The NFL released the playoff scenarios for Week 18, determining which teams can secure a No. 1 seed — which comes with a first-round bye and home-field advantage — a division title or a playoff berth this week.
In the AFC, the Buffalo Bills (13-3) have clinched the AFC East and the conference’s No. 2 seed, the Houston Texans (9-7) have clinched the AFC South and the conference’s No. 4 seed and the Kansas City Chiefs (15-1) have clinched the AFC West as well as the conference’s No. 1 seed. The Baltimore Ravens (11-5) and the Pittsburgh Steelers (10-6), who are fighting for the AFC North crown, have both earned playoff berths. The Los Angeles Chargers (10-6) clinched a playoff berth in Week 17 with their 40-7 road win at the New England Patriots.
Here are the playoff scenarios for each team in the AFC whose final status is up in the air entering Week 18:
Opponent: vs. Cleveland Browns (Saturday, 4:30 p.m. ET)
Baltimore clinches AFC North division title and AFC’s No. 3 seed with:
Opponent: vs. Cincinnati Bengals (Saturday, 8 p.m. ET)
Pittsburgh clinches AFC North division title and AFC’s No. 3 seed with:
Opponent: vs. Kansas City Chiefs (Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET)
Denver clinches a playoff berth with:
Opponent: at Pittsburgh Steelers (Saturday, 8 p.m. ET)
Cincinnati clinches a playoff berth with:
Opponent: at New York Jets (Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET)
Miami clinches a playoff berth with:
In the NFC, the Minnesota Vikings (14-2), the Detroit Lions (13-2) Green Bay Packers (11-5) and Washington Commanders (11-5) have each clinched a playoff berth. Both the Philadelphia Eagles (13-3, NFC East champion) and the Los Angeles Rams (10-6, NFC West champion) have clinched division titles while the Eagles have also locked up the conference’s No. 2 seed.
Here are the playoff scenarios for each team in the NFC:
Opponents: vs. Minnesota Vikings (Sunday, 8:20 p.m. ET)
Detroit clinches the NFC No. 1 seed, lone first-round bye and home-field advantage with:
(If Detroit beats the San Francisco 49ers on “Monday Night Football” in Week 17)
1. Lions win or tie
(If Detroit loses to the San Francisco 49ers on “Monday Night Football” in Week 17)
2. Lions win
Opponents: at Detroit Lions (Sunday, 8:20 p.m. ET)
Minnesota clinches the NFC No. 1 seed, lone first-round bye and home-field advantage with:
(If Detroit beats the San Francisco 49ers on “Monday Night Football” in Week 17)
1. Vikings win
(If Detroit loses to the San Francisco 49ers on “Monday Night Football” in Week 17)
2. Vikings win or tie
Opponent: vs. New Orleans Saints (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET)
Tampa Bay clinches NFC South division title with:
Opponent: vs. Carolina Panthers (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET)
Atlanta clinches NFC South division title with:
PublishedJanuary 2, 2025 2:01 PM EST|UpdatedJanuary 2, 2025 2:01 PM ESTFacebookTwitterEmailCopy LinkThe NFL Network had the incredibly original idea of doing a
Don't just assume that because a team is eliminated from the playoff race, or have their seed clinched and will be playing backups, that they have nothing to pl
Jordan Raanan, ESPN Staff WriterJan 2, 2025, 12:23 PM ETCloseJordan Raanan is a reporter for NFL Nation at ESPN. Raanan covers the New York Giants. You can foll
Former NFL star Antonio Brown launched a fund for the victims and their families of the terror attack that took place in New Orleans in the wee hours of New Ye