NFL playoff picture: How Broncos, Rams, and Patriots can clinch in Week 15

We have reached a magical time in the 2025 NFL season.

When the league begins releasing playoff scenarios ahead of each slate of games.

Three teams — the Denver Broncos, the New England Patriots, and the Los Angeles Rams — can clinch playoff spots in Week 15. Let’s take a look at how each team can lock down a spot this weekend.

How the Broncos can clinch in Week 15

While the Denver Broncos cannot clinch the AFC West this weekend, thanks to the Los Angeles Chargers winning on Monday Night Football to keep pace in the division, the Broncos can lock up a playoff spot. There are six ways Denver can clinch a postseason berth:

1. A win against the Green Bay Packers, or
2. A tie against the Packers and a Chargers loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, or
3. A tie against the Packers and a Jacksonville Jaguars loss to the New York Jets, or
4. A tie against the Packers and a Houston Texans loss or tie against the Arizona Cardinals, or
5. A tie against the Packers and an Indianapolis Colts loss or tie against the Seattle Seahawks, or
6. A Houston loss or tie and a Colts loss or tie, as long as both games do not end in a tie.

How the Rams can clinch in Week 15

The Los Angeles Rams have just one path to a playoff spot in Week 15, but it is rather straightforward.

With a win over the Detroit Lions, the Rams are back in the playoffs.

How the Patriots can clinch in Week 15

While the Broncos and Rams can simply clinch playoff spots this weekend, the New England Patriots are the first team with a chance to clinch a division title. New England hosts the Buffalo Bills on Sunday, and with a win over their AFC East rivals, the Patriots would clinch the division title. New England defeated the Bills earlier this season, and a win on Sunday would give them a season sweep over Buffalo. That would clinch the head-to-head tiebreaker, meaning that even if the Bills won the rest of their games (and the Patriots lost the rest of theirs) and the teams finished with matching 12-5 records, the Patriots would still win the division due to that tiebreaker.

However, like the Broncos the Patriots also have six ways of clinching a playoff spot.

1. A win against the Bills (where they would clinch the division), or
2. A tie against the Bills and a Chargers loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, or
3. A tie against the Bills and a Jacksonville Jaguars loss to the New York Jets, or
4. A tie against the Bills and a Houston Texans loss or tie against the Arizona Cardinals, or
5. A tie against the Bills and an Indianapolis Colts loss or tie against the Seattle Seahawks, or
6. A Houston loss or tie and a Colts loss or tie, as long as both games do not end in a tie.

NFL playoff standings

Here are the current AFC playoff standings:

1. Denver Broncos
2. New England Patriots (11-2)
3. Jacksonville Jaguars (9-4)
4. Pittsburgh Steelers (7-6)
5. Los Angeles Chargers (9-4)
6. Buffalo Bills (9-4)
7. Houston Texans (8-5)
8. Indianapolis Colts (8-5)
9. Baltimore Ravens (6-7)
10. Kansas City Chiefs (6-7)
11. Miami Dolphins (6-7)
12. Cincinnati Bengals (4-9)
13. New York Jets (3-10) – e
14. Cleveland Browns (3-10) – e
15. Las Vegas Raiders (2-10) – e
16. Tennessee Titans (2-11) – e

Here are the current NFC playoff standings:

1. Los Angeles Rams (10-3)
2. Green Bay Packers (9-3-1)
3. Philadelphia Eagles (8-5)
4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-6)
5. Seattle Seahawks (10-3)
6. San Francisco 49ers (9-4)
7. Chicago Bears (9-4)
8. Detroit Lions (8-5)
9. Carolina Panthers (7-6)
10. Dallas Cowboys (6-6-1)
11. Minnesota Vikings (5-8)
12. Atlanta Falcons (4-9) – e
13. Arizona Cardinals (3-10) – e
14. New Orleans Saints (3-10) – e
15. Washington Commanders (3-10) – e
16. New York Giants (2-11) – e