AFC playoffs
Kansas City Chiefs: They are the No. 1 seed in the AFC playoffs, an honor that grants them a first-round bye and home-field advantage throughout the conference’s postseason action. Patrick Mahomes is expected to get the equivalent of two weeks of rest, as the Chiefs will not play in the regular season finale against the Denver Broncos.
Buffalo Bills: They visit the New England Patriots in the final game of the regular season, but have nothing to gain. The Bills have secured the No. 2 seed in the AFC, so they will host the worst wild card team in the conference during wild card weekend. Postseason opponents could be the Denver Broncos, Miami Dolphins, or Cincinnati Bengals.
Baltimore Ravens: Lamar Jackson and the team can clinch the AFC North with a win against the Cleveland Browns or a loss against the Pittsburgh Steelers and Cincinnati Bengals. Both of these games will be played on Saturday. The Ravens have already clinched a playoff spot.
The final game of the regular season will determine whether the Ravens will visit home as the AFC’s No. 3 seed or face the Houston Texans as the No. 5 seed and wild card on Wild Card Weekend.
If the Ravens win the AFC North, they will host either the Los Angeles Chargers or the Steelers.
Houston Texans: Nothing is bet on Week 18 Tennessee Titans vs. Texans. The Texans won the AFC South in Week 15, but were unable to improve their seeding. Houston, the conference’s worst divisional champion, is locked into the No. 4 seed.
The Texans will host either the Pittsburgh Steelers, Los Angeles Chargers or Baltimore Ravens during Wild Card weekend.
Pittsburgh Steelers: Even if the Baltimore Ravens defeat the Cincinnati Bengals on Saturday and lose to the visiting Cleveland Browns, they still have a chance to win the AFC North championship.
Pittsburgh has already clinched a playoff spot. The final game of the regular season will determine whether they will host Wild Card weekend as district champions or travel as the No. 5 or No. 6 wild card seed.
If the Steelers win the AFC North, they will host the Los Angeles Chargers in the first round of the playoffs. If the Steelers earn the No. 5 seed, they will face the Houston Texans. If they fall to the No. 6 seed, they will face the rival Ravens.
Los Angeles Chargers: They have already clinched a wild-card spot heading into Week 18 against the Las Vegas Raiders. LA will be the 5th or 6th seed in the AFC playoffs.
If the Chargers defeat the Raiders and the Pittsburgh Steelers lose to the Cincinnati Bengals, they will become the No. 5 seed. The fifth-place Chargers will face the Houston Texans in the wild card round.
If the Chargers lose the game against the Raiders or the Steelers beat the Bengals, they will remain the No. 6 seed. A No. 6 seed would give the Chargers a wild-card weekend trip to either the Baltimore Ravens or the Steelers.
Denver Broncos: A home win over the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 18 will clinch a Wild Card berth as the AFC’s No. 7 seed. This is the highest seed the Broncos can earn and guarantees them a trip to Buffalo in the first round of the postseason.
The Chiefs already have the No. 1 seed in the conference, so they are not expected to use a starter until the final regular-season game in Denver.
Even if the Broncos lose to the Chiefs, they can still make the postseason with some help. That scenario would require the New York Jets to defeat the visiting Miami Dolphins and the Pittsburgh Steelers to defeat the visiting Cincinnati Bengals.
The Broncos lose to the Chiefs in Week 18, and if either the Bengals or Dolphins win, they will be eliminated.
Miami Dolphins: The Dolphins need help to earn the AFC’s last wild-card spot. They will play the New York Jets on the road in Week 18, where they must win and get some outside help.
What Miami needs for that win is the Denver Broncos’ home loss against the Kansas City Chiefs.
If the Dolphins earn the final postseason bid, they will face the Buffalo Bills in the wild card round.
Cincinnati Bengals: Of the AFC postseason contenders, they have the toughest chance of making the playoffs. The Bengals must defeat the Pittsburgh Steelers on Saturday, then lose to the Miami Dolphins and Denver Broncos the next day.
If the Bengals earn the final postseason bid, they will face the Buffalo Bills in the wild card round.
NFC playoffs
Minnesota Vikings: NFL schedule makers couldn’t have dreamed of anything better. A Vikings victory over the host Detroit Lions in Sunday night’s final regular-season game would give Minnesota the North title, the No. 1 seed in the NFC, and home-field advantage for all of the conference’s postseason play. It turns out.
A loss at Motown would secure the Vikings the No. 5 wild-card seed and advance to Round 1. The opponents in this scenario would be either the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Los Angeles Rams, or Atlanta Falcons.
Philadelphia Eagles: The NFC East champions are locked in as the conference’s No. 2 seed. They play the New York Giants on Sunday, and they’re probably betting on nothing more than Saquon Barkley to challenge Eric Dickerson’s single-season rushing record.
Wild Card weekend, the Eagles will host the worst Wild Card team in the NFC. Their opponents will be either the Washington Commanders or the Green Bay Packers.
Los Angeles Rams: As the NFC West champions, LA heads into Sunday’s game against the Seattle Seahawks with a chance to clinch the No. 3 seed with a win. A loss in Week 18 won’t lock the Rams out of the No. 3 seed. If the Tampa Bay Buccaneers lose to the visiting New Orleans Saints, they will still receive seeding despite the loss.
As a No. 3 seed, the Rams will host either the Green Bay Packers or Washington Commanders during wild-card weekend.
If the Rams lose to the Seahawks and the Buccaneers beat the Saints, they could drop to the No. 4 seed.
As a No. 4 seed, the Rams would face either the Minnesota Vikings or Detroit Lions in the first round of the playoffs.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Can only advance to the playoffs as NFC South champions. A win against the visiting New Orleans Saints on Sunday will do just that. Or maybe the Atlanta Falcons lost to the visiting Carolina Panthers.
The Buccaneers could advance to the No. 3 seed if they win Sunday and the Los Angeles Rams lose to the visiting Seattle Seahawks.
As the third-seeded team in the NFC, the Bucks could face the Green Bay Packers or Washington Commanders in the opening round of the playoffs.
If the Bucks remain the No. 4 seed after Week 18, they will host either the Minnesota Vikings or the Detroit Lions during wild-card weekend.
If the Buccaneers lose to the Saints and the Falcons beat the Panthers, they could be eliminated from the postseason race.
Detroit Lions: A win over the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday night would clinch the NFC North, giving them the conference’s No. 1 seed and home-field advantage through the NFC postseason.
If they lose, the Lions will drop to the No. 5 seed and face either the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Los Angeles Rams or Atlanta Falcons in the first round.
Washington Commanders: They will enter the postseason as a wild-card team and either the 6th or 7th seed in the NFC. Washington can clinch the top seed if they beat the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday or the Green Bay Packers lose to the visiting Chicago Bears.
As the No. 6 seed, the managers will face either the Los Angeles Rams or the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during wild-card weekend.
As the No. 7 seed, the managers will face the Philadelphia Eagles in Wild Card weekend.
Green Bay Packers: Like the Washington Commanders, the Packers enter the postseason as a wild-card team and either the No. 6 or No. 7 seed in the NFC.
If the Packers win against the visiting Chicago Bears on Sunday and the Washington Commanders lose to the Dallas Cowboys, the Packers will become the No. 6 seed. As the No. 6 seed, the Packers will face either the Los Angeles Rams or the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during wild-card weekend.
If the Packers remain in seventh place, they will play the Philadelphia Eagles on the road in the first round.
Atlanta Falcons: Longest odds of any NFC playoff contender. For the Falcons to win the NFC South, the Falcons must beat the visiting Carolina Panthers and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers must lose to the visiting New Orleans Saints. Atlanta can only qualify for the postseason as a No. 4 seed.
If the Falcons win the NFC South, they will host either the Minnesota Vikings or Detroit Lions in the Wild Card Round.
If the Falcons lose on Sunday or beat the Bucks, they will be eliminated from postseason contention.
playoff matchup
As of December 29th, the playoff brackets are: A brave team made it to the playoffs.
NFC
1. Minnesota Vikings (14-2)
2. Philadelphia Eagles (13-3) vs. 7. Green Bay Packers (11-5)
3. Los Angeles Rams (10-6) vs. 6. Washington Commanders (11-5)
4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (9-7) vs. 5. Detroit Lions (13-2)*
on the bubble
Atlanta Falcons (8-8)
A.F.C.
1. Kansas City Chiefs (15-1)
2. Buffalo Bills (13-3) vs. 7. Denver Broncos (9-7)
3. Baltimore Ravens (11-5) vs. 6. Los Angeles Chargers (10-6)
4. Houston Texans (9-7) vs. 5. Pittsburgh Steelers (10-6)
on the bubble
8. Miami Dolphins (8-8)
9. Cincinnati Bengals (8-8)
*=The Lions will close out Week 17 against the San Francisco 49ers on “Monday Night Football.”
