The final week of the 2024 NFL regular season has arrived with Week 18 offering a few playoff-clinching scenarios this weekend. While a majority of the playoff spots have been locked up, the NFL playoff clinching scenarios for Week 18 are largely about playoff seeding.
There are still two spots in the NFL playoffs up for grabs. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Atlanta Falcons are battling for the NFC South title and a first-round home playoff game in Week 18. The NFL playoff clinching scenarios this week also have the Denver Broncos, Cincinnati Bengals and Miami Dolphins competing for the final playoff spot in the AFC.
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Below we’ve provided the NFL playoff picture right now and the NFL playoff clinching scenarios, including seeding, for Week 18.
NFL playoff picture 2024
Here is the NFL playoff picture right now, assuming the Detroit Lions beat the San Francisco 49ers on Monday Night Football.
AFC
- Kansas City Chiefs* – 15-1
- Buffalo Bills* – 13-3
- Baltimore Ravens* – 11-5
- Houston Texans* –9-7
- Pittsburgh Steelers* – 10-6 (WC)
- Los Angeles Chargers* – 10-6 (WC)
- Denver Broncos – 9-7 (WC)
NFC
- Detroit Lions* – 14-2
- Philadelphia Eagles* – 13-3
- Los Angeles Rams* – 10 – 6
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers – 9-7
- Minnesota Vikings* – 14-2 (WC)
- Washington Commanders* – 11-5 (WC)
- Green Bay Packers* – 11-5 (WC)
Related: NFL power rankings 2024
Who has clinched the NFL playoffs in 2024?
The Kansas City Chiefs, Buffalo Bills, Detroit Lions, Philadelphia Eagles, Pittsburgh Steelers, Minnesota Vikings, Baltimore Ravens, Green Bay Packers, Washington Commanders and Houston Texans have clinched playoff spots. The Texans, Eagles, Rams and Bills clinched their divisions, guaranteeing home-field advantage in the Wild Card round of the NFL Playoffs.
The Chiefs have clinched home-field advantage throughout the playoffs as the No. 1 seed in the AFC.
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NFL Playoff matchups right now
AFC
- (7) Denver Broncos @ (2) Buffalo Bills
- (6) Los Angeles Chargers @ (3) Baltimore Ravens
- (5) Pittsburgh Steelers vs (4) Houston Texans
- BYE: (1) Kansas City Chiefs
NFC
- (7) Green Bay Packers @ (2) Philadelphia Eagles
- (6) Washington Commanders @ (3) Los Angeles Rams
- (5) Minnesota Vikings @ (4) Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- BYE: (1) Detroit Lions
Related: NFL Week 17 predictions
NFL playoff clinching scenarios Week 18
Here are the NFL playoff clinching scenarios this week.
- Denver Broncos – AFC playoff berth – vs Kansas City Chiefs
- Denver Broncos win vs Kansas City Chiefs
- Miami Dolphins – AFC playoff berth – @ New York Jets
- Miami Dolphins win vs New York Jets + Denver Broncos loss vs Kansas City Chiefs
- Cincinnati Bengals – AFC playoff berth – @ Pittsburgh Steelers
- Cincinnati Bengals win vs Pittsburgh Steelers + Broncos loss + Dolphins loss
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NFL playoff seeding scenarios Week 18
Here are the NFL playoff seeding scenarios this week for the AFC and NFC.
- NFC
- No. 1 seed – Home-Field Advantage – First Round Bye
- Minnesota Vikings
- Minnesota Vikings win vs Detroit Lions in Week 18
- Detroit Lions
- Detroit Lions win vs Minnesota Vikings in Week 18
- Minnesota Vikings
- No. 2 seed – Home matchup vs No. 7 seed in Wild Card Round
- Philadelphia Eagles – LOCKED IN
- No. 3 seed – Home matchup vs No. 6 seed in Wild Card Round
- Los Angeles Rams
- Los Angeles Rams win vs Seattle Seahawks
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers loss/tie vs New Orleans Saints
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers win vs New Orleans Saints + Rams loss
- Los Angeles Rams
- No. 4 seed – Home Matchup vs No. 5 seed in Wild Card Round
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers loss vs Saints + Atlanta Falcons loss/tie vs Panthers
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers tie + Atlanta Falcons loss vs Panthers
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers win + Los Angeles Rams win/tie
- Los Angeles Rams
- Los Angeles Rams loss vs Seattle Seahawks + Buccaneers win vs Saints
- Atlanta Falcons
- Atlanta Falcons win vs Carolina Panthers + Buccaneers loss vs Saints
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- No. 5 seed
- Detroit Lions
- Detroit Lions loss vs Minnesota Vikings
- Minnesota Vikings
- Minnesota Vikings loss vs Detroit Lions
- Detroit Lions
- No. 6 seed
- Washington Commanders
- Washington Commanders win vs Dallas Cowboys
- Green Bay Packers loss vs Chicago Bears
- Washington Commanders tie + Green Bay Packers tie
- Green Bay Packers
- Green Bay Packers win vs Bears + Washington Commanders/loss tie
- Green Bay Packers tie vs Bears + Washington Commanders loss
- Washington Commanders
- No. 7 seed
- Green Bay Packers
- Green Bay Packers loss vs Chicago Bears
- Green Bay Packers tie + Washington Commanders tie
- Washington Commanders win
- Washington Commanders
- Washington Commanders loss + Green Bay Packers win/tie
- Washington Commanders tie + Green Bay Packers win
- Green Bay Packers
- No. 1 seed – Home-Field Advantage – First Round Bye
- AFC
- No. 1 seed – Home-Field Advantage – First Round Bye
- Kansas City Chiefs – LOCKED IN
- No. 2 seed – Home matchup vs No. 7 seed in Wild Card Round
- Buffalo Bills – LOCKED IN
- No. 3 seed – Home matchup vs No. 6 seed in Wild Card Round
- Baltimore Ravens
- Baltimore Ravens win vs Cleveland Browns
- Pittsburgh Steelers loss vs Cincinnati Bengals
- Pittsburgh Steelers
- Pittsburgh Steelers win vs Bengals + Baltimore Ravens loss vs Browns
- Baltimore Ravens
- No. 4 seed- Home matchup vs No. 5 seed in Wild Card Round
- Houston Texans – LOCKED IN
- No. 5 seed
- Baltimore Ravens
- Baltimore Ravens loss + Pittsburgh Steelers win
- Pittsburgh Steelers
- Pittsburgh Steelers win + Baltimore Ravens win/tie
- Pittsburgh Steelers tie + Los Angeles Chargers loss/tie
- Pittsburgh Steelers loss + Los Angeles Chargers loss
- Los Angeles Chargers
- Los Angeles Chargers win vs Las Vegas Raiders + Steelers loss/tie
- Los Angeles Chargers tie + Pittsburgh Steelers loss/tie
- Baltimore Ravens
- No. 6 seed
- Los Angeles Chargers
- Los Angeles Chargers loss vs Raiders
- Los Angeles Chargers tie + Pittsburgh Steelers tie
- Pittsburgh Steelers win
- Pittsburgh Steelers
- Pittsburgh Steelers loss + Los Angeles Chargers win/tie
- Pittsburgh Steelers tie + Los Angeles Chargers win
- Los Angeles Chargers
- No. 7 seed
- Denver Broncos
- Denver Broncos win/tie vs Kansas City Chiefs
- Miami Dolphins loss/tie vs New York Jets + Cincinnati Bengals loss/tie vs Steelers
- Miami Dolphins
- Miami Dolphins win vs New York Jets + Denver Broncos loss vs Kansas City Chiefs
- Cincinnati Bengals
- Cincinnati Bengals win + Denver Broncos loss + Miami Dolphins loss
- Denver Broncos
- No. 1 seed – Home-Field Advantage – First Round Bye
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NFL playoff hunt right now
AFC
| Seed | Team | Record | Win % | Tiebreaker |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chiefs | 15-1 | .938 | N/A |
| 2 | Bills | 13-3 | .813 | N/A |
| 3 | Ravens | 11-5 | .688 | N/A |
| 4 | Texans | 9-7 | .563 | N/A |
| 5* | Steelers | 10-6 | .625 | PIT beat LAC |
| 6* | Chargers | 10-6 | .600 | LAC beat DEN |
| 7* | Broncos | 9-7 | .563 | ^^ |
| Hunt | Dolphins | 8-8 | .500 | Win % vs AFC |
| Hunt | Bengals | 8-8 | .500 | ^^ |
Related: NFL QB rankings
NFC
| Seed | Team | Record | Win % | Tiebreaker |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lions | 14-2 | .875 | DET beat MIN |
| 2 | Eagles | 13-3 | .813 | N/A |
| 3 | Rams | 10-6 | .625 | N/A |
| 4 | Buccaneers | 9-7 | .563 | N/A |
| 5* | Vikings | 14-2 | .875 | ^^ |
| 6* | Commanders | 11-5 | .688 | Win % vs NFC |
| 7* | Packers | 11-5 | .688 | ^^ |
| Hunt | Falcons | 8-8 | .500 | ^^ |
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Who can clinch a playoff spot this week NFL?
The Denver Broncos, Miami Dolphins and Cincinnati Bengals are fighting for the final playoff spot in the AFC. The Atlanta Falcons and Tampa Bay Buccaneers are battling for the NFC South title.