SimNFL Playoff Race - Week 15

[Piercewise1]

We’re into the final month of the inaugural SimNFL regular season, and the playoff race is heating up! Today I’ll break down the upcoming schedules for all teams still in the hunt.

 

Want to play out your own scenarios? Click here!

 

 

Team	Record	Week 15	Week 16	Week 17	Week 18	Opp Win %
Denver	13-0	@ARI	SF	KCY	@LAC	.481
Jacksonville	11-2	LV	IND	@LAC	HOU	.346
Cincinnati	11-3	bye	GB	CHI	@CLE	.449
New England	8-5	PHI	CLE	NYG	@BUF	.557
Cleveland	8-4-1	@CHI	@NE	@NOL	CIN	.632
Tennessee	9-5	SF	bye	@PIT	IND	.205
Las Vegas	8-5	@JAX	ARI	@SEA	KCY	.567
LA Chargers	7-6	@IND	@KCY	JAX	DEN	.558
Buffalo	7-6	@NYJ	@WSH	DAL	NE	.585
Pittsburgh	6-7	MIN	@TBY	TEN	@BAL	.481
Miami	5-8	@BAL	NYJ	WAS	@NYJ	.385

Opp Win % refers to upcoming opponents only

 

The Broncos have locked up the West, and other than a showdown with fellow undefeated Arizona they seem likely to cruise to the #1 overall seed.

 

The Jaguars are close to clinching the South, and with home games against Indianapolis and Houston still on the schedule I don’t expect them to falter.

 

The Bengals have a comfy lead over the Browns in the North (and we’ll talk about the Browns’ schedule below) as well as the Patriots for playoff seeding, and are well-placed to host a game on wild card weekend.

 

The Patriots have a one-game division lead and visit the Bills to end the season, so there’s no margin for error against the next 3 opponents. All those upcoming teams are playoff hopefuls, but at least the Patriots get them at home.

 

The Browns have a 1.5 game lead over the #8 team, but even that might not be enough with their brutal end-of-year schedule. 3 road games against playoff contenders and a finale against the Bengals stand between them and a playoff appearance.

 

The Titans, on the other hand, get San Francisco and Indianapolis at home and look like a lock to cruise to 11+ wins and at least a wild card spot.

 

The Raiders have two tough games against Jacksonville and Arizona, but if they’re still in the hunt after that the competition gets much more manageable. Thankfully they've already logged one win more than the competition below them, but the tiebreakers get complicated quickly.

 

The Chargers are the inverse of the Raiders and need to rack up wins while they can before closing with two tough matchups against Jacksonville and Denver. But at least both are at home?

 

The Bills have 5 conference losses already, so their best hope is to catch the Patriots in the East. If they can make it through the NFC East buzzsaw that remains on their schedule, they’ll get their chance in week 18.

 

The Steelers are still alive, but will need to run the table against good teams like Tampa Bay and Tennessee AND hope that the Chiefs can do some damage in the West to knock down the competition.

 

The Dolphins can mathematically make the playoffs, and they have 3 winnable games left on the schedule. But they need to beat the Commanders too, and get significant help, if they want to keep that near-impossibility alive.

 

 

 

 

 

Team	Record	Week 15	Week 16	Week 17	Week 18	Opp Win %
Arizona	13-0	DEN	@LV	TBY	@LAR	.769
Washington	12-1	SEA	BUF	@MIA	@DAL	.406
Tampa Bay	9-4	@NOL	PIT	@ARI	CAR	.548
Chicago	7-6	CLE	@MIN	@CIN	GBY	.509
LA Rams	10-3	@NYG	ATL	@SF	ARI	.500
New Orleans	7-5-1	TBY	@HOU	CLE	@ATL	.490
Dallas	8-6	bye	@NYG	@BUF	WAS	.641
Philadelphia	8-6	@NE	bye	DET	@NYG	.513
NY Giants	6-7	LAR	DAL	@NE	PHI	.630
Detroit	6-7	GBY	@BAL	@PHI	@MIN	.330
Atlanta	6-7	CAR	@LAR	HOU	NOL	.413
Minnesota	5-7-1	@PIT	CHI	NYJ	DET	.423

 

 

The Cardinals have an absolute meatgrinder of a final schedule, easily the hardest of any playoff hopeful. They’re guaranteed a spot already, but if they want the division crown and a first-round bye they’ll have to earn it.

 

The Commanders will be favorites the rest of the way, but other than the Seahawks there are no givens here. They can clinch the East this week and could have their seed all but decided with time to spare.

 

The Buccaneers could slam the door on the South with a sweep of New Orleans this week and are comfortably in the #3 spot with room on both sides. That Carolina finale could be a risk-free way to get some backups a few snaps.

 

The Bears have none of the comforts of the other division leaders, with a scant one-game lead in the North. With two good Ohio teams and two division rivals left on the docket, they’ll need to be at their best to hold on to it.

 

The Rams could clinch a playoff spot this week and are way ahead of any other wild card hopeful, though catching the Cardinals seems unlikely. Another team that could secure their seed early and maybe get younger players some time on the field.

 

The Saints still get to play Houston and have their two toughest matchups at home, all good signs for a team that is hovering right on the cusp of playoff contention. But that final road game in Atlanta could still have tons of seeding implications, not to mention bragging rights.

 

The Cowboys have no easy wins left on their schedule, with two tough road opponents after the bye and then a date with Washington. At least they have tiebreakers over the Eagles, so they only need to keep pace with their rivals to earn that final wild card.

 

The Eagles don’t have it much better, with road games against the Patriots and Giants sandwiching the Lions game. Given they need to either catch the Saints or pass the Cowboys, it feels like every game is a playoff game from here on out.

 

The Giants are 1.5 games back and face four teams who already have 8+ wins, so their chances look bleak. But if they don’t make it to that #7 seed, at least they’ll get to play kingmaker for a month.

 

The Lions can move up the board with winnable games against Green Bay and Baltimore, but their road to the playoffs will stop unless they can make it through Philly too (and get some outside help).

 

The Falcons have a road game against the Rams to contend with, which might be enough to sink their slim hopes all on its own. But the Carolina and Houston games look winnable, so a sudden winning streak that shoots them into the playoffs isn’t impossible.

 

The Vikings could, theoretically, make it past the 5 teams above them and sneak into the playoffs. Only one opponent is above .500 (barely) and 3 of those games are at home. But it would be a miracle requiring good fortune the likes of which the franchise has rarely seen.

 

Good luck to all competitors in week 15!

[Kirby]

[alexfall862]

Give @Ezaco coach of the year if they Bengals get home field.

 

Also hype that the Raiders are seemingly pulling it together. I like that roster/offense a lot.

 

Would be amazing if @Bundy made it to the playoffs on the NFC side.

[Minnow]

Can the bills switch conferences so that way I have a winning record in conference?