The final week of the 2023 NFL season is upon us, and soon, the NFL’s playoff picture will be set in stone.
That said, there is a lot to be decided before fans can get excited about the 2024 NFL playoff matchups.
There are 20 NFL teams still alive in the quest to win Super Bowl 58. We already know nine of the 14 teams that will clinch passage to the postseason, but soon, five more teams will book their ticket to the playoffs.
Per usual, Week 18 of the 2023 NFL season is set to be a wild ride, as control of various seeds in both the AFC and NFC playoff races figure to change hands frequently throughout the NFL’s loaded Sunday slate.
But which teams have the inside track to make the postseason? Here’s what to know about the NFL’s playoff picture, tiebreakers and elimination scenarios as Week 18 results come in.
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This article will be updated periodically to reflect the latest news, updates and results from around the NFL.
NFL playoff standings Week 18
AFC playoff picture
Seed Team Record Clinched? 1 Ravens 13-3 AFC North, No. 1 seed 2 Dolphins 11-5 Playoff berth 3 Chiefs 10-6 AFC West 4 Texans 10-7 Playoff berth 5 Browns 11-5 Playoff berth 6 Bills 10-6 — 7 Steelers 10-7 —
In the hunt: Jaguars (9-7)
NFC playoff picture
Seed Team Record Clinched? 1 49ers 12-4 NFC West, No. 1 seed 2 Cowboys 11-5 Playoff berth 3 Lions 11-5 NFC North 4 Buccaneers 8-8 — 5 Eagles 11-5 Playoff berth 6 Rams 9-7 Playoff berth 7 Packers 8-8 —
In the hunt: Seahawks (8-8), Saints (8-8), Vikings (7-9), Falcons (7-9)
NFL tiebreakers, explained
There are a few teams in the AFC and NFC that currently have the same records. Here’s a look at the tiebreakers that are determining which teams have the advantage over the other in the 2024 NFL playoff race.
NFC tiebreakers
The Cowboys are the NFC’s No. 2 seed because they have a superior conference record (8-3) to that of the Eagles (7-4) and because of their head-to-head victory over the Lions.The Packers own the No. 7 seed over the Seahawks because of the strength of victory and have a better conference record (6-5) than the Saints (5-6).The Seahawks are the No. 8 seed because of their superior conference record (6-5) to that of the Saints.The Vikings are the No. 10 seed thanks to their division tiebreak putting them ahead of Chicago based on their record in common games and their head-to-head win over the Falcons.
MORE: Full list of every NFL quarterback that started during the 2023 NFL season
NFL clinching scenarios Week 18
AFC
Buffalo Bills (10-6)
Games remaining: at Dolphins
Buffalo clinches the AFC East division title with:
Bills win
Buffalo clinches a playoff berth with:
Bills tie ORJaguars loss or tie
Jacksonville Jaguars (9-7)
Games remaining: at Titans
Jacksonville clinches the AFC South division title with:
Jaguars win
Miami Dolphins (11-5)
Games remaining: vs. Bills
Miami clinches the AFC East title with:
Dolphins win or tie
Pittsburgh Steelers (9-7)
Pittsburgh clinches a playoff berth with:
Bills loss ORJaguars loss or tie OR
NFC
Atlanta Falcons (7-9)
Games remaining: at Saints
Atlanta clinches the NFC South title with:
Falcons win AND Buccaneers loss
Dallas Cowboys (11-5)
Games remaining: at Commanders
Dallas clinches the NFC East title with:
Cowboys win ORCowboys tie AND Eagles tie OREagles loss
Green Bay Packers (8-8)
Games remaining: vs. Bears
Green Bay clinches a playoff berth with:
Packers win ORPackers tie AND Seahawks loss or tie AND Saints loss or tie ORPackers tie AND Seahawks loss AND Buccaneers loss ORPackers tie AND Seahawks tie AND Buccaneers loss or tie ORVikings loss or tie AND Seahawks loss AND Buccaneers loss ORVikings loss or tie AND Seahawks loss AND Saints loss
Minnesota Vikings (7-9)
Games remaining: at Lions
Minnesota clinches a playoff berth with:
Vikings win AND Packers loss AND Seahawks loss AND Buccaneers loss ORVikings win AND Packers loss AND Seahawks loss AND Saints loss
New Orleans Saints (8-8)
Games remaining: vs. Falcons
New Orleans clinches the NFC South title with:
Saints win AND Buccaneers loss or tie ORSaints tie AND Buccaneers loss
New Orleans clinches a playoff berth with:
Saints win AND Seahawks loss or tie AND Packers loss or tie ORSaints tie AND Seahawks loss AND Packers loss
Philadelphia Eagles (11-5)
Games remaining: at Giants
Philadelphia clinches the NFC East title with:
Eagles win and Cowboys loss OREagles tie and Cowboys loss
Seattle Seahawks (8-8)
Games remaining: at Cardinals
Seattle clinches a playoff berth with:
Seahawks win AND Packers loss or tie ORSeahawks tie AND Packers loss AND Buccaneers loss or tie ORSeahawks tie AND Packers loss AND Saints loss or tie
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (8-8)
Games remaining: at Panthers
Tampa Bay clinches the NFC South title with:
Buccaneers win ORBuccaneers tie and Saints loss or tie
Tampa Bay clinches a playoff berth with:
Buccaneers tie AND Seahawks loss AND Packers loss or tie
MORE: Full breakdown of the NFL’s 2024 Pro Bowl rosters
NFL elimination scenarios Week 18
There are 20 teams still in postseason contention entering Week 18 of the 2023 NFL season. Six will be eliminated ahead of the 14-team playoff.
Here’s what to know about the elimination scenarios for each team.
AFC
Entering Week 18, there are three playoff spots up for grabs in the AFC and five teams vying for them. All five squads have elimination scenarios because of this.
The Colts and Texans had the simplest elimination scenarios. If either of them lost, they would be out. The Texans wound up winning and securing a playoff spot, eliminating the Colts from the playoffs.
The Bills are in a unique spot, as they are playing for the AFC’s No. 2 seed but could be eliminated from the playoffs with a loss. A Buffalo loss and a Jaguars win would see the Bills eliminated from the playoff picture.
So long as the Jaguars beat the Titans, they will win the AFC South. Lose, however, and they will be eliminated from the playoffs.
Finally, the Steelers will be eliminated from postseason contention with a Jaguars win and a Bills win or tie.
For the full details on the AFC elimination scenarios, click here.
NFC
Entering Week 18, there are two playoff spots up for grabs in the NFC. Six teams are vying for those two spots, so all six will face elimination scenarios. They are as follows.
The Falcons have the simplest elimination scenarios of the bunch. If they lose, the Buccaneers win or either game ends in a tie, they will be out of the running for the NFC South. That’s their only potential way into the postseason.
The Saints are in a similar boat to the Falcons, though they could sneak into the No. 7 seed with some help. That said, New Orleans is eliminated with a loss and can also be eliminated by a Buccaneers win coupled with wins by either the Packers or Seahawks. There are also a couple of situations in which the Saints can be eliminated with a tie, a win or by the Buccaneers and a win or tie by the Packers or Seahawks.
The Buccaneers can most easily be eliminated from the playoff race with a loss. They also can be eliminated with a tie, a win by the Saints and either a win or tie by the Seahawks or a Packers win. But if Tampa Bay beat the Panthers, then the team will win the NFC South.
The Packers have a win-and-in path to the postseason, so it’s no surprise that their elimination scenarios are the most complex. Green Bay would have to lose against the Bears and see one of the following results occur to be eliminated from postseason contention:
Vikings win or tieSeahawks win or tieBuccaneers win or tie AND Saints win or tie
The Packers can also be eliminated in certain scenarios with a tie and several losses by the teams listed above.
The Vikings have the hardest path to a wild-card berth and thus possess the most elimination scenarios. Minnesota will miss the playoffs with a loss or tie against the Lions, wins or ties from the Seahawks or Packers or seeing both the Buccaneers and Saints win or tie in Week 18.
Finally, the Seahawks are also eliminated with a loss or a Packers win. They can also be eliminated if both them and the Packers tie or if Seattle ties and both New Orleans and Tampa Bay win.
For the full details on the NFC elimination scenarios, click here.
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