NFC playoff-clinching scenarios for Week 18

 

The 2022 NFL season has been reduced to one week and one game.

Although the AFC and NFC playoff picture will not be finalised until Week 18, it is time to continue looking at the updated standings and which teams would be in the playoffs if the season ended on Sunday of Week 17.

NFL Week 17 AFC playoff picture 1. Kansas City Chiefs (13-3), AFC West champions. The Chiefs put the Bills under pressure by defeating the Broncos at home on Sunday. They still trail the Bills in the head-to-head tiebreaker, which they lost at home in Week 6. The Chiefs will try to win out in Week 18 and hope the Bills lose once more in order to secure the top seed.

2. Buffalo Bills (12-3), AFC East champions. In Week 16, the Bills defeated the Bears, clinching their third consecutive division title. The Bills can now concentrate on beating the Chiefs for home-field advantage and the lone bye. The key to that is defeating the Bengals on Monday in Cincinnati. After the Chiefs won, the Bills can no longer clinch first place in Week 17.

3. Cincinnati Bengals (11-4), AFC North champions. In Week 16, the Bengals defeated the Patriots for the seventh time in a row. This kept them in the same conference as the Bills and Chiefs, but ahead of the division-winning Ravens. Cincinnati hosts Baltimore on Monday night before hosting Buffalo in Week 17. With a win, the Bengals can clinch the division after the Ravens lose.

4. Jacksonville Jaguars (8-8), AFC South champions. The Jaguars maintained their position by defeating the Texans in Week 17. Jacksonville has a one-game lead over Tennessee and a head-to-head tiebreaker after winning in Nashville in Week 14. Despite the Titans' loss in Dallas in Week 17, the division will be decided in Week 18, when the Jaguars host the Titans with the division record on the line.

5. Los Angeles Chargers (10-6), AFC West second place. The Chargers clinched a wild-card spot with a convincing Week 16 road rout of the Colts and continued to roll against the crosstown Rams to leapfrog the losing Ravens in Week 17. With Justin Herbert, Austin Ekeler, and an improving defence, they appear to be more dangerous.

Baltimore Ravens (10-6) are second in the AFC North. The Ravens couldn't beat the Steelers at home without Lamar Jackson on Sunday night, so their Week 18 game at Cincinnati becomes meaningless (except for seeding) if the Bengals win on Monday, as the Ravens already have at least the second wild card berth.

7. New England Patriots (8-8), AFC East second place. The Patriots defeated the Dolphins on Sunday, tying the season series and bringing both teams' records to.500. New England beat Miami to the final wild-card spot because it now has a better division record (3-2 vs. 2-3), giving it the tiebreaker.

Who is on the prowl?

Miami Dolphins (8-8), third place in the AFC East

9. Pittsburgh Steelers (8-8), AFC North third place

Tennessee Titans (7-9), second place in the AFC South

The Patriots defeated the Dolphins and the Steelers won on Sunday night, keeping three teams in contention heading into Week 18. The Steelers must defeat the Browns in Week 18 and hope that the Patriots and Dolphins (both of whom they defeated) lose their games. The Titans will simply need to beat the Jaguars in their season finale to be crowned AFC South champions.

Who's leaving?

10. New York Jets (7-9), AFC East last place

Cleveland Browns (7-9), last place in the AFC North

13. Los Angeles Raiders (6-10), third place in the AFC West

14. Indianapolis Colts (4-11-1), AFC South third place

Denver Broncos (4-12), last place in the AFC West

Houston Texans (2-13-1), last place in the AFC South

With their losses on Sunday, the Jets and Raiders became the latest teams to be eliminated. In Week 17, the Browns were the only team to win. After losing to the Jaguars, the Texans are looking good for the No. 1 overall pick.

Philadelphia Eagles (13-3) are in first place in the NFC East. The Eagles have already clinched a playoff spot and will clinch the division with one more win or a Cowboys loss, which will have to wait until Week 18 after Sunday's disappointing home loss to the Saints without Jalen Ramsey. They must also work to maintain home-field advantage and the lone bye.

2. San Francisco 49ers (12-4), NFC West champions. The 49ers now have a shot at the No. 1 seed after beating the Raiders in overtime in Las Vegas for their ninth consecutive victory. They only need a win over the Cardinals in Week 18 and an Eagles loss to the Commanders. In that case, they would tie the conference record with a 10-2 record in NFC play.

3. Minnesota Vikings (12-4), NFC North champions. After losing to the Packers on Sunday, the Vikings were passed by the 49ers for the top seed. They lost head-to-head to the Eagles and Cowboys, and their conference record against the 49ers is insufficient. They're probably stuck here before the Buccaneers.

4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (8-8), NFC South champions. With their comeback home win over the Panthers on Sunday, the Buccaneers won the division for the second time in three years. They've locked up this seed for the playoffs, where they'll face either the Eagles (again) or the Cowboys in the wild-card round.

5. Dallas Cowboys (12-4), NFC East second place. The Cowboys increased the pressure on the Eagles by defeating the Titans on Thursday night to start Week 17, cutting the lead to one game. They can still win the division if they beat the Commanders while the Eagles lose to the Giants in Week 18. They split with the Eagles but hold the crucial divisional tiebreaker (4-1 vs. 3-2). They have a chance to win the No. 1 seed as well as the division title if they win while the 49ers lose.

6. New York Giants (9-6-1), NFC East third place. With their easy win over the Colts on Sunday, the Giants clinched a wild-card spot behind the Eagles and Cowboys. They are locked into this seed after the Commanders were eliminated and the Lions, Seahawks, and Packers were unable to catch them.

7. Seattle Seahawks (8-8), NFC West second place. The Seahawks are back in this position because they have a three-way tiebreaker over the NFC's other two.500 teams, the Lions and Packers. They'll make the playoffs if they beat the Rams in Week 18 and the Packers lose to the Lions, because they have a head-to-head tiebreaker over the Lions from a Week 4 win in Detroit.

Who is on the prowl?

8. Detroit Lions (8-8), NFC North second place

8. Green Bay Packers (8-8), NFC North third place

With a win over the Lions, the Packers will enter the playoffs as the NFC's No. 7 team. If the Lions win, the Seahawks must lose to the Rams in order for them to make the playoffs.

Who's leaving?

10. Washington Commanders (7-8-1), NFC East last place

11. New Orleans Saints (7-9), NFC South last place

Carolina Panthers (6-10), third place in the NFC South

13. Atlanta Falcons (6-10), NFC South last place

Los Angeles Rams (5-11), third place in the NFC West

15. Arizona Cardinals (4-12), NFC West last place

16. Chicago Bears (3-13), NFC North last place

The Panthers were eliminated when they were defeated by the Buccaneers in both the game and the division. The Falcons and Rams are fighting until the bitter end. The Cardinals and Bears are both battling key injuries and limping to the finish line.

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