We're now standing on the doorstep of Week 15, which will kick off with the Los Angeles Rams against the Seattle Seahawks on Thursday night. In just over three weeks, the 2016-17 NFL postseason will be set.So what is going to happen between the start of Week 15 and the end of the regular season' Well, that's tricky to answer. As of right now, only the Dallas Cowboys have secured a postseason ticket. Five more teamsthe New England Patriots, Oakland Raiders, Kansas City Chiefs, Detroit Lions and New York Giantscan potentially clinch in Week 15.We're going to take an in-depth look at the playoff picture as it stands. We'll look at the current standings in playoff-seeding formatdivision leaders are ranked first, regardless of recordsand make our predictions for what the playoffs will ultimately look like.We'll also examine some of the top storylines that could help us bridge the gap from the current standings to our projected final ones. We'll base our predictions on these, along with factors like past performances, team health and pending matchups.Week 15 Standings Storylines to WatchTennessee TitansThe Titans might not leap out as a team to follow over the final three weeks of the season, but they are. The surprisingly competitive 7-6 team has the potential to shape the postseason in a couple of ways.The first is by making a run at the AFC South title. The Indianapolis Colts had their shot at snatching the division away from the Houston Texans last week but failed. The Titans will get their shot in the season finale.Right now, the Texans and Titans are tied at 7-6. If the two teams remain tied, that finale will essentially be the AFC South title game.To get to that point, though, Tennessee will need to get through its Week 15 matchup with the Chiefs. This may seem like a difficult task, and it is, but the Titans can give the Chiefs a fight.The Titans are rated sixthin overall offense by Pro Football Focus and just knocked off the Broncos. Denver took the Chiefs late into overtime in Week 12albeit in Denverso counting out the Titans now would be foolish.If Tennessee does manage to beat the Chiefs, it could potentially reopen the door for the Raiders in the AFC West. The Raiders and Chiefs are both 10-3, but the Chiefs won both head-to-head matchups in 2016.It wouldn't be surprising, though, if the Titans lost to the Chiefs and still took the division. If the Texans lose to the Jacksonville Jaguars or the Cincinnati Bengals (the more likely of the two), Tennessee could still wind up on top. Denver BroncosThe aforementioned Broncos would be in the postseason as a wild-card team if the season ended today. However, they face a number of obstacles between now and the end of the regular seasonand they may be too flawed to overcome them.The biggest problem for Denver is the remaining schedule, which isn't kind. The team hosts the Patriots this week and then finishes with games against the Chiefs and Raiders. There's a real chance the Broncos go 0-3 down the stretch and miss the playoffs.The reason it may be difficult for Denver to overcome the remaining schedule is their lackluster offense. Trevor Siemian and Co. are rated just 26th in overall offense by Pro Football Focus and have averaged a meager 20.4 points per game over the last five contests.The Broncos have talent on offense, and Siemian is actually playing wellhe holds a completion percentage of 61.2 and a passer rating of 89.7. For one reason or another, though, the Broncos offense has started games slow and failed to score in bunches.Its not about the plays. Its about execution, its about details, its about some of those things, Broncos coach Gary Kubiak said, per Nicki Jhabvala of the Denver Post. Then you have to ask yourself why. Why is the detail not there early in the game'If the Broncos can iron out their offensive issues, then they could impact the postseason race. A win against New England would open up the competition for the No. 1 seed. A win over Oakland or Kansas City could help settle the battle for the AFC West.If Denver continues to struggle, though, the Broncos will likely miss the playoffs and allow a team like Tennessee or the Miami Dolphins to slide in. NFC North RaceThe NFC North is going to be interesting down the stretch because a lot of potential outcomes are in play. The 9-4 Detroit Lions have a grasp on the division lead and the NFC's No. 2 seed. However, Detroit, like Denver, faces a brutal three-game stretch to end the season.The Lions face the 9-4 Giants this week and the 11-2 Cowboys in Week 16. They then host the Green Bay Packers in their season finale. A loss in any one of these games would pave the way for the Seattle Seahawks to steal the No. 2 seed.The Packers and Minnesota Vikings, meanwhile, each sit at 7-6. Both teams still have a shot at the division title but would need help to win it. Minnesota would have to win out while watching the Lions go winless over the next three weekssince Detroit has twice bested the Vikings.Green Bay has an easier path, though the Packers do need to win out. Since they have already beaten the Lions once, they can win the division if the Lions lose between now and Week 17 and the Packers can win that game.Given Detroit's pending schedule and the way the Packers are currently playingthey've won their last three by a combined score of 86-36we won't be a bit surprised if Green Bay slips in and snags the NFC North crown.
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