The final week of the NFL regular season has arrived. It’s been nearly four months since the Chiefs and Ravens had a thrilling season opener, and the postseason is just over a week away.
The last 17 weeks of NFL action have brought some surprises, both good and bad. The Minnesota Vikings and Washington Commanders far exceeded expectations and clinched playoff berths, with the former earning a shot at the No. 1 seed. The defending NFC champions, the San Francisco 49ers and New York Jets, have both been disappointed by injuries and below-average performances.
Each of the 32 NFL teams currently has one game left to complete the 2024 regular season. 14 teams will advance to the postseason and aim to play in the Super Bowl.
Here’s how the playoffs look ahead to Week 18:
NFL Playoffs Photos
*=The team qualified for the playoffs.
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AFC Playoff Photos
Candidates to stay: Miami Dolphins (8 wins, 8 losses), Cincinnati Bengals (8 wins, 8 losses).
The Chiefs, Bills, and Texans are locked into their respective playoff seeds. Everything else is subject to change depending on Week 18 results.
NFC Playoffs Photos
On the hunt: Atlanta Falcons (8-8).
The Eagles and Rams are the only teams with fixed seeds. The rest of the rankings may change depending on the results of Week 18.
NFL Wild Card Matchup, Full Bracket
The wild card round games for each conference entering Week 18 are as follows:
AFC Wild Card Matchup
1. Kansas City Chiefs: Goodbye
Thanks to their win over the Pittsburgh Steelers on Christmas Day, the Chiefs secured the top seed in the conference. They will have home-field advantage throughout the postseason as they look to win their third straight Super Bowl.
2nd place Buffalo Bills vs. 7th place Denver Broncos
Regardless of the outcome of the Week 18 game, the Bills will be the No. 2 seed. However, their opponents are not so sure. The AFC’s final wild card spot is the only open seed in the AFC, and is currently held by the Broncos.
If Denver wins against Kansas City, it will have at least two reserves at key positions in Week 18. A loss to the Chiefs would give the Dolphins or Bengals a chance to take that spot.
3rd place Baltimore Ravens vs. 6th place Los Angeles Chargers
The AFC North is the only division in the conference and will determine the winner in Week 18. The Ravens have a one-game lead over the Steelers, but a loss to the Browns and a Pittsburgh win against Cincinnati would turn things around.
For now, Baltimore will host Los Angeles in a rematch of the Week 12 “Monday Night Football” game between the two teams. The Ravens won the game against the Harbaugh brothers, 30-23.
Jim’s Chargers could move up to the No. 5 seed if they win against Las Vegas and Pittsburgh loses to Cincinnati. In that scenario, you’ll avoid John’s Ravens for at least one round.
4th place Houston Texans vs. 5th place Pittsburgh Steelers
Houston is locked in as the No. 4 seed to win the division with the worst win-loss record. At least one playoff game will be played regardless of the outcome of Week 18’s game against Tennessee.
If the season ended today, Houston would host Pittsburgh entering Week 18 as the top wild-card seed. The Steelers will face a Cincinnati team that has lost three straight and is fighting for a slim chance of making the playoffs. Pittsburgh is 1-1, leaving Baltimore as the No. 3 seed and possible district champion. In the worst case scenario, if they lose and beat Los Angeles, Pittsburgh could become the No. 6 seed.
NFC Wild Card Matchup
1st place Detroit Lions: Goodbye
The Lions have earned the top seed heading into Week 18 and can maintain that seed with a win or tie at home against the Vikings on Sunday Night Football. If they lose, they will drop to the 5th seed.
2nd place Philadelphia Eagles vs. 7th place Green Bay Packers
No matter what happens in Week 18, the Eagles will host at least one game in the NFC playoffs. Philadelphia is currently scheduled to host a rematch of the season opener.
Green Bay has the same record as Washington (11-5) but is a lower seed due to its conference record. If the Packers beat the Bears and the Commanders lose to the Cowboys, they could move up to the No. 6 seed.
Philadelphia won the first game between the two teams this season, 34-29.
3rd place Los Angeles Rams vs. 6th place Washington Commanders
Detroit defeated San Francisco on Monday Night Football in Week 17, clinching the NFC West title over Los Angeles. The Rams won the division for the first time since 2021, when they won the Super Bowl, and will host the wild card game. They will be the third seed in the playoffs.
Washington enters Week 18 as the No. 6 seed with a playoff berth. They can maintain that spot with a win against Dallas, but a loss and a win against Green Bay could drop them to the No. 7 seed.
4th place Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. 5th place Minnesota Vikings
The NFC South title is still in contention between Tampa Bay and Atlanta. Unlike the NFC North title, which is still up in the air between Detroit and Minnesota, teams that don’t win their divisions will miss out on the playoffs.
The Buccaneers currently hold an 8-8 lead over the Falcons at 9-7, but Atlanta holds the tiebreaker due to their head-to-head win. Tampa Bay needs to beat New Orleans in Week 18 to win its fifth consecutive district title.
Minnesota enters Week 18 as a 14-win No. 5 seed after losing head-to-head to Detroit earlier this season. If they win, they will gain home field advantage and jump up to the No. 1 seed through the NFC playoffs. If they lose or draw, they must travel for at least two rounds.
