Playoff Watch 2019: Analyzing postseason picture post-Darlington

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 25 regular-season races (out of 26) after Erik Jones' win at Darlington Raceway. 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

Ryan Newman drops out of the playoff field after a rough night, but he's tied with Daniel Suarez for the final position. Jimmie Johnson lurks 18 points behind the line entering Indianapolis, the regular-season finale.

16. Daniel Suarez, 2,000 points

Qualified via: Points
Stage wins: 0
Note: Contact with Ryan Newman at Darlington means Suarez will need to keep his head on a swivel this weekend.

15. Clint Bowyer, 2,000 points

Qualified via: Points
Stage wins: 0
Note: Bowyer has yo-yoed up and down the playoff cutline this summer, but he seems to be putting good results together at the right time.

14. Aric Almirola, 2,001 points

Qualified via: Points
Stage wins: 1
Note: Almirola officially clinched a playoff spot via points at Darlington, making him the second Stewart-Haas Racing driver in the postseason (along with Kevin Harvick).

13. William Byron, 2,001 points

Qualified via: Points
Stage wins: 1
Note: Byron's 21st-place run from the pole was unexceptional, but it was still enough for the Hendrick Motorsports driver to clinch a playoff berth.

12. Ryan Blaney, 2,003 points

Qualified via: Points
Stage wins: 2
Note: Blaney has a tenuous grip on 10th-place in the regular-season standings, a battle worth watching at Indianapolis due to a playoff point being on the line.

11. Alex Bowman, 2,005 points

Qualified via: 1 win (Chicagoland)
Stage wins: 0
Note: Bowman loses one point and drops two spots on the grid after Darlington. While others heat up, Bowman is still searching for consistency.

10. Erik Jones, 2,005 points

Qualified via: 1 win (Darlington)
Stage wins: 0
Note: The 23-year-old broke through for a win in a crown jewel race, earning five valuable playoff points in the process.

9. Kyle Larson, 2,006 points

Qualified via: Points
Stage wins: 4
Note: Larson's runner-up finish comes at a perfect time. Despite not having won, he has more playoff points than winner Alex Bowman and Erik Jones (four stage wins, two bonus points for being ninth-place in the standings).

8. Kurt Busch, 2,012 points

Qualified via: 1 win (Kentucky)
Stage wins: 4
Note: A stage win gives Busch an additional playoff point, and he looked to have the car to beat for long stretches of the race Sunday.

7. Chase Elliott, 2,017 points

Qualified via: 2 wins (Talladega, Watkins Glen)
Stage wins: 4
Note: Elliott didn't make many friends on Sunday, a story worth watching as we head to Richmond and the Charlotte Roval.

6. Kevin Harvick, 2,021 points

Qualified via: 2 wins (New Hampshire, Michigan-2)
Stage wins: 4
Note: Barring an incredible performance at Indianapolis -- by himself or someone else -- Harvick seems locked into the No. 6 spot in the playoff standings.

5. Brad Keselowski, 2,024 points

Qualified via: 3 wins (Atlanta, Martinsville, Kansas)
Stage wins: 4
Note: There was no repeat for Keselowski, who will try for another one at Indianapolis.

4. Joey Logano, 2,027 points

Qualified via: 2 wins (Las Vegas, Michigan)
Stage wins: 7
Note: Logano's last-ditch effort at catching Kyle Busch in the regular-season standings went up in smoke at Darlington.

3. Martin Truex Jr., 2,029 points

Qualified via: 4 wins (Richmond, Dover, Coca-Cola 600, Sonoma)
Stage wins: 3
Note: Truex Jr. remains within striking distance of Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Denny Hamlin for the second spot on the playoff grid.

2. Denny Hamlin, 2,031 points

Qualified via: 4 wins (Daytona 500, Texas, Pocono-2, Bristol-2)
Stage wins: 3
Note: Hamlin was caught up in a big wreck at Bristol, but prior to that he again was one of the favorites to win.

1. Kyle Busch, 2,045 points

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

Stage wins: 10

Note: Busch officially is the Regular Season Champion, and he has 15 more playoff points than the next guy in the standings. Miami appears to be calling.