NFL clinching scenarios for Week 15, explained: Eagles, Cowboys, Lions and more

Where things stand now, only one team has clinched a playoff berth. That would be none other than the San Francisco 49ers out of the NFC West. Conversely, only two teams have been eliminated from postseason play all together. You guessed it! That would be the toothless Carolina Panthers and the New England Patriots. We only have a month left of NFL games to be played, people, so buckle up!

With the way things are shaking out, we could see upwards of four more teams clinch playoff berths over the course of Week 15. Frankly, the scenarios in which those four teams could theoretically clinch a playoff berth are plentiful. Not all may punch their tickets this week, but it would take an unprecedented collapse from any of them to not be one of 14 teams who make the postseason field.

And it would not be the craziest thing in the world if one team is able to lock up a division crown at least a week before Christmas. This feels like an inevitability at this point becuase time and distance are on this team's side. Of course, there will be more than presumably these five teams in the NFL Playoffs this season. That means we have nine other teams not able to clinch this week who could.

Let's dive face-first into a healthy helping of NFL playoff-clinching scenarios entering Week 15.

NFL playoff-clinching scenarios entering Week 15

Here are all the playoff-clinching scenarios for every team entering the Week 15 slate of games.

AFC Teams

The only AFC team that can clinch a playoff berth in Week 15 is the Baltimore Ravens.

Baltimore Ravens

Baltimore can clinch a playoff berth with a win or a tie in one of 25 ridiculous clinching scenarios...

1. Baltimore win, Pittsburgh loss/tie, Buffalo loss/tie
2. Baltimore win, Pittsburgh loss/tie, Denver loss/tie
3. Baltimore win, Pittsburgh tie, Cleveland loss/tie
4. Baltimore win, Pittsburgh tie, Houston loss/tie
5. Baltimore win, Buffalo loss/tie, Denver loss/tie
6. Baltimore win, Cleveland loss/tie, Buffalo loss/tie
7. Baltimore win, Cleveland loss/tie, Denver loss/tie
8. Baltimore win, Houston loss/tie, Buffalo loss/tie
9. Baltimore win, Houston loss/tie, Denver loss/tie
10. Baltimore tie, Denver loss, Buffalo loss
11. Baltimore tie, Denver loss, Indianapolis loss, Houston loss
12. Baltimore tie, Denver loss, Indianapolis loss, Houston tie, Cleveland loss
13. Baltimore tie, Denver loss, Indianapolis loss, Cleveland loss, Buffalo win, Miami win/tie
14. Baltimore tie, Denver loss, Pittsburgh loss, Houston loss/tie, Cincinnati loss/tie
15. Baltimore tie, Denver loss, Pittsburgh loss, Houston loss/tie, Cleveland loss
16. Baltimore tie, Denver loss, Pittsburgh loss, Cincinnati loss/tie, Cleveland loss
17. Baltimore tie, Denver loss, Pittsburgh loss, Cincinnati loss/tie, Buffalo win, Miami win/tie
18. Baltimore tie, Denver loss, Pittsburgh loss, Cleveland loss, Buffalo win, Miami win/tie
19. Baltimore tie, Buffalo loss, Indianapolis loss, Houston loss
20. Baltimore tie, Buffalo loss, Indianapolis loss, Houston tie, Cleveland loss
21. Baltimore tie, Buffalo loss, Pittsburgh loss, Houston loss/tie, Cincinnati loss/tie
22. Baltimore tie, Buffalo loss, Pittsburgh loss, Houston loss/tie, Cleveland loss
23. Baltimore tie, Buffalo loss, Pittsburgh loss, Houston loss/tie, Kansas City loss
24. Baltimore tie, Buffalo loss, Pittsburgh loss, Cleveland loss, Cincinnati loss/tie
25. Baltimore tie, Buffalo loss, Pittsburgh loss, Cleveland loss, Kansas City loss

Let's just say Ravens fans will want a win and see teams like Buffalo and Pittsburgh to lose to get in.

NFC Teams

Three NFC teams can clinch playoff berths this week, as well as one that can clinch a division title. The three teams that can clinch playoff berths this week are the Dallas Cowboys, Detroit Lions and Philadelphia Eagles. The 49ers can also clinch the NFC West division crown this weekend as well.

Dallas Cowboys

There are 14 ways in which the Cowboys can clinch a playoff berth once Week 15's games are done.

1. Dallas win/tie
2. Tampa Bay loss, Detroit win/tie, San Francisco win/tie
3. Tampa Bay loss, Detroit win/tie, Los Angeles Rams loss/tie
4. Tampa Bay loss, Minnesota loss/tie, Detroit win/tie
5. Tampa Bay loss, Minnesota loss/tie, Los Angeles Rams loss/tie
6. Tampa Bay loss, Minnesota loss/tie, Seattle loss/tie
7. Tampa Bay tie, Detroit win/tie
8. Tampa Bay tie, Los Angeles Rams loss/tie
9. Tampa Bay tie, Seattle loss/tie
10. Atlanta loss/tie, Green Bay loss, Detroit win/tie
11. Atlanta loss/tie, Green Bay loss, Los Angeles Rams loss/tie
12. Atlanta loss/tie, Green Bay loss, Seattle loss/tie
13. Seattle loss/tie, Los Angeles Rams loss/tie
14. Seattle loss/tie, Minnesota loss + New York Giants win + New England win + New York Jets win + Cleveland win + Pittsburgh win + Tennessee win + Los Angeles Chargers win (Dallas would have the strength of victory tiebreaker over Atlanta)

Basically, the Cowboys need to win or tie, or see teams like Tampa Bay not win to probably get in.

Detroit Lions

There are 13 situations in which the Lions can achieve a rare berth into the NFL postseason, baby!

1. Detroit win, Seattle loss/tie, Green Bay loss/tie
2. Detroit win, Seattle loss/tie, Minnesota loss/tie
3. Detroit win, Seattle loss/tie, Los Angeles Rams loss/tie
4. Detroit win, Los Angeles Rams loss/tie, Tampa Bay loss, Minnesota loss/tie
5. Detroit win, Los Angeles Rams loss/tie, Green Bay loss, Atlanta loss/tie
6. Detroit win, Los Angeles Rams loss/tie, Green Bay tie
7. Detroit tie, Tampa Bay loss, Seattle loss, Los Angeles Rams loss
8. Detroit tie, Atlanta loss, Seattle loss, Los Angeles Rams loss
9. Detroit tie, Green Bay loss, Seattle loss, Los Angeles Rams loss
10. Detroit tie, Green Bay loss, Atlanta loss/tie, New Orleans loss/tie
11. Detroit tie, Green Bay loss, Atlanta loss/tie, Seattle loss
12. Detroit tie, Green Bay tie, Minnesota loss, Seattle loss, Los Angeles Rams loss/tie
13. Detroit tie, Green Bay tie, Minnesota loss, Los Angeles Rams loss, Atlanta loss/tie

A Detroit win is huge, but so would be Green Bay Packers and Los Angeles Rams' non-wins as well.

Philadelphia Eagles

There are nine scenarios in which the Eagles will clinch a playoff berth in Week 15.

1. Philadelphia win/tie
2. Minnesota loss/tie, Atlanta loss/tie, Los Angeles Rams loss/tie
3. Minnesota loss/tie, Atlanta loss/tie, San Francisco win/tie, Detroit win
4. Minnesota loss/tie, Tampa Bay loss, Los Angeles Rams loss/tie
5. Minnesota loss/tie, Tampa Bay loss, San Francisco win/tie, Detroit win
6. Green Bay loss, Atlanta loss/tie, Los Angeles Rams loss/tie
7. Green Bay loss, Atlanta loss/tie, San Francisco win/tie, Detroit win
8. Green Bay tie, Los Angeles Rams loss/tie
9. Green Bay tie, San Francisco win/tie, Detroit win

A non-loss gets the Eagles in. Tampa Bay losses are good, as are non-wins from Atlanta and Los Angeles. While Packers non-wins are spectacular, so are non-losses for Detroit and San Francisco.

San Francisco 49ers

There are actually two scenarios in which the 49ers can lock up the NFC West crown in Week 15.

1. San Francisco win/tie
2. Los Angeles Rams loss/tie

Simply put, a 49ers non-loss and a Rams non-win will get the 49ers a home playoff game in January.

Overall, there are just too many scenarios that can happen in Baltimore, Dallas, Detroit and Philadelphia's favor for them not to get in either this week or next. San Francisco is poised to win the NFC West crown, possibly on the pathway towards procuring home-field advantage in the NFC. While the Super Bowl favorite may emerge out of the NFC this year, Baltimore looks really good in the AFC.

Needless to say, you have some games to watch this week, as well as several to monitor from afar.