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 after the Saturday games of 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 (12-5): Clinched the No. 3 seed.
4. Houston Texans (9-7): Clinched the No. 4 seed.
WILD CARDS
5. Los Angeles Chargers (10-6): Clinched a wild card, will be the 5 seed with a win on Sunday or the 6 seed with a loss on Sunday.
6. Pittsburgh Steelers (10-7): Clinched a wild card, will be the 6 seed if the Chargers win on Sunday or the 5 seed if the Chargers lose on Sunday.
7. Denver Broncos (9-7): Need to win today to be the 7 seed.
OUTSIDE LOOKING IN
8. Cincinnati Bengals (9-8): Would be the 7 seed if the Broncos and Dolphins both lose.
9. Miami Dolphins (8-8): Would be the 7 seed with a win and a Broncos loss.
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. Tennessee Titans (3-13): Mathematically eliminated.
15. New England Patriots (3-13): Mathematically eliminated.
16. Cleveland Browns (3-14): 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
Baltimore Ravens (12-5) – AFC North, No. 3 seed
Houston Texans (9-7) – AFC South, No. 4 seed
Los Angeles Chargers (10-6) – wild card
Pittsburgh Steelers (10-6) – wild card
Cincinnati Bengals (9-8) season over
Cincinnati clinches a playoff berth with:
- 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
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 (14-2) 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 (14-2); 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
Read the full article here