Most of the playoff field has been set, but two playoff teams remain to be decided and the No. 1 seed in the NFC will go down to the final game of the season. Here’s how the NFL playoff picture looks heading into Week 18:
NFC Playoff Picture
DIVISION LEADERS
1. Detroit Lions (14-2): Clinched a playoff berth, will clinch the No. 1 seed if they beat or tie the Vikings on Sunday night.
2. Philadelphia Eagles (13-3): Clinched the No. 2 seed.
3. Los Angeles Rams (10-6): Clinched the NFC West.
4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (9-7): One-game lead in the NFC South, but they would lose a tiebreaker to the Falcons.
WILD CARDS
5. Minnesota Vikings (14-2): Clinched a playoff berth, will clinch the No. 1 seed if they beat the Lions on Sunday night.
6. Washington Commanders (11-5): Clinched a playoff berth, own the NFC record tiebreaker over the Packers.
7. Green Bay Packers (11-5): Clinched a playoff berth.
OUTSIDE LOOKING IN
8. Seattle Seahawks (9-7): Mathematically eliminated.
9. Atlanta Falcons (8-8): Will win the NFC South if they win on Sunday and the Buccaneers lose.
10. Dallas Cowboys (7-9): Mathematically eliminated.
11. Arizona Cardinals (7-9): Mathematically eliminated.
12. San Francisco 49ers (6-10): Mathematically eliminated.
13. New Orleans Saints (5-11): Mathematically eliminated.
14. Carolina Panthers (4-12): Mathematically eliminated.
15. Chicago Bears (4-12): Mathematically eliminated.
16. New York Giants (3-13): Mathematically eliminated.
AFC Playoff Picture
DIVISION LEADERS
1. Kansas City Chiefs (15-1): Clinched the No. 1 seed, first-round bye and home-field advantage throughout the AFC playoffs.
2. Buffalo Bills (13-3): Clinched the No. 2 seed.
3. Baltimore Ravens (11-5): Clinched a playoff berth, will be the No. 3 seed if they win on Saturday.
4. Houston Texans (9-7): Clinched the No. 4 seed.
WILD CARDS
5. Pittsburgh Steelers (10-6): Clinched a playoff berth, own the head-to-head tiebreaker over the Chargers.
6. Los Angeles Chargers (10-6): Clinched a playoff berth.
7. Denver Broncos (9-7): One win away from a wild card berth.
OUTSIDE LOOKING IN
8. Miami Dolphins (8-8): Kept their wild card hopes alive by beating the Browns.
9. Cincinnati Bengals (8-8): Kept their wild card hopes alive by beating the Broncos.
10. Indianapolis Colts (7-9): Mathematically eliminated.
11. New York Jets (4-12): Mathematically eliminated.
12. Las Vegas Raiders (4-12): Mathematically eliminated.
13. Jacksonville Jaguars (4-12): Mathematically eliminated.
14. Cleveland Browns (3-13): Mathematically eliminated.
15. Tennessee Titans (3-13): Mathematically eliminated.
16. New England Patriots (3-13): Mathematically eliminated.
Clinching Scenarios
Here are the full playoff scenarios released by the NFL:
AFC
CLINCHED:
Kansas City Chiefs (15-1) – AFC West, No. 1 seed, first-round bye and home-field advantage
Buffalo Bills (13-3) – AFC East, No. 2 seed
Houston Texans (9-7) – AFC South, No. 4 seed
Baltimore Ravens (11-5) – playoff berth
Los Angeles Chargers (10-6) – playoff berth
Pittsburgh Steelers (10-6) – playoff berth
Baltimore Ravens (11-5) vs. Cleveland Browns (3-13); Saturday, 4:30 p.m. ET, ESPN/ABC
Baltimore clinches AFC North division title and No. 3 seed with:
- BAL win or tie
- PIT loss or tie
Pittsburgh Steelers (10-6) vs. Cincinnati Bengals (8-8); Saturday, 8 p.m. ET, ESPN/ABC
Pittsburgh clinches AFC North division title and No. 3 seed with:
- PIT win + BAL loss
Cincinnati Bengals (8-8) at Pittsburgh Steelers (10-6); Saturday, 8 p.m. ET, ESPN/ABC
Cincinnati clinches a playoff berth with:
- CIN win + DEN loss + MIA loss or tie
Denver Broncos (9-7) vs. Kansas City Chiefs (15-1); Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET, CBS
Denver clinches a playoff berth with:
- DEN win or tie
- MIA loss or tie + CIN loss or tie
Miami Dolphins (8-8) at New York Jets (4-12); Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET, FOX
Miami clinches a playoff berth with:
- MIA win + DEN loss
NFC
CLINCHED:
Philadelphia Eagles (13-3) – NFC East, No. 2 seed
Los Angeles Rams (10-6) – NFC West
Detroit Lions (14-2) – playoff berth
Green Bay Packers (11-5) – playoff berth
Minnesota Vikings (14-2) – playoff berth
Washington Commanders (11-5) – playoff berth
Detroit Lions (13-2) vs. Minnesota Vikings (14-2); Sunday night, 8:20 p.m. ET, NBC
Detroit clinches NFC North division title and the NFC’s No. 1 seed, lone first-round bye and home-field advantage with:
- DET win or tie
Minnesota Vikings (14-2) at Detroit Lions (13-2); Sunday night, 8:20 p.m. ET, NBC
Minnesota clinches NFC North division title and the NFC’s No. 1 seed, lone first-round bye and home-field advantage with:
- MIN win
Atlanta Falcons (8-8) vs. Carolina Panthers (4-12); Sunday, 1 p.m. ET, CBS
Atlanta clinches NFC South division title with:
- ATL win + TB loss
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (9-7) vs. New Orleans Saints (5-11); Sunday, 1 p.m. ET, FOX
Tampa Bay clinches NFC South division title with:
- TB win or tie
- ATL loss or tie
