NFL Week 15 playoff-clinching scenarios: Rams, Broncos, Patriots look to punch ticket
Playoff talk in Week 15 isn’t exclusive to fantasy football, as three of the NFL’s top teams have the chance to punch their ticket to the post-season on Sunday.
The NFC-leading Los Angeles Rams, AFC-leading Denver Broncos and New England Patriots all face clinching scenarios as the regular season begins to wind down.
Los Angeles has the simplest path to the post-season in Week 15. Sitting atop the conference, a Rams victory over the Lions gets them into the post-season. However, they don’t have any alternative scenarios in what’s a close NFC playoff race.
In the NFC West, the Rams (10-3) hold the tiebreaker over the Seahawks (10-3) while sitting one game up on the 49ers (9-4). San Francisco and Seattle currently hold the top two Wild Card spots, with the Bears (9-4) occupying the last. Detroit (8-5) is on the outside looking in.
In the AFC, the 11-2 Broncos hold the tiebreaker over the 11-2 Patriots after defeating the Raiders on Sunday (Las Vegas beat New England in Week 1).
With both teams sitting a tad more comfortably at the top with 11 wins while the Colts are the team on the outside looking in at 8-5, Denver and New England have multiple avenues in which they can clinch a post-season birth.
A Patriots win will also clinch their first AFC East title since 2019, while the Broncos can’t clinch a divisional title.
Here are the three team’s scenarios:
Denver Broncos:
Win OR
Tie + Chargers loss OR
Tie + Jaguars loss OR
Tie + Texans loss or tie OR
Tie + Colts loss or tie OR
Texans loss or tie + Colts loss or tie (as long as both teams don’t tie)
New England Patriots:
Win OR
Tie + Chargers loss OR
Tie + Jaguars loss
Tie + Texans loss or tie OR
Tie + Colts loss or tie OR
Texans loss or tie or Colts loss or tie (as long as both teams don’t tie)
AFC East title:
Win
Los Angeles Rams:
Win
What's Your Reaction?
Like
0
Dislike
0
Love
0
Funny
0
Angry
0
Sad
0
Wow
0
