NFL playoff clinching scenarios for Week 18

Posted by Valentine Belue on Monday, August 5, 2024

The NFL playoff picture is complete. Here is how things unfolded on the final day of regular season action.

The NFL playoffs are set. Here’s what you need to know.

AFC playoff picture

Kansas City Chiefs (14-3)

— The Chiefs clinched the No. 1 seed and a first-round bye with their win Saturday over the Las Vegas Raiders. If the Chiefs and Buffalo Bills both advance to the AFC championship game, that game will be played at a neutral site. Otherwise, the Chiefs will have home-field advantage throughout the AFC playoffs.

Buffalo Bills (13-3)

— The Bills secured the No. 2 seed with their win Sunday over the New England Patriots. They will host the No. 7 seed Miami Dolphins in the first round of the playoffs.

Cincinnati Bengals (12-4)

— The Bengals secured the No. 3 seed with their win Sunday over the Baltimore Ravens. They will host the No. 6 seed Ravens in the first round of the playoffs.

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Jacksonville Jaguars (9-8)

— The Jaguars clinched the AFC South and the No. 4 seed with Saturday’s win over the Tennessee Titans. They will host the No. 5 seed Los Angeles Chargers in the first round of the playoffs.

Los Angeles Chargers (10-6)

— The Chargers earned the No. 5 seed despite their loss Sunday against the Denver Broncos. They will visit the No. 4 seed Jacksonville Jaguars in the first round of the playoffs.

Baltimore Ravens (10-7)

— The Ravens are locked into the No. 6 seed after their loss Sunday against the Cincinnati Bengals. They will visit the No. 3 seed Bengals in the first round of the playoffs.

Miami Dolphins (9-8)

— The Dolphins secured the No. 7 seed with their win Sunday over the New York Jets and the New England Patriots’ loss to the Buffalo Bills. The Dolphins will visit the No. 2 seed Bills in the first round of the playoffs.

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The Pittsburgh Steelers (9-8), New England Patriots (8-9) and Tennessee Titans (7-10) were eliminated by this weekend’s results.

NFC playoff picture

Philadelphia Eagles (14-3)

— The Eagles clinched the NFC East, the No. 1 seed, a first-round bye and home-field advantage throughout the NFC playoffs with their win Sunday over the New York Giants.

San Francisco 49ers (13-4)

— The 49ers secured the No. 2 seed with their win Sunday over the Arizona Cardinals. They will host the No. 7 seed, either the Green Bay Packers or Seattle Seahawks, in the first round of the playoffs.

Minnesota Vikings (13-4)

— The Vikings were locked into the No. 3 seed Sunday after the San Francisco 49ers beat the Arizona Cardinals. The Vikings will host the No. 6 seed New York Giants in the first round of the playoffs.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (8-9)

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— The Buccaneers were locked into the No. 4 seed before this weekend. They will host the No. 5 seed Dallas Cowboys in the first round of the playoffs.

Dallas Cowboys (12-5)

— The Cowboys were locked into the No. 5 seed after the Philadelphia Eagles beat the New York Giants. The Cowboys will visit the No. 4 seed Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the first round of the playoffs.

New York Giants (9-7-1)

— The Giants were locked into the No. 6 seed before this weekend. They will visit the No. 3 seed Minnesota Vikings in the first round of the playoffs.

Seattle Seahawks (9-8)

— The Seahawks clinched the No. 7 seed with the Green Bay Packers’ loss to the Detroit Lions. They will visit the No. 2 seed San Francisco 49ers in the first round of the playoffs.

The Green Bay Packers (8-9) and the Detroit Lions (9-8) were eliminated with this weekend’s results.

NFL best bets for Week 18: Time for some unconventional wisdom

AFC playoff standings

z-1. Kansas City Chiefs (14-3)

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y-2. Buffalo Bills (13-3)

y-3. Cincinnati Bengals (12-4)

y-4. Jacksonville Jaguars (9-8)

x-5. Los Angeles Chargers (10-7)

x-6. Baltimore Ravens (10-7)

x-7. Miami Dolphins (9-8)

Eliminated: Pittsburgh Steelers (9-8), New England Patriots (8-9), New York Jets (7-10), Tennessee Titans (7-10), Cleveland Browns (7-10), Las Vegas Raiders (6-11), Denver Broncos (5-12), Indianapolis Colts (4-12-1), Houston Texans (3-13-1)

NFC playoff standings

z-1. Philadelphia Eagles (14-3)

y-2. San Francisco 49ers (13-4)

y-3. Minnesota Vikings (13-4)

y-4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (8-9)

x-5. Dallas Cowboys (12-5)

x-6. New York Giants (9-7-1)

x-7. Seattle Seahawks (9-8)

Eliminated: Green Bay Packers (8-9), Detroit Lions (9-8), Washington Commanders (8-8-1), Carolina Panthers (7-10), New Orleans Saints (7-10), Atlanta Falcons (7-10), Los Angeles Rams (5-12), Arizona Cardinals (4-13), Chicago Bears (3-14)

x-clinched playoff berth; y-clinched division; z-clinched first-round bye

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