	7-4	2-3	0.522	0.538
Philadelphia Eagles	4	10	0	0.286	2-8	1-3	0.500	0.505
NFC NORTH
Team	W	L	T	Pct	Conference	Division	SOV	SOS
y-Green Bay Packers	10	4	0	0.714	8-3	5-0	0.454	0.510
Minnesota Vikings	8	6	0	0.571	6-5	3-2	0.402	0.485
Chicago Bears	8	6	0	0.571	5-5	2-3	0.424	0.546
Detroit Lions	4	10	0	0.286	3-7	0-5	0.384	0.546
NFC SOUTH
Team	W	L	T	Pct	Conference	Division	SOV	SOS
y-Atlanta Falcons	12	2	0	0.857	8-2	3-2	0.429	0.423
New Orleans Saints	6	8	0	0.429	4-6	3-2	0.440	0.528
Tampa Bay Buccaneers	6	8	0	0.429	3-7	2-3	0.345	0.469
Carolina Panthers	5	9	0	0.357	4-7	2-3	0.500	0.536
NFC WEST
Team	W	L	T	Pct	Conference	Division	SOV	SOS
x-San Francisco 49ers	10	3	1	0.750	6-3-1	2-1-1	0.493	0.500
Seattle Seahawks	9	5	0	0.643	6-4	1-3	0.516	0.495
St. Louis Rams	6	7	1	0.464	5-4-1	4-0-1	0.506	0.536
Arizona Cardinals	5	9	0	0.357	3-7	1-4	0.471	0.543
x-clinched playoff spot, y-clinched division title, z-clinched first round bye, c-clinched conference title

And here is the playoff picture through week 15:

AFC
CURRENT PLAYOFF PICTURE
Team	W	L	T	Pct	Conference	Division	SOV	SOS
y-Houston Texans	12	2	0	0.857	10-1	5-0	0.429	0.469
y-Denver Broncos	11	3	0	0.786	8-2	5-0	0.396	0.485
y-New England Patriots	10	4	0	0.714	9-1	5-0	0.511	0.536
x-Baltimore Ravens	9	5	0	0.643	8-3	4-1	0.429	0.490
Indianapolis Colts	9	5	0	0.643	6-4	3-2	0.397	0.449
Cincinnati Bengals	8	6	0	0.571	5-5	1-3	0.339	0.429
Pittsburgh Steelers	7	7	0	0.500	4-6	2-2	0.459	0.469
Miami Dolphins	6	8	0	0.429	4-6	1-3	0.423	0.500

NFC
CURRENT PLAYOFF PICTURE
Team	W	L	T	Pct	Conference	Division	SOV	SOS
y-Atlanta Falcons	12	2	0	0.857	8-2	3-2	0.429	0.423
x-San Francisco 49ers	10	3	1	0.750	6-3-1	2-1-1	0.493	0.500
y-Green Bay Packers	10	4	0	0.714	8-3	5-0	0.454	0.510
Washington Redskins	8	6	0	0.571	6-4	3-1	0.482	0.513
Seattle Seahawks	9	5	0	0.643	6-4	1-3	0.516	0.495
Minnesota Vikings	8	6	0	0.571	6-5	3-2	0.402	0.485
Chicago Bears	8	6	0	0.571	5-5	2-3	0.424	0.546
Dallas Cowboys	8	6	0	0.571	5-5	3-2	0.420	0.515
New York Giants	8	6	0	0.571	7-4	2-3	0.522	0.538
St. Louis Rams	6	7	1	0.464	5-4-1	4-0-1	0.506	0.536
New Orleans Saints	6	8	0	0.429	4-6	3-2	0.440	0.528

Interesting notes: 

• The playoff picture has shifted around a little bit compared to last week. There would be 4 new teams from last year (Indianapolis, Washington, Seattle, and Minnesota)
• Since the NFL moved to the 4 divisions per conference format in 2002, there has never been more than 8 playoff teams returning from the previous season. The average number of repeat playoff teams is 6.  
• The remaining schedules for all teams in the playoff picture (AFC): 
• Houston (.607 - MIN, @IND) -- hardest
• New England (.286 - @JAX, MIA)
• Denver (.250 - CLE, KC) -- easiest
• Baltimore (.571 - NYG, @CIN) 
• Indianapolis (.500 - @KC, HOU)
• Cincinnati (.571 - @PIT, BAL)
• Pittsburgh (.464 - CIN, CLE)
• Miami (.536 - BUF, @NE)  
• The remaining schedules for all teams in the playoff picture (NFC): 
• Atlanta (.357 - @DET, TB)
• San Francisco (.500 - @SEA, ARI)
• Green Bay (.464 - TEN, @MIN)
• Washington (.429 - @PHI, DAL) 
• Seattle (.607 - SF, STL)
• Minnesota (.786 - @HOU, GB) -- hardest
• Chicago (.321 - @ARI, @DET) -- easiest
• Dallas (.500 - NO, @WAS)
• New York Giants (.464 - @BAL, PHI)
• St. Louis (.536 - @TB, @SEA)
• New Orleans (.464 - @DAL, CAR)
• Everyone listed above is still alive in the playoff chase. Anyone not listed is out of the playoffs. 
• Two more teams clinched playoff spots: San Francisco and Baltimore. Neither clinched their division yet. The 49ers need one win in their final two games and Baltimore needs a win or a Bengals loss (and they could achieve both in their week 17 matchup)
• The Jets are now out because they could, at best, reach 8-8 and a 3-way tie with Pittsburgh and Cincinnati. In that case, Pittsburgh would claim the 6th spot with head to head tiebreakers over both the Bengals and then the Jets. 
• The Dolphins are still alive, as they would win a 3-way tie with Pittsburgh and Cincinnati with a better conference record than the other two if all finished 8-8 (6-6 for Miami, 4-8 for Pittsburgh). 
• Note that, in case of 3 team ties for a playoff berth or seed, any divisional ties are resolved first. So If Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, and Miami are tied at 8-8, Pittsburgh eliminates Cincinnati (head-to-head), and then is eliminated by Miami (conference record). 
• The Saints are also still alive, as they could sneak in if Minnesota, Chicago, Dallas, and the Giants all finish 8-8 and the Rams fail to reach 8 wins. 
• Both Atlanta and Houston are in the same (driver's) seat: win 1 game and they have home field advantage. 
• Despite their tailspin, Chicago should get to 10 wins, as they face Arizona (terrible) and Detroit (just lost big to Arizona). Minnesota, on the other hand, will be lucky to get to 9 wins, as they face Houston and Green Bay. 

A Quick Look Ahead to Week 16:

New Orleans at Dallas (Sunday, 1:00 PM) - Two teams on the fringes, though New Orleans is by far the more desperate team.
Cincinnati at Pittsburgh (Sunday, 1:00 PM) - The Bengals clinch a playoff spot with a win. They fall into almost certain also-ran status with a loss.
Minnesota at Houston (Sunday, 1:00 PM) - Minnesota gets back into the playoff picture, and now they face the top-team record-wise in the AFC.
New York Giants at Baltimore (Sunday, 4:25 PM) - Baltimore is reeling, having lost 3 straight, but at least they're still on top of their division. The Giants would be out of the playoffs if the season ended today.
San Francisco at Seattle (Sunday, 8:20 PM) - Some of the luster left this match-up when San Francisco beat New England, so we'll have to settle for Seattle's giant chip on their shoulder regarding the 49ers, and the fact that the two coaches don't like each other.