Week 15 of the 2022 NFL season is officially upon us, bringing new opportunities for teams looking to make a push for the playoffs.
The San Francisco 49ers kicked off this week’s slate with a 21-13 win over the Seattle Seahawks to improve to 10-4 this year. With the win, the 49ers have clinched the NFC West.
Multiple teams have playoff implications this week. Here’s a look at the current postseason picture and this week’s clinching scenarios:
AFC Playoff Picture
NFC Playoff Picture
Week 15 Clinching Scenarios
In the NFC, the Minnesota Vikings will be looking to join San Francisco in wrapping up a division title this week. The Vikings haven’t won the NFC North since 2017, and they have a pretty simple route to get there.
Minnesota would clinch the division with a win over the Indianapolis Colts on Saturday. If the Vikings stumble against the 4-8-1 Colts, they can still win the division title with a loss by the Detroit Lions against the New York Jets. However, the Lions are surging and defeated the Vikings 34-23 on Sunday.
The only other NFC team with a chance to clinch a spot in the playoffs is the Dallas Cowboys, who will be facing the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday. A win or tie gets Dallas its second straight trip to the postseason.
Over in the AFC, the first-place Buffalo Bills can punch their ticket to the playoffs with a win over the Miami Dolphins on Saturday night. Buffalo lost the first matchup 21-19 in Week 3 and will undoubtedly be looking for revenge.
The Kansas City Chiefs have the chance to clinch their seventh straight AFC West title with a win over the Houston Texans. A loss by the Los Angeles Chargers will also wrap up the division, but Kansas City will be playing the last-place team in the AFC and will surely want to secure the crown with a victory.
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