The Cardinals have made the playoffs just once in the past eight seasons, and their chances at making a late-season postseason chase in 2024 are still alive.
Arizona walked away with a 30-17 win over the Patriots in Week 15, improving to 7-7 while ending a three-game losing streak.
If the Cardinals are going to make a return to the playoffs this season, they'll still have to hit their stride down the stretch. As of now, they're still in the hunt for the NFC West title or a wild-card spot.
What does Arizona's path to a postseason berth look like? Following their Week 15 win, here's what to know about the Cardinals' playoff chances.
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Cardinals playoff picture
The Cardinals weren't helping their playoff chances lately with two losses to Seattle and another to Minnesota in between. However, they bounced back with the victory over New England, getting back on track in their hopes of reaching the playoffs.
In the current NFC playoff picture, the Cardinals are still on the outside looking in, trailing both the Rams and Seahawks in the NFC West and the No. 7-seeded Commanders.
| Rank | Team | Record |
| 1 | Lions | 12-2 |
| 2 | Eagles | 12-2 |
| 3 | Buccaneers | 8-6 |
| 4 | Rams | 8-6 |
| 5 | Vikings | 11-2 |
| 6 | Packers | 10-4 |
| 7 | Commanders | 9-5 |
| 8 | Seahawks | 8-6 |
| 9 | Cardinals | 7-7 |
| 10 | Falcons | 6-7 |
| 11 | 49ers | 6-8 |
| 12 | Cowboys | 6-8 |
| 13 | Saints | 5-9 |
For Arizona to win the NFC West, a few things would need to happen: the Cardinals continuing to win down the stretch, plus the Rams and Seahawks losing multiple games. What makes a potential tiebreaker between Arizona and Seattle difficult, though, is that the Cardinals have already lost both of their matchups to the Seahawks this season.
The other potential path for Arizona to make the playoffs is for the squad to win a few games down the stretch, then get help through multiple losses from teams like Washington, Seattle, and Atlanta. There's a crowded bunch still in pursuit of the Commanders' No. 7 wild-card spot, though, so the NFC race could get complicated.
For now, the Cardinals can help their chances by building off Week 15 with more wins, but in reality, they'd need help from other teams' struggles over the final three games of the season in order to make the postseason.
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Cardinals remaining schedule
Luckily for the Cardinals, their next matchup also comes against a team with a losing record. However, what will be more key for Arizona is its following two matchups, as the squad closes the regular season against two divisional opponents.
Here's a look at Arizona's final three games of the 2024 season:
| Date | Matchup | Opponent's current record | Time (ET) |
| Dec. 22 | at Panthers | 3-11 | 1 p.m. |
| TBD | at Rams | 8-6 | TBD |
| TBD | vs. 49ers | 6-8 | TBD |
MORE: Updated NFL playoff picture for Week 15
Cardinals updated playoff chances
After the Cardinals' Week 15 win, ESPN's power index gives them a 12.6% chance of making the playoffs, with a 12.2% chance to win the NFC West.
