Playoff Watch 2019: Analyzing postseason picture post-Watkins Glen

From now until the Sept. 8 regular-season finale at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, NASCAR.com will analyze the playoff picture on Mondays. Here's how the postseason looks through 22 regular-season races (out of 26) after Chase Elliott's win at Watkins Glen International. A few reminders:

-- All point totals are reset to 2,000 for the 16 eligible playoff drivers.

-- Drivers earn 5 playoff points for each of their regular-season wins.

-- Drivers earn 1 playoff point for each stage win.

-- The top 10 finishers in the regular-season standings earn playoff points on a sliding scale, starting with 15 points for the Regular Season Champion and ending with one point for the 10th-place finisher.

Missing the cut

The race for the final few playoff spots is one to watch for the remaining four races. Ryan Newman drops below the cutoff line this week ... technically. See, Newman and Jimmie Johnson are tied for the final spot. Johnson owns the tiebreaker, which is best finish of the season. (He finished second at Daytona.) Daniel Suarez and Austin Dillon, who has qualified for the NASCAR Playoffs the last three seasons, also are out of the field right now. Suarez is just 23 points below the bubble.

16. Clint Bowyer, 2,000 points

Qualified via: Points

Stage wins: 0

Note: Bowyer had a top-five finish in his sights, but slipped to 20th. He's just 12 points above the cutoff line. There's no room for error over the next month.

15. Erik Jones, 2,000 points

Qualified via: Points

Stage wins: 0

Note: No driver is hotter right now. Jones finished fourth at Watkins Glen, his worst finish in a month. He's earned some separation from the cutoff line (+54).

14. Jimmie Johnson, 2,001 points

Qualified via: Points

Stage wins: 1

Note: Johnson was livid after getting spun by Ryan Blaney, but big picture, Watkins Glen was a good day for the No. 48 team after eliminating the deficit Ryan Newman had built for the final playoff slot.

13. William Byron, 2,001 points

Qualified via: Points

Stage wins: 1

Note: Byron showed some moxie in ramming Kyle Busch's car under caution. He'll have to watch for payback being so close to the cutoff line.

12. Kyle Larson, 2,003 points

Qualified via: Points

Stage wins: 3

Note: Larson's top-10 result was a welcome sigh of relief for a road course.

11. Ryan Blaney, 2,003 points

Qualified via: Points

Stage wins: 2

Note: Add Blaney to the list of drivers who will have to watch his rearview mirror at Bristol. Jimmie Johnson is not pleased with the young driver.

10. Aric Almirola, 2,003 points

Qualified via: Points

Stage wins: 1

Note: Almirola had a 26-point day at Watkins Glen, but his lead over Ryan Blaney in the regular-season standings was trimmed to seven.

9. Alex Bowman, 2,005 points

Qualified via: 1 win (Chicagoland)

Stage wins: 0

Note: Hendrick Motorsports typically is strong at Michigan, which bodes well for the No. 88 team -- which really needs to try and add more playoff points over the next month.

8. Kurt Busch, 2,010 points

Qualified via: 1 win (Kentucky)

Stage wins: 1

Note: Kurt Busch notched a quiet 10th-place result at Watkins Glen. He remains a steady, consistent driver as the postseason nears.

7. Kevin Harvick, 2,017 points

Qualified via: 1 win (New Hampshire)

Stage wins: 4

Note: It's hard to believe Harvick finished seventh at Watkins Glen and actually dropped a spot in the playoffs grid.

6. Chase Elliott, 2,017 points

Qualified via: 2 wins (Talladega, Watkins Glen)

Stage wins: 4

Note: What a jump! Elliott earned the maximum seven playoff points in a single race by winning Stage 1, Stage 2 and the race at Watkins Glen.

5. Brad Keselowski, 2,024 points

Qualified via: 3 wins (Atlanta, Martinsville, Kansas)

Stage wins: 4

Note: The Keselowski camp has just seemed quiet lately. Not doing anything wrong, but not gaining ground, either.

4. Denny Hamlin, 2,025 points

Qualified via: 3 wins (Daytona 500, Texas, Pocono-2)

Stage wins: 3

Note: Hamlin's No. 11 wasn't quite as good as the No. 9 (Chase Elliott) and No. 19 (Martin Truex Jr.), but he was right behind them in third.

3. Joey Logano, 2,027 points

Qualified via: 2 wins (Las Vegas, Michigan)

Stage wins: 7

Note: Joey Logano slips one spot in this grid after losing the regular-season points lead to Kyle Busch.

3. Martin Truex Jr., 2,028 points

Qualified via: 4 wins (Richmond, Dover, Coca-Cola 600, Sonoma)

Stage wins: 2

Note: Truex Jr. chased Chase Elliott throughout the entire race Sunday, coming just shy of passing him for the win.

1. Kyle Busch, 2,043 points

Qualified via: 4 wins (Phoenix, Auto Club, Bristol-1, Pocono-1)

Stage wins: 8

Note: And just like that, Kyle Busch is the overwhelming top seed in the NASCAR Playoffs ... so long as he keeps the lead in the regular-season points standings.