The NFL playoffs are on the horizon, but there are seedings and division titles still to be decided on the road to Super Bowl LX in Santa Clara, California.
With two playoff spots remaining, here is a look at what's at stake in Week 18 of the regular season...
No 1 seeds
Coveted No 1 seeds, home-field advantage and first-round playoff byes remain up for grabs in both the AFC and NFC heading into the final week of the season. The Denver Broncos (13-3) currently occupy pole position in the AFC and know they need only beat the Los Angeles Chargers to clinch the top seed and set up a Divisional Round playoff matchup at their beloved Mile High. The New England Patriots (13-3), having just clinched their first AFC East title since 2019 with Tom Brady, can snatch the No 1 seed if they beat the Miami Dolphins and the Broncos lose to Jim Harbaugh's Chargers. The third-seeded Jacksonville Jaguars are also still in the hunt, albeit with a far more unlikely route, as they enter Week 18 needing a win over the Tennessee Titans in addition to loses for both the Broncos and Patriots in order to claim the No 1 seed.
Over in the NFC it is Mike Macdonald's Seattle Seahawks that sit in the No 1 seed position after extending their record to 13-3 with Sunday's win over the Carolina Panthers. The San Francisco 49ers are one game behind at 12-4 thanks to their victory over the Chicago Bears in Week 17, and will face Seattle on the final weekend in a decider to see who clinches the division and the first-round bye; the 49ers were 17-13 winners when the NFC West rivals met in the opening week of the campaign.
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The division nobody wants to win
There is a possibility the NFL could have a team with a losing record in the playoffs; cue fan outrage. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-9) have emerged as one of football's most dramatic tales of regression over the second half of the season, Baker Mayfield MVP hype and blossoming contention at 6-2 fizzling out into seven defeats in eight since their Week Nine bye and a stagnating attack behind their quarterback. A hot seat-riding Todd Bowles has seen his team lose four in a row, but they aren't out of it yet. The Carolina Panthers (8-8) squandered a chance to win the NFC South on Sunday when they were beaten by the Seahawks, having taken down Tampa Bay thanks to a late interception of Mayfield in Week 16. The Panthers and Buccaneers will now meet on Saturday night in what looks set to be a division decider.
A victory for Tampa Bay would move them level with the Panthers at 8-9 but see them win the tiebreaker based on common opponents. However, there would be a three-way tie if the Atlanta Falcons (6-9) some how beat both the Los Angeles Rams and New Orleans Saints alongside a win for the Bucs against the Panthers, in which case the Panthers would clinch the tiebreaker and the division.
Steelers vs Ravens
Aaron Rodgers and the Pittsburgh Steelers wasted their opportunity to win the AFC North on Sunday as they slumped to a 13-6 loss to the Cleveland Browns, Arthur Smith's offense sputtering in a decisive moment in their season. The result came a day after Tyler Huntley and four-touchdown Derrick Henry led the Baltimore Ravens to a 41-24 win over the Green Bay Packers to keep their playoff hopes alive. The two teams will now meet in Pittsburgh in Sunday Night Football to decide the division on the final day of the regular-season, a month on since the Steelers beat the Ravens 27-22 on the road.
Baltimore had been hindered by one of the league's most porous defenses, an injury-stricken Lamar Jackson had looked a shadow of his usual electrifying self, Henry had been quiet and the Ravens had been 1-5 entering the bye. They would go on a five-game tear and have now won seven of their last 10, albeit with injuries still troubling Jackson, to give themselves a chance out of nowhere.
Two-time MVP Jackson was absent against the Packers due to a back contusion. Will the Ravens have their talisman for the biggest game of their season?
Jags and Texans battle for AFC South
The Jacksonville Jaguars just extended their winning streak to seven games after beating the Indianapolis Colts 23-17 to move to 12-4 on the year and retain control of the AFC South. In doing so Liam Coen became the first ever first-year head coach to lead his team to 12-plus wins having taken over a side that recorded four or fewer victories in the previous campaign. Jacksonville reinforced their credentials with a statement 34-20 win on the road against the Broncos in Week 16, and still have an outside chance of pipping Sean Payton's men to the No 1 seed, as mentioned earlier. They can wrap up the division by simply beating the Tennessee Titans on the final day.
The Houston Texans have accompanied them as one of football's in-form teams after beating the Chargers 20-16 on Saturday to lift their winning run to eight in a row. Houston, who have already clinched a playoff berth, need to beat the Colts and for the Jaguars lose if they are to win the division.
What are the current playoff matchups?
Here is how the playoffs would look if the season ended today:
AFC Wild Card round:
- (7) Buffalo Bills @ (2) New England Patriots
- (6) Los Angeles Chargers @ (3) Jacksonville Jaguars
- (5) Houston Texans @ (4) Pittsburgh Steelers
First-round bye: (1) Denver Broncos
NFC Wild Card round:
- (7) Green Bay Packers @ (2) Chicago Bears
- (6) Los Angeles Rams @ (3) Philadelphia Eagles
- (5) San Francisco 49ers @ (4) Carolina Panthers
First-round bye: (1) Seattle Seahawks
Playoff dates:
Saturday January 10-12: Wild Card round
- Game One: Saturday, January 10 - 9.30pm
- Game Two: Sunday, January 11 - 1am
- Game Three: Sunday, January 11 - 6pm
- Game Four: Sunday, January 11 - 9.30pm
- Game Five: Monday, January 12 - 1.15am
- Game Six: Tuesday, January 13 - 1.15am
January 17-18: Divisional Round
- Game One: Saturday, January 17 - 9.30pm
- Game Two: Sunday, January 18 - 1.15am
- Game Three: Sunday, January 18 - 8pm
- Game Four: Sunday, January 18 - 11.30pm
January 25: AFC and NFC Championship games
- Conference Championship Game: Sunday, January 25 - 8pm
- Conference Championship Game: Sunday, January 25 - 11.30pm
February 8: Super Bowl LX
- AFC champion vs NFC champion: Sunday, February 8 - 11.30pm
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