NFL Playoff Race

Below if the current list of scenarios and standings for the 2009 NFL Season Playoff race.

Preseason · 2009 Regular Season · Playoff Race


Seeds · Scenarios · Tiebreaker Explanation · Ask Tiebreaker Expert Joe Ferreira

Mouse over each team in the playoff hunt for its remaining schedule.
Seeds (Updated through Week 15 -- Sunday games)
AFC
Seed Team Division Record
1 Indianapolis (yz*) South 14-0-0
2 San Diego (y) West 11-3-0
3 New England East 9-5-0
4 Cincinnati North 9-5-0
5 Baltimore North 8-6-0
6 Denver West 8-6-0
Still alive (below)
7 Jacksonville South 7-7-0
8 Miami East 7-7-0
9 N.Y. Jets East 7-7-0
10 Pittsburgh North 7-7-0
11 Tennessee South 7-7-0
12 Houston South 7-7-0
Eliminated
13 Oakland West 5-9-0
14 Buffalo East 5-9-0
15 Cleveland North 3-11-0
16 Kansas City West 3-11-0

NFC
Seed Team Division Record
1 New Orleans (yz) South 13-1-0
2 Minnesota (y) North 11-3-0
3 Philadelphia (x) East 10-4-0
4 Arizona (y) West 9-5-0
5 Green Bay North 9-5-0
6 Dallas East 9-5-0
Still alive (below)
7 N.Y. Giants East 7-6-0
Eliminated
8 Atlanta South 7-7-0
9 Carolina South 6-8-0
10 San Francisco West 6-8-0
11 Chicago North 5-9-0
12 Seattle West 5-9-0
13 Washington East 4-9-0
14 Tampa Bay South 2-12-0
15 Detroit North 2-12-0
16 St. Louis West 1-13-0
Divisional Standings
Indianapolis Colts
Remaining games (All Times Eastern)
Date Opponent Time
Dec 27 N.Y. Jets 4:15pm
Jan 3 @Buffalo 1:00pm
Denver Broncos
Remaining games (All Times Eastern)
Date Opponent Time
Dec 27 @Philadelphia 4:15pm
Jan 3 Kansas City 4:15pm
Cincinnati Bengals
Remaining games (All Times Eastern)
Date Opponent Time
Dec 27 Kansas City 1:00pm
Jan 3 @N.Y. Jets 1:00pm
New England Patriots
Remaining games (All Times Eastern)
Date Opponent Time
Dec 27 Jacksonville 1:00pm
Jan 3 @Houston 1:00pm
Pittsburgh Steelers
Remaining games (All Times Eastern)
Date Opponent Time
Dec 27 Baltimore 1:00pm
Jan 3 @Miami 1:00pm
San Diego Chargers
Remaining games (All Times Eastern)
Date Opponent Time
Dec 25 @Tennessee 7:30pm
Jan 3 Washington 4:15pm
Houston Texans
Remaining games (All Times Eastern)
Date Opponent Time
Dec 27 @Miami 1:00pm
Jan 3 New England 1:00pm
Jacksonville Jaguars
Remaining games (All Times Eastern)
Date Opponent Time
Dec 27 @New England 1:00pm
Jan 3 @Cleveland 1:00pm
New York Jets
Remaining games (All Times Eastern)
Date Opponent Time
Dec 27 @Indianapolis 4:15pm
Jan 3 Cincinnati 1:00pm
Baltimore Ravens
Remaining games (All Times Eastern)
Date Opponent Time
Dec 27 @Pittsburgh 1:00pm
Jan 3 @Oakland 4:15pm
Miami Dolphins
Remaining games (All Times Eastern)
Date Opponent Time
Dec 27 Houston 1:00pm
Jan 3 Pittsburgh 1:00pm
Tennessee Titans
Remaining games (All Times Eastern)
Date Opponent Time
Dec 25 San Diego 7:30pm
Jan 3 @Seattle 4:15pm
New Orleans Saints
Remaining games (All Times Eastern)
Date Opponent Time
Dec 27 Tampa Bay 1:00pm
Jan 3 @Carolina 1:00pm
Minnesota Vikings
Remaining games (All Times Eastern)
Date Opponent Time
Dec 28 @Chicago 8:30pm
Jan 3 N.Y. Giants 1:00pm
Dallas Cowboys
Remaining games (All Times Eastern)
Date Opponent Time
Dec 27 @Washington 8:20pm
Jan 3 Philadelphia 1:00pm
Arizona Cardinals
Remaining games (All Times Eastern)
Date Opponent Time
Dec 27 St. Louis 4:05pm
Jan 3 Green Bay 4:15pm
Philadelphia Eagles
Remaining games (All Times Eastern)
Date Opponent Time
Dec 27 Denver 4:15pm
Jan 3 @Dallas 1:00pm
New York Giants
Remaining games (All Times Eastern)
Date Opponent Time
Dec 21 @Washington 8:30pm
Dec 27 Carolina 1:00pm
Jan 3 @Minnesota 1:00pm
Green Bay Packers
Remaining games (All Times Eastern)
Date Opponent Time
Dec 27 Seattle 1:00pm
Jan 3 @Arizona 4:15pm
Tiebreakers
x-clinched playoff berth
y-denotes division winner
z-denotes first-round bye
*-clinched home-field advantage

During the regular season, the seeds reflect how the playoffs would stand if the season ended up to that point. The NFL playoffs are not based on a pure bracket system. In the divisional playoffs, the No. 1 seed is assured of playing the lowest-seeded Wild Card survivor. There are no restrictions on intra-division games and the higher seed of any matchup will have home-field advantage.

AFC Playoff tiebreakers

* New England earns the No. 3 seed ahead of Cincinnati based on strength of victory (.424 to the Bengals' .413).
* Baltimore earns the No. 5 seed over Denver based on head to head (1-0).



NFC Playoff tiebreakers

* Green Bay earns the No. 5 seed over Dallas based on head to head (1-0).



AFC non-Playoff tiebreakers

* Miami finishes ahead of N.Y. Jets in division based on head to head (2-0).
* Jacksonville finishes ahead of Tennessee and Houston in division based on head to head (3-1 to Titans' 2-2 and Texans' 1-3).
* Tennessee finishes ahead of Houston based on divisional record (2-4 to Texans' 1-5).
* Jacksonville finishes ahead of Miami and Pittsburgh based on conference record (6-4 to the Dolphins' 5-5 and the Steelers' 4-6).
* Miami finishes ahead of Pittsburgh based on conference record (5-5 and the Steelers' 4-6).
* N.Y. Jets finish ahead of Tennessee based on head to head (1-0).
* N.Y. Jets finish ahead of Pittsburgh based on conference record (5-5 to the Steelers' 4-6).
* Pittsburgh finishes ahead of Tennessee based on head to head (1-0).
* Oakland finishes ahead of Buffalo based on conference record (4-6 to the Bills' 3-8).
* Cleveland finishes ahead of Kansas City based on head to head (1-0).



NFC non-Playoff tiebreakers

* Carolina finishes ahead of San Francisco based on common games (2-2 to 49ers' 1-3).
* Chicago finishes ahead of Seattle based on head to head (1-0).
* Tampa Bay finishes ahead of Detroit based on conference record (2-8 to the Lions' 1-9).



AFC eliminations

* Cleveland (Week 12), Kansas City (Week 13), Oakland (Week 14), Buffalo (Week 15)



NFC eliminations

* Detroit (Week 12), St. Louis (Week 12), Tampa Bay (Week 12), Washington (Week 13), Chicago (Week 14), Seattle (Week 15), Carolina (Week 15), Atlanta (Week 15), San Francisco (Week 15)