New York Giants playoff scenario following Week 15

Here’s a look at the latest playoff picture via seeding based on how the standings look entering Monday.

They clinched a playoff spot on Sunday, but the Packers (10-4) are a shadow of the team that came within seconds of last year’s Super Bowl.

The Giants’ only road to the playoffs is through the NFC East title, since the Wild Card is now out of reach. Still, they now rank as the NFC’s third seed and control their playoff fortunes with games left against the Cardinals (12-2) and Vikings (9-5). The Seahawks host the Rams in Week 16 and visit the Cardinals in Week 17. A Seahawks win over 6-8 St. Louis coupled with a Vikings loss to the New York Giants Sunday will secure the No. 5 seed. Washington’s final two games are against the Philadelphia Eagles and Dallas Cowboys.

Someone has to win the NFC East, and right now, Washington is looking pretty good. The Panthers were rolling for most of Sunday, but had to withstand a furious Giants comeback.

After Sunday’s slate of Week 15 games, the playoff picture is beginning to come into focus in the NFC. But the Redskins can clinch it with a win over the Eagles Saturday. And not after Washington ripped through the Bills with a fantastic effort by quarterback Kirk Cousins. Basically, it looks like the Giants need to win out and have Washington lose its final two games. The Vikings host the Giants, then visit the Packers. Four NFC teams have already clinched playoff berths, but there is still a lot to play for. Arizona Cardinals, 12-2 3.

Minnesota is still chasing Green Bay in the NFC North and could surpass Seattle, which owns the tiebreaker, to win the fifth seed and an easier first-round matchup with the victor of the NFC East. The Vikings can finish third, fourth, fifth, sixth or miss the playoffs entirely.

There are also a couple scenarios in which the Seahawks could fall to the No. 6 seed and face the NFC North Champions. The Kansas City Chiefs, Pittsburgh Steelers, and New York Jets are all tied at 9-5. Now, where will they be playing in the Wild Card round? The Chiefs became the first team in National Football League history to rebound from a five-game losing streak with eight straight wins in the same season.

New England defeated the Houston Texans last Sunday after two consecutive losses and will have to handle rookie quarterback Marcus Mariota and the Tennessee Titans later today. The Bengals clinch the AFC North and a bye with a Week 16 road win over the Denver Broncos. Cincinnati Bengals, 11-3 3.