NFL Standings: AFC, Week 15

In case you're interested, here is a link to the ESPN playoff machine, where you can create any scenario you wish using games still to be played.

AFC
AFC EAST
	Team	W	L	T	Pct	Conference			Division			SOV	SOS	PF	PA	Pythag%	RoS SOS
y	New England Patriots	11	3	0	0.786	8	2	0	3	1	0	0.516	0.533	442	280	0.747	0.393
	Buffalo Bills	8	6	0	0.571	4	6	0	3	2	0	0.455	0.526	302	254	0.601	0.464
	Miami Dolphins	7	7	0	0.500	6	5	0	3	2	0	0.398	0.541	327	301	0.549	0.321
	New York Jets	3	11	0	0.214	3	7	0	0	4	0	0.310	0.536	230	360	0.257	0.643
AFC NORTH
	Team	W	L	T	Pct	Conference			Division			SOV	SOS	PF	PA	Pythag%	RoS SOS
	Cincinnati Bengals	9	4	1	0.679	6	4	0	3	2	0	0.389	0.467	311	289	0.543	0.714
	Pittsburgh Steelers	9	5	0	0.643	7	3	0	3	2	0	0.452	0.429	389	339	0.581	0.625
	Baltimore Ravens	9	5	0	0.643	5	5	0	2	3	0	0.361	0.467	376	267	0.692	0.500
	Cleveland Browns	7	7	0	0.500	4	7	0	2	3	0	0.362	0.459	276	300	0.451	0.518
AFC SOUTH
	Team	W	L	T	Pct	Conference			Division			SOV	SOS	PF	PA	Pythag%	RoS SOS
y	Indianapolis Colts	10	4	0	0.714	8	3	0	5	0	0	0.382	0.477	424	317	0.666	0.429
	Houston Texans	7	7	0	0.500	6	4	0	3	2	0	0.265	0.452	324	277	0.592	0.393
	Tennessee Titans	2	12	0	0.143	2	8	0	1	3	0	0.357	0.503	231	390	0.224	0.429
	Jacksonville Jaguars	2	12	0	0.143	1	9	0	0	4	0	0.429	0.538	211	376	0.203	0.321
AFC WEST
	Team	W	L	T	Pct	Conference			Division			SOV	SOS	PF	PA	Pythag%	RoS SOS
y	Denver Broncos	11	3	0	0.786	9	1	0	5	0	0	0.519	0.546	407	303	0.668	0.411
	Kansas City Chiefs	8	6	0	0.571	6	4	0	2	3	0	0.491	0.505	322	254	0.637	0.607
	San Diego Chargers	8	6	0	0.571	6	5	0	2	3	0	0.375	0.515	303	294	0.518	0.536
	Oakland Raiders	2	12	0	0.143	1	9	0	1	4	0	0.536	0.571	213	381	0.201	0.679
x-clinched playoff spot, y-clinched division title, z-clinched first round bye, c-clinched conference title

Current Playoff Standings:

AFC
CURRENT PLAYOFF PICTURE
	Team	W	L	T	Pct	Conference			Division			SOV	SOS	PF	PA	Pythag%	RoS SOS
y	New England Patriots	11	3	0	0.786	8	2	0	3	1	0	0.520	0.540	442	280	0.747	0.393
y	Denver Broncos	11	3	0	0.786	9	1	0	5	0	0	0.523	0.547	407	303	0.668	0.411
y	Indianapolis Colts	10	4	0	0.714	8	3	0	5	0	0	0.379	0.478	424	317	0.666	0.418
	Cincinnati Bengals	9	4	1	0.679	6	4	0	3	2	0	0.386	0.463	311	289	0.543	0.714
	Pittsburgh Steelers	9	5	0	0.643	7	3	0	3	2	0	0.450	0.425	389	339	0.581	0.625
	Baltimore Ravens	9	5	0	0.643	5	5	0	2	3	0	0.355	0.463	376	267	0.692	0.500
	Kansas City Chiefs	8	6	0	0.571	6	4	0	2	3	0	0.488	0.506	322	254	0.637	0.607
	San Diego Chargers	8	6	0	0.571	6	5	0	2	3	0	0.372	0.514	303	294	0.518	0.555
	Buffalo Bills	8	6	0	0.571	4	6	0	3	2	0	0.467	0.532	302	254	0.601	0.464
	Houston Texans	7	7	0	0.500	6	4	0	3	2	0	0.268	0.451	324	277	0.592	0.393
	Miami Dolphins	7	7	0	0.500	6	5	0	3	2	0	0.402	0.545	327	301	0.549	0.338
	Cleveland Browns	7	7	0	0.500	4	7	0	2	3	0	0.361	0.459	276	300	0.451	0.495
x-clinched playoff spot, y-clinched division title, z-clinched first round bye, c-clinched conference title

A quick primer on what all of this information is:

Team, W(ins), L(osses), T(ies), and Pct (winning percentage) are all self-explanatory. 

The Conference and Division records are separated into separate columns for Wins/Losses/Ties. This was purely a formatting move designed to help me update the tables more efficiently. 

PF - Points For (points scored by the team for the season)

PA - Points Against (points scored by the team's opponents for the season)

Pythag% - Pythagorean winning percentage - this is based on PF and PA

RoS SOS - Rest of Season Strength of Schedule

Interesting bits of information:

• The Patriots, Broncos, and Colts have all clinched their respective divisions. 
• There are 16 teams in the AFC. 12 of them are still in the playoff picture. 
• Remember that when breaking ties across divisions for wildcard spots, divisional ties must be broken first. So Baltimore cannot be part of a wildcard tiebreaker unless Pittsburgh has already secured a playoff spot. Similarly San Diego cannot be part of a wildcard tiebreaker unless Kansas City has already secured a spot. 
• The playoff hopefuls with the easiest remaining schedule is the Dolphins. 
• The playoff hopeful with the hardest remaining schedule is the Bengals.
• Pythagorean win percentage says the two top teams fighting for a wildcard berth are the Ravens and Chiefs. 

Remaining Schedules and Playoff Scenarios for each team still alive: 

• Patriots (@NYJ, BUF) 
• Can clinch a 1st round bye this week with a win or a Denver loss
• Can clinch HFA this week with a win and a Denver loss
• Broncos (@CIN, OAK)
• Can clinch a 1st round bye this week with a win
• Colts (@DAL, @TEN)
• Would lose seeding tiebreakers to New England, Pittsburgh and Denver due to head-to-head losses to both
• Would win a seeding tiebreaker with Baltimore due to a head-to-head victory. 
• Bengals (DEN, @PIT)
• Clinch a playoff spot this week with a win or losses by Kansas City, San Diego, and Buffalo
• Clinch the division this week with a win and losses by Pittsburgh and Baltimore
• Steelers (KC, CIN)
• Clinch a playoff spot this week with a win and losses by Kansas City, San Diego, and Buffalo
• Ravens (@HOU, CLE)
• Clinch a playoff spot this week with a win and losses by Kansas City, San Diego, and Buffalo
• Chiefs (@PIT, SD)
• If they lose this week to Pittsburgh, they could only qualify if Baltimore loses out. 
• Chargers (@SF, @KC)
• Must beat Kansas City in week 17 to have any hope of qualifying for the playoffs. 
• Bills (@OAK, @NE)
• Has a head to head loss to Kansas City, and their 6 conference losses put them at a real disadvantage in tiebreakers. 
• Texans (BAL, JAX)
• Eliminated with a loss or wins by Pittsburgh and Baltimore
• Dolphins (MIN, NYJ)
• Eliminated with a loss or wins by Pittsburgh and Baltimore
• Browns (@CAR, @BAL)
• Eliminated with a loss or wins by Pittsburgh and Baltimore