Here’s what the NFL playoff picture looks like heading into Week 18, the regular season finale:
x – unhooked berth
y – unhooked division
* – pending NFL approval
FCA
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*y – 1. Kansas City Chiefs (13-3), AFC West champions: They are part of several conference teams impacted by the The NFL’s Thursday night decision to cancel the Bills-Bengals Week 17 game following Buffalo S Collapse on the Damar Hamlin pitch and subsequent hospitalization. Kansas City can get the No. 1 seed by winning in Las Vegas on Saturday, but the Chiefs aren’t guaranteed to stay at Arrowhead Stadium until January if the Bills also lose on Sunday. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell offered some recommendations on Thursday that would potentially place the AFC Championship Game at a neutral site since the Bills or Bengals would have had a chance to win the No. 1 game. series by winning their canceled Week 17 meeting, but could ultimately face the Chiefs with a Super Bowl 57 berth on the line. The league still has to approve that course of action on Friday. Remaining schedule: at Raiders
*y – 2. Buffalo Bills (12-3), AFC East champions: They won at Kansas City in Week 6 and hold the head-to-head tiebreaker, so Goodell’s recommendation ensures Hamlin’s collapse won’t send the Bills to Kansas City for a third series. consecutive playoffs. if they’re keeping pace with KC – which means both teams win or draw this weekend. Bills can secure home-court advantage by beating New England if the chiefs also lose. Remaining schedule: vs. patriots
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*y – 3. Cincinnati Bengals (11-4), AFC North champions: Canceling their game with Buffalo gives the defending AFC champions back-to-back division crowns…with a twist. First, the Bengals can also force a neutral-site AFC Championship game against Kansas City if they win on Sunday and the Chiefs and Bills both lose. However, if Cincinnati loses to Baltimore – meaning a season sweep from the Ravens – and the Chargers victory, the site of a Bengals-Ravens wildcard game (in Baltimore or Cincinnati) would be determined by coin toss. The reason is that the Ravens’ path to the AFC North crown was cut short by the cancellation of the Bills-Bengals game. Remaining schedule: vs. crows
4. AFC South leaders Jacksonville Jaguars (8-8): The division title will be determined against Tennessee on Saturday night. However, the Jags can still land the AFC’s last wild card with a loss – but that would also require the Jets, Bills and Browns to win on Sunday. Remaining schedule: vs. Titans
x – 5. Los Angeles Chargers (10-6), Wild No. 1: Entering the playoffs for the first time in four years, it remains to be determined which promotional champion Bolts will visit in the first round. Now fifth in the conference because their record in AFC games is better than Baltimore’s, LA won’t be ranked worse than sixth. A win in Denver invites the possibility of a wildcard Bengals-Ravens game and a site determined by coin toss, though the Bolts have little incentive to play their key players in Week 18. Remaining schedule: at Broncos
*x – 6. Baltimore Ravens (10-6), joker No. 2: They can no longer win AFC North due to the cancellation of the Bills-Bengals game. But they can get a wild card game at M&T Bank Stadium against the Bengals by winning in Cincinnati on Sunday and then winning a coin toss. if the Chargers also win. The Ravens hit the road against the AFC South champion with a win plus the Bolts loss. Remaining schedule: among bengals
7. New England Patriots (8-8), wild card No. 3: Not only avoided elimination by beating Miami in Week 17, the Pats will now advance to the playoffs by winning in Western New York this Sunday. They can also advance with a loss if the Dolphins and Steelers lose. and the Jags win or draw. Remaining schedule: at Invoices
8. Miami Dolphins (8-8), off the playoff field: Five-game slide, QB Tua Tagovailoa’s latest concussion and substitute Teddy Bridgewater’s hand injury put their playoff hopes in serious jeopardy. However, a win coupled with a loss in New England will move Miami forward. Remaining schedule: vs. Jets
9. Pittsburgh Steelers (8-8), out of playoff field: If they beat Cleveland — and the Pats and Dolphins both lose — then Pittsburgh will qualify for the AFC’s final wild card. Remaining schedule: vs. Browns
Note: The New York Jets (7-9) currently sit 10th overall in the AFC, but were knocked out of the playoffs.
11. Tennessee Titans (7-9), out of playoff field: They essentially treated their Week 17 loss to Dallas as a preseason game given that it’s Saturday’s game in Jacksonville that will determine the AFC South crown. The Titans are eliminated by loss or tie. Remaining schedule: at Jaguar
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NFC
x – 1. Philadelphia Eagles (13-3), leaders NFC East: They are 0-2 without injured QB Jalen Hurts, twice failing to wrap up NFC Game 1. 1 seed, and maybe still without him on Sunday. But Philly can still clinch home ground and a first-round bye by beating a wild-card Giants team tagged for the sixth seed and with little reason not to rest its top-tier players. Remaining schedule: vs. giants
y – 2. San Francisco 49ers (12-4), NFC West champions: They have a shot at winning the NFC’s top spot thanks to their 9-2 record in intraconference games. The Niners will need a win on Sunday coupled with a Philadelphia loss to overtake the Eagles. Remaining schedule: vs. Cardinals
y – 3. Minnesota Vikings (12-4), NFC North champions: Their embarrassing Week 17 loss at Green Bay kept Vikes from chasing for the No. 1. 1 seed. The best they can do is get back to number 1. 2 by beating Chicago coupled with a loss to the Niners. Remaining schedule: in the bears
y – 4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (8-8), NFC South champions: Consecutive division champions for the first time in team history, the Bucs are locked in the fourth seed but apparently plan to face QB Tom Brady and other starters on Sunday. Their play means nothing but an opportunity to continue to hone an inconsistent offense and finish the regular season above .500. Remaining schedule: among the hawks
x – 5. Dallas Cowboys (12-4), wild card No. 1: If they win and the Eagles don’t, Team USA ascends the NFC East throne. Plus, the Cowboys have a path to the No. 1 seed if they beat Washington while Philadelphia and San Francisco both stumble on Sunday. Remaining schedule: among the commanders
x – 6. New York Giants (9-6-1), joker No. 2: Big Blue is back in the playoffs for the first time since 2016. Now the Giants are waiting to see who finishes third and welcomes them to the wildcard round. Remaining schedule: among the eagles
7. Seattle Seahawks (8-8), wild card No. 3: They may currently be seeded seventh, thanks to their 48-45 Week 4 win at Detroit, but the Hawks aren’t in control of their playoff fortunes. They advance with a win and a loss by Green Bay. Remaining schedule: vs. Rams
8. Detroit Lions (8-8), off the field: They need a win at Green Bay and a loss to the Seahawks to reach the playoffs for the first time in six years. They have the longest chances of NFC teams vying for the final conference spot … and also may be a club that whoever finishes second would least want to host. Remaining schedule: at the packers
9. Green Bay Packers (8-8), off the field: They’ve had a lot of outside help over the past few weeks, but the biggest help has come from within thanks to their four-game winning streak. If they beat Detroit, the Pack will make the playoffs for the fourth time in four years under coach Matt LaFleur, as their record in NFC games would be 7-5 – better than the Seahawks, than Green Bay did not play in 2022. Remaining schedule: vs. the Lions
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Follow USA TODAY Sports’ Nate Davis on Twitter @ByNateDavis.
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