NFL Playoff Picture 2017: Week 16 Wild-Card Hunt, Standings and Super Bowl Odds

Aaron Rodgers' impact on the wild-card race is the last thing teams in the NFC have to worry about following Week 15.

As the playoff hopes of his Green Bay Packers diminished with a 31-24 loss to the Carolina Panthers Sunday, a few teams set themselves up to pounce with two gameweeks left in the regular season. Meanwhile, a perennial power took a backseat because of a blowout loss at home. 

Over in the AFC, the margins are tighter than they have been all season, with three 8-6 teams fighting for two positions.

Everything can change in Week 16 with more marquee matchups on the schedule, but here's a look at how the standings shape up after Week 15's NFL action. 

AFC

Division Leaders 

1. New England (11-3; Super Bowl Odds: +225)

2. Pittsburgh (11-3, +400)

3. Jacksonville (10-4, +1,800) 

4. Kansas City (8-6, +3,300)

Wild-Card Race 

5. Tennessee (8-6, +2,800)

6. Buffalo (8-6, +15,000)

7. Baltimore (8-6, +6,600)

8. Los Angeles Chargers (7-7, +2,200) 

9. Oakland (6-8, +20,000) 

10. Miami (6-8, +100,000)

Officially Eliminated

11. New York Jets (5-9) 

12. Cincinnati (5-9) 

13. Denver (5-9) 

14. Houston (4-10)

15. Indianapolis (3-11)

16. Cleveland (0-14)

The Tennessee Titans did everything they could in the fourth quarter to come away with a win over the San Francisco 49ers Sunday, but Niners quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo and kicker Robbie Gould put a dagger in their AFC South title hopes. 

With the Jacksonville Jaguars playing tremendous football, the Titans will be fighting for a wild-card spot in Week 17 against the Jags instead of an AFC South title, which Jacksonville can lock up with a win in Week 16.

If Buffalo Bills head coach Sean McDermott stuck with Tyrod Taylor the whole season, they could be a game ahead of the Titans and Baltimore Ravens entering a critical Week 16 showdown with the New England Patriots. Instead, the Bills they must win out to guarantee a spot in the postseason.

However, winning out won't be an easy task, with the Patriots looking to lock up a first-round bye and home-field advantage after securing the AFC East title in Week 15.

The Ravens have the easiest path to the postseason of the three 8-6 teams in the mix for the AFC wild-card positions, as they have the Indianapolis Colts and Cincinnati Bengals left on their docket. 

With the Titans playing the Rams and Buffalo facing New England in Week 16, a win over the Colts could hand the Ravens the No. 5 seed and put them on the fast track to a matchup with the AFC West champion in the wild-card round of the playoffs.

If the Titans and Bills fall in Week 16, the Los Angeles Chargers appear poised to be the biggest benefactor since they have a winnable game against the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium on Christmas Eve.

The ideal situation for the Chargers is to win out, have the Titans lose to the Rams and Jaguars and for the Bills to go either 1-1 or 0-2 in their last two games. That situation would place the Chargers into the No. 6 seed based off head-to-head against the Bills.

NFC

Division Leaders 

1. Philadelphia (12-2; Super Bowl Odds: +900)

2. Minnesota (11-3, +800)

3. Los Angeles Rams (10-4, +1,600)

4. New Orleans (10-4, +1,400)

Wild-Card Race

5. Carolina (10-4, +2,200)

6. Atlanta (8-5, +2,000)

7. Detroit (8-6, +7,500) 

8. Seattle (8-6, +1,800) 

9. Dallas (8-6, +7,500)

10. Green Bay (7-7, +1,800)

Officially Eliminated

11. Washington (6-8) 

12. Arizona (6-8) 

13. Tampa Bay (4-9)

14. San Francisco (4-10)

15. Chicago (4-10)

16. New York Giants (2-12)

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers and New Orleans Saints gained a ton of fans across the NFC after Week 15's results unfolded.

The Seattle Seahawks, Detroit Lions and Dallas Cowboys all need the Atlanta Falcons to drop two games to have a chance in the race for the NFC's sixth playoff position.

A Falcons loss to the Saints in Week 16 seems more likely than a defeat to the Bucs Monday night, but regardless of which scenario occurs, the trio of 8-6 teams need the defending NFC champions to lose.

The worst-case scenario for the Seahawks, Lions and Cowboys features wins by the Falcons in their next two games. In that situation, the Saints would fall down to the wild-card places and would have a one-game advantage in the loss column over the three six-loss playoff hopefuls.

If Atlanta only suffers one more loss throughout the rest of the regular season, it would still qualify for the postseason since it beat Seattle, Detroit and Dallas. Chaos only enters the picture if the Falcons drop two of their final three games. There is a possibility that happens since the Falcons play the Panthers in Week 17.

Atlanta will be able to knock out one playoff contender Monday night with a victory. If the Falcons beat the Buccaneers, the Packers would be eliminated from contention.

Unlike the race for the final position in the NFC, the math is as simple as it gets for the Panthers to lock up a postseason berth. All Carolina has to do is win its final two games, and it will be assured of a playoff spot and a road trip on Wild Card Weekend.

Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90. Odds obtained from OddsShark.